Recovery mechanism of the automatic guided vehicle

Abstract

To efficiently recover an abnormally stopped automated conveyance vehicle without hindering traveling.SOLUTION: A recovery mechanism of an automated conveyance vehicle 10 includes: an overhead conveyance path 82 having rails 21; and the automated conveyance vehicle 10 having drive wheels 13 on one side of a vehicle body and driven wheels 14 on the other side of the vehicle body, and traveling on the rails 21 with a workpiece 100 mounted thereon. The overhead conveyance path 82 includes a belt mechanism having an unending belt 22 with a protruding portion 23. The automated conveyance vehicle 10 has a drive wheel side engagement portion 15 engaged with the protruding portion 23, and a driven wheel side engagement portion 16 engaged with the protruding portion 23. The protruding portion 23 is made to retreat to a position where the automated conveyance vehicle 10 can travel on the rails 21 at the time of normal operation, and is made to enter the rails 21 so that the automated conveyance vehicle 10 can be conveyed by being engaged with the drive wheel side engagement portion 15 or the driven wheel side engagement portion 16 at the time of abnormal stop.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a recovery mechanism for an automatically guided vehicle that has stopped abnormally.

Background Art

[0002] In a factory, when transporting a workpiece across a walkway by an automatically guided vehicle, the automatically guided vehicle can efficiently transport the workpiece by traveling on an overhead path above the pedestrians. If the automatically guided vehicle stops abnormally while traveling on the overhead path, a mechanism for recovering the automatically guided vehicle is required because it is not possible to directly reach it from a high place.

[0003] Patent Document 1 proposes a method of transporting a carriage by hooking feed protrusions provided at equal intervals on a chain to a locking portion of the carriage.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] In the carriage drive mechanism shown in Patent Document 1, in the case of an autonomous mobile vehicle capable of autonomous driving, there is a problem that the feed protrusions interfere with the vehicle while it is self-driving, which hinders the driving.

[0006] The present disclosure has been made in view of the above, and an object thereof is to obtain a recovery mechanism for an automatically guided vehicle that can efficiently recover an abnormally stopped automatically guided vehicle without hindering its travel.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] In order to solve the above-described problems and achieve the object, the recovery mechanism of the automated guided vehicle in the present disclosure includes an overhead conveyance path installed above a walking path and having a running path, and an automated guided vehicle having drive wheels on a first part that is one side of the front and rear parts of the vehicle body, having driven wheels on a second part that is the other side of the front and rear parts of the vehicle body, and carrying a workpiece to run on the running path of the overhead conveyance path, and recovers the automated guided vehicle that has abnormally stopped on the running path. The overhead conveyance path includes a belt mechanism including an endless belt having protrusions. The automated guided vehicle includes a first engagement part that engages with the protrusions on the first part, and a second engagement part that engages with the protrusions on the second part. The protrusions of the belt mechanism are retracted to a position where the automated guided vehicle can run on the running path during normal times, and enter the running path to engage with the first engagement part or the second engagement part to enable the automated guided vehicle to be conveyed when the automated guided vehicle abnormally stops.

Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the recovery mechanism of the automated guided vehicle of the present disclosure, there is an effect that an abnormally stopped automated guided vehicle can be efficiently recovered without hindering running.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0009]

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Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0010] Hereinafter, the recovery mechanism of the automated guided vehicle according to the embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0011] Embodiment 1. FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing an overall configuration example of a manufacturing line system to which the recovery mechanism of the automated guided vehicle according to Embodiment 1 is applied. The manufacturing line system 90 includes a plurality of manufacturing apparatus groups 91a, 91b,.... The manufacturing apparatus group 91a includes a plurality of manufacturing apparatuses 92a arranged in parallel and an inter-apparatus transfer path 81a connecting between the respective manufacturing apparatuses 92a. The inter-apparatus transfer path 81a is provided at the front of each manufacturing apparatus 92a. The manufacturing apparatus group 91b includes a plurality of manufacturing apparatuses 92b arranged in parallel and an inter-apparatus transfer path 81b connecting between the respective manufacturing apparatuses 92b. The inter-apparatus transfer path 81b is provided at the front of each manufacturing apparatus 92b.

[0012] The manufacturing line system 90 includes an overhead conveyance path 82, elevating paths 83a and 83b, a signal tower 84, a walking path 94, a control controller 96, and a plurality of automatic guided vehicles 10. The automatic guided vehicle 10 carries the workpiece 100 and travels on the inter-device conveyance paths 81a and 81b to supply and unload the workpiece 100 to and from the manufacturing devices 92a and 92b, thereby assembling the product. A plurality of automatic guided vehicles 10 are installed according to the manufacturing tact or the number of manufacturing devices 92a and 92b. The automatic guided vehicle 10 performs wireless communication with the control controller 96 and receives commands such as a conveyance destination command from the control controller 96.

[0013] The inter-device conveyance paths 81a and 81b are installed at a height of, for example, 900 mm from the ground so that the hands of the operator 95 can reach them. A walking path 94 is arranged between the manufacturing device group 91a and the manufacturing device group 91b. The operator 95 performs maintenance on the manufacturing devices 92a and 92b or the automatic guided vehicle 10 on the walking path 94.

[0014] The elevating paths 83a and 83b and the overhead conveyance path 82 are arranged so that the automatic guided vehicle 10 can move between the manufacturing device group 91a and the manufacturing device group 91b. The overhead conveyance path 82 is installed at a height of, for example, 2500 mm from the ground so that the operator 95 can walk under it. The elevating path 83a connects the inter-device conveyance path 81a and the overhead conveyance path 82 and raises and lowers the automatic guided vehicle 10. The elevating path 83b connects the inter-device conveyance path 81b and the overhead conveyance path 82 and raises and lowers the automatic guided vehicle 10. A signal tower 84 is installed above the overhead conveyance path 82 and each manufacturing device 92a and 92b, and the states of the elevating paths 83a and 83b, the overhead conveyance path 82, and the automatic guided vehicle 10 are displayed on the signal tower 84.

[0015] If the manufacturing device group 91a and the manufacturing device group 91b are connected at the same height as the inter-device conveyance paths 81a and 81b, the walking path 94 will be blocked, increasing the walking time of the operator 95 and resulting in a decrease in work efficiency. In the first embodiment, by arranging the overhead conveyance path 82 above the head of the operator 95, a decrease in work efficiency is prevented.

[0016] The control controller 96 comprehensively controls each component of the manufacturing line system 90, namely, each manufacturing device 92a, 92b, the elevating paths 83a, 83b, and the plurality of automatic guided vehicles 10. When the control controller 96 detects an abnormal stop of the automatic guided vehicle 10 on the overhead conveyance path 82, it sets the signal tower 84 installed on the overhead conveyance path 82 to an abnormal display state indicating the abnormal stop state of the automatic guided vehicle 10. As methods for detecting an abnormal stop of the automatic guided vehicle 10, various methods such as (a) the automatic guided vehicle 10 wirelessly notifying the control controller 96 of the abnormal stop, (b) providing a dedicated sensor for detecting an abnormal stop of the automatic guided vehicle 10 on the overhead conveyance path 82, and (c) using the vehicle detection sensors 28a, 28b on the elevating stages 26a, 26b described later to detect an abnormal stop of the automatic guided vehicle 10 can be considered, and any one to a plurality of methods can be adopted.

[0017] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a conceptual configuration of the automatic guided vehicle 10 according to Embodiment 1. The automatic guided vehicle 10 includes a vehicle body 11, a control circuit 12, drive wheels 13, driven wheels 14, a drive wheel side engaging portion 15 as a first engaging portion, a driven wheel side engaging portion 16 as a second engaging portion, and a battery 17. The automatic guided vehicle 10 can travel autonomously. The automatic guided vehicle 10 has the drive wheels 13 on a first part which is one side of the front and rear portions of the vehicle body 11, and has the driven wheels 14 on a second part which is the other side of the front and rear portions of the vehicle body 11. The traveling direction of the automatic guided vehicle 10 on the overhead conveyance path 82 is defined as the X-axis direction, the direction perpendicular to the ground is defined as the Z-axis direction, and the direction perpendicular to the X-axis and the Z-axis is defined as the Y-axis direction.

[0018] On the upper part of the vehicle body 11, a workpiece 100 for conveyance is mounted. The control circuit 12 is supplied with power from the battery 17, communicates with the control controller 96, and drives and controls the drive wheels 13 based on the acquired conveyance destination command. The drive wheels 13 are provided on the front wheel side or the rear wheel side of the vehicle body 11. A pair of drive wheels 13 are provided on the same Y-axis, and forward rotation or reverse rotation can be independently controlled. Therefore, the automatic guided vehicle 10 can move forward, backward, and perform a spin turn. A spin turn means rotating about a point within the plane of the vehicle body 11. The driven wheels 14 are provided on the side opposite to the drive wheels 13 so that the vehicle body 11 does not fall due to the inertial force during acceleration and deceleration. A pair of driven wheels 14 are provided on the same Y-axis. The driven wheels 14 have no power and are driven by the drive wheels 13.

[0019] The drive wheel side engaging portion 15 is attached to one of the front and rear surfaces of the vehicle body 11 where the drive wheels 13 are arranged. The driven wheel side engaging portion 16 is attached to the other of the front and rear surfaces of the vehicle body 11 where the driven wheels 14 are arranged. The drive wheel side engaging portion 15 and the driven wheel side engaging portion 16 are wedge-shaped. The shapes of the drive wheel side engaging portion 15 and the driven wheel side engaging portion 16 will be described in detail later.

[0020] FIG. 3 is a front view showing a conceptual configuration of the recovery mechanism of the automatic guided vehicle 10 according to Embodiment 1 in a normal state. FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a conceptual configuration of the recovery mechanism of the automatic guided vehicle 10 according to Embodiment 1 in a normal state. FIG. 5 is a side view showing a conceptual configuration of the recovery mechanism of the automatic guided vehicle 10 according to Embodiment 1 in a normal state. The overhead conveyance path 82 and the elevating paths 83a, 83b are covered with a cover 29 so that the automatic guided vehicle 10 does not fall even in the event of an earthquake or the like.

[0021] The overhead conveyance path 82 includes a pair of rails 21 as a traveling path on which the automatic guided vehicle 10 travels, an endless belt 22, a pair of pulleys 24a, a pulley 24b, an intermediate pulley 31, and a chain 25. The endless belt 22 has a protrusion 23 for recovering the automatically guided vehicle 10 that has stopped abnormally. The pair of pulleys 24a drive the endless belt 22. The pulley 24a and the intermediate pulley 31 are rotated when the operator 95 pulls the chain 25.

[0022] The pair of pulleys 24a are provided horizontally at both ends of the rail 21 at the same height position as the automatic guided vehicle 10. The pair of pulleys 24a are arranged to rotate about the Z axis. The intermediate pulley 31 is arranged to rotate about the X axis, and the pulley 24b is arranged to rotate about the Y axis. The chain 25 is provided so as to span one of the pulleys 24a, the intermediate pulley 31, and the pulley 24b. The chain 25 hangs down to a height within reach of the operator 95. When the operator 95 pulls the chain 25, the pulley 24a, the intermediate pulley 31, and one of the pulleys 24a rotate, and thereby the endless belt 22 spanned between the pair of pulleys 24a moves. As shown in FIG. 3, two chains 25 hang down, and when one of the two is pulled, the pair of pulleys 24a rotate forward, and when the other of the two is pulled, the pair of pulleys 24a rotate in reverse.

[0023] The protrusions 23 are attached to two opposing locations of the endless belt 22. The protrusion 23 is a rod-shaped body that protrudes perpendicular to the belt surface of the endless belt 22. The protrusion 23 is provided at approximately the same height position as the drive wheel side engaging portion 15 and the driven wheel side engaging portion 16 of the automatic guided vehicle 10. Normally, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the endless belt 22 stops at a position where the extending direction of the rail 21 and the extending direction of the protrusion 23 are parallel. Therefore, the automatic guided vehicle 10 can normally travel without contacting the protrusion 23.

[0024] Elevating paths 83a and 83b are arranged on both sides of the rail 21. The elevating path 83a arranged on the manufacturing apparatus group 91a side includes an elevating stage 26a, an elevator 27a, and a vehicle detection sensor 28a. The elevating path 83b arranged on the manufacturing apparatus group 91b side includes an elevating stage 26b, an elevator 27b, and a vehicle detection sensor 28b. The elevating paths 83a and 83b carry the automatic guided vehicle 10 and move up and down. The elevators 27a and 27b drive the elevating stages 26a and 26b. The vehicle detection sensors 28a and 28b detect the automatic guided vehicle 10.

[0025] The elevating paths 83a and 83b are installed at both ends of the overhead conveying path 82. The inter-device conveying path 81a and the overhead conveying path 82 are connected at a right angle via the elevating path 83a. The inter-device conveying path 81b and the overhead conveying path 82 are connected at a right angle via the elevating path 83b. The elevating stages 26a and 26b are planar, and the automatic guided vehicle 10 can make a spin turn. Vehicle detection sensors 28a and 28b for detecting that the automatic guided vehicle 10 is mounted on the elevating stages 26a and 26b are provided on the elevating stages 26a and 26b. The vehicle detection sensors 28a and 28b are optical sensors such as laser sensors having an optical transmission part and an optical reception part, for example. Detection signals of the vehicle detection sensors 28a and 28b are transmitted to the control controller 96. The control controller 96 performs elevation control of the elevating paths 83a and 83b based on the detection signals of the vehicle detection sensors 28a and 28b.

[0026] Also, the vehicle detection sensors 28a and 28b can be used not only for detecting the presence or absence of the automatic guided vehicle 10 on the elevating stages 26a and 26b but also for detecting an abnormal stop of the automatic guided vehicle 10 on the overhead conveying path 82 as described above. For example, after the control controller 96 detects the automatic guided vehicle 10 on the elevating stage 26a with one vehicle detection sensor 28a and then the automatic guided vehicle 10 is no longer detected at the departure of the automatic guided vehicle 10, and if the other vehicle detection sensor 28b cannot detect the automatic guided vehicle 10 on the elevating stage 26b even after a preset time has elapsed, it can be determined that there is an abnormal stop of the automatic guided vehicle 10 on the overhead conveying path 82.

[0027] When the automatic guided vehicle 10 transports the workpiece 100 from the manufacturing equipment group 91a to the manufacturing equipment group 91b, first, the control controller 96 drives the automatic guided vehicle 10 to travel on the inter-device transfer path 81a up to the lift stage 26a of the lift path 83a. The control controller 96 detects that the automatic guided vehicle 10 has boarded the lift stage 26a of the lift path 83a based on the detection signal of the vehicle detection sensor 28a. Based on this detection, the control controller 96 spins the automatic guided vehicle 10 on the lift stage 26a and raises the lift stage 26a. Next, the control controller 96 drives the automatic guided vehicle 10 to travel from the lift stage 26a to the lift stage 26b of the opposite lift path 83b via the rail 21 of the overhead transfer path 82. The control controller 96 detects that the automatic guided vehicle 10 has boarded the lift stage 26b of the lift path 83b based on the detection signal of the vehicle detection sensor 28b. Based on this detection, the control controller 96 spins the automatic guided vehicle 10 on the lift stage 26b and lowers the lift stage 26b. Next, the control controller 96 drives the automatic guided vehicle 10 to travel on the inter-device transfer path 81b from the lift stage 26b to the destination manufacturing equipment 92b.

[0028] Next, the case where the automatic guided vehicle 10 stops abnormally will be described. FIG. 6 is a front view showing a conceptual configuration in the recovery operation state of the recovery mechanism of the automatic guided vehicle 10 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 7 is a plan view showing a conceptual configuration in the recovery operation state of the recovery mechanism of the automatic guided vehicle 10 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 8 is a side view showing a conceptual configuration in the recovery operation state of the recovery mechanism of the automatic guided vehicle 10 according to the first embodiment. When the automatic guided vehicle 10 stops abnormally due to discharge, damage, or failure of the battery 17, etc., the automatic guided vehicle 10 must be recovered manually. When the automatic guided vehicle 10 stops abnormally while traveling on the inter-device transfer paths 81a and 81b, there is no problem because the hand of the operator 95 can reach it. However, when the automatic guided vehicle 10 stops abnormally while traveling on the overhead transfer path 82, a recovery mechanism is required because the hand of the operator 95 cannot reach it.

[0029] When the automatic guided vehicle 10 abnormally stops on the overhead conveyor path 82, the control controller 96 detects this. The control controller 96 sets the signal tower 84 to an abnormal display state indicating that the automatic guided vehicle 10 has abnormally stopped on the overhead conveyor path 82, and notifies the operator 95 to that effect. The operator 95 who notices this notification pulls the chain 25 to drive the pulley 24a, the intermediate pulley 31, and the pulley 24a, and moves the endless belt 22 stretched between the pair of pulleys 24a. That is, as shown in FIG. 6, the operator 95 pulls either one of the two hanging chains 25 to move the protrusion 23 fixed to the endless belt 22 in the direction in which the abnormally stopped automatic guided vehicle 10 is to be recovered (towards either the lifting stages 26a or 26b), and engages either one of the two protrusions 23 with the drive wheel side engaging portion 15 or the driven wheel side engaging portion 16 as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. Further, the operator 95 further pulls the chain 25 to press the automatic guided vehicle 10 with the protrusion 23 engaged therewith by the protrusion 23, and moves the automatic guided vehicle 10 from the abnormal stop position to either the lifting stages 26a or 26b. In the case of FIG. 7, the protrusion 23 is engaged with the drive wheel side engaging portion 15, and the automatic guided vehicle 10 is pressed by the protrusion 23 and moved towards the lifting stage 26a. When the vehicle detection sensor 28a of the lifting stage 26a detects the automatic guided vehicle 10, the control controller 96 lowers the lifting stage 26a. When the lifting stage 26a is lowered and the automatic guided vehicle 10 is lowered to the position of the inter-device conveyor path 81a, the automatic guided vehicle 10 is recovered by the operator 95. After recovery, the operator 95 pulls the chain 25 to return the protrusion 23 so as to be parallel to the rail 21 so that another automatic guided vehicle 10 can travel on the overhead conveyor path 82.

[0030] Using FIGS. 9 and 10, the recovery operation of the automatic guided vehicle 10 will be described in detail. FIG. 9 is a conceptual cross-sectional view showing a state in which the drive wheel side engaging portion 15 is used for recovery in the recovery mechanism of the automatic guided vehicle 10 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 10 is a conceptual cross-sectional view showing a state in which the driven wheel side engaging portion 16 is used for recovery in the recovery mechanism of the automatic guided vehicle 10 according to the first embodiment. When the automatic guided vehicle 10 stops abnormally, the drive wheel 13 may be locked, and if it is forced to be pushed forward, it may tip over or be damaged.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 9, the drive wheel side engaging portion 15 has a wedge shape and has an inclined surface 15a whose height position on the lower surface increases from the base end portion to the tip end portion. Further, the contact surface 23a of the protrusion 23 with the inclined surface 15a is an inclined surface having an inclination corresponding to the inclined surface 15a so as to easily enter the lower surface side of the drive wheel side engaging portion 15. For this reason, when the protrusion 23 moves in the direction of arrow F1 by the movement of the endless belt 22, the protrusion 23 enters below the drive wheel side engaging portion 15, and the contact surface 23a of the protrusion 23 slides on the inclined surface 15a of the drive wheel side engaging portion 15, and a force that pushes the drive wheel side engaging portion 15 upward acts. Further, when the protrusion 23 abuts against the vehicle body 11 of the automatic guided vehicle 10, the automatic guided vehicle 10 is pressed in the direction of arrow F1. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 9, the automatic guided vehicle 10 moves in the direction of arrow F1 by the rotation of the driven wheel 14 in a state where the drive wheel 13 is separated from the rail 21. Note that the engagement structure of the protrusion 23 and the drive wheel side engaging portion 15 may adopt any other structure as long as it is a structure capable of separating the drive wheel 13 from the rail 21 and pressing and moving the automatic guided vehicle 10. Further, the protrusion 23 may be a round or arbitrary polygonal rod-shaped body having no inclined surface.

[0032] As shown in Fig. 10, the driven-wheel side engaging portion 16 has a wedge shape and has an inclined surface 16a whose height position on the upper surface decreases from the base end portion toward the tip end portion. Further, the contact surface 23b of the protrusion 23 with the inclined surface 16a is an inclined surface having an inclination corresponding to the inclined surface 16a so as to easily enter above the driven-wheel side engaging portion 16. For this reason, when the protrusion 23 moves in the direction of arrow F2 due to the movement of the endless belt 22, the protrusion 23 enters above the driven-wheel side engaging portion 16, and the contact surface 23b of the protrusion 23 slides on the inclined surface 16a of the driven-wheel side engaging portion 16, and a force for pushing down the driven-wheel side engaging portion 16 acts. Due to this pushing-down force, the automatic guided vehicle 10 rotates with the driven wheel 14 as a fulcrum, and the drive wheel 13 is in a state of being separated from the rail 21. Thereafter, when the protrusion 23 abuts against the vehicle body 11 of the automatic guided vehicle 10, the automatic guided vehicle 10 is pressed in the direction of arrow F2. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 10, the automatic guided vehicle 10 moves in the direction of arrow F2 by the rotation of the driven wheel 14 in a state where the drive wheel 13 is separated from the rail 21. Note that the engaging structure of the protrusion 23 and the driven-wheel side engaging portion 16 may adopt any other structure as long as it can push down the driven-wheel side engaging portion 16 and press and move the automatic guided vehicle 10.

[0033] As described above, the protrusion 23 of the endless belt 22 normally retracts to a position where the automatic guided vehicle 10 can travel on the rail 21 which is the traveling path, and when the automatic guided vehicle 10 abnormally stops, it engages with the drive-wheel side engaging portion 15 or the driven-wheel side engaging portion 16 and enters the rail 21 so that the automatic guided vehicle 10 can be conveyed. In the above description, the endless belt 22 is configured to be driven manually, but a motor, an operation switch, etc. may be provided so that the endless belt 22 is driven by the motor.

[0034] According to the first embodiment as described above, during normal operation, the protruding portions 23 are retracted to positions that do not interfere with the running of the automatic guided vehicle 10, and during abnormal stop, the protruding portions 23 are engaged with the automatic guided vehicle 10 so that the automatic guided vehicle 10 can be pressed and moved. Therefore, the abnormally stopped automatic guided vehicle 10 can be efficiently and promptly recovered. Also, during recovery, since the drive wheels 13 are lifted to move the automatic guided vehicle 10, it is possible to prevent the automatic guided vehicle 10 from tipping over or being damaged.

[0035] Second Embodiment. FIG. 11 is a conceptual plan view showing the state of the first stage during the recovery operation of the recovery mechanism of the automatic guided vehicle 10 according to the second embodiment. FIG. 12 is a conceptual plan view showing the state of the second stage during the recovery operation of the recovery mechanism of the automatic guided vehicle 10 according to the second embodiment. FIG. 13 is a conceptual plan view showing the state of the third stage during the recovery operation of the recovery mechanism of the automatic guided vehicle 10 according to the second embodiment. FIG. 14 is a conceptual plan view showing the state of the fourth stage during the recovery operation of the recovery mechanism of the automatic guided vehicle 10 according to the second embodiment. FIG. 15 is a conceptual plan view showing the state of the fifth stage during the recovery operation of the recovery mechanism of the automatic guided vehicle 10 according to the second embodiment.

[0036] In the first embodiment, an example is shown in which only one automatic guided vehicle 10 is running on the overhead conveyance path 82. In the first embodiment, when the automatic guided vehicle 10 abnormally stops on the overhead conveyance path 82, if there is a following vehicle on the overhead conveyance path 82, the following vehicle becomes an obstacle and the vehicle to be recovered cannot be recovered. In the second embodiment, even when a plurality of automatic guided vehicles 10 are running on the overhead conveyance path 82, only the vehicle to be recovered can be recovered.

[0037] The recovery mechanism of the automatic guided vehicle 10 according to the second embodiment will be described. In the second embodiment, the protruding portions 23 of the first embodiment are replaced with foldable protruding portions 50a and 50b. Other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment, and redundant explanations are omitted. The foldable protruding portions 50a and 50b are attached to two opposing locations of the endless belt 22. The folding directions of the foldable protruding portions 50a and 50b are opposite.

[0038] The foldable protrusion 50a includes a protrusion 51a, a support 52a that rotatably supports one end of the protrusion 51a, and a spring (not shown) as an elastic body that biases the protrusion 51a in the counterclockwise direction in the drawing. The foldable protrusion 50b includes a protrusion 51b, a support 52b that rotatably supports one end of the protrusion 51b, and a spring (not shown) as an elastic body that biases the protrusion 51b in the clockwise direction in the drawing. The shapes of the protrusions 51a and 51b are the same as those of the protrusion 23 in the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 9 and 10. In the foldable protrusion 50a, the protrusion 51a can be folded only in the clockwise direction, which is the first direction. In the foldable protrusion 50b, the protrusion 51b can be folded only in the counterclockwise direction, which is the second direction. In the foldable protrusion 50a, the rotation of the protrusion 51a biased in the counterclockwise direction by the spring is restricted by the wall surface of the L-shaped support 52a. As a result, normally, as shown in FIG. 11, it maintains a state of protruding vertically from the belt surface of the endless belt 22. In the foldable protrusion 50b, the rotation of the protrusion 51b biased in the clockwise direction by the spring is restricted by the wall surface of the L-shaped support 52b. As a result, normally, as shown in FIG. 11, it maintains a state of protruding vertically from the belt surface of the endless belt 22.

[0039] In FIGS. 11 to 15, assume that the automatic carrier 10 on the right side is the vehicle 10a to be recovered that has stopped abnormally, and the automatic carrier 10 on the left side is the following vehicle 10b. The recovery operation will be described in order with reference to FIGS. 11 to 15. The state shown in FIG. 11 indicates the state immediately after the vehicle 10a to be recovered has stopped abnormally. The endless belt 22 has stopped at a position where the foldable protrusions 50a and 50b do not interfere with the running of the automatic carrier 10. The operator 95 who has recognized the abnormal stop pulls the chain 25 to move the endless belt 22 as shown by the arrow S1 in FIG. 12, so as to move the foldable protrusion 50a toward the vehicle 10a to be recovered in order to move the vehicle 10a to be recovered to the lifting stage 26b. When the foldable protrusion 50a contacts the vehicle 10a to be recovered, the protrusion 51a folds as shown by the arrow S2, and while the protrusion 51a contacts the vehicle 10a to be recovered, it moves toward the lifting stage 26a without moving the vehicle 10a to be recovered.

[0040] When the contact between the protrusion 51a and the vehicle 10a to be recovered ends, the protrusion 51a rotates and returns to a state perpendicular to the endless belt 22 by a spring as shown in FIG. 13. In this state, the operator 95 pulls the chain 25 in the reverse direction, moves the endless belt 22 in the reverse direction as shown by the arrow S3 in FIG. 14, and engages the protrusion 51a with the driven wheel side engaging portion 16 of the vehicle 10a to be recovered as shown in FIG. 10, and presses and moves the vehicle 10a to be recovered toward the lifting stage 26b. During this movement, the drive wheel 13 of the vehicle 10a to be recovered is separated from the rail 21. Then, as shown in FIG. 15, when the movement of the vehicle 10a to be recovered to the lifting stage 26b is completed, the operator 95 pulls the chain 25 to move the endless belt 22 to a position where the foldable protrusions 50a and 50b do not interfere with the running of the automatic carrier 10.

[0041] In addition, when moving the vehicle 10a to be recovered toward the lifting stage 26a, the same recovery operation is performed using the foldable protrusion 50b. Also, the folding structure of the foldable protrusions 50a and 50b may adopt any other structure as long as it can achieve the same folding function as described above.

[0042] According to the second embodiment in this way, even when a following vehicle follows the automatic guided vehicle 10 that has abnormally stopped on the overhead conveyance path 82, only the target automatic guided vehicle 10 can be recovered. Also, during normal operation, the foldable protrusions 50a and 50b do not interfere with the running of the automatic guided vehicle 10.

[0043] Embodiment 3. FIG. 16 is a conceptual cross-sectional view showing a state where the automatic guided vehicle 10 according to Embodiment 3 is recovered from the drive wheel side in the recovery mechanism of the automatic guided vehicle 10. FIG. 17 is a conceptual cross-sectional view showing a state where the automatic guided vehicle 10 according to Embodiment 3 is recovered from the driven wheel side in the recovery mechanism of the automatic guided vehicle 10. FIG. 18 is a conceptual plan view showing the state of the first stage during the recovery operation in the recovery mechanism of the automatic guided vehicle 10 according to Embodiment 3. FIG. 19 is a conceptual plan view showing the state of the second stage during the recovery operation in the recovery mechanism of the automatic guided vehicle 10 according to Embodiment 3. FIG. 20 is a conceptual plan view showing the state of the third stage during the recovery operation in the recovery mechanism of the automatic guided vehicle 10 according to Embodiment 3. FIG. 21 is a conceptual plan view showing the state of the fourth stage during the recovery operation in the recovery mechanism of the automatic guided vehicle 10 according to Embodiment 3.

[0044] In Embodiment 3, the protrusion 23 of Embodiment 1 is replaced with a magnet-equipped protrusion 70. Also, the drive wheel side engaging portion 15 of Embodiment 1 is replaced with a drive wheel side engaging portion 60, and the driven wheel side engaging portion 16 of Embodiment 1 is replaced with a driven wheel side engaging portion 65. Other configurations are the same as those in Embodiment 1, and overlapping explanations are omitted. According to the magnet-equipped protrusion 70, the drive wheel side engaging portion 60, and the driven wheel side engaging portion 65, the abnormally stopped automatic guided vehicle 10 can be moved not only by pressing but also by traction.

[0045] The recovery mechanism of the automatic guided vehicle 10 according to Embodiment 3 will be described. As shown in FIG. 18 and the like, the magnet-equipped protrusions 70 are attached to two opposing locations of the endless belt 22. As shown in FIGS. 16 and 17, in the magnet-equipped protrusion 70, the central portion in the X-axis direction sandwiched between the protrusion tip portions 71 has a magnetized magnetic portion 72. The magnetic portion 72 is, for example, a magnet. Note that the entire magnet-equipped protrusion 70 may be composed of a magnet. The shape of the magnet-equipped protrusion 70 is the same as that of the protrusion 23 of Embodiment 1 shown in FIGS. 9 and 10.

[0046] The driving wheel side engaging portion 60 is composed of a base end portion 61 and an engaging tip end portion 62. The driven wheel side engaging portion 65 is composed of a base end portion 66 and an engaging tip end portion 67. The engaging tip end portions 62 and 67 are made of a ferromagnetic material, for example, iron, and are attracted to the magnetic portion 72 of the magnet-equipped protrusion 70. Note that the entire driving wheel side engaging portion 60 and the driven wheel side engaging portion 65 may be made of a ferromagnetic material. The shapes of the driving wheel side engaging portion 60 and the driven wheel side engaging portion 65 are the same as those of the driving wheel side engaging portion 15 and the driven wheel side engaging portion 16 of Embodiment 1. Also in Embodiment 3, as shown in FIGS. 16 and 17, in the same manner as in Embodiment 1, the automatic guided vehicle 10 can be traction-moved or pressed-moved while lifting the driving wheel 13.

[0047] Using FIGS. 18 to 21, the recovery operation of the automatic guided vehicle 10 will be described in sequence. The state shown in FIG. 18 shows the state immediately after the vehicle 10a to be recovered has stopped abnormally. The endless belt 22 has stopped at a position where the protrusion 70 with a magnet does not interfere with the running of the automatic guided vehicle 10. The operator 95 who has recognized the abnormal stop pulls the chain 25 to move the endless belt 22 in order to move the vehicle 10a to be recovered to the lifting stage 26b. As shown in FIG. 19, the protrusion 70 with a magnet is magnetically engaged with the engaging portion 60 on the driving wheel side of the vehicle 10a to be recovered, and the driving wheel 13 is lifted. In this state, the operator 95 pulls the chain 25 in the reverse direction. As shown in FIG. 20, the endless belt 22 is moved in the reverse direction to tractionally move the vehicle 10a to be recovered toward the lifting stage 26b. Then, as shown in FIG. 21, when the movement of the vehicle 10a to be recovered to the lifting stage 26b is completed, the operator 95 pulls the chain 25 to move the endless belt 22 to a position where the protrusion 70 with a magnet does not interfere with the running of the automatic guided vehicle 10.

[0048] When moving the vehicle 10a to be recovered toward the lifting stage 26b, a similar recovery operation may be performed using the other protrusion 70 with a magnet. Also, when there is no subsequent vehicle 10b, the vehicle 10a to be recovered can be pressed and moved using the protrusion 70 with a magnet.

[0049] As described above, according to the third embodiment, even when there is a subsequent vehicle following the automatic guided vehicle 10 that has stopped abnormally on the overhead conveyance path 82, only the target automatic guided vehicle 10 can be recovered using traction movement. Also, normally, the protrusion 70 with a magnet does not interfere with the running of the automatic guided vehicle 10.

[0050] In the first to third embodiments, it is desirable to provide the protrusions 23, 51a, 51b and the protrusion 70 with a magnet at two opposing positions on the endless belt 22, but the protrusions 23, 51a, 51b and the protrusion 70 with a magnet may be provided at one position on the endless belt 22.

[0051] Embodiment 4. FIG. 22 is a cross-sectional view showing a conceptual configuration of the recovery mechanism of the automatic guided vehicle 10 according to Embodiment 4 in a normal state. FIG. 23 is a cross-sectional view showing a conceptual configuration of the recovery mechanism of the automatic guided vehicle 10 according to Embodiment 4 in a recovery operation state. FIG. 24 is a plan view showing a conceptual configuration of the recovery mechanism of the automatic guided vehicle 10 according to Embodiment 4.

[0052] In Embodiment 4, as shown in FIG. 24, the endless belt 22 is disposed between the rails 21 as a traveling path and below the automatic guided vehicle 10. Further, as shown in FIGS. 22 and 23, the protrusions 44 are formed at a height that does not contact the vehicle body 11 and are attached to the endless belt 22 at a plurality of intervals. The automatic guided vehicle 10 is provided with a retractable engagement portion 86 that engages with the protrusion 44. As shown in FIG. 22, the retractable engagement portion 86 is normally housed in the vehicle body 11, but as shown in FIG. 23, when the automatic guided vehicle 10 abnormally stops, it protrudes below the vehicle body 11 and engages with the protrusion 44. The retractable engagement portion 86 is held by a leaf spring 85. The leaf spring 85 is driven and controlled by an engagement portion control circuit 40. The engagement portion control circuit 40 includes a battery 41, a switch 42, and an electromagnet 43. Other configurations are the same as those in Embodiment 1, and repeated descriptions are omitted. The switch 42 is wirelessly remotely operated by a control controller 96.

[0053] As shown in FIG. 22, when the switch 42 is on and the battery 41 is being charged so that the electromagnet 43 is energized, the leaf spring 85 is attracted to the electromagnet 43, and the retractable engaging portion 86 is housed in the vehicle body 11. When the battery 41 discharges or when the switch 42 is turned off as shown in FIG. 23, the magnetic force of the electromagnet 43 disappears, and the retractable engaging portion 86 protrudes downward from the vehicle body 11 by the spring force of the leaf spring 85. The protruding retractable engaging portion 86 engages with the protruding portion 44. The protruding height of the retractable engaging portion 86 from the vehicle body 11 is set so that the drive wheel 13 is lifted. Therefore, the drive wheel 13 is lifted. When the drive wheel 13 is lifted, the operator 95 pulls the chain 25 and drives the endless belt 22 to convey the automatic guided vehicle 10 to the lifting stage 26a or the lifting stage 26b.

[0054] When the control controller 96 detects an abnormal stop of the automatic guided vehicle 10, it turns off the switch 42. As a result, the energization of the electromagnet 43 is stopped, and the retractable engaging portion 86 protrudes downward from the vehicle body 11. Also, when the energization of the electromagnet 43 is stopped due to the discharge of the battery 41, the retractable engaging portion 86 similarly protrudes downward from the vehicle body 11.

[0055] As described above, according to the fourth embodiment, even when a following vehicle is following the automatic guided vehicle 10 that has abnormally stopped on the overhead conveyance path 82, only the target automatic guided vehicle 10 can be recovered. Also, normally, the retractable engaging portion 86 does not interfere with the running of the automatic guided vehicle 10.

[0056] The configurations shown in the above embodiments are examples of the content of the present disclosure, and it is possible to combine them with other known technologies, and it is also possible to omit or change a part of the configuration without departing from the gist of the present disclosure.

Description of Reference Numerals

[0057] 10 Automated guided vehicle, 10a Vehicle to be recovered, 10b Following vehicle, 11 Vehicle body, 12 Control circuit, 13 Driving wheel, 14 Driven wheel, 15, 60 Driving wheel side engaging part, 15a, 16a Inclined surface, 16, 65 Driven wheel side engaging part, 17 Battery, 21 Rail, 22 Endless belt, 23, 44, 51a, 51b Protrusion, 23a, 23b Contact surface, 24a, 24b Pulley, 25 Chain, 26a, 26b Lifting stage, 27a, 27b Elevator, 28a, 28b Vehicle detection sensor, 29 Cover, 31 Intermediate pulley, 40 Engaging part control circuit, 41 Battery, 42 Switch, 43 Electromagnet, 50a, 50b Folding protrusion, 52a, 52b Support, 61, 66 Base end part, 62, 67 Engaging tip part, 70 Magnetized protrusion, 71 Protrusion tip part, 72 Magnetized part, 81a, 81b Inter-device transfer path, 82 Overhead transfer path, 83a, 83b Lifting path, 84 Signal tower, 85 Leaf spring, 86 Retractable engaging part, 90 Manufacturing line system, 91a, 91b Manufacturing device group, 92a, 92b Manufacturing device, 94 Walkway, 95 Operator, 96 Control controller, 100 Workpiece.

Claims

1. An overhead conveyor path installed above a walking path and having a traveling path, An automatic guided vehicle having drive wheels on one side of the front and rear of the vehicle body, driven wheels on the other side of the front and rear of the vehicle body, and carrying a workpiece to travel on the traveling path of the overhead conveyor path, A recovery mechanism for the automatic guided vehicle that recovers the automatic guided vehicle that has abnormally stopped on the traveling path, The overhead conveyor path, A belt mechanism including an endless belt having protrusions Comprising, The automatic guided vehicle, The first part has a first engaging part that engages with the protrusion, and the second part has a second engaging part that engages with the protrusion, The protrusion of the belt mechanism is retracted to a position where the automatic guided vehicle can travel on the traveling path during normal times, and when the automatic guided vehicle abnormally stops, it engages with the first engaging part or the second engaging part and enters the traveling path so that the automatic guided vehicle can be conveyed A recovery mechanism for an automatic guided vehicle, characterized in that.

2. The lower surface of the first engaging part has an inclined surface whose height from the traveling path increases from the base end to the tip end. When the protrusion is engaged, the first part is lifted, and the drive wheel is separated from the traveling path, The upper surface of the second engaging part has an inclined surface whose height from the traveling path decreases from the base end to the tip end. When the protrusion is engaged, the second part is pushed down, and the drive wheel is separated from the traveling path The recovery mechanism for an automatic guided vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that.

3. The protrusion is folded by contact with the vehicle body The recovery mechanism for an automatic guided vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that.

4. The protrusion includes a magnet, The first engaging part and the second engaging part are made of a ferromagnetic material The recovery mechanism for an automatic guided vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that.

5. The endless belt has the protrusions at two opposing locations The recovery mechanism for an automatic guided vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that.

6. The endless belt has the protrusions at two opposing locations, One of the two protrusions is folded in the first direction by contact with the vehicle body, The other of the two protrusions is folded in the second direction, which is the opposite direction to the first direction, by contact with the vehicle body The recovery mechanism of the automatic guided vehicle according to claim 3, characterized in that.

7. An overhead conveyance path installed above the walking path and having a traveling path, An automatic guided vehicle having a vehicle body provided with drive wheels and driven wheels, and carrying a workpiece and traveling on the traveling path of the overhead conveyance path, And a recovery mechanism for an automatic guided vehicle that recovers an automatic guided vehicle that has stopped abnormally on the traveling path, The overhead conveyance path, A belt mechanism including an endless belt having a plurality of protrusions Comprising The endless belt is provided in the traveling path below the automatic guided vehicle, The automatic guided vehicle, Normally, it is housed in the vehicle body, and when it stops abnormally, an engaging portion that protrudes below the vehicle body so that the automatic guided vehicle can be conveyed and engages with the protrusion The recovery mechanism of the automatic guided vehicle, characterized in that it is provided.

8. When the engaging portion protrudes below the vehicle body, the drive wheel is separated from the traveling path The recovery mechanism of the automatic guided vehicle according to claim 7, characterized in that.

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