Autonomous guided vehicles

Abstract

To provide an autonomous transportation vehicle capable of having a different container mounted in replacement according to a use.SOLUTION: An autonomous transportation vehicle 10 comprises a transportation vehicle body 11 having a travel part 22 and a container 12 mounted on the transportation vehicle body 11. A mount part 34 that can mount the container 12 is provided at a loading part 17 of the transportation vehicle body 11 and a front structure part 16 protruding upward from the mount part 34 is provided in the front adjoining the loading part 17 of the transportation vehicle body 11. The container 12 comprises a bottom part 47 arranged opposite the mount part 34, and a fitting structure part 50 fixing the container 12 to the loading part 17 detachably is provided where the mount part 34 of the loading part 17 and the bottom part 47 of the container 12 face each other.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 10

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an autonomous transport vehicle that is equipped with interchangeable platform structures with various functions, such as product delivery, display, exhibition, refrigerated and heated storage, shopping basket, or baby cradle. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, systems for cargo delivery services using autonomous guided vehicles as delivery vehicles for home delivery services, etc. For example, Patent Document 1 proposes an unmanned delivery system configured such that a management center selects a product collection point and an unmanned delivery vehicle based on a user's product order information and transmits product delivery information, the unmanned delivery vehicle automatically travels to the product collection point, automatically travels to the delivery destination to deliver the picked-up ordered products, and automatically travels to a vehicle waiting area after the user pays for and receives the ordered products.

[0003] Patent Document 2 proposes an unmanned delivery system in which a management center selects an automatic product collection point and an unmanned delivery vehicle based on product order information from a user and sends product delivery information, the unmanned delivery vehicle loads the ordered products at the automatic product collection point and automatically drives to the delivery destination, and the user pays for and receives the ordered products.The system provides identification information for the ordered products and provides an identification means adjacent to the transport route to identify the ordered products, and the identification means determines whether or not the products should be loaded onto the unmanned delivery vehicle.

[0004] In such an unmanned transport system, an unmanned delivery vehicle is equipped with a loading platform structure having, for example, six compartments for storage, and each compartment is provided with a door that can be controlled to open and close. After the unmanned delivery vehicle loaded with ordered products arrives at each user's location, the user can complete verification and payment procedures, which will open the door and allow the user to collect the ordered products. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-7148 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-169082 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, in conventional autonomous guided vehicles, the loading platform structure is integrally provided as part of the vehicle, so when used for a cargo delivery service, for example, if a loading platform structure with a different size or number of storage compartments is required depending on the size of the product or the number of deliveries, or if the vehicle is to be used for an entirely different purpose, it is necessary to use a different autonomous guided vehicle, which is inconvenient. Furthermore, there is a growing demand for autonomous guided vehicles to be used for purposes other than cargo delivery services, and there is a demand for loading platform structures with various functions.

[0007] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an autonomous transport vehicle that can be replaced and fitted with a different container depending on the application, while leaving the transport vehicle body as it is. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The autonomous transport vehicle of the present invention, which solves the above-mentioned problems, comprises a power supply unit, a transport vehicle body having a traveling unit that travels using power from the power supply unit and a control unit that automatically controls the traveling unit, and a container that is attached to a mounting unit of the transport vehicle body, the mounting unit having a mounting unit on which the container can be placed, a front structure unit being provided in front of and adjacent to the mounting unit of the transport vehicle body, the container having a bottom that is disposed opposite the mounting unit, and an attachment structure unit that detachably fixes the container to the mounting unit being provided at a position facing the mounting unit of the mounting unit and the bottom of the container, the mounting structure has a locking portion and a locked portion that can be engaged with and disengaged from each other on the mounting portion and the bottom, and the locking portion and the locked portion can be locked with each other by sliding the container on the mounting portion; The locking portion and the locked portion are provided so as to be lockable in the front-rear or left-right direction, the mounting structure is provided with a first guide portion on the loading portion that guides the container in the front-rear or left-right direction relative to the loading portion, and a second guide portion is provided on the bottom of the container, The mounting structure has a fixing portion that prevents the container from moving forward and backward when the locking portion and the locked portion are locked together, The transport vehicle body is provided with a transmitter / receiver unit that can send and receive information to and from the outside, The container is provided with an operating device including a door having an automatic opening mechanism and a drive control unit for the operating device; The container mounted on the mounting section and the transport vehicle body are characterized by being detachably connected by a power supply structure for supplying power from the power supply section to the operating equipment and an information transmission structure capable of transmitting information about the container to the control section.

[0009] The container is preferably one type selected from a group of a plurality of types of containers each having a different function, and the mounting structure is preferably configured in common to the group of containers.

[0010] moreover The bottom of the container has a bottom plate that is supported by abutting against the mounting portion, and it is preferable that one of the locking portion and the locked portion is arranged in an opening provided in the bottom plate, and the other is arranged to protrude into the mounting portion.

[0011] Preferably, both side edges and rear edge of the bottom of the container are disposed in contact with both side edges and rear edge of the base, and the front of the container is disposed in contact with the rear end of the front structure.

[0013] The container has a loading platform identification unit stored in the memory unit of the drive control unit, which has identification information to distinguish it from other types of containers in the group, and the control unit performs processing according to its function based on the identification information. Furthermore, the container preferably has any one of the functions of a food vending machine, a cooler box, a drink server, an automatic cradle, and a hot and cold storage. The door having an automatic opening mechanism preferably has an electromagnetic lock and a plunger as operating devices. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] In the present invention, a mounting section on which a container can be placed is provided on the mounting section of the transport vehicle body, and an attachment structure for fixing the container to the mounting section is provided at a location facing the mounting section of the transport vehicle body and the bottom of the container. Therefore, the container can be attached to, detached from, and replaced with another container for various uses. Therefore, an autonomous transport vehicle can be provided in which a container suitable for various uses can be selected and attached, and which can be replaced with another container depending on the use.

[0015] If the container consists of one type selected from a group of multiple types of containers each having different functions, and the mounting structure is configured to be common to the group of containers, containers with various functions can be easily replaced and attached to a single transport vehicle, thereby expanding the uses of autonomous transport vehicles.

[0016] If the mounting structure has a locking portion and a locked portion that can be engaged with and disengaged from each other on the base of the transport vehicle body and the bottom of the container, and the locking portion and the locked portion can be locked by sliding the container on the base, the locking portion and the locked portion can be locked and disengaged with the container's weight supported on the base, facilitating container replacement. If the locking portion and the locked portion are configured to be lockable in the front-rear or left-right directions, and the mounting structure is provided with a guide portion that guides the container in the front-rear or left-right directions relative to the base, the locking portion and the locked portion can be easily and reliably locked together by sliding the container with the container's weight supported on the base. Furthermore, if the mounting structure has a fixing portion that prevents the locking portion and the locked portion from moving in the front-rear and / or left-right directions when locked, the locked state between the locking portion and the locked portion can be maintained by fixing the container to the mounting part with the fixing portion, thereby requiring fewer fixing members and facilitating container replacement. Furthermore, if the container has a bottom plate whose bottom is supported by abutting against the loading portion, and one of the locking portion and the locked portion is placed in an opening in the bottom plate, and the other is placed protruding into the loading portion, damage to the mounting structure portion due to pressure being applied to the loading surface when loading the container or removing it from the transport vehicle body can be prevented, and container replacement work can be performed more easily.

[0017] If the bottom, both side edges, or front of the container are positioned in contact with the front structure or mounting part of the transport vehicle body, gaps can be prevented from forming even when the container is separated, preventing the intrusion of dust, water, etc. from the outside and improving the appearance quality.

[0018] The transport vehicle body is provided with a transmitter / receiver unit capable of sending and receiving information to and from the outside, and the container is provided with operating equipment according to its function and a drive control unit for the operating equipment, and the container attached to the attachment unit is detachably connected to the transport vehicle body by a power supply structure for supplying power from the power supply unit to the operating equipment and an information transmission structure for transmitting information about the container, so that by attaching a container arbitrarily selected from a group of multiple containers to the attachment unit of the transport vehicle body, operation control according to the function of each container can be easily performed. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of an autonomous guided vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a transport vehicle body according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] (a) and (b) are perspective views of different containers, and (c) is a perspective view of the container (a) as seen from below. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a control circuit according to the present embodiment. [Figure 5] 1A and 1B show an example of a mounting section in a transport vehicle body, in which FIG. 1A is a perspective view showing the top of the mounting section with the cover removed, and FIG. 1B is a partial vertical cross-sectional view of the mounting section in the vehicle width direction. [Figure 6] 1A and 1B show an example of the bottom of a container, in which FIG. 1A is a perspective view of the bottom as seen from above, and FIG. 1B is a partial longitudinal cross-sectional view of the bottom in the width direction of the vehicle. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a partial longitudinal cross-sectional view in the vehicle width direction showing a state in which a container is mounted on a mounting portion of a transport vehicle body. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a perspective view illustrating the mounting structure of the present embodiment, showing a state in which the bottom of the container faces the top of the coverless mounting part at a distance. [Figure 9] 9A and 9B are enlarged partial cross-sectional views for explaining the mounting structure shown in FIG. 8, in which (a) shows the state before the container is placed on the mounting section and slid, and (b) shows the state after the bottom of the container is placed on the top of the mounting section and slid. [Figure 10] This shows the container mounted on the mounting section of the transport vehicle body with the outer cover of the container disassembled. [Figure 11] 1 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of an embodiment of an unmanned delivery system using an autonomous guided vehicle according to the present embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a container suitable for various uses. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The first embodiment is an example in which the autonomous guided vehicle of the present invention is used as an unmanned delivery vehicle for delivering ordered products to a delivery destination. Fig. 1 shows an autonomous guided vehicle 10 of this embodiment. This autonomous guided vehicle 10 includes a guided vehicle body 11 as shown in Fig. 2 and a container 12 as shown in Figs. 3(a) to 3(c).

[0021] 2, the transport vehicle body 11 includes a base portion 15 having wheels 13, a front structure portion 16 formed on the front side of the base portion 15 so as to protrude upward, and a mounting portion 17 for the container 12 provided on the rear side of the base portion 15. When the container 12 is mounted on the mounting portion 17 of the transport vehicle body 11, the entire autonomous transport vehicle 10 appears to have a substantially cubic shape.

[0022] The autonomous transport vehicle 10 is provided with a control system as shown in Figure 4, and the transport vehicle body 11 is equipped with a battery 21 as a power source, a running unit 22 that runs by rotating and turning the wheels 13 using power from the battery 21, a control unit 20 that controls the automatic operation of the running unit 22, and a drive control unit 45 that drives and controls the operating equipment 42 mounted on the container 12. The control unit 20 of this embodiment includes a CPU 23 and a memory unit 24 as a travel control unit that controls the travel unit 22, a transmitter / receiver unit 25 that transmits and receives various information to and from the outside via a network (not shown), an IMU 26a that is a sensor for controlling the travel state of the autonomous guided vehicle 10, a detection unit 26 that includes a monitoring camera 26b, a monitoring sensor 26c, a distance sensor 26d, and a position sensor 26e that detect surrounding obstacles, position, orientation, inclination, and other conditions, a bumper sensor 26f that detects contact with surrounding pedestrians, bicycles, motorcycles, etc., a display unit 27 that includes a turn indicator 27a that displays the travel state of the autonomous guided vehicle 10 to the surroundings, a speaker 27b, a display 27c that displays an eye-shaped image, and a microphone (not shown) that collects surrounding sounds, etc. In the autonomous guided vehicle 10, the IMU 26a, which includes a gyro sensor and an acceleration sensor, and the position sensor 26e that captures the current position, function as sensors that detect the travel state. A monitoring camera 26b that captures images of the front, sides, and rear of the autonomous guided vehicle 10, and a monitoring sensor 26c that acquires image data of objects in front and data on the distance between the object and the autonomous guided vehicle 10 may be attached to the front structure 16 and function as sensors that detect objects. In the autonomous guided vehicle 10, a control circuit is configured by the CPU 23 and programs stored in the storage unit 24. The control circuit controls the control unit 20 and / or the drive control unit 45 to drive autonomously based on detection signals from sensors that detect the driving state and objects and map data stored in the storage unit 24, and also controls the control unit 20 and / or the drive control unit 45 to display an eye-shaped image on the display 27c in accordance with the object.

[0023] 2 and 5(a) and (b), the base part 15 of the transport vehicle main body 11 has an appropriately shaped frame 31 provided therein, wheels 13 attached to the lower end, various components of the power supply unit and the traveling unit 22 supported by the frame 31, and the outer periphery is covered by a cover 32. The mounting part 17 of the transport vehicle main body 11 is provided above the base part 15 on the rear side of the front structure part 16, and a loading part 34 on which a container 12 can be placed is provided on the top of the base part 15. The front structure part 16 is equipped with a display 27c that displays an eye-shaped image, and a microphone and speaker 27b, which respectively function as the eyes, ears, and mouth of the autonomous transport vehicle 10.

[0024] 5(a) and (b), the mounting portion 34 has a support plate 35 fixed to the frame 31 and arranged horizontally over substantially the entire mounting portion 34, and a support protrusion 36 fixed to the support plate 35, protruding upward over a wide area at the center of the support plate 35, with its upper surface arranged horizontally. The support plate 35 and the support protrusion 36 are configured to be able to support the weight of the container 12.

[0025] The cover 32 of the mounting portion 34 is provided continuous with the side periphery of the base portion 15, and has a central opening where the support protrusion 36 is located that is larger than the support protrusion 36. Therefore, the cover 32 of the mounting portion 34 is arranged surrounding the periphery of the support protrusion 36, and is supported by the frame 31 via the support plate 35. Although not particularly limited, the inner periphery of the opening of the cover 32 of the mounting portion 34 protrudes higher than the surrounding cover 32 and is provided at the same height as the support protrusion 36. The support protrusion 36 and support plate 35 of the mounting portion 34 are provided with locking portions 51 and first guide portions 56a that constitute a mounting structure 50 for mounting the container 12, and these will be described in detail later.

[0026] The front structure 16 on the front side of the base part 15 is provided at a position forward adjacent to the mounting part 17, protruding upward from the mounting part 34. The front structure 16 is formed integrally with the base part 15, and a frame 31 and a cover 32 are provided continuously. The front structure 16 is formed to extend over the entire width in the vehicle width direction, and in this embodiment, corresponds to the entire width of the front side of the container 12, and has a height that is approximately the same as the overall height of the front side of the container 12.

[0027] The container 12 is a structure that is mounted on the mounting portion 17 of the transport vehicle main body 11. As shown in Figures 3(a) and (b), this container 12 can be appropriately selected from a group of multiple types of containers each having different functions, and any one type selected from the group of containers is interchangeably mounted on the transport vehicle main body 11. Each container 12 in the group of containers has a common bottom 47 as shown in Figure 3(c).

[0028] In this embodiment, the autonomous guided vehicle 10 is used as an unmanned delivery vehicle that delivers ordered products to the delivery destination, and therefore the group of containers includes a container 12a having two storage sections 41 on one side thereof for a total of four storage sections 41, as shown in Figure 3(a), and a container 12b having four storage sections 41 on one side thereof for a total of eight storage sections 41, as shown in Figure 3(b).

[0029] Each storage section 41 is provided with a door 41a, and cargo stored therein can be loaded and unloaded by opening and closing each door 41a. The container 12 of this embodiment is provided with operating devices 42 such as an electromagnetic lock for fixing each door 41a and a plunger for an automatic opening mechanism for each door 41a, as well as a detection section 43 such as a sensor for detecting the presence and appropriateness of goods stored in each storage section.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 4 , the container 12 is provided with various operating devices 42 and detectors 43, as well as a drive control unit 45 equipped with a microcomputer 44 that controls their operation. In the illustrated example, the operating devices 42 are connected to an electromagnetic lock 42a for each door 41a and a plunger 42b for opening and closing each door 41a, and the sensor unit 43 is, for example, a monitoring camera that can capture images of the interior of each compartment within the container 12. When a user inputs an authentication key or the like into an input unit provided on the transport vehicle body 11 and the key is verified, the control unit 20 transmits the information to the drive control unit 45 of the operating device 42, thereby releasing the electromagnetic lock 42a and subsequently controlling the specific door 41a to open the plunger 42b. Furthermore, when operating devices 42c other than the doors 41a are provided in the container 12, they are configured to be supplied with power from the drive control unit 45 and controlled by the control unit 20 via the microcomputer 44. Each of the devices 42a, 42b, and 42c in the operating device 42 is connected to the microcomputer 44 via an interface unit (I / O unit) not shown as needed.

[0031] As shown in Fig. 1, each container 12 in the container group is provided with a container body 12e for realizing the functions of the storage section 41, etc., and in this embodiment, is provided with an upper cover section 12c and a rear cover section 12d for improving the appearance quality, as shown in Fig. 10. Each container 12 is provided with a front section 46 that is disposed opposite the front structure section 16 and whose front side overlaps with the front structure section 16 when attached to the transport vehicle body 11, and a bottom section 47 that is disposed opposite the placement section 34.

[0032] In this embodiment, substantially the entire container 12 is disposed facing the front structure 16 from the front side, and the width and height of the entire container 12 match the rear surface of the structure 16, so that when attached, the entire autonomous transport vehicle has a uniform one-box shape. The front 46 of the container 12 does not necessarily have to be disposed in contact with the rear end of the front structure 16, but may be disposed adjacent to it.

[0033] 3(c) and 6(a) and (b), the bottom 47 of the container 12 of this embodiment includes a bottom plate 48 having an outer contour similar to that of the mounting portion 34 and abutting against and supported by the mounting portion 34, and an inner plate 49 disposed on the bottom plate 48 with a gap provided therebetween and fixed to the bottom plate 48. The bottom plate 48 is formed thicker than the container body 12e in which the storage portion 41 and the like are provided, and a first bottom surface 48a consisting of a substantially horizontal surface continuing in a substantially U-shape is provided at both side edges and the rear edge, and a second bottom surface 48b consisting of a substantially horizontal surface is provided in a central portion surrounded on three sides by the both side edges and the rear edge, continuing to the front end, at a position above the first bottom surface 48a.

[0034] The internal plate 49 is formed in a plate shape appropriately equipped with various penetration portions and bent portions, and is disposed substantially parallel to the first bottom surface 48a and the second bottom surface 48b, and is fixed to the bottom plate 48 at the periphery and appropriate positions. The internal plate 49 of the bottom 47 is provided with a locking portion 54, a fixing portion 55, a second guide portion 56b, etc., which constitute a mounting structure 50 for mounting the container 12, and details of which will be described later. The container 12 of this embodiment is integrated with the container main body 12e, in which the storage portion 41 etc. are provided, and the bottom plate 48, with the internal plate 49 disposed between them.

[0035] 7, when the container 12 is attached to the attachment portion 17, first bottom surfaces 48a of both side edge portions and the rear edge portion of the bottom plate 48 are arranged in contact with both side edge portions and the rear edge portion of the upper surface of the placement portion 17, and a second bottom surface 48b in the center portion of the bottom plate 48 is arranged in contact with the support protrusion 36. Here, "arranged in contact" includes a state in close proximity and a state in contact.

[0036] Next, we will explain the mounting structure 50 for detachably fixing the container 12 to the mounting part 17. This mounting structure 50 is provided at a location facing the placement part 34 of the mounting part 17 shown in Figures 5(a) and (b) and the bottom part 47 of the container 12 shown in Figures 6(a) and (b). The mounting structure 50 is configured in common to the container group, and is provided identically on the various types of containers 12 shown in Figures 3(a) and (b).

[0037] In this embodiment, a locking portion 51 made of a leaf spring material and opening rearward is disposed on the support protrusion 36 of the loading portion 34 of the transport vehicle body 11 so as to protrude upward from the upper surface, and a first guide portion 56a made of a guide groove that guides the container 12 in the front-to-rear direction relative to the loading portion 34 is disposed behind the locking portion 51. A guide protrusion 56c made of a cam follower or the like attached to the locked portion 54, which will be described later, is inserted into and guided by this first guide portion 56a. Furthermore, in this embodiment, a mounting hole 52 for fixing a fixing portion 55 at the rear end of the inner plate 49 is formed in the support plate 35 and the corresponding cover 32 behind the support protrusion 36 on which the locking portion 51 is disposed.

[0038] The locking portion 51 is made of a substantially rectangular leaf spring extending in the vehicle width direction, and is formed in a substantially crank-like bent shape in the front and rear as shown in Figure 9(a). The front end of the locking portion 51 is fixed to the support protrusion 36, and the rear end is separated from the support protrusion 36, so that it opens rearward. This allows elastic deformation in the vertical direction, and allows a locked portion 54, described below, to be locked. A slit 51a is provided at the middle position in the vehicle width direction of the locking portion 51, into which a tip end 54a of the locked portion 54, described below, can be inserted.

[0039] On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 3(c) and 9(a), a rectangular opening 48c extending in the vehicle width direction is provided through the bottom plate 48 of the bottom portion 47 of the container 12. The opening 48c is larger in the front-rear and left-right directions than the locking portion 51. As shown in FIGS. 6(a), (b) and 9(a), a locking portion 54 to which the locking portion 51 of the mounting portion 34 is locked is provided at a position corresponding to the opening 48c of the inner plate 49. In this embodiment, the locking portion 54 is formed in a plate shape by bending a part of the middle portion of the inner plate 49 in a crank shape. The locking portion 54 is fixed to the bottom plate 48, and when the locking portion 51 of the mounting portion 34 is locked, the locking portion 54 and the bottom plate 48 are sandwiched between the upper surface of the support protrusion 36 and the locking portion 51.

[0040] A leading end 54a is provided at the intermediate position in the vehicle width direction of the locked portion 54. The leading end 54a is formed in a tapered shape that protrudes forward and narrows toward the tip. When the locking portion 51 of the loading portion 34 is locked, the leading end 54a is inserted into the slit 51a of the locking portion 51, thereby aligning the container 12 with the loading portion 34 at a predetermined position in the vehicle width direction.

[0041] On both sides in the vehicle width direction of the locked portion 54 of the inner plate 49, second guide portions 56b consisting of vertical walls for guiding both side edges in the vehicle width direction of the locking portion 51 are provided. By arranging the locking portion 51 between the left and right second guide portions 56b, the container 12 is guided in the front-rear direction so that its position in the vehicle width direction relative to the loading portion 34 is aligned to a predetermined position, and the tip portion 54a of the locked portion 54 is reliably inserted into the slit 51a of the locking portion 51.

[0042] Below the locked portion 54 of the internal plate 49, a guide protrusion 56c is provided so as to protrude downward from the bottom plate 48. The guide protrusion 56c is inserted into the first guide portion 56a provided on the support protrusion 36 of the mounting portion 34. Before the locking portion 51 is inserted between the left and right second guide portions 56b, the guide protrusion 56c is inserted into the second guide portion 56b, thereby ensuring that the locked portion 54 is inserted into the locking portion 51.

[0043] When the locking portion 51 is fully locked to these locked portions 54 and second guide portions 56b, the position of the locking portion 51 in the vehicle's fore-and-aft direction and its position in the vehicle's width direction are determined, and the container 12 is placed in a predetermined position on the loading section 34, and the front portion 46 of the container 12 is prevented from moving left and right and forward, thereby being kept in a predetermined position.

[0044] A piece-shaped fixing portion 55 is formed at a position on the rear end side of the internal plate 49 so as to be bent and contact the mounting portion 34. The fixing portion 55 is fastened to a mounting hole 52 of the mounting portion with a screw or the like while the locked portion 54 is locked to the locking portion 51. By fixing the fixing portion 55 to the mounting hole 52, the container 12 can be prevented from moving in all directions, including forward and backward, while the locking portion 51 and the locked portion 54 are locked together. In this embodiment, the fixing portion 55 is covered by a rear exterior cover 12d as shown in FIG. 10.

[0045] With the container 12 attached to the mounting portion 34 of the attachment portion 17 by the mounting structure 50, the container 12 is detachably connected to the transport vehicle body 11 by a power supply structure 61 such as a power cable for supplying power from the battery 21 to the operating equipment 42 and the drive control unit 45, and an information transmission structure 62 such as a cable capable of transmitting various information relating to the accommodation portion 41 of the container 12, the operating equipment 42, etc. to the control unit 20. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 10, the printed circuit board 4 " " of the drive control unit 45 is provided with a power socket (not shown) and a socket for the information transmission structure 62, and a power connector 61a and a cable for the information transmission structure provided on the transport vehicle body 11 side are connected to each other. 61b and are connected to the power socket of the printed circuit board 45a and the socket for the information transmission structure 62, respectively. The electric connection between the transport vehicle body 11 and the container 12 may be made using a USB cable or the like that combines the power supply structure 61 and the information transmission structure 62. The drive control unit 45 stores identification information (ID) about the configuration of the container 12 in a database of a storage unit (not shown) of the microcomputer 44. The identification information includes information about the lockers that are sections of the container 12, such as locker 1, locker 2, locker 4, locker 8, etc., information about the electromagnetic lock 42a, information about the plunger 42b, etc. Furthermore, the identification information may also include information about operating devices 42c other than the door 41a.

[0046] To use the autonomous guided vehicle 10 of this embodiment, one type of container 12 is selected in advance from the group of containers shown in Figures 3(a) and (b) depending on the application, and the container 12 is attached to the mounting section 34 of the guided vehicle main body 11 using the mounting structure 50. The battery 21 and control section 20 of the guided vehicle main body 11 are connected to the drive control section 45 of the container 12 using a power supply structure 61 and a information transmission structure 62. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 10, the autonomous guided vehicle 10 is prepared by attaching a rear outer cover 12d and an upper outer cover 12c, respectively.

[0047] To attach a container 12 selected from a group of containers to the loading section 34 of the transport vehicle body 11, first, as shown in FIG. 8, place the container 12 on the loading section 34 so that it is positioned rearward of the intended loading position. This positions the bottom 47 of the container 12 rearward of the intended loading position. By roughly adjusting the position of the container 12, as shown in FIG. 9(a), the locking section 51 of the loading section 34 is positioned inside the opening 48c of the bottom plate 48 of the container 12, and the guide protrusion 56c of the bottom 47 is inserted into the first guide section 56a, which is a guide groove provided on the upper surface of the support protrusion 36. These steps are preferably performed when placing the container 12 on the loading section 34. At this time, the locking section 51 of the loading section 34 is positioned forward of the locked section 54 of the bottom 47 and the second guide section 56b, which is a vertical wall.

[0048] Next, the container 12 is slid forward on the platform 34, thereby engaging the locking portions 51 and the locked portions 54. At this time, because the guide protrusions 56c are inserted into the first guide portions 56a, the container 12 is pushed forward to slide, and the locking portions 51 are easily inserted into the insides of the second guide portions 56b on both sides in the vehicle width direction. When the container 12 is slid forward, the guide protrusions 56c and the locking portions 51 are guided by the first guide portions 56a and the second guide portions 56b, respectively, and the tip portions 54a of the locked portions 54 are inserted into the slits 51a of the locking portions 51, and the locking portions 51 and the locked portions 54 abut against each other at the front and rear.

[0049] As a result, the container 12 is positioned in a predetermined position relative to the mounting portion 17 in the longitudinal and transverse directions of the vehicle. At this time, the front portion 46 of the container 12 is prevented from moving in any direction other than the rearward direction by the locking portion 51 and the locked portion 54 being locked.

[0050] Thereafter, by fixing the fixing portion 55 at the rear of the container 12 to the mounting hole 52 of the placing portion 34, the container 12 can be mounted and fixed in a predetermined position relative to the mounting portion 17. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 10, by attaching the rear outer cover 12d and the upper outer cover 12c, the surface shapes of the front structure portion 16 and the base portion 15 and the surface shapes of the container 12 have a continuous appearance without excessive gaps or steps.

[0051] Furthermore, because identification information for distinguishing the container from other types in the group of containers is stored in the memory of the drive control unit 45 of each container 12, when a container 12 selected in this way is attached to the transport vehicle main body 11, identification information regarding each operating device 42, detection unit 43, and drive control unit 45 of the container 12 is notified to the control unit 20 of the transport vehicle main body 11. As a result, various types of information communication and control are executed by the control unit 20 according to the respective uses of the containers 12. This embodiment is an unmanned delivery vehicle for delivering ordered products to a delivery destination, and the loading and unloading of products and the opening and closing of doors are managed according to the number of storage compartments 41 of each container 12.

[0052] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of an embodiment of an unmanned delivery system 70 using an autonomous guided vehicle 10 according to the present embodiment. The autonomous guided vehicle 10 is connected to a management center 80 that manages the autonomous guided vehicle 10 via a network 75. A mobile terminal 91a owned by a user 90 connects to a store server 100 that sells products via the network 75, and product order information 91b regarding the ordered products is transmitted to the store server 100. In response to this, the store server 100 notifies the autonomous guided vehicle 10 of delivery of the ordered products via the network 75. The store server 100 may be linked to a server, such as a warehouse that stores the products, and the products may be loaded onto the autonomous guided vehicle 10 in the warehouse. The autonomous guided vehicle 10 may be provided with a single vehicle, or multiple vehicles. Specifically, to deliver ordered products from the store to multiple users 90 who have placed orders, the ordered products are automatically or manually stored in different storage units 41 according to the orders of each user 90, and the traveling unit 22 is controlled based on product delivery information stored in the memory unit 24 to travel by autonomous driving. When the autonomous guided vehicle 10 arrives at the delivery destination, it notifies the user 90 of its arrival. While traveling, the eye-shaped image may be displayed on the display 27c by controlling the line of sight to output an eye-shaped image that matches each traveling state of the autonomous guided vehicle 10, such as going straight, turning left, turning right, or stopping, based on image data and distance data detected by the monitoring sensor 26c and / or video captured by the monitoring camera 26b, and by controlling the eye-shaped image to change to a predetermined eye-shaped image depending on the status of surrounding objects. The user 90 inputs an authentication key or the like displayed on the mobile terminal 91a into the input unit of the guided vehicle body 11. If the key is properly verified, it is transmitted to the drive control unit 45 of the operating device 42, and the door 41a of the storage unit 41 containing the ordered items of the user 90 is unlocked and opened, allowing the user 90 to receive the ordered items.

[0053] Subsequently, the absence of any products in the storage unit 41 is detected, the door 41a is closed, and the traveling unit 22 is controlled again to automatically drive the autonomous guided vehicle 10 to the destination of the next user 90. After arrival, the arrival is notified in the same manner, and when proper authentication is performed using the authentication key, the door 41a of the storage unit 41 is opened, allowing the next user 90 to receive the ordered products. After performing this delivery for the number of storage units 41 containing ordered products, the traveling unit 22 is controlled to automatically drive the autonomous guided vehicle 10 back to a designated waiting area, thereby completing the delivery. As a result, the autonomous guided vehicle 10, whose front structure 16 has functions such as eyes, ears, and a mouth, can change its eye-shaped image, hear surrounding sounds, and output appropriate sounds depending on the direction it moves as a delivery robot and the situation of surrounding people, orderers, and obstacles along the way. This makes the autonomous guided vehicle 10 friendly and less likely to cause misunderstandings or friction when encountering moving objects, including pedestrians, or obstacles.

[0054] According to the autonomous guided vehicle 10 of this embodiment as described above, the mounting section 17 of the guided vehicle body 11 is provided with the mounting section 34 on which the container 12 can be placed, the container 12 is provided with a bottom 47 that is disposed opposite the mounting section 34, and an attachment structure 50 that fixes the container 12 to the mounting section 17 is provided at a location where the mounting section 34 of the guided vehicle body 11 faces the bottom 47 of the container 12. Therefore, the container 12 can be detached from the mounting section 17 of the guided vehicle body 11 by the mounting structure 50 and replaced.

[0055] When the container 12 is placed on the mounting portion 34 of the attachment portion 17 and fixed by the mounting structure portion 50, the container 12 can be stably attached to the transport vehicle main body 11. Therefore, when the autonomous transport vehicle 10 travels autonomously, the mounting structure portion 50 does not come into contact with the surrounding area, preventing damage to the mounting structure portion 50 and making it easier to maintain a stable mounting state. In addition, since the mounting structure portion 50 is not visible from the outside, the appearance quality is not reduced.

[0056] Therefore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to realize an autonomous guided vehicle 10 that can be easily fitted with and used containers 12 suitable for various applications, and that can be replaced with and fitted with a different container 12 depending on the application. In the autonomous guided vehicle of this embodiment, a front structure 16 that protrudes upward from the placement unit 34 is provided in front of and adjacent to the fitting unit 17, a front part 46 of the container 12 is disposed opposite the front structure 16, and substantially the entire container 12 is covered from the front side by the front structure 16, so that the container 12 is less likely to come into contact with its surroundings when moving forward, preventing damage and making it easier to maintain a stably fitted state, and because the container 12 is not visible from the front side, the design of the front structure 16 can also improve the appearance quality of the autonomous guided vehicle 10.

[0057] In the autonomous guided vehicle 10 of this embodiment, the container 12 is one type selected from a group of multiple types of containers each having different functions, and the mounting structure 50 is configured to be common to the group of containers. Therefore, containers 12 having various functions can be easily replaced and attached, thereby expanding the uses of the autonomous guided vehicle 10.

[0058] In this autonomous guided vehicle 10, the mounting structure 50 has a locking portion 51 and a locked portion 54 that can be engaged with and disengaged from the mounting portion 34 and the bottom portion 47, and the locking portion 51 and the locked portion 54 can be locked with each other by sliding the container 12 on the mounting portion 34. Therefore, the locking portion 51 and the locked portion 54 can be engaged and disengaged with each other while the load of the container 12 is supported by the mounting portion 34, facilitating the replacement of the container 12.

[0059] The locking portion 51 and the locked portion 54 are arranged so that they can be locked in the front and rear directions, and the mounting structure portion 50 is provided with first and second guide portions 56a, 56b that guide the container 12 in the front and rear directions relative to the loading portion 34.Therefore, by sliding the container 12 with the load of the container 12 supported by the loading portion 34, the locking portion 51 and the locked portion 54 can be easily and reliably locked together.

[0060] If the mounting structure 50 has a fixing portion 55 that prevents the container 12 from moving forward or backward when the locking portion 51 and the locked portion 54 are locked together, the locking state between the locking portion 51 and the locked portion 54 can be maintained by fixing the container 12 to the mounting portion 17 using the fixing portion 55, and the container 12 can be fixed to the mounting portion with fewer fixing members such as screws.

[0061] This autonomous guided vehicle 10 has a bottom plate 48 whose bottom 47 abuts against and is supported by the mounting portion 34, and one of the locking portion 51 and the locked portion 54 is disposed in an opening 48c provided in the bottom plate 48, while the other is disposed so as to protrude into the mounting portion 34. Therefore, when loading a container 12 or removing it from the main body of the guided vehicle, damage to the mounting structure 50 can be prevented, and replacement work is easy.

[0062] When the side edges and rear edge of the bottom 47 of the container 12 are positioned in contact with the side edges and rear edge of the loading section 34, and the front 46 of the container 12 is positioned in contact with the rear end of the front structural section 16, even if the container 12 is structured so that it is separate from the transport vehicle main body 11 in an exchangeable manner, gaps can be prevented from forming around the outside between the container 12 and the transport vehicle main body 11, and the intrusion of dust, water, etc. from the outside into the interior of the transport vehicle main body 11 or the interior of the container 12 can be prevented.

[0063] In the autonomous guided vehicle 10 of this embodiment, the vehicle body 11 is provided with a transmitter / receiver 25 capable of transmitting and receiving information to and from the outside, the container 12 is provided with operating equipment 42 according to its function and a drive control unit 45 for the operating equipment 42, and the container 12 attached to the attachment unit 17 and the vehicle body 11 are detachably connected by a power supply structure 61 for supplying power from the battery 21 to the operating equipment 42 and an information transmission structure 62 capable of transmitting information about the container. Therefore, by attaching a container 12 arbitrarily selected from a group of containers to the attachment unit 17, operation control according to the function of each container 12 can be easily performed.

[0064] The above embodiment can be modified as appropriate within the scope of the present invention. For example, in the above embodiment, an example was described in which an autonomous transport vehicle for delivering ordered products to a delivery destination is used, and each container 12 in the container group is provided with multiple storage sections 41 for storing heated and cooled items, and the opening and closing of the doors is controlled, but the function and structure of the container 12 are not limited in any way.

[0065] As shown in Figure 12, various types of containers 12 can be installed, such as a truck bed 12d (Figure 12(a)) with an open top and enclosed sides that can be opened outward, a food vending machine 12e (Figure 12(b)) with a side lid, a cooler box 12f (Figure 12(c)) with an open top that can store water, ice, etc., a drink server 12g (Figure 12(d)), a shopping cart stand 12h (Figure 12(e)), a bookshelf for a mobile library or a bookshelf for delivery to subscribers 12i (Figure 12(f)), a commercial beer draft keg 12j (Figure 12(g)), a garbage storage box 12k (Figure 12(h)), a large box carrier 12l (Figure 12(i)), and an automatic cradle 12m (Figure 12(j)) that can be moved with parents. In this case, in order to perform the functions of each container 12, operating equipment 42, a detection unit 43, a drive control unit 45, etc. corresponding to each function may be provided and controlled by the CPU 23 of the transport vehicle main body 11.

[0066] In the above embodiment, the first and second guide portions 56a, 56b are provided to guide the container 12 in the fore-and-aft direction relative to the mounting portion 34 of the mounting structure 50, and the locking portion 51 and the locked portion 54 are locked in the fore-and-aft direction. However, the engagement is not limited to the fore-and-aft direction. The design of the mounting structure 50 can be easily modified, for example, to rotate the mounting structure 50 90 degrees to allow engagement in the left-and-right direction. Even in this case, by sliding the container 12 in the left-and-right direction while the load of the container 12 is supported by the mounting portion 34, the locking portion 51 and the locked portion 54 can be securely locked in the same way even when the autonomous guided vehicle moves forward and backward or turns left and right. Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the locking portion 51 is provided on the mounting portion 34 and the locked portion 54 is provided on the bottom 47 of the container 12. However, it is also possible to provide the locked portion 54 on the mounting portion 34 and the locking portion 51 on the bottom 47 of the container 12. The opening 48c is not limited to being formed in the shape of a through hole in the bottom plate 48 of the container 12, but may be, for example, a notch formed in the periphery of the bottom plate 48, as long as it is a portion that passes through from the underside of the bottom 47 of the container 12 to the interior of the bottom 47. [Explanation of symbols]

[0067] 10 Autonomous Guided Vehicles 11 Transport vehicle body 12, 12a, 12b containers 12d~12m various containers 12c Upper outer cover 12d Rear outer cover 12e Container body 13 wheels 15 Base 16 Front structure 17 Mounting part 20 Control Unit 21 Battery 22 Running part 23 CPU 24 Memory section 25 Transmitter / Receiver 26 Detection unit 26a IMU 26b Surveillance Camera 26c Monitoring Sensor 26d Distance sensor 26e Position Sensor 26f Bumper Sensor 27 Display section 27a Turn signal 27b Speaker 27c Display 31 frames 32 Cover 34 Placement section 35 Support Plate 36 Support protrusion 41 Storage unit 41a Door 42 Operating equipment 42a Electromagnetic Lock 42b Plunger 42c Other operating devices 43 Detection unit 44 Microcomputer 45 Drive control unit 45a printed circuit board 46 Front 47 Bottom 48 Bottom plate 48a 1st bottom 48b 2nd bottom 48c aperture 49 Internal Plate 50 Mounting structure 51 Locking part 51a Slit 52 Mounting hole 54 Locked part 54a Tip 55 Fixed part 56a 1st guide section 56b 2nd guide section 56c Guide protrusion 61 Power supply structure 61a power connector 62 Information Transmission Structure 62a Information transmission structural cable 70 Unmanned Delivery System 75 Network 80 Management Center 90 users 91a Mobile Device 91b Product Order Information 100 store servers

Claims

1. a power supply unit, a transport vehicle body having a traveling unit that travels using power from the power supply unit and a control unit that controls automatic operation of the traveling unit, and a container that is attached to an attachment unit of the transport vehicle body, The mounting section is provided with a mounting section on which the container can be placed, a front structure is provided at a front portion of the transport vehicle body adjacent to the mounting portion, the container has a bottom portion disposed opposite the placement portion, an attachment structure for detachably fixing the container to the attachment part is provided at a position where the placement part of the attachment part faces the bottom of the container, the mounting structure has a locking portion and a locked portion that can be engaged with and disengaged from each other on the placement portion and the bottom, and the locking portion and the locked portion can be locked together by sliding the container on the placement portion, the engaging portion and the engaged portion are provided so as to be engageable in the front-rear or left-right direction, the mounting structure is provided with a first guide portion on the placing portion that guides the container in the front-rear or left-right direction relative to the placing portion, and a second guide portion is provided on the bottom of the container, the mounting structure has a fixing portion that prevents the container from moving forward or backward when the locking portion and the locked portion are locked together, The transport vehicle body is provided with a transmitter / receiver capable of transmitting and receiving information to and from the outside, The container is provided with an operating device including a door having an automatic opening mechanism, and a drive control unit for the operating device; The container mounted on the mounting section and the transport vehicle main body are detachably connected by a power supply structure for supplying power from the power supply section to the operating equipment and an information transmission structure capable of transmitting information about the container to the control section.

2. 2. The autonomous guided vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the container is one type selected from a group of multiple types of containers each having a different function, and the mounting structure is configured in common to the group of containers.

3. 3. The autonomous guided vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the bottom of the container has a bottom plate that is supported by abutting against the placement portion, and one of the locking portion and the locked portion is disposed in an opening provided in the bottom plate, and the other is disposed so as to protrude into the placement portion.

4. 4. The autonomous guided vehicle according to claim 1, wherein both side edges and a rear edge of the bottom of the container are arranged in contact with both side edges and a rear edge of the placement portion, and the front of the container is arranged in contact with the rear of the front structure portion.

5. 3. The autonomous guided vehicle according to claim 2, wherein a loading platform identifier having identification information for distinguishing the container from other types in the group of containers is stored in a memory unit of a drive control unit, and the control unit performs processing according to the function based on the identification information.

6. The autonomous guided vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the container further has any one of the functions of a food vending machine, a cooler box, a drink server, an automatic cradle, and a refrigerated or heated storage device.

7. The autonomous guided vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the door has an electromagnetic lock and a plunger as operating devices.

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