Broken-down vehicle movement system

Abstract

To provide a system capable of moving a failed carrier while suppressing increase in the cost of a facility.SOLUTION: An auxiliary wheel unit 20 includes: a support frame 22; an auxiliary wheel 21 supported on the support frame 22; and a fixing device 90 for detachably fixing the support frame 22 to the vehicle body 10. The support frame 22 includes a support surface 23 coming into contact with a bottom surface 17 of a vehicle body 10 from a lower side V2. A dimension U of the support surface 23 and a lower end of the auxiliary wheel 21 in a vertical direction V is smaller than an interval D1 between the bottom surface 17 of the vehicle body 10 and a travel surface 99 in the vertical direction V in a normal ground state where a position of a driving wheel 11a is not elevated by an elevating device, and is larger than an interval between the bottom surface 17 of the vehicle body 10 and the travel surface 99 in the vertical direction V in an elevated state where the position of the driving wheel 11a is elevated by the elevating device in a state where the auxiliary wheel unit 20 is removed from the vehicle body 10.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a system for moving a broken guided vehicle, which includes a guided vehicle that travels on a travel surface to transport an article, and an auxiliary wheel unit that is used when the guided vehicle breaks down. [Background technology]

[0002] An example of a transport vehicle that travels on a travel surface to transport an article is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 11-59431 (Patent Document 1). Hereinafter, in the description of this background art, reference numerals in Patent Document 1 will be cited in parentheses. An automated guided vehicle (1) as a transport vehicle in Patent Document 1 includes, in addition to drive wheels (2), auxiliary casters (4) and an elevator (10) that raises and lowers the auxiliary casters (4). During normal travel, the auxiliary casters (4) are kept clear of the floor surface (5). On the other hand, if the automated guided vehicle (1) abnormally stops, the elevator (10) pushes down the auxiliary casters (4), thereby lifting the drive wheels (2) off the floor surface (5). As a result, if the automated guided vehicle (1) abnormally stops and is unable to travel, the automated guided vehicle (1) can be towed off the travel path by a towing vehicle (12). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-59431 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Incidentally, since transport vehicles do not usually break down frequently, the auxiliary wheels (called auxiliary casters in Patent Document 1) that are used when a transport vehicle breaks down are usually used infrequently. In this regard, the technology of Patent Document 1 requires that the infrequently used auxiliary casters and the lifting devices for raising and lowering them be attached to all transport vehicles in advance. Therefore, the technology of Patent Document 1 is likely to result in high equipment costs, especially when there are a large number of transport vehicles.

[0005] Therefore, it is desirable to realize a system that can move a broken-down transport vehicle while suppressing increases in equipment costs. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The system for moving a broken-down transport vehicle according to the present disclosure is a system for moving a broken-down transport vehicle comprising a transport vehicle that travels on a travel surface to transport items, and an auxiliary wheel unit that is used when the transport vehicle breaks down, wherein the transport vehicle comprises a vehicle body and a plurality of wheels that roll on the travel surface while supporting the vehicle body, at least one of the plurality of wheels is a drive wheel that is connected to rotate in conjunction with a drive shaft of a drive motor, the drive wheel is attached to the vehicle body via a suspension mechanism, the transport vehicle further comprises an elevation device that raises the position of the drive wheel relative to the vehicle body, and the auxiliary wheel unit comprises a support frame and a support frame. and a fixing device that fixes the support frame to the vehicle body in a detachable manner, wherein the support frame has a support surface that abuts against the bottom surface of the vehicle body from below, above the training wheels, and the vertical dimension between the support surface and the lower end of the training wheel is smaller than the vertical distance between the bottom surface of the vehicle body and the running surface in a normal ground contact state in which the position of the drive wheel is not raised by the lifting device, and is larger than the vertical distance between the bottom surface of the vehicle body and the running surface in a raised state in which the position of the drive wheel is raised by the lifting device with the training wheel unit detached from the vehicle body.

[0007] According to this configuration, even if the transport vehicle is unable to travel due to a failure of the drive motor or other device, the support frame, which has a support surface that abuts against the bottom of the vehicle body from below, can be fixed to the vehicle body with the fixing device, and the position of the drive wheels relative to the vehicle body can be raised by the lifting device, thereby raising the drive wheels above the running surface and allowing the auxiliary wheels supported by the support frame to contact the ground. Therefore, even if the drive wheels are unable to rotate due to a failure of the drive motor or a state in which a large force is required to rotate the drive wheels, the drive wheels can be lifted up, allowing the transport vehicle to be moved relatively easily using the force of a worker or another towing vehicle. Since the malfunctioning transport vehicle can be moved in this way, when there are multiple transport vehicles, the malfunctioning transport vehicle can be prevented from interfering with the movement of the other transport vehicles. Furthermore, according to this configuration, the vertical dimension between the support surface of the support frame and the lower end of the auxiliary wheels is smaller than the vertical distance between the bottom of the vehicle body and the running surface when the vehicle is normally in a grounded state. Therefore, the support frame supporting the auxiliary wheels can be attached to the vehicle body without lifting the vehicle body with a jack or other device. Therefore, the support frame can be easily attached to the vehicle body.

[0008] Furthermore, with this configuration, since the support frame is detachable from the vehicle body, the support frame that supports the training wheels only needs to be attached to the transport vehicle in the event of a breakdown of the transport vehicle. Therefore, even if there are multiple transport vehicles, it is basically sufficient to have a number of training wheel units that is less than the number of transport vehicles in the facility, which allows for reduced facility costs compared to when training wheels are attached to all transport vehicles in advance.

[0009] As described above, with this configuration, it is possible to realize a system that can move a broken-down transport vehicle while suppressing increases in equipment costs.

[0010] Further features and advantages of the breakdown vehicle movement system will become apparent from the following description of the embodiments, which are given with reference to the drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] Plan view of the transport facility [Figure 2] Front view of container shelf [Figure 3] View of the transport vehicle from the width direction [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a plan view showing the first and second positions of the transfer device; [Figure 5] Diagram showing the structure of the car body [Figure 6] Diagram showing the structure of the car body [Figure 7] Diagram showing normal grounding condition [Figure 8] Diagram showing the drive wheel floating state [Figure 9] Perspective view of the training wheel unit [Figure 10] A diagram showing the state in which the vehicle body is raised by the lifting device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] An embodiment of a system for moving a broken-down guided vehicle will be described with reference to the drawings. Here, the system for moving a broken-down guided vehicle according to the present disclosure will be described as an example in which it is applied to a transport facility as shown in FIG.

[0013] As shown in FIG. 1, the transport facility F includes a container shelf 8 that stores containers 70 (see FIG. 2), a loading / unloading section 9 that loads and unloads the containers 70, and a transport vehicle 100 that transports the containers 70. In this embodiment, the transport facility F includes a plurality of transport vehicles 100. The transport vehicle 100 transports the containers 70 that have been loaded by the loading / unloading section 9 to the container shelf 8, or transports the containers 70 stored on the container shelf 8 to the loading / unloading section 9 for unloading. The containers 70 are an example of an item, and items other than the containers 70 may also be transported. In this embodiment, the containers 70 correspond to the "items."

[0014] In this embodiment, multiple container shelves 8 are arranged parallel to one another at specified intervals. Each of the multiple container shelves 8 is open at least at the front, and containers 70 are loaded and unloaded from this front. A portion of the travel route R of the traveling body 1 (transport vehicle 100) is set between a pair of adjacent container shelves 8 whose front faces each other. Furthermore, the container shelf 8 located at the extreme end of the multiple container shelves 8 provided in the transport equipment F is arranged with its front facing outward, and a portion of the travel route R is also set in the area along the front of the container shelf 8 at that end. Furthermore, the transport equipment F is provided with multiple loading and unloading sections 9, and a portion of the travel route R is also set in the area passing through each of the multiple loading and unloading sections 9.

[0015] The travel path R includes an intra-shelf path Ra that extends along the front of a container shelf 8 in the extension direction of the container shelf 8, and an extra-shelf path Rb that is set outside the arrangement area of the container shelf 8. The intra-shelf path Ra is set corresponding to each of the multiple container shelves 8. In this embodiment, a portion of the travel path R that is set in the area between a pair of adjacent container shelves 8 whose front faces face each other, and a portion of the travel path R that is set in the area along the front of a container shelf 8 that is arranged with its front face facing outward, correspond to the intra-shelf path Ra. In addition, the extra-shelf path Rb is set to connect the multiple intra-shelf paths Ra. In addition, the extra-shelf path Rb is also set to pass through each of the multiple loading / unloading sections 9. In this embodiment, the portion of the travel path R other than the intra-shelf path Ra corresponds to the extra-shelf path Rb.

[0016] 2, the container shelf 8 has multiple shelf sections 80 for storing containers 70 arranged in the vertical direction V. In this embodiment, the container shelf 8 has multiple beam members 82 extending horizontally along the front surface of the container shelf 8, and multiple support members 81 extending along the vertical direction V and connected to each of the multiple beam members 82.

[0017] The beam members 82 are arranged spaced apart from one another in the vertical direction V. A mounting member 83 for placing the container 70 is connected to each of the beam members 82. In this example, the container 70 is stored in the shelf section 80 by being placed on the pair of mounting members 83. In addition, the shelf section 80 is provided with a plurality of pairs of mounting members 83, allowing a single shelf section 80 to store a plurality of containers 70.

[0018] The container 70 is an object to be transported by the transport vehicle 100. The container 70 is formed in a box shape with an opening on the upper side V1. In this example, the outer shape of the container 70 when viewed in the vertical direction V is rectangular. The container 70 is capable of containing a specified number of objects. The objects to be contained include, for example, various commodities such as foodstuffs and household goods, or parts and work-in-progress used in factory production lines, etc.

[0019] In this embodiment, the container 70 is configured so that it can be stacked on another container 70 while containing an object therein. That is, the containers 70 are configured so that they can be stacked in the vertical direction V (see FIG. 3). In this example, the bottom of the container 70 fits into the opening of another container 70 from the upper side V1, thereby stacking the two containers 70 in the vertical direction V.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 3, the transport vehicle 100 includes a travelling body 1 that travels on a travelling surface 99. That is, the transport vehicle 100 travels on the travelling surface 99 to transport the containers 70. The travelling surface 99 is, for example, a floor surface. The travelling body 1 travels along a predetermined travelling path R (see FIG. 1). In this embodiment, the transport vehicle 100 includes a container group support unit 2 that supports a plurality of containers 70 as a stacked container group 7 within a specified stacking area 2A, a lifting device 3 that lifts the containers 70 of the container group 7 supported by the container group support unit 2, and a transfer device 4 that transfers the containers 70. In this embodiment, the transport vehicle 100 further includes a control device C (see FIGS. 5 and 6) that controls the travelling body 1, the lifting device 3, and the transfer device 4. In addition to these, the control device C also controls the container group support unit 2.

[0021] The container group support unit 2, lifting device 3, and transfer device 4 are mounted on a traveling body 1. The direction in which the transport vehicle 100 (specifically, the traveling body 1) travels is defined as the "vehicle body longitudinal direction L," and the container group support unit 2 and transfer device 4 are arranged side by side in the vehicle body longitudinal direction L on the traveling body 1. Here, one side of the vehicle body longitudinal direction L is defined as the "vehicle body longitudinal direction first side L1," and the opposite side of the vehicle body longitudinal direction L is defined as the "vehicle body longitudinal direction second side L2." Furthermore, the direction perpendicular to the vehicle body longitudinal direction L when viewed along the vertical direction V is defined as the "vehicle body width direction W," and one side of the vehicle body width direction W is defined as the "vehicle body width direction first side W1," and the other side of the vehicle body width direction W is defined as the "vehicle body width direction second side W2." Here, the vehicle body longitudinal direction L and the vehicle body width direction W are horizontal directions that are perpendicular to each other.

[0022] The container group support section 2 is configured to be able to support a plurality of containers 70 as a stacked container group 7. A stacking area 2A in which the container group 7 is arranged is defined on the upper side V1 of the container group support section 2. In this example, the container group support section 2 is equipped with a conveyor that can move the container group 7 in the vehicle width direction W while the container group 7 is placed thereon.

[0023] A container group 7, in which multiple containers 70 are stacked, is carried into the loading / unloading section 9 (see FIG. 1). With the traveling body 1 adjacent to the loading / unloading section 9, the container group support section 2 receives the container group 7 from the loading / unloading section 9 or delivers the container group 7 to the loading / unloading section 9. Although detailed illustration is omitted, in this example, the loading / unloading section 9 is adjacent to a picking area where work is performed to remove contained items such as goods from the containers 70. When the container group 7 is delivered from the container group support section 2 to the loading / unloading section 9, the contained items are removed from the containers 70 in a picking area adjacent to the loading / unloading section 9. After some or all of the contained items in the containers 70 have been removed, the containers 70 are delivered from the loading / unloading section 9 to the container group support section 2 (transport vehicle 100) and transported again to the container shelf 8.

[0024] The lifting device 3 is configured to lift the containers 70 of the container group 7 supported by the container group support part 2. The lifting device 3 includes a lifting mast 30 erected on the upper side V1 from the traveling body 1, a lifting lift body 30B connected to the lifting mast 30, lifting mechanisms (in this example, a first lifting mechanism 31 and a second lifting mechanism 32 described below) supported by the lifting lift body 30B, and a lifting lift body drive part 30M that raises and lowers the lifting lift body 30B along the lifting mast 30. Although not shown in detail, the lifting lift body drive part 30M includes, for example, a motor for rotationally driving a rotating body around which an endless body such as a belt is wound.

[0025] In this example, the lifting device 3 includes a first lifting mechanism 31 that lifts a container 70 of any height among the group of containers 7 stacked in the stacking area 2A relative to a container 70 adjacent to the container 70 on the side V2 below the container 70, and a second lifting mechanism 32 that lifts a container 70 on the side V2 below the container 70 lifted by the first lifting mechanism 31 relative to a container 70 adjacent to the container 70 on the side V2 below the container 70. In this embodiment, the first lifting mechanism 31 and the second lifting mechanism 32 are arranged spaced apart in the vertical direction V. This makes it possible to form a space in the vertical direction V between the container 70 lifted by the first lifting mechanism 31 and the container 70 lifted by the second lifting mechanism 32. In addition, it is possible to form a space in the vertical direction V below the container 70 lifted by the second lifting mechanism 32 on the side V2 below the container 70.

[0026] When a space is formed in the vertical direction V between the container 70 lifted by the first lifting mechanism 31 and the container 70 lifted by the second lifting mechanism 32, it is possible to load and unload another container 70 into that space. That is, it is possible to stack another container 70 on the upper side V1 of the container 70 lifted by the second lifting mechanism 32 by the transfer device 4. Furthermore, when a space is formed in the vertical direction V on the lower side V2 of the container 70 lifted by the second lifting mechanism 32, it is possible to use that space to scoop up a container 70 arranged adjacent to the lower side V2 of the container 70 lifted by the second lifting mechanism 32.

[0027] The transfer device 4 is configured to transfer the container 70 to the transfer target location T. The transfer device 4 is configured to perform a unloading operation to transfer the container 70 to the transfer target location T, and a scooping operation to transfer the container 70 from the transfer target location T. In this specification, the transfer of the container 70 from the transfer target location T to the transfer device 4 is referred to as "scooping," and "scooping" is not limited to a specific transfer operation. In this embodiment, the transfer target location T includes the stacking area 2A and the shelf portion 80 of the container shelf 8.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 3, the transport vehicle 100 includes a transfer mast 40 fixed to the travelling body 1 and arranged along the vertical direction V, and a transfer lifting body 40B that rises and falls along the transfer mast 40. The transport vehicle 100 also includes a transfer lifting body drive unit 40M that raises and lowers the transfer lifting body 40B along the transfer mast 40. The transfer device 4 is supported by the transfer lifting body 40B. This allows the transport vehicle 100 to move the transfer device 4 in the vertical direction V, allowing the containers 70 to be transferred to each of the multiple shelves 80 (see FIG. 3). In this example, the transfer device 4 includes a first transfer machine 41 and a second transfer machine 42 arranged below the first transfer machine 41 at V2, allowing the transfer operation by the first transfer machine 41 and the transfer operation by the second transfer machine 42 to be performed in parallel. Although detailed illustration is omitted, the transfer lifting body driving section 40M includes, for example, a motor for driving and rotating a rotating body around which an endless body such as a belt is wound.

[0029] Here, the movement direction of the container 70 transferred by the transfer device 4 is referred to as the "transfer direction X." One side of the transfer direction X is referred to as the "transfer direction unloading side X1," and the other side of the transfer direction X is referred to as the "transfer direction scooping side X2." In this example, the transfer direction X is a direction along the horizontal direction. The transfer direction unloading side X1 is the side along which the container 70 moves in the transfer direction X when unloading the container 70. The transfer direction scooping side X2 is the side along which the container 70 moves in the transfer direction X when scooping the container 70. In this example, the transfer device 4 (here, the first transfer machine 41 and the second transfer machine 42, respectively) performs a lowering operation to transfer the container 70 to the transfer target location T by pressing the container 70 toward the lowering side X1 in the transfer direction using a pressing body not shown, and performs a scooping operation to transfer the container 70 from the transfer target location T by engaging a locking body not shown with the container 70 and pulling the container 70 toward the scooping side X2 in the transfer direction.

[0030] In this embodiment, the transport vehicle 100 is equipped with a turning device 5 that turns the transfer device 4 about an axis along the vertical direction V. As shown in Fig. 4, the turning device 5 is configured to turn the transfer device 4 (more specifically, a part of the transfer device 4) about an axis along the vertical direction V to change the orientation of the transfer device 4 between a first position P1 in which the unloading side X1 in the transfer direction faces the stacking area 2A, and a second position P2 in which the unloading side X1 in the transfer direction faces the container shelf 8. In this way, in this embodiment, the transfer direction X can be changed within a horizontal plane by the turning device 5.

[0031] In this embodiment, the transport vehicle 100 changes the posture of the transfer device 4 depending on the position of the transfer target location T. Specifically, the transfer device 4 takes a first posture P1 when the transfer target location T is the stacking area 2A, and takes a second posture P2 when the transfer target location T is a container shelf 8 (shelf section 80). As shown in FIG. 3, in this example, the swivel device 5 includes a swivel base 50 that supports the transfer device 4, a swivel shaft 51 that rotatably supports the swivel base 50 with respect to the transfer lifting body 40B, and a swivel drive unit (not shown) that drives the swivel shaft 51.

[0032] As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the transport vehicle 100 is equipped with a control device C that controls each component. In this embodiment, the control device C controls the traveling body 1, the container group support unit 2, the lifting device 3, the transfer device 4, and the swivel device 5. Operations for supporting, transporting, and transferring the containers 70 are realized by the control of each component by the control device C. In this example, the control device C causes each component to perform operations for supporting, transporting, and transferring the containers 70 based on detection results from various sensors. The control device C is equipped with, for example, a processor such as a microcomputer, peripheral circuits such as a memory, and the like. Each function is realized by cooperation between this hardware and a program executed on a processor of a computer or the like.

[0033] As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the transport vehicle 100 (specifically, the traveling body 1) includes a vehicle body 10 and a plurality of wheels 11 that roll on a traveling surface 99 while supporting the vehicle body 10. As shown in FIG. 6, at least one of the plurality of wheels 11 is a drive wheel 11a that is connected to a drive shaft 16 of a drive motor 11M so as to rotate in conjunction with the drive wheel 11a. In this embodiment, the transport vehicle 100 includes six wheels 11, two of which are drive wheels 11a, and the remaining four are driven wheels 11b (non-drive wheels). As shown in FIG. 6, in this example, a pair of drive wheels 11a is provided in a central region 10Am, which is a central region in the vehicle body's longitudinal direction L, so as to be aligned in the vehicle body's transverse direction W, and a pair of driven wheels 11b is provided in each of the regions on both sides of the central region 10Am in the vehicle body's longitudinal direction L so as to be aligned in the vehicle body's transverse direction W.

[0034] The pair of drive wheels 11a are driven to rotate by a drive motor 11M at the same speed or at different speeds. In this embodiment, the pair of drive wheels 11a are driven by separate drive motors 11M. When the pair of drive wheels 11a are driven to rotate at different speeds, this includes a case where one of the pair of drive wheels 11a is driven to rotate in a forward direction and the other is driven to rotate in a reverse direction. In other words, this includes a case where the pair of drive wheels 11a are driven to rotate in opposite directions. In this embodiment, the direction along which the rotation axis 11ax of the drive wheel 11a runs is fixed to the width direction W of the vehicle body. On the other hand, the driven wheel 11b is supported by the vehicle body 10 so as to be rotatable around an axis along the up-down direction V. In other words, the direction along which the rotation axis of the driven wheel 11b runs can be changed within a horizontal plane. In this example, each driven wheel 11b is a caster.

[0035] In this embodiment, the pair of drive wheels 11a are driven to rotate in opposite directions, so that the transport vehicle 100 can perform a so-called spin turn, which rotates the running body 1 on the spot around an axis along the vertical direction V. However, the traveling direction of the running body 1 can be changed by other means than a spin turn. For example, the transport vehicle 100 may change the traveling direction of the running body 1 by stopping the rotation of one of the pair of drive wheels 11a and rotating the other, or may change the traveling direction of the running body 1 by rotating the pair of drive wheels 11a in the same direction but at different rotational speeds.

[0036] The running vehicle 1 is equipped with a suspension mechanism S for facilitating contact of the wheels 11 with the running surface 99 and for absorbing vibrations of the wheels 11 during running. The suspension mechanism S is provided on the drive wheels 11a. That is, the drive wheels 11a are attached to the vehicle body 10 via the suspension mechanism S. In this embodiment, the pair of drive wheels 11a are attached to the vehicle body 10 via separate suspension mechanisms S. In this embodiment, the suspension mechanism S is not provided on the driven wheels 11b.

[0037] 7, the suspension mechanism S includes a support arm 12 that is swingably mounted on a vehicle body 10 and supports a drive wheel 11a, a swing support part 13 that is attached to the vehicle body 10 and supports a swing fulcrum 12x of the support arm 12, and an elastic unit 14 that applies a biasing force to the support arm 12 in a direction that urges the drive wheel 11a toward a lower side V2. The support arm 12 rotatably supports the drive wheel 11a. In this embodiment, the support arm 12 also supports a drive motor 11M.

[0038] Hereinafter, the direction in which the support arm 12 swings will be referred to as the "swing direction Z," the side in the swing direction Z of the support arm 12 that moves the drive wheel 11a toward the running surface 99 will be referred to as the "swing direction first side Z1," and the opposite side will be referred to as the "swing direction second side Z2." In other words, the swing direction first side Z1 is the side that moves the drive wheel 11a toward the lower side V2, and the swing direction second side Z2 is the side that moves the drive wheel 11a toward the upper side V1.

[0039] The axis of the swing fulcrum 12x of the support arm 12, in other words, the swing axis of the support arm 12, is arranged parallel (parallel or substantially parallel) to the rotation axis 11ax of the drive wheel 11a. As a result, the support arm 12 swings to allow the drive wheel 11a to move up and down when the running vehicle 1 runs on an uneven running surface 99. The swing fulcrum 12x of the support arm 12 is arranged at a different position in the vehicle front-rear direction L from the rotation axis 11ax of the drive wheel 11a. Here, the swing fulcrum 12x of the support arm 12 is arranged on a second side L2 in the vehicle front-rear direction with respect to the rotation axis 11ax of the drive wheel 11a.

[0040] The swing support portion 13 is a member that supports the swing fulcrum 12x of the support arm 12. In this embodiment, the vehicle body 10 includes an upper surface portion 101 facing an upper side V1 and a hanging wall portion 102 that hangs down from the upper surface portion 101 toward a lower side V2. The upper surface portion 101 is disposed on the upper side V1 relative to the support arm 12 and the drive wheels 11a, and the hanging wall portion 102 is disposed on a second side L2 in the vehicle front-rear direction relative to the support arm 12 and the drive wheels 11a. The swing support portion 13 is fixed to the hanging wall portion 102. In this example, the swing support portion 13 is fixed to the hanging wall portion 102 in a state in contact with the hanging wall portion 102 from a first side L1 in the vehicle front-rear direction. The swing support portion 13 supports the swing fulcrum 12x of the support arm 12 on the first side L1 in the vehicle front-rear direction relative to the hanging wall portion 102.

[0041] In this embodiment, the suspension mechanism S includes a stopper 15 whose position relative to the vehicle body 10 is fixed. The stopper 15 restricts the swing of the support arm 12 in a direction that moves the drive wheel 11a toward the lower side V2 (in other words, swing toward the first side Z1 in the swing direction) to a predetermined position. FIG. 10 shows a state in which the position of the support arm 12 is restricted by the stopper 15. Note that FIG. 10 also shows a state in which the vehicle body 10 is lifted by a lifting device 98 such as a jack. For example, the vehicle body 10 is lifted in this manner when the drive wheel 11a and the support arm 12 are to be removed from the vehicle body 10. When the vehicle body 10 is lifted in this manner, the support arm 12 swings toward the first side Z1 in the swing direction due to the action of gravity. However, by restricting the swing of the support arm 12 by the stopper 15, the drive wheel 11a and the support arm 12 can be prevented from sagging significantly toward the lower side V2. Therefore, the drive wheel 11a and the support arm 12 can be easily removed.

[0042] The stopper 15 is disposed at a position where it comes into contact with the support arm 12 when the support arm 12 swings toward the first side Z1 in the swing direction. The stopper 15 allows the support arm 12 to swing toward the first side Z1 in the swing direction up to the position where it comes into contact with the stopper 15, while restricting the swing of the support arm 12 from this position toward the first side Z1 in the swing direction (see FIG. 10). In this embodiment, a part of the hanging wall portion 102 constitutes the stopper 15, and the stopper 15 is disposed at a position where it comes into contact with a portion of the support arm 12 on the second side L2 in the vehicle front-rear direction with respect to the swing fulcrum 12x (here, a pressing portion 121, which will be described later) when the support arm 12 swings toward the first side Z1 in the swing direction.

[0043] 7, the elastic unit 14 includes a contact portion 140 that contacts a target location 12p of the support arm 12 spaced from the swing fulcrum 12x from the second side Z2 in the swing direction, an elastic portion 141 that biases the contact portion 140 in contact with the support arm 12 toward the first side Z1 in the swing direction, and a main body portion 142 that supports the contact portion 140 and the elastic portion 141. The main body portion 142 is fixed to the vehicle body 10 (specifically, the upper surface portion 101). When the drive wheel 11a supports at least a portion of the weight of the traveling vehicle 1, the contact portion 140 biased by the elastic portion 141 contacts the support arm 12, thereby pressing the drive wheel 11a supported by the support arm 12 toward the running surface 99, thereby bringing the drive wheel 11a into contact with the running surface 99. Therefore, the drive wheels 11a are prevented from lifting off the running surface 99 and spinning easily.

[0044] In this embodiment, the target location 12p is set on the support arm 12 on the opposite side of the swing fulcrum 12x in the vehicle longitudinal direction L with respect to the rotation axis 11ax of the drive wheel 11a. Here, the target location 12p is set on the support arm 12 on a first side L1 in the vehicle longitudinal direction with respect to the rotation axis 11ax of the drive wheel 11a. Also, in this embodiment, the target location 12p is set on a surface of the support arm 12 facing an upper side V1. The abutting portion 140 is provided so as to abut against the target location 12p from the upper side V1, and the elastic portion 141 is provided so as to bias the abutting portion 140 toward the lower side V2.

[0045] The main body 142 has a cylindrically shaped storage chamber, and the abutment portion 140 has a piston portion 140a formed in a piston shape that can move inside the storage chamber in the up-down direction V, and a protrusion portion 140b that is formed to extend from the piston portion 140a to the lower side V2 and is arranged to protrude from the lower end of the storage chamber to the lower side V2. In this example, the lower end portion of the protrusion portion 140b abuts against the target location 12p of the support arm 12 from the upper side V1.

[0046] The elastic portion 141 is configured to bias the piston portion 140a downward V2. In this example, the elastic portion 141 includes a spring member 141a that is accommodated in an accommodation chamber of the main body portion 142 and biases the piston portion 140a. Here, the spring member 141a is a compression coil spring that is arranged between the upper wall of the accommodation chamber and the piston portion 140a in the vertical direction V. In this embodiment, the elastic portion 141 includes an adjustment portion 141b for adjusting the elastic force of the spring member 141a. In this example, by tightening the bolts that constitute the adjustment portion 141b, the compression amount of the compression coil spring that serves as the spring member 141a can be increased, thereby increasing the elastic force. Conversely, by loosening the bolts that constitute the adjustment portion 141b, the compression amount of the compression coil spring that serves as the spring member 141a can be decreased, thereby decreasing the elastic force.

[0047] Incidentally, a malfunction of the transport vehicle 100 (for example, malfunction of the drive motor 11M) may cause the drive wheels 11a to stop rotating or may require a large force to rotate the drive wheels 11a. For example, if a negative brake (for example, a non-excitation brake) that is released from a braking state when power is supplied is provided in the power transmission mechanism between the drive motor 11M and the drive wheels 11a, the drive wheels 11a will stop rotating if the supply of operating power is cut off due to a malfunction of the transport vehicle 100. According to the system for moving a malfunctioning transport vehicle disclosed herein, even if the drive wheels 11a stop rotating or require a large force to rotate the drive wheels 11a, as described below, the drive wheels 11a can be lifted off the running surface 99, thereby making it possible to move the transport vehicle 100 relatively easily using the force of an operator or the force of another towing vehicle, etc.

[0048] The broken-down guided vehicle movement system includes a guided vehicle 100 and an auxiliary wheel unit 20 (see FIG. 9) that is used when the guided vehicle 100 breaks down. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, there are multiple guided vehicles 100, and when one of the guided vehicles 100 breaks down, the auxiliary wheel unit 20 is used for the broken-down guided vehicle 100.

[0049] 9, the training wheel unit 20 includes a support frame 22, a training wheel 21 rotatably supported on the support frame 22, and a fixing device 90 that detachably fixes the support frame 22 to the vehicle body 10. The training wheel unit 20 (specifically, the support frame 22) is normally detached from the transport vehicle 100 and is attached to the vehicle body 10 only when the transport vehicle 100 breaks down. In this embodiment, the training wheel 21 is supported by the support frame 22 so as not to rotate around an axis along the up-down direction V (i.e., the direction along which the rotation axis of the training wheel 21 runs is fixed with respect to the support frame 22), and the support frame 22 is fixed to the vehicle body 10 by the fixing device 90 with the rotation axis of the training wheel 21 oriented along the vehicle body width direction W.

[0050] As shown in FIG. 7, the support frame 22 has a support surface 23 that abuts from a lower side V2 against the bottom surface 17 of the vehicle body 10 on a side V1 above the training wheels 21. In this embodiment, the support frame 22 is attached to a mounting portion 103 that the vehicle body 10 is provided with. Therefore, the bottom surface 17 against which the support surface 23 of the support frame 22 abuts from the lower side V2 is the bottom surface 17 of the mounting portion 103. As shown in FIG. 9, the mounting portion 103 is formed in a plate shape that extends along a horizontal plane. Also, as shown in FIG. 7, in this embodiment, the mounting portion 103 is disposed on a first side L1 in the vehicle front-rear direction relative to the top surface portion 101 and on a lower side V2 relative to the top surface portion 101. In this example, the mounting portion 103 is formed integrally with the top surface portion 101.

[0051] As shown in Fig. 6, the vehicle body 10 has mounting portions 103 on both sides in the vehicle body width direction W, and a pair of training wheel units 20 are used in the event of a breakdown of the transport vehicle 100. That is, in the event of a breakdown of the transport vehicle 100, a training wheel unit 20 (specifically, a support frame 22) is attached to each of the mounting portions 103 on both sides in the vehicle body width direction W. Note that Fig. 9 shows the training wheel unit 20 on the second side W2 in the vehicle body width direction of the pair of training wheel units 20, but the training wheel unit 20 on the first side W1 in the vehicle body width direction has the same configuration as the training wheel unit 20 on the second side W2 in the vehicle body width direction and is arranged mirror-symmetrically to the training wheel unit 20 on the second side W2 in the vehicle body width direction with respect to a plane perpendicular to the vehicle body width direction W.

[0052] As shown in FIG. 7 , in this embodiment, the fixing device 90 includes a fixing bolt 91, a female fixing threaded hole 92 provided in one of the vehicle body 10 and the support frame 22, and a fixing through hole 93 provided in the other of the vehicle body 10 and the support frame 22. In the example shown in FIG. 7 , the female fixing threaded hole 92 is provided in the support frame 22, and the fixing through hole 93 is provided in the vehicle body 10. Specifically, the female fixing threaded hole 92 is formed in the support frame 22 so as to open to an upper surface of the support frame 22, and the fixing through hole 93 is formed so as to penetrate a mounting portion 103 of the vehicle body 10 in the up-down direction V. Then, the fixing bolt 91 (a butterfly bolt in this example) is passed through the fixing through hole 93 from the upper side V1 and screwed into the female fixing threaded hole 92 to fasten the fixing bolt 91, thereby fixing the support frame 22 to the vehicle body 10 (specifically, the mounting portion 103). In the example shown in FIG. 7, the fixing device 90 fixes the support frame 22 to the vehicle body 10 with fixing bolts 91 at two locations in the front-rear direction L of the vehicle body.

[0053] 9, in this embodiment, a positioning mechanism P is provided on at least one of the training wheel unit 20 and the vehicle body 10 to position the support frame 22 at a predetermined position on the vehicle body 10. Here, the positioning mechanism P is configured so that when the support frame 22 is positioned on the vehicle body 10 by the positioning mechanism P, the fixing female screw hole 92 and the fixing through hole 93 are coaxially arranged (see FIG. 7).

[0054] In this embodiment, the breakdown guided vehicle movement system includes, as a positioning mechanism P, an engaging portion 24 provided on the support frame 22 and an engaged portion 18 provided on the vehicle body 10 with which the engaging portion 24 engages. That is, the positioning mechanism P is provided on both the training wheel unit 20 and the vehicle body 10. Specifically, the engaging portion 24 and the engaged portion 18 that constitute the positioning mechanism P are provided separately on the support frame 22 and the vehicle body 10. In the example shown in FIG. 9 , the positioning mechanism P positions the support frame 22 with respect to the vehicle body 10 by engaging the engaging portion 24 with the engaged portion 18 at two locations in the vehicle body fore-and-aft direction L.

[0055] In the example shown in FIG. 9, the engaging portion 24 is formed by the head of a bolt fixed to the support frame 22, and the engaged portion 18 is formed by a notch formed in the vehicle body 10 (specifically, the mounting portion 103). The bolt that forms the engaging portion 24 is fixed to the support frame 22 so that the head of the bolt protrudes upward V1 relative to the support surface 23 (see FIG. 7). The notch that forms the engaged portion 18 is formed by cutting out a part of the side surface of the mounting portion 103 (in other words, a part of the outer edge of the mounting portion 103 when viewed in the up-down direction V). Note that in this example, the engaging portion 24 is a convex portion and the engaged portion 18 is a concave portion, but the engaging portion 24 may be a concave portion and the engaged portion 18 may be a convex portion.

[0056] As shown in FIG. 9, the engaging portion 24 is positioned in the vehicle body longitudinal direction L by engaging with the engaged portion 18 from one side in the vehicle body width direction W. Here, the engaging portion 24 is configured to engage with the engaged portion 18 from the outside in the vehicle body width direction W. Therefore, the cutout portion that constitutes the engaged portion 18 is formed by cutting out a part of the side surface of the mounting portion 103 on the outside in the vehicle body width direction W. Note that the outside in the vehicle body width direction W is the side that is away from the center of the transport vehicle 100 in the vehicle body width direction W, and in the case of the training wheel unit 20 on the second side W2 in the vehicle body width direction shown in FIG. 9, the second side W2 in the vehicle body width direction is the outside in the vehicle body width direction W.

[0057] The engaging portion 24 is positioned in the vehicle body longitudinal direction L when inserted into the cutout portion constituting the engaged portion 18, as the cutout portion restricts movement of the engaging portion 24 to both sides in the vehicle body longitudinal direction L. Furthermore, the engaging portion 24 is positioned in the vehicle body longitudinal direction W when in contact with the cutout portion constituting the engaged portion 18 from the outside in the vehicle body width direction W, as the cutout restricts movement of the engaging portion 24 to the inside in the vehicle body width direction W (the side opposite the outside in the vehicle body width direction W). In this example, the support frame 22 can be attached to the vehicle body 10 from the outside in the vehicle body width direction W. Therefore, for example, if the transport vehicle 100 is stopped on the intra-shelf path Ra due to a malfunction, a worker can crawl under the container shelf 8 on the underside V2 and approach the transport vehicle 100 from the outside in the vehicle body width direction W, thereby relatively easily attaching the support frame 22 to the vehicle body 10.

[0058] As shown in FIG. 8, the transport vehicle 100 is equipped with a lifting device 60 that raises the position of the drive wheel 11a relative to the vehicle body 10. In this embodiment, the lifting device 60 is equipped with a pressing member 61 and an extending / retracting mechanism 63. The pressing member 61 is a member that presses the support arm 12 in a direction that moves the drive wheel 11a toward the upper side V1. That is, the pressing member 61 presses the support arm 12 in a direction that swings the support arm 12 toward the second swing direction side Z2. The direction (vector) in which the pressing member 61 presses the support arm 12 is defined as a pressing direction Y, and the extending / retracting mechanism 63 is a mechanism that moves the pressing member 61 forward and backward in the pressing direction Y. In this embodiment, the pressing direction Y is a direction parallel to the vehicle body longitudinal direction L (here, a direction toward the first vehicle body longitudinal direction side L1).

[0059] By moving the pressing member 61 in the pressing direction Y using the retraction mechanism 63, the support arm 12 is pressed and the position of the drive wheel 11a relative to the vehicle body 10 is raised, and by moving the pressing member 61 in the direction opposite to the pressing direction Y using the retraction mechanism 63, the position of the drive wheel 11a relative to the vehicle body 10 can be lowered. FIG. 8 shows a state in which, by pressing the support arm 12 with the pressing member 61, the support arm 12 is swung toward the second swing direction side Z2 from the state indicated by the two-dot chain line (the state before being pressed by the pressing member 61), and the position of the drive wheel 11a relative to the vehicle body 10 is raised compared to the state before being pressed by the pressing member 61. Note that, in order to raise the position of the drive wheel 11a relative to the vehicle body 10, it is necessary to swing the support arm 12 toward the second swing direction side Z2 against the biasing force of the elastic unit 14. In order to reduce the pressing force required to swing the support arm 12 to the second swing direction side Z2, the position of the drive wheel 11a relative to the vehicle body 10 may be raised in a state in which the biasing force of the elastic unit 14 on the support arm 12 is reduced or in a state in which the biasing force of the elastic unit 14 on the support arm 12 is released. For example, it is advisable to raise the position of the drive wheel 11a relative to the vehicle body 10 in a state in which the adjustment unit 141b is adjusted so that the elastic force of the elastic portion 141 (specifically, the spring member 141a) is reduced.

[0060] In the example shown in FIG. 8, the pressing member 61 is a pressing bolt 62, and the extending / retracting mechanism 63 has a pressing female threaded hole 64 into which the pressing bolt 62 is threaded. The position of the pressing female threaded hole 64 is fixed relative to the vehicle body 10. The lifting device 60 is configured so that, by rotating the pressing bolt 62 threaded into the pressing female threaded hole 64, the pressing bolt 62 presses a portion of the support arm 12 on the side opposite to the drive wheel 11a with respect to the swing fulcrum 12x, thereby applying a moment to the support arm 12 in a direction that moves the drive wheel 11a toward the upper side V1. In the example shown in FIG. 8, the pressing bolt 62 is configured to press a pressing portion 121, which is a portion of the support arm 12 on the second side L2 in the vehicle front-rear direction and on the lower side V2 with respect to the swing fulcrum 12x, from the second side L2 in the vehicle front-rear direction. The head of the pressing bolt 62 is disposed on the second side L2 in the vehicle longitudinal direction relative to the pressing female screw hole 64, and an operator can rotate the pressing bolt 62 from the second side L2 in the vehicle longitudinal direction.

[0061] As shown in FIG. 8 , in this example, the pressing female threaded hole 64 or a hole communicating with the pressing female threaded hole 64 is provided so as to penetrate the stopper 15. Here, the hole communicating with the pressing female threaded hole 64 is a through hole through which a pressing bolt 62 is inserted. In this example, the pressing female threaded hole 64 is provided so as to penetrate the stopper 15. An end of the pressing bolt 62 is configured to protrude toward the support arm 12 with respect to the stopper 15 and press the support arm 12. Here, an end of the pressing bolt 62 on the first side L1 in the vehicle front-rear direction is configured to protrude toward the first side L1 in the vehicle front-rear direction with respect to the stopper 15 and press the support arm 12 (specifically, the pressing portion 121).

[0062] In the example shown in FIG. 8, a hole (through hole) communicating with the pressing female threaded hole 64 is formed in a member fixed to the hanging wall portion 102 on the second side L2 in the vehicle front-to-rear direction, and the pressing bolt 62 is inserted into the hole and threadedly engages with the pressing female threaded hole 64. In contrast to this configuration, for example, the pressing female threaded hole 64 may be formed in a member fixed to the hanging wall portion 102 on the second side L2 in the vehicle front-to-rear direction, and a hole communicating with the pressing female threaded hole 64 may be formed so as to pass through the stopper 15. Furthermore, when the pressing female threaded hole 64 is provided so as to pass through the stopper 15, a configuration may also be used in which no hole communicating with the pressing female threaded hole 64 is formed (for example, a configuration in which there is no member fixed to the hanging wall portion 102 on the second side L2 in the vehicle front-to-rear direction in the example shown in FIG. 8).

[0063] FIG. 7 shows a normal ground contact state in which the position of the drive wheel 11a is not elevated by the lifting device 60. In FIG. 7, the unit dimension U is the dimension in the vertical direction V of the training wheel unit 20, specifically, the dimension in the vertical direction V between the support surface 23 and the lower end of the training wheel 21. Also in FIG. 7, the first distance D1 is the distance in the vertical direction V between the bottom surface 17 of the vehicle body 10 (here, the bottom surface 17 of the mounting portion 103; the same applies below) and the running surface 99 in the normal ground contact state in which the position of the drive wheel 11a is not elevated by the lifting device 60. In this embodiment, the normal ground contact state is defined as a state in which the transport vehicle 100 (a non-faulty transport vehicle 100) is placed on the running surface 99 as designed. Therefore, the first distance D1 is the designed distance in the vertical direction V between the bottom surface 17 of the vehicle body 10 and the running surface 99.

[0064] On the other hand, Fig. 8 shows a drive wheel lifted state in which the position of the drive wheel 11a is raised by the lifting device 60 with the training wheel unit 20 attached to the vehicle body 10. In Fig. 8, the distance in the vertical direction V between the bottom surface 17 of the vehicle body 10 and the lower end of the drive wheel 11a in the drive wheel lifted state is designated as a second distance D2. If the training wheel unit 20 were not attached to the vehicle body 10 in the state shown in Fig. 8, the weight of the transport vehicle 100 would cause the vehicle body 10 to flex and deform, resulting in the drive wheel 11a coming into contact with the running surface 99. Therefore, the second distance D2 is the distance in the vertical direction V between the bottom surface 17 of the vehicle body 10 and the running surface 99 in the raised state in which the position of the drive wheel 11a is raised by the lifting device 60 with the training wheel unit 20 detached from the vehicle body 10.

[0065] As shown in Figures 7 and 8, the unit dimension U is smaller than the first distance D1 and larger than the second distance D2. The second distance D2 changes depending on the amount of lift of the drive wheel 11a by the lifting device 60, and the second distance D2 reaches its minimum value when the lifting device 60 lifts the drive wheel 11a to the maximum extent within its liftable range. The unit dimension U is at least larger than the minimum value of the second distance D2. Because the unit dimension U is smaller than the first distance D1, as shown in Figure 7, the support frame 22 that supports the training wheels 21 can basically be attached to the vehicle body 10 without lifting the vehicle body 10 with a lifting device 98 (see Figure 10) such as a jack. Furthermore, since the unit dimension U is larger than the second distance D2, by raising the position of the drive wheel 11a by the lifting device 60 with the auxiliary wheel unit 20 attached to the vehicle body 10, it is possible to realize a state in which the drive wheel 11a is lifted off the running surface 99 and the auxiliary wheel 21 is in contact with the running surface 99 (the drive wheel lifted state shown in FIG. 8). As a result, even if the drive wheel 11a does not rotate due to a malfunction of the transport vehicle 100 or a large force is required to rotate the drive wheel 11a, by lifting the drive wheel 11a, the transport vehicle 100 can be moved relatively easily by the force of an operator, the force of another towing vehicle, or the like.

[0066] The distance in the vertical direction V between the bottom surface 17 of the vehicle body 10 and the running surface 99 can vary from the first distance D1, which is the design value for the distance, depending on the condition of the running surface 99, such as undulations. The distance in the vertical direction V between the bottom surface 17 of the vehicle body 10 and the running surface 99 can also vary from the first distance D1 depending on the loading state of the containers 70 on the transport vehicle 100 (i.e., changes in the total weight of the transport vehicle 100). Only when the distance in the vertical direction V between the bottom surface 17 of the vehicle body 10 and the running surface 99 of the broken-down transport vehicle 100 is smaller than the unit dimension U, can the vehicle body 10 be lifted by the lifting device 98 and the training wheel unit 20 be attached to the vehicle body 10. However, the broken-down transport vehicle movement system can also be configured to include multiple types of training wheel units 20 with different unit dimensions U. The unit dimension U of each of the multiple types of training wheel units 20 is set to be smaller than the first distance D1. In this way, when the broken-down transport vehicle movement system is equipped with multiple types of training wheel units 20 with different unit dimensions U, an appropriate training wheel unit 20 (specifically, a training wheel unit 20 with a unit dimension U smaller than the distance in the vertical direction V between the bottom surface 17 of the body 10 of the broken-down transport vehicle 100 and the running surface 99) can be selected and used.

[0067] Furthermore, taking into consideration that the distance in the up-down direction V between the bottom surface 17 of the vehicle body 10 and the running surface 99 can change as described above, the following configuration can also be used. That is, the normal ground contact state can be defined as a state in which the distance in the up-down direction V between the bottom surface 17 of the vehicle body 10 and the running surface 99 is the minimum value within the range of variation of the distance when the position of the drive wheel 11a is not raised by the lifting device 60, and the first distance D1 can be defined as the distance in the up-down direction V between the bottom surface 17 of the vehicle body 10 and the running surface 99 in such a normal ground contact state. In this case, even if the breakdown guided vehicle movement system does not include multiple types of training wheel units 20 with different unit dimensions U, it is possible to ensure that the distance in the up-down direction V between the bottom surface 17 of the vehicle body 10 and the running surface 99 of the broken-down guided vehicle 100 is not basically smaller than the unit dimension U.

[0068] Other Embodiments (1) In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the end of the pressing bolt 62 protrudes toward the support arm 12 relative to the stopper 15 to press the support arm 12. However, the present disclosure is not limited to such a configuration, and, for example, the end of the pressing bolt 62 may protrude toward the support arm 12 relative to a portion of the hanging wall portion 102 that does not function as the stopper 15 to press the support arm 12. In this case, the pressing female threaded hole 64 is provided, for example, to pass through the portion of the hanging wall portion 102 that does not function as the stopper 15.

[0069] (2) In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the lifting device 60 includes the pressing member 61 and the advancing / retracting mechanism 63 that moves the pressing member 61 forward and backward in the pressing direction Y. However, the present disclosure is not limited to such a configuration. For example, the lifting device 60 may include a lever member that is supported on the vehicle body 10 so as to be swingable about an axis along the vehicle body width direction W, and a swing mechanism that swings the lever member (for example, a link mechanism that swings the lever member using the principle of leverage), and by swinging the lever member to one side in the swing direction using the swing mechanism, the tip of the lever member presses the support arm 12 (for example, the pressing portion 121), and a moment acts on the support arm 12 in a direction that moves the drive wheel 11a toward the upper side V1.

[0070] (3) In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the support frame 22 is provided with the female fixing threaded holes 92 and the vehicle body 10 is provided with the through-holes 93 for fixing. However, the present disclosure is not limited to such a configuration, and the vehicle body 10 (e.g., the mounting portion 103) may be provided with the female fixing threaded holes 92 and the support frame 22 may be provided with the through-holes 93 for fixing. In this case, for example, the support frame 22 may be fixed to the vehicle body 10 by passing the fixing bolt 91 through the through-holes 93 from the lower side V2 and screwing it into the female fixing threaded holes 92 to fasten them together.

[0071] (4) In the above embodiment, the fixing device 90 has been described as having the fixing bolt 91, the fixing female threaded hole 92, and the fixing through hole 93. However, the present disclosure is not limited to such a configuration, and for example, the fixing device 90 may have a clamp mechanism that clamps the vehicle body 10 (e.g., the mounting portion 103) as a mechanism for detachably fixing the support frame 22 to the vehicle body 10.

[0072] (5) Note that the configurations disclosed in the above-described embodiments can be applied in combination with configurations disclosed in other embodiments (including combinations of embodiments described as other embodiments) as long as no contradictions arise. Regarding other configurations, the embodiments disclosed in this specification are merely examples in all respects. Therefore, various modifications can be made as appropriate within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0073] [Summary of the above embodiment] The following provides an overview of the broken-down guided vehicle movement system described above.

[0074] A system for moving a broken transport vehicle, comprising a transport vehicle that travels on a travel surface to transport an article, and an auxiliary wheel unit that is used when the transport vehicle breaks down, wherein the transport vehicle comprises a vehicle body and a plurality of wheels that roll on the travel surface while supporting the vehicle body, at least one of the plurality of wheels is a drive wheel that is connected to rotate in conjunction with a drive shaft of a drive motor, the drive wheel is attached to the vehicle body via a suspension mechanism, the transport vehicle further comprises an elevating device that elevates the position of the drive wheel relative to the vehicle body, and the auxiliary wheel unit is rotatable relative to the support frame. The support frame comprises supported training wheels and a fixing device that fixes the support frame to the vehicle body in a detachable manner, the support frame having a support surface that abuts against the bottom surface of the vehicle body from below above the training wheels, and the vertical dimension between the support surface and the lower end of the training wheel is smaller than the vertical distance between the bottom surface of the vehicle body and the running surface in a normal ground contact state in which the position of the drive wheel is not raised by the lifting device, and is larger than the vertical distance between the bottom surface of the vehicle body and the running surface in a raised state in which the position of the drive wheel is raised by the lifting device with the training wheel unit detached from the vehicle body.

[0075] According to this configuration, even if the transport vehicle is unable to travel due to a failure of the drive motor or other device, the support frame, which has a support surface that abuts against the bottom of the vehicle body from below, can be fixed to the vehicle body with the fixing device, and the position of the drive wheels relative to the vehicle body can be raised by the lifting device, thereby raising the drive wheels above the running surface and allowing the auxiliary wheels supported by the support frame to contact the ground. Therefore, even if the drive wheels are unable to rotate due to a failure of the drive motor or a state in which a large force is required to rotate the drive wheels, the drive wheels can be lifted up, allowing the transport vehicle to be moved relatively easily using the force of a worker or another towing vehicle. Since the malfunctioning transport vehicle can be moved in this way, when there are multiple transport vehicles, the malfunctioning transport vehicle can be prevented from interfering with the movement of the other transport vehicles. Furthermore, according to this configuration, the vertical dimension between the support surface of the support frame and the lower end of the auxiliary wheels is smaller than the vertical distance between the bottom of the vehicle body and the running surface when the vehicle is normally in a grounded state. Therefore, the support frame supporting the auxiliary wheels can be attached to the vehicle body without lifting the vehicle body with a jack or other device. Therefore, the support frame can be easily attached to the vehicle body.

[0076] Furthermore, with this configuration, since the support frame is detachable from the vehicle body, the support frame that supports the training wheels only needs to be attached to the transport vehicle in the event of a breakdown of the transport vehicle. Therefore, even if there are multiple transport vehicles, it is basically sufficient to have a number of training wheel units that is less than the number of transport vehicles in the facility, which allows for reduced facility costs compared to when training wheels are attached to all transport vehicles in advance.

[0077] As described above, with this configuration, it is possible to realize a system that can move a broken-down transport vehicle while suppressing increases in equipment costs.

[0078] Here, it is preferable that the suspension mechanism comprises a support arm that is swingably mounted relative to the vehicle body and supports the drive wheel, a swing support part that is attached to the vehicle body and supports the swing fulcrum of the support arm, and an elastic unit that applies a biasing force to the support arm in a direction that urges the drive wheel downward, and the lifting device comprises a pressing member that presses the support arm in a direction that urges the drive wheel upward, and an extension / retraction mechanism that sets the direction in which the pressing member presses the support arm as a pressing direction and moves the pressing member forward and backward in the pressing direction.

[0079] According to this configuration, by moving the pressing member in the pressing direction using the extension / retraction mechanism, the support arm is pressed and the position of the drive wheel relative to the vehicle body is raised, and by moving the pressing member in the direction opposite to the pressing direction using the extension / retraction mechanism, the position of the drive wheel relative to the vehicle body can be lowered. Therefore, it is possible to appropriately configure a lifting device that raises the position of the drive wheel relative to the vehicle body as needed.

[0080] In the above configuration, it is preferable that the pressing member is a pressing bolt, the extending / retracting mechanism is fixed in position relative to the vehicle body, and includes a pressing female threaded hole into which the pressing bolt is screwed, and by rotating the pressing bolt screwed into the pressing female threaded hole, the pressing bolt presses a portion of the support arm on the opposite side from the drive wheel side with respect to the swing fulcrum, and a moment is applied to the support arm in a direction that urges the drive wheel upward.

[0081] With this configuration, the support arm can be pressed in a direction that moves the drive wheel upward simply by rotating the pressing bolt that is threaded into the pressing female screw hole. Therefore, a large force is not required to press the support arm, and the lifting device can easily be used to raise the position of the drive wheel relative to the vehicle body.

[0082] In the above configuration, it is preferable that the suspension mechanism includes a stopper whose position relative to the vehicle body is fixed and which restricts the swinging of the support arm in the direction of moving the drive wheel downward to a predetermined position, the female pressing screw hole or a hole communicating with the female pressing screw hole is provided so as to pass through the stopper, and an end of the pressing bolt is configured to protrude towards the support arm relative to the stopper and press the support arm.

[0083] According to this configuration, when the vehicle body is lifted with a jack or the like, the swing of the support arm is restricted by the stopper, thereby preventing the drive wheel and support arm from sagging significantly downward. Furthermore, according to this configuration, the pressing bolt threaded into the pressing female threaded hole passes through the stopper, and the end of the pressing bolt protrudes toward the support arm from the stopper to press the support arm. Therefore, it is easy to realize a mechanism that can appropriately press the support arm while minimizing the amount of protrusion of the pressing bolt in the pressing direction.

[0084] In each of the above configurations, it is preferable that at least one of the training wheel unit and the vehicle body is provided with a positioning mechanism for positioning the support frame at a predetermined position on the vehicle body.

[0085] According to this configuration, the work of fixing the support frame to a predetermined position on the vehicle body can be easily performed.

[0086] In the above configuration, the positioning mechanism preferably comprises an engaging portion provided on the support frame and an engaged portion provided on the vehicle body with which the engaging portion engages, and the direction in which the transport vehicle travels is defined as the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle body, and the direction perpendicular to the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle body when viewed in the up-and-down direction is defined as the vehicle body width direction, and the engaging portion is positioned in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle body by engaging with the engaged portion from one side of the vehicle body width direction.

[0087] This configuration makes it easy to position the support frame when attaching it to the vehicle body from one side in the vehicle body width direction. Therefore, even if, for example, the only direction in which workers can approach a broken-down transport vehicle is the vehicle body width direction, the support frame attachment work can be easily performed.

[0088] In the above configuration, the fixing device preferably comprises a fixing bolt, a female fixing threaded hole provided in one of the vehicle body and the support frame, and a fixing through hole provided in the other of the vehicle body and the support frame, and the female fixing threaded hole and the fixing through hole are preferably arranged coaxially with each other when the support frame is positioned on the vehicle body by the positioning mechanism.

[0089] With this configuration, with the support frame positioned on the vehicle body, the support frame can be fixed to the vehicle body by passing the fixing bolts through the fixing through holes and screwing them into the fixing female threaded holes. Therefore, the support frame can be easily fixed to the vehicle body by the fixing device.

[0090] In each of the above configurations, it is preferable to provide a plurality of types of training wheel units in which the vertical dimensions of the support surface and the lower ends of the training wheels are different from one another.

[0091] With this configuration, an appropriate unit can be selected and used even when the vertical distance between the bottom of the vehicle body and the running surface varies depending on the condition of the running surface, such as unevenness, or when the vertical distance between the bottom of the vehicle body and the running surface varies depending on the load status of the transport vehicle (i.e., changes in the total weight of the transport vehicle).

[0092] The broken-down guided vehicle movement system according to the present disclosure may achieve at least one of the above-described effects. [Explanation of symbols]

[0093] 10: Body 11: Wheels 11M: Drive motor 11a: Drive wheel 12: Support arm 12x: Swing fulcrum 13: Swing support part 14: Elastic unit 15: Stopper 16: Drive shaft 17: Bottom 18: Engaged part 20: Training wheel unit 21: Training wheels 22: Support frame 23: Support surface 24: Engagement part 60: Lifting device 61: Pressing member 62: Press bolt 63: Exit mechanism 64: Female screw hole for pressure 70: Container (article) 90:Fixing device 91: Fixing bolt 92: Female screw hole for fixing 93: Fixing through hole 99:Running surface 100: Transport vehicle D1: First distance (vertical distance between the bottom of the vehicle body and the running surface in normal contact with the ground) D2: Second distance (vertical distance between the bottom of the vehicle body and the running surface when raised) L: Front-rear direction of the vehicle P: Positioning mechanism S: Suspension mechanism U: Unit dimension (vertical dimension between the support surface and the bottom of the auxiliary wheel) V: Vertical direction V1: Upper side V2: lower side W: Vehicle width Y: Pressing direction

Claims

1. A system for moving a broken transport vehicle, comprising: a transport vehicle that travels on a travel surface to transport an article; and an auxiliary wheel unit that is used when the transport vehicle breaks down, the transport vehicle includes a vehicle body and a plurality of wheels that support the vehicle body and roll on the travel surface; At least one of the plurality of wheels is a drive wheel connected to a drive shaft of a drive motor so as to rotate in conjunction with the drive shaft, the drive wheels are attached to the vehicle body via suspension mechanisms; the transport vehicle further includes a lifting device that raises the position of the drive wheels relative to the vehicle body; the training wheel unit includes a support frame, a training wheel rotatably supported on the support frame, and a fixing device that detachably fixes the support frame to the vehicle body, the support frame includes a support surface that abuts against a bottom surface of the vehicle body from below, above the training wheels; A malfunction transport vehicle movement system in which the vertical dimension between the support surface and the lower end of the training wheel is smaller than the vertical distance between the bottom surface of the vehicle body and the running surface in a normal ground contact state in which the position of the drive wheel is not raised by the lifting device, and is larger than the vertical distance between the bottom surface of the vehicle body and the running surface in an elevated state in which the position of the drive wheel is raised by the lifting device with the training wheel unit detached from the vehicle body.

2. the suspension mechanism includes a support arm that is swingably provided with respect to the vehicle body and supports the drive wheel, a swing support part that is attached to the vehicle body and supports a swing fulcrum of the support arm, and an elastic unit that applies a biasing force to the support arm in a direction that urges the drive wheel downward, 2. The breakdown transport vehicle movement system according to claim 1, wherein the lifting device comprises a pressing member that presses the support arm in a direction that moves the drive wheel upward, and an extension / withdrawal mechanism that moves the pressing member in the pressing direction, with the direction in which the pressing member presses the support arm being the pressing direction.

3. the pressing member is a pressing bolt, the extending / retracting mechanism is fixed in position relative to the vehicle body and includes a pressing female screw hole into which the pressing bolt is screwed; 3. The system for moving a broken-down transport vehicle according to claim 2, wherein by rotating the pressing bolt threaded into the pressing female threaded hole, the pressing bolt presses a portion of the support arm opposite the drive wheel side with respect to the swing fulcrum, thereby applying a moment to the support arm in a direction that urges the drive wheel upward.

4. the suspension mechanism includes a stopper whose position relative to the vehicle body is fixed and which limits the swing of the support arm in a direction to move the drive wheel downward to a predetermined position; the female screw hole for pressing or a hole communicating with the female screw hole for pressing is provided so as to penetrate the stopper, 4. The breakdown transport vehicle movement system according to claim 3, wherein an end of the pressing bolt is configured to protrude toward the support arm relative to the stopper and press the support arm.

5. 5. A breakdown transport vehicle movement system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the training wheel unit and the vehicle body is provided with a positioning mechanism for positioning the support frame at a predetermined position on the vehicle body.

6. the positioning mechanism includes an engaging portion provided on the support frame and an engaged portion provided on the vehicle body with which the engaging portion engages, The direction in which the transport vehicle travels is defined as the vehicle body longitudinal direction, and the direction perpendicular to the vehicle body longitudinal direction when viewed in the up-down direction is defined as the vehicle body width direction, 6. The breakdown transport vehicle movement system according to claim 5, wherein the engaging portion is positioned in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle body by engaging with the engaged portion from one side in the vehicle body width direction.

7. the fixing device includes a fixing bolt, a fixing female screw hole provided in one of the vehicle body and the support frame, and a fixing through hole provided in the other of the vehicle body and the support frame, 6. A breakdown transport vehicle movement system according to claim 5, wherein the female screw holes for fixing and the through holes for fixing are arranged coaxially with each other in a state in which the support frame is positioned on the vehicle body by the positioning mechanism.

8. 5. The system for moving a broken-down guided vehicle according to claim 1, comprising a plurality of types of the training wheel units, each of which has a different vertical dimension between the support surface and the lower end of the training wheel.

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