Conveying Equipment

Abstract

To realize conveyance equipment for enabling driving force of an unmanned carrier to make a carriage travel by connecting the unmanned carrier to the carriage even in the case where there is no space for placing the unmanned carrier just under or before and behind a support part in the carriage.SOLUTION: A connection part 35 of an unmanned carrier 30 is configured to be connected to a vehicle body 21 in a state in which relative rotation of a carriage 20 around a vertical axis is regulated with respect to the vehicle body 21, and the unmanned carrier 30 drives driving wheels 34b by a driving source to make the carriage 20 travel in a state in which the connection part 35 is connected to an outer position in a width direction Y with respect to a support part 25a for supporting a conveyance object B in the vehicle body 21.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a transport facility equipped with a carriage and an automated guided vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, in a factory or the like, parts may be transported and assembled on a cart that moves along the floor, and in such cases, the cart may be moved by an unmanned guided vehicle. In this case, the factory or the like is equipped with a transport facility for transporting the cart. An example of such a transport facility is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2007-76518 (Patent Document 1).

[0003] The conveying equipment of Patent Document 1 includes carts (carts A to G) on which objects to be conveyed (components) are placed, and automated guided vehicles (automated guided vehicles x to z) that move the carts by self-propelling while connected to the carts. In the conveying equipment of Patent Document 1, the automated guided vehicles are connected to the carts by a connecting structure (pin engagement hole 49 and hook pin 103) directly below a support section (workbench 45) that supports the objects to be conveyed. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-76518 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the transport equipment of Patent Document 1, the automated guided vehicle is placed directly below the support and is connected to the cart by a connecting structure directly below the support. This configuration is thought to enable the automated guided vehicle to travel stably on average when it is self-propelled. However, if there are structures or mechanisms necessary for the cart directly below, in front of, or behind the support of the cart, it can be difficult to connect the automated guided vehicle to the cart.

[0006] Therefore, it is desirable to realize a conveying facility that can connect an unmanned guided vehicle to a cart and run the cart using the driving force of the unmanned guided vehicle, even if there is no space to place the unmanned guided vehicle directly below or in front of or behind the support part of the cart. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The conveying equipment disclosed herein is a conveying equipment comprising: a trolley that supports an object to be conveyed; and an unmanned guided vehicle that is coupled to the trolley and moves under its own power to cause the trolley to travel along a floor surface, wherein the unmanned guided vehicle comprises a coupling portion that couples to the trolley, drive wheels that roll on the floor surface, and a drive source that drives the drive wheels; the trolley comprises a support portion that supports the object to be conveyed, a plurality of wheels that roll on the floor surface, and a vehicle body to which the support portion and the plurality of wheels are attached; the direction in which the trolley travels is defined as the travel direction, and the direction perpendicular to the travel direction when viewed in a vertical direction is defined as the width direction; the coupling portion is configured to be coupled to the vehicle body in a state in which relative rotation around the vertical axis with respect to the vehicle body is restricted; and the unmanned guided vehicle drives the drive wheels with the drive source to cause the trolley to travel with the coupling portion coupled to a position outside the width direction relative to the support portion on the vehicle body.

[0008] According to this configuration, even if there is no space for an automated guided vehicle to be placed directly below or before or after the support part of the bogie, the automated guided vehicle can be coupled to the bogie and run by the driving force of the automated guided vehicle. In this case, because the coupling part is coupled to the vehicle body in a state where relative rotation about the vertical axis is restricted, it is easy to prevent deviation between the traveling direction of the bogie and the traveling direction of the automated guided vehicle, even if the automated guided vehicle is coupled only to one side of the bogie in the width direction rather than both sides in the width direction. Therefore, even if there are structures or mechanisms necessary for the bogie directly below or before or after the support part of the bogie, the bogie can be run by the automated guided vehicle. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] A diagram showing an example of the layout of the transport equipment. [Figure 2] Side view of the cart and automated guided vehicle in Figure 1 [Figure 3] Front view of the carriage and automated guided vehicle of Figure 2 [Figure 4] Plan view of the carriage and automated guided vehicle in Figure 2 [Figure 5] A diagram explaining the connection part of the automated guided vehicle in Figure 2. [Figure 6] A diagram explaining how the unattached automated guided vehicle in Figure 2 turns right [Figure 7] A diagram explaining the left turn of the unattached automated guided vehicle in Figure 2 [Figure 8] A diagram explaining the right turn of the automated guided vehicle and the carriage in Figure 2. [Figure 9] A diagram illustrating the straight-line movement of the automated guided vehicle and the carriage in FIG. [Figure 10] A diagram explaining the left turn of the automated guided vehicle and the carriage in Figure 2. [Figure 11] 10 is a plan view of a carriage and an automated guided vehicle according to another embodiment; [Figure 12] 10 is a plan view of a carriage and an automated guided vehicle according to another embodiment; [Figure 13] 10 is a plan view of a carriage and an automated guided vehicle according to another embodiment; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the conveying equipment will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0011] 1 is a layout diagram of a conveying facility 10 according to this embodiment. The conveying facility 10 is used to convey an object B to be conveyed in a facility such as a factory, a warehouse, or a ship. The conveying facility 10 includes a carriage 20 and an automatic guided vehicle 30.

[0012] In this embodiment, the carriage 20 is coupled to the automated guided vehicle 30 and moves together with the automated guided vehicle 30 along a travel path P. Here, the travel path P is a path along which the carriage 20 and the object B placed thereon are transported. The travel path P may be a path determined in advance by physical means such as rails, or may be a path determined each time by software using guidance means such as magnetic markers, light reflective tape, electromagnetic induction cables, two-dimensional markers, or the like.

[0013] The travel route P of this embodiment includes a first straight portion P1, a second straight portion P2, a curved portion P3, and a detour portion P4. The first straight portion P1 and the second straight portion P2 are arranged parallel to each other and connected at both ends by a curved portion P3. The detour portion P4 is provided to detour around a part of the second straight portion P2.

[0014] FIG. 2 is a side view of the carriage 20 and the automated guided vehicle 30. FIG. 3 is a rear view of the carriage 20 and the automated guided vehicle 30. In this embodiment, the carriage 20 supports an object B to be transported. The automated guided vehicle 30 is coupled to the carriage 20 and self-propels the carriage 20, causing the carriage 20 to travel along a floor F. As an example, the object B to be transported is an automobile body, and the transport equipment 10 can be used in an automobile manufacturing factory where automobiles are assembled by sequentially attaching various parts to the object B on the carriage 20 while the carriage 20 is moved by the automated guided vehicle 30.

[0015] FIG. 4 is a plan view of the carriage 20 and the automated guided vehicle 30. The carriage 20 includes a support portion 25a that supports the object B to be transported, a plurality of wheels 24 that roll on the floor surface F, and a vehicle body 21 to which the support portion 25a and the plurality of wheels 24 are attached. In this embodiment, the wheels 24 are casters. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, in this embodiment, the support portion 25a is a portion of the lifting device 25 (described later) that contacts the object B to be transported. Here, the direction in which the carriage 20 travels is referred to as the travel direction X. The direction along the vertical direction is referred to as the up-down direction Z. The direction perpendicular to the travel direction X when viewed from the up-down direction is referred to as the width direction Y. One side in the width direction Y is referred to as the first width direction side Y1, and the other side is referred to as the second width direction side Y2. One side in the travel direction X is referred to as the first travel direction side X1, and the other side is referred to as the second travel direction side X2.

[0016] In this embodiment, the vehicle body 21 is disposed outside in the width direction Y of the area overlapping with the transport object B when viewed from the up-down direction, and is provided with a work platform 22 on which a worker stands who performs work on the transport object B. In the example shown in Fig. 4, the work platform 22 is provided on both sides of the vehicle body 21 in the width direction Y.

[0017] In this embodiment, the cart 20 has a plurality of support wheels 24a, which are wheels 24 arranged in an area overlapping with the object B to be transported when viewed in the vertical direction. The wheels 24 are fixed to the lower ends of support pillars 23 extending downward from the car body 21. In the example shown in the figure, four support pillars 23 are provided, and are arranged on the left and right sides near the front and rear of the car body 21. In the example shown in FIG. 4, all of the wheels 24 are support wheels 24a arranged in an area overlapping with the object B to be transported when viewed in the vertical direction.

[0018] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, in this embodiment, the cart 20 is provided with a lifting device 25 that raises and lowers the transport object B on the car body 21. The lifting device 25 has a lower protrusion 25b that protrudes downward from the car body 21. As shown in FIG. 4, the lifting device 25 is provided in the center of the car body 21. The lifting device 25 is also provided in an area surrounded by four support wheels 24a (four support pillars 23) in a plan view. The lifting device 25 raises and lowers the transport object B while supporting the transport object B from below. When the cart 20 is provided with the lifting device 25 in this way, the height of the transport object B can be changed to perform work such as assembly, improving workability.

[0019] 5 is a side view of the automated guided vehicle 30. The automated guided vehicle 30 includes drive wheels (34a, 34b) that roll on a floor surface F, and a drive source 33 that drives the drive wheels (34a, 34b). In this embodiment, the automated guided vehicle 30 includes a first wheel 34a and a second wheel 34b, each of which is a drive wheel driven by the drive source 33. The drive source 33 is, for example, a rotating electric machine.

[0020] In this embodiment, the drive source 33 and the drive wheels (34a, 34b) are supported by the main body 32. The main body 32 is a main part that constitutes the body of the automatic guided vehicle 30. In the illustrated example, the first wheel 34a and the second wheel 34b are supported by both ends of the main body 32 in the longitudinal direction, respectively.

[0021] In this embodiment, the automated guided vehicle 30 is equipped with training wheels 38 supported by the main body 32. The training wheels 38 are casters. In the illustrated example, the training wheels 38 are provided between the first wheel 34a and the second wheel 34b. Note that, if the travel route P is configured using guidance means such as magnetic markers, the automated guided vehicle 30 is also configured to have other components necessary for automatic travel, such as a marker reader.

[0022] The automated guided vehicle 30 includes a coupling portion 35 that couples to the bogie 20. The coupling portion 35 is configured to couple to the vehicle body 21 in a state where relative rotation about a vertical axis with respect to the vehicle body 21 is restricted. Examples of the coupling portion 35 include an engagement protrusion that engages with an engagement hole of the bogie 20, an engagement hole that engages with an engagement protrusion of the bogie 20, and an arm that grips a part of the bogie 20. In this embodiment, the coupling portion 35 is a plurality of protrusions. In the example shown in FIG. 5, the coupling portion 35 is a pair of engagement pins aligned along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body 21. In this manner, the automated guided vehicle 30 can be coupled to the vehicle body 21 in a state where relative rotation about a vertical axis with respect to the vehicle body 21 is restricted. The coupling portion 35 may be a polygonal engagement protrusion. Alternatively, the coupling portion 35 may be a polygonal engagement hole. The coupling portion 35 is configured to be coupled to and decoupled from the bogie 20, for example, by an operator or a control device 40 described below.

[0023] In this embodiment, the coupling portion 35 is coupled to the carriage 20 so that the automated guided vehicle 30 fits inside the vehicle body 21 in the width direction Y when viewed in the vertical direction. Note that the automated guided vehicle 30 may be coupled so that 80% or more of the length of the automated guided vehicle 30 in the width direction Y fits inside the vehicle body 21 when viewed in the vertical direction. Alternatively, the automated guided vehicle 30 may be coupled so that 90% or more of the length of the automated guided vehicle 30 in the width direction Y fits inside the vehicle body 21 when viewed in the vertical direction.

[0024] In this embodiment, the coupling portion 35 is coupled to the carriage 20 so that the automated guided vehicle 30 fits inside the vehicle body 21 in the traveling direction X when viewed in the vertical direction. Note that the automated guided vehicle 30 may be coupled so that 80% or more of the length of the automated guided vehicle 30 in the traveling direction X fits inside the vehicle body 21 when viewed in the vertical direction. Alternatively, the automated guided vehicle 30 may be coupled so that 90% or more of the length of the automated guided vehicle 30 in the traveling direction X fits inside the vehicle body 21 when viewed in the vertical direction.

[0025] As shown in Fig. 4, the automated guided vehicle 30 travels by driving the drive wheels (34a, 34b) with the drive source 33, with the coupling portion 35 coupled to a position on the outside of the support portion 25a of the vehicle body 21 in the width direction Y. Therefore, even if there is no space to place the automated guided vehicle 30 directly below or before or after the support portion 25a of the vehicle body 21, the automated guided vehicle 30 can be coupled to the vehicle body 21 and travel by the driving force of the automated guided vehicle 30. In this case, because the coupling portion 35 is coupled to the vehicle body 21 in a state where relative rotation about the vertical axis is restricted, even if the automated guided vehicle 30 is coupled to only one side of the vehicle body 21 in the width direction Y, rather than to both sides of the vehicle body 21 in the width direction Y, it is easy to keep the traveling direction of the automated guided vehicle 30 parallel to the traveling direction of the vehicle 20. Therefore, even if there are structures or mechanisms necessary for the bogie 20 directly below or before or after the support portion 25a of the bogie 20, the bogie 20 can be traveled by the automated guided vehicle 30. Furthermore, if the distance between the bogie 20 and the automated guided vehicle 30 is long when viewed in the vertical direction, the connecting portion 35 also needs to be long. If the strength of the connecting portion 35 is insufficient, the travel of the bogie 20 may become unstable. However, as described above, when the connecting portion 35 is connected to a position outside the support portion 25a of the car body 21 in the width direction Y, even if the automated guided vehicle 30 is also disposed outside the support portion 25a of the car body 21 in the width direction Y, there is no need to make the connecting portion 35 long, and the bogie 20 can be traveled stably.

[0026] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the automated guided vehicle 30 is arranged on the outside in the width direction Y of the lower protruding portion 25b of the lifting device 25, with the connecting portion 35 connected to the vehicle body 21. In this way, even if the carriage 20 is configured to include the lifting device 25 that raises and lowers the object B to be transported, the automated guided vehicle 30 can be appropriately arranged to avoid interference with the lifting device 25, and the carriage 20 can be driven.

[0027] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the coupling portion 35 is coupled to the vehicle body 21 at a position outside the support wheels 24a in the width direction Y. In this manner, the automated guided vehicle 30 is coupled to the vehicle body 21 of the bogie 20 at a position outside the support wheels 24a of the bogie 20 in the width direction Y, and therefore, when the automated guided vehicle 30 moves relative to the bogie 20 before being coupled to the bogie 20 and after being separated from the bogie 20, it is possible to prevent interference between the automated guided vehicle 30 and the support wheels 24a. This makes it easier to ensure freedom of movement path of the automated guided vehicle 30 before and after being coupled to and separated from the bogie 20, and ultimately makes it easier to improve the efficiency of transporting the bogie 20 by the automated guided vehicle 30.

[0028] In the example shown in Fig. 4, the carriage 20 is configured to travel with an automated guided vehicle 30 coupled to only one side of the carriage 20 in the width direction Y. However, as shown in Fig. 1, the carriage 20 may also be configured to travel with automated guided vehicles 30 coupled to both sides of the carriage 20 in the width direction Y.

[0029] In this embodiment, the automated guided vehicle 30, whose coupling portion 35 is coupled to the vehicle body 21, is disposed on the outside of the support wheels 24a in the width direction Y. In this way, for example, as shown in FIG. 1 , the automated guided vehicle 30, whose coupling portion 35 has been separated from the vehicle body 21, can pass through a position immediately below a plurality of carriages 20 lined up in a first straight portion P1 of the travel path P and on the outside of the support wheels 24a. This makes it easier to ensure the degree of freedom of the movement path of the automated guided vehicle 30 before and after coupling to and separation from the carriage 20, and ultimately makes it easier to improve the efficiency with which the automated guided vehicle 30 transports the carriages 20.

[0030] Moreover, in this embodiment, the connecting portion 35 is connected to the underside of the work platform 22. In this way, the underside of the work platform 22 provided on the vehicle body 21 can be used to provide the connected portion 27 to which the connecting portion 35 of the automated guided vehicle 30 is connected, and the space directly below the work platform 22 on the vehicle body 21 can be used to arrange the automated guided vehicle 30. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the space in which the carriage 20 and the automated guided vehicle 30 are arranged from becoming large, and it is easy to improve the space utilization efficiency of the conveyance equipment 10. In this embodiment, the connecting portion 35 of the automated guided vehicle 30 is connected to the underside of the work platform 22 so that the entire automated guided vehicle 30 overlaps with the work platform 22 when viewed in the up-down direction.

[0031] In this embodiment, the carriage 20 is provided with a coupled portion 27 to which the coupling portion 35 of the automated guided vehicle 30 is coupled. The coupled portion 27 is provided on the underside of the work platform 22. In the example shown in FIG. 4, a plurality of coupled portions 27 are provided on the carriage 20. The coupled portion 27 is provided on each of the work platform portions 22 provided on both sides of the vehicle body 21 in the width direction Y.

[0032] In this embodiment, the coupled part 27 is provided on the vehicle body 21 so as to face downward. In the example shown in Fig. 5, the coupled part 27 is configured by a pair of pin engagement holes formed so as to open downward in the underside of the work platform part 22. In the example shown, the coupled part 27, which is a pin engagement hole, is a bottomed hole, but it may also be a through hole that penetrates vertically.

[0033] In this embodiment, the connecting portion 35 is configured so that its entirety overlaps with the main body portion 32 when viewed in the up-down direction when connected. The connecting portion 35 is also configured to be movable up and down relative to the main body portion 32. The connecting portion 35 is provided on top of the lifting portion 36, which is movable up and down relative to the main body portion 32. When the lifting portion 36 remains lowered relative to the main body portion 32 and is in the lowered position, the connecting portion 35 is not engaged with the coupled portion 27 and is in a disengaged state. This results in a disconnected state between the automated guided vehicle 30 and the cart 20. On the other hand, when the lifting portion 36 rises relative to the main body portion 32 and reaches the upper position, the connecting portion 35 engages with the coupled portion 27. This results in a connected state between the automated guided vehicle 30 and the cart 20.

[0034] Fig. 6 is a diagram showing a state in which the automated guided vehicle 30 is turning right with the coupling unit 35 not connected to the vehicle body 21. Fig. 7 is a diagram showing a state in which the automated guided vehicle 30 is turning left with the coupling unit 35 not connected to the vehicle body 21. In this embodiment, the automated guided vehicle 30 is equipped with a steering control unit 45 that controls the steering wheels. In this embodiment, the steering control unit 45 is provided in the automated guided vehicle 30 as part of the control device 40 described below.

[0035] In this embodiment, the first wheel 34a and the second wheel 34b are each rotatably supported with respect to the main body 32. That is, the first wheel 34a and the second wheel 34b are steered wheels controlled by the steering control unit 45. In the illustrated example, the first wheel 34a is made up of a pair of left and right wheels. The second wheel 34b is made up of a pair of left and right wheels. As described above, the first wheel 34a and the second wheel 34b are each drive wheels. Therefore, the automated guided vehicle 30 is configured to be capable of four-wheel drive.

[0036] An example of the control of the steering wheels by the steering control unit 45 will be described below with reference to Figs. 6 to 10. Fig. 8 is a diagram showing the state in which the automated guided vehicle 30 and the bogie 20 are turning right with the coupling unit 35 coupled to the left side of the vehicle body 21, i.e., the automated guided vehicle 30 coupled to the vehicle body 21 of the bogie 20 is turning toward the inside of the vehicle body 21 in the width direction Y. Fig. 9 is a diagram showing the state in which the automated guided vehicle 30 and the bogie 20 are traveling straight with the coupling unit 35 coupled to the left side of the vehicle body 21. Fig. 10 is a diagram showing the state in which the automated guided vehicle 30 and the bogie 20 are turning left with the coupling unit 35 coupled to the left side of the vehicle body 21, i.e., the automated guided vehicle 30 coupled to the vehicle body 21 of the bogie 20 is turning toward the outside of the vehicle body 21 in the width direction Y.

[0037] 6 and 8 show a state in which the automated guided vehicle 30 is turning right at the same curved portion of the travel path P. In the following description of control, it is assumed that the trajectories of the first wheel 34a and the second wheel 34b of the automated guided vehicle 30 shown in FIG. 6 are the same as those of the automated guided vehicle 30 coupled to the first widthwise side Y1 of the carriage 20 shown in FIG. 8. In addition, it is assumed that the trajectories of the first wheel 34a and the second wheel 34b of the automated guided vehicle 30 shown in FIG. 7 are the same as those of the automated guided vehicle 30 coupled to the first widthwise side Y1 of the carriage 20 shown in FIG. 10.

[0038] Here, the inclination angle of the direction of the steered wheels with respect to the traveling direction X is referred to as the steering angle. In the following description of the control, the steering angle of the first wheel 34a when the coupling 35 is not connected to the vehicle body 21 as shown in FIG. 6 is referred to as the reference steering angle θ1 of the first wheel 34a when turning right, and the steering angle of the first wheel 34a when the coupling 35 is not connected to the vehicle body 21 as shown in FIG. 7 is referred to as the reference steering angle θ1 of the first wheel 34a when turning left. In the following description of the control, the steering angle of the second wheel 34b when the coupling 35 is not connected to the vehicle body 21 as shown in FIG. 6 is referred to as the reference steering angle θ2 of the second wheel 34b when turning right, and the steering angle of the second wheel 34b when the coupling 35 is not connected to the vehicle body 21 as shown in FIG. 7 is referred to as the reference steering angle θ2 of the second wheel 34b when turning left. Although not shown, when the connecting portion 35 is not connected to the vehicle body 21 and the vehicle is traveling straight, the reference steering angle θ1 of the first wheel 34a and the reference steering angle θ2 of the second wheel 34b are 0 degrees.

[0039] As shown in Figure 9, when the connecting portion 35 is connected to the vehicle body 21, the steering angle θ1a of the first wheel 34a and the steering angle θ2a of the second wheel 34b when traveling straight are adjusted by the steering control unit 45 to steering angles that direct the automatic guided vehicle 30 outward in the width direction Y compared to the reference steering angle θ1 and reference steering angle θ2 when traveling straight, which are 0 degrees.

[0040] The steering angle θ1a of the first wheel 34a and the steering angle θ2a of the second wheel 34b shown in Fig. 8 are steering angles when the automatic guided vehicle 30 coupled to the vehicle body 21 of the carriage 20 turns toward the inside of the vehicle body 21 in the width direction Y. The steering angle θ1a of the first wheel 34a shown in Fig. 8 has a smaller absolute value than the reference steering angle θ1 shown in Fig. 6. Furthermore, the steering angle θ2a of the second wheel 34b shown in Fig. 8 has a smaller absolute value than the reference steering angle θ2 shown in Fig. 6. In other words, the steering angles θ1a and θ2a shown in Fig. 8 are adjusted by the steering control unit 45 to steering angles that direct the automatic guided vehicle 30 toward the outside in the width direction Y compared to the reference steering angle θ1 and the reference steering angle θ2 shown in Fig. 6, respectively.

[0041] The steering angle θ1a of the first wheel 34a and the steering angle θ2a of the second wheel 34b shown in Fig. 10 are steering angles when the automatic guided vehicle 30 coupled to the body 21 of the carriage 20 turns toward the outside in the width direction Y of the body 21. The steering angle θ1a of the first wheel 34a shown in Fig. 10 has a larger absolute value than the reference steering angle θ1 shown in Fig. 7. Furthermore, the steering angle θ2a of the second wheel 34b shown in Fig. 10 has a larger absolute value than the reference steering angle θ2 shown in Fig. 7. In other words, the steering angles θ1a and θ2a shown in Fig. 10 are adjusted by the steering control unit 45 to steering angles that direct the automatic guided vehicle 30 toward the outside in the width direction Y compared to the reference steering angle θ1 and the reference steering angle θ2 shown in Fig. 7, respectively.

[0042] 6 to 10 are examples in which the steering angle is adjusted by the steering control unit 45 when the coupling unit 35 of the automatic guided vehicle 30 is coupled to the left side of the vehicle body 21. However, although not shown, even when the coupling unit 35 is coupled to the right side of the vehicle body 21, the steering control unit 45 adjusts the steering angles θ1a and θ2a when the coupling unit 35 is coupled to the vehicle body 21 to steering angles that direct the automatic guided vehicle 30 outward in the width direction Y compared to the reference steering angle θ1 and the reference steering angle θ2, respectively.

[0043] In the examples shown in FIGS. 6 to 10, both the front and rear drive wheels (the first wheel 34a and the second wheel 34b) also function as steering wheels. In the control examples shown in FIGS. 6 to 10, the steering angles of both the first wheel 34a and the second wheel 34b are controlled by the steering control unit 45. However, in this embodiment, only the steering angle of the first wheel 34a or only the steering angle of the second wheel 34b may be adjusted by the steering control unit 45. Also, for example, one of the first wheel 34a and the second wheel 34b may function as a steering wheel that also functions as a drive wheel, and the other may function as a driven wheel that is neither a drive wheel nor a steering wheel. Also, one of the first wheel 34a and the second wheel 34b may function as a drive wheel, and the other may function as a steering wheel.

[0044] In this embodiment, the automated guided vehicle 30 includes steering wheels that double as drive wheels or are provided separately from the drive wheels, and a steering control unit 45 that controls the steering wheels. As described above, when the coupling unit 35 is coupled to the vehicle body 21, the steering control unit 45 adjusts the steering angle to direct the automated guided vehicle 30 outward in the width direction Y, compared to when the coupling unit 35 is not coupled to the vehicle body 21. In this manner, when the automated guided vehicle 30 is coupled to only one side of the bogie 20 in the width direction Y rather than both sides in the width direction Y, the traveling direction of the automated guided vehicle 30 is likely to gradually tilt toward the inside of the width direction Y (i.e., toward the support unit 25a) due to the running resistance of the bogie 20. In this embodiment, even in such a case, it is easy to align the traveling direction X of the bogie 20 with the desired direction. Furthermore, the control for adjusting the steering angle to direct the automated guided vehicle 30 outward in the width direction Y can be, for example, feedforward control. In this way, it is easier to align the traveling direction X of the bogie 20 with the desired direction than when the steering wheels are controlled only by feedback control so as to align the traveling direction X of the bogie 20 with the target, the number of times the steering wheels need to be adjusted can be reduced, and wear on the steering wheels and drive wheels can be reduced.

[0045] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the steering control unit 45 adjusts the steering angle so as to increase the steering angle toward the side that directs the automated guided vehicle 30 outward in the width direction Y, in accordance with an increase in the weight of the carriage 20 including the object B to be transported. In this way, even if the weight of the carriage 20 including the object B to be transported changes each time, it is easy to prevent the traveling direction of the carriage 20 and the traveling direction of the automated guided vehicle 30 from deviating.

[0046] In this embodiment, when the bogie 20 is traveling on a travel route P with many right turns, the coupling unit 35 of the automated guided vehicle 30 may be coupled to the left side of the vehicle body 21. When the bogie 20 is traveling on a travel route P with many left turns, the coupling unit 35 of the automated guided vehicle 30 may be coupled to the right side of the vehicle body 21. As shown in FIG. 8 , when the coupling unit 35 of the automated guided vehicle 30 is coupled to the left side of the vehicle body 21, the steering control unit 45 adjusts the steering angle θ1a during a right turn so that its absolute value is smaller than the reference steering angle θ1. By coupling the coupling unit 35 of the automated guided vehicle 30 to the vehicle body 21 on the side opposite to the direction of the curve in this manner, the amount of steering angle adjustment can be reduced, and the lateral force acting from the bogie 20 on the automated guided vehicle 30 can be utilized, allowing the bogie 20 to move efficiently. The change in the position at which the coupling unit 35 is coupled according to the travel route P may be controlled by the control device 40, which will be described later.

[0047] Returning to Fig. 1, this embodiment further includes a control device 40 that controls the automated guided vehicles 30. In the example shown in Fig. 1, the transport facility 10 includes a plurality of carriages 20 and a plurality of automated guided vehicles 30. Furthermore, the automated guided vehicles 30 are controlled by the control device 40 and configured to travel independently along a travel route P.

[0048] In the present embodiment, the control device 40 includes an arithmetic processing device such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a main storage device accessible by the arithmetic processing device, such as a RAM (Random Access Memory) or a ROM (Read Only Memory). Each function of the control device 40 is realized by cooperation between hardware included in the control device 40 and a program executed on the hardware, such as the arithmetic processing device. Specifically, the control device 40 executes a program stored in a storage device (such as a main storage device or a separately provided storage unit), thereby realizing each function of the control device 40. In other words, a program (e.g., a transport control program) for causing a computer to realize each function of the control device 40 is stored in a storage device accessible by the computer. This program is provided, for example, by a storage medium or via a communication network. The provided program is then stored in a storage device accessible by the computer. In the present embodiment, the control device 40 (specifically, the arithmetic processing device included in the control device 40) functions as a "computer." The control device 40 may be mounted on the automated guided vehicle 30 or may be a host control device installed in a control facility (not shown). In addition, when the control device 40 includes multiple pieces of hardware that are separated so as to be able to communicate with each other, some of the hardware may be provided in the automated guided vehicle 30, and the remaining hardware may be installed in a control facility (not shown). In this embodiment, the steering control unit 45 of the control device 40 is provided in the automated guided vehicle 30.

[0049] In this embodiment, the control device 40 executes a reversing operation to reverse the front-to-rear direction of the automated guided vehicle 30 every time a predetermined reversing condition is satisfied. In this manner, when the drive wheels are driven to travel the carriage 20 with the coupling portion 35 of the automated guided vehicle 30 coupled to a position on the outside in the width direction Y relative to the support portion 25a of the vehicle body 21, an unbalanced load acts on the drive wheels, which tends to cause wear of the drive wheels to progress unevenly in the width direction Y. According to this configuration, the reversing operation of the automated guided vehicle 30 is executed every time a predetermined reversing condition is satisfied, which makes it easy to avoid uneven wear of the drive wheels.

[0050] In this embodiment, the direction of travel of the automated guided vehicle 30 is reversed by changing the traveling direction X of the automated guided vehicle 30 so as to swap the positions of the first wheel 34a and the second wheel 34b. The predetermined reversal condition is, for example, that the traveling distance of the automated guided vehicle 30 exceeds a predetermined distance. Alternatively, the reversal condition may be that a predetermined time has elapsed. Alternatively, the reversal condition may be that the load on the drive wheels is predicted and calculated based on various information such as the weight, traveling distance, and traveling direction of the carriage 20 when the automated guided vehicle 30 is coupled, and that the calculated integrated load reaches a specified value.

[0051] Other Embodiments Next, other embodiments of the conveying equipment 10 will be described.

[0052] (1) In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the carriage 20 is provided with the lifting device 25, and the support portion 25a is a portion of the lifting device 25 that comes into contact with the transport object B. However, the present invention is not limited to such an example, and for example, the carriage 20 may not be provided with the lifting device 25, and the support portion 25a may be a platform for the carriage 20.

[0053] (2) In the above embodiment, the configuration in which the connecting portion 35 is connected to the underside of the work platform 22 has been described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to such an example, and for example, as shown in FIG. 11 , the connecting portion 35 may be connected to the side of the work platform 22. Also, the bogie 20 may not be provided with the work platform 22. Also, for example, the connecting portion 35 may be connected to the underside or side of the car body 21. Also, the work platform 22 may be provided on only one side in the width direction Y.

[0054] (3) In the above embodiment, the coupling portion 35 is coupled to the coupled portion 27 provided on one or both of the shorter sides of the vehicle body 21, and the automated guided vehicle 30 causes the carriage 20 to travel in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body 21. However, without being limited to such an example, for example, as shown in FIG. 12 , the coupled portion 27 may be provided on the front, rear, left and right sides of the vehicle body 21, the coupling portion 35 may be coupled to the coupled portion 27 provided on one of the longer sides of the vehicle body 21, and the automated guided vehicle 30 may cause the carriage 20 to travel in the shorter direction of the vehicle body 21.

[0055] (4) In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which all of the wheels 24 are support wheels 24a arranged in an area that overlaps with the object B to be transported in a vertical view. However, the present invention is not limited to such an example, and, for example, the wheels 24 may not all be support wheels 24a. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 13, the wheels 24 may include support wheels 24a and non-support wheels 24b arranged in an area that does not overlap with the object B to be transported in a vertical view. In the example shown in FIG. 13, the non-support wheels 24b are auxiliary wheels provided on the outer edge of the cart 20.

[0056] (5) In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the connecting portion 35 can be connected to the vehicle body 21 at a position outside the support wheel 24a in the width direction Y. However, the present invention is not limited to such an example, and for example, the connecting portion 35 may be connected to the vehicle body 21 at a position outside the support portion 25a in the width direction Y and at a position inside the support wheel 24a in the width direction Y.

[0057] (6) In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which all of the drive wheels can also serve as steering wheels. However, the present invention is not limited to such an example. For example, some of the wheels of the automated guided vehicle 30 may be drive wheels that do not also serve as steering wheels and are connected to the drive source 33, and other wheels may be steering wheels that do not also serve as drive wheels and are controlled by the steering control unit 45.

[0058] (7) In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the reversal control is performed by a control device 40 in which some of the hardware is provided in the automated guided vehicle 30. However, the present invention is not limited to such an example. For example, the reversal control may be performed by a control device 40 provided outside the automated guided vehicle 30 that manages multiple automated guided vehicles 30, or the reversal control may be performed only by the control device 40 provided in the automated guided vehicle 30.

[0059] (8) The configurations disclosed in the above-described embodiments can be applied in combination with configurations disclosed in 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.

[0060] [Summary of the above embodiment] The above-described conveying equipment will now be described.

[0061] The conveying equipment disclosed herein is a conveying equipment comprising: a trolley that supports an object to be conveyed; and an unmanned guided vehicle that is coupled to the trolley and moves under its own power to cause the trolley to travel along a floor surface, wherein the unmanned guided vehicle comprises a coupling portion that couples to the trolley, drive wheels that roll on the floor surface, and a drive source that drives the drive wheels; the trolley comprises a support portion that supports the object to be conveyed, a plurality of wheels that roll on the floor surface, and a vehicle body to which the support portion and the plurality of wheels are attached; the direction in which the trolley travels is defined as the travel direction, and the direction perpendicular to the travel direction when viewed in a vertical direction is defined as the width direction; the coupling portion is configured to be coupled to the vehicle body in a state in which relative rotation around the vertical axis with respect to the vehicle body is restricted; and the unmanned guided vehicle drives the drive wheels with the drive source to cause the trolley to travel with the coupling portion coupled to a position outside the width direction relative to the support portion on the vehicle body.

[0062] According to this configuration, even if there is no space for an automated guided vehicle to be placed directly below or before or after the support part of the bogie, the automated guided vehicle can be coupled to the bogie and run by the driving force of the automated guided vehicle. In this case, because the coupling part is coupled to the vehicle body in a state where relative rotation about the vertical axis is restricted, it is easy to prevent deviation between the traveling direction of the bogie and the traveling direction of the automated guided vehicle, even if the automated guided vehicle is coupled only to one side of the bogie in the width direction rather than both sides in the width direction. Therefore, even if there are structures or mechanisms necessary for the bogie directly below or before or after the support part of the bogie, the bogie can be run by the automated guided vehicle.

[0063] In one aspect, the trolley has a plurality of support wheels that are arranged in an area that overlaps with the object to be transported when viewed from above and below, and it is preferable that the connecting portion is connected to a position on the outside of the support wheels in the width direction on the vehicle body.

[0064] According to this configuration, the automated guided vehicle is coupled to the body of the bogie outside the support wheels of the bogie in the width direction, so that interference between the automated guided vehicle and the support wheels is reduced when the automated guided vehicle moves relative to the bogie before being coupled to the bogie and after being separated from the bogie. This makes it easier to ensure freedom of movement path for the automated guided vehicle before and after being coupled to and separated from the bogie, and ultimately makes it easier to improve the efficiency of transporting the bogie by the automated guided vehicle.

[0065] In one aspect, the vehicle body is positioned outside the width direction of the area that overlaps with the transported object when viewed from above, and is provided with a workbench section on which a worker who performs work on the transported object sits, and it is preferable that the connecting section is connected to the underside of the workbench section.

[0066] According to this configuration, the underside of the platform of the vehicle body can be used to provide the coupled part to which the coupling part of the automated guided vehicle connects, and the space directly below the platform of the vehicle body can be used to position the automated guided vehicle. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the space in which the cart and the automated guided vehicle are positioned from becoming large, and it is easy to improve the space utilization efficiency of the transportation equipment.

[0067] In one aspect, the trolley is equipped with a lifting device that raises and lowers the object to be transported on the vehicle body, the support portion is a portion of the lifting device that contacts the object to be transported, the lifting device is equipped with a lower protrusion that protrudes downward from the vehicle body, and the unmanned guided vehicle is preferably positioned outside the lower protrusion in the width direction with the connecting portion connected to the vehicle body.

[0068] According to this configuration, even if the cart is equipped with a lifting device that raises and lowers the object to be transported, the unmanned transport vehicle can be appropriately positioned to avoid interference with the lifting device and the cart can be driven.

[0069] In one aspect, the system further includes a control device for controlling the automated guided vehicle, and preferably, the control device performs an inversion operation to invert the front and rear directions of the automated guided vehicle each time a predetermined inversion condition is met.

[0070] When the drive wheels of an automated guided vehicle are driven to travel with the couplings of the automated guided vehicle connected to the support parts on the vehicle body at positions on the outside in the width direction, an unbalanced load acts on the drive wheels, which tends to cause wear of the drive wheels to progress unevenly in the width direction. With this configuration, the automated guided vehicle performs a reversing operation every time a predetermined reversing condition is met, which makes it easy to avoid uneven wear of the drive wheels.

[0071] In one aspect, the automated guided vehicle is equipped with a steering wheel that also serves as the drive wheel or is provided separately from the drive wheel, and a steering control unit that controls the steering wheel, and the steering angle is the inclination angle of the steering wheel relative to the traveling direction, and when the connecting part is connected to the vehicle body, the steering control unit preferably adjusts the steering angle to the side that directs the automated guided vehicle outward in the width direction compared to when the connecting part is not connected to the vehicle body.

[0072] With this configuration, when automated guided vehicles are coupled to only one side of the carriage in the width direction, rather than both sides in the width direction, the traveling direction of the automated guided vehicles tends to gradually tilt inward in the width direction due to the traveling resistance of the carriage. However, with this configuration, even in such a case, it is easy to align the traveling direction of the carriage to the desired direction.

[0073] In one aspect, it is preferable that the steering control unit adjusts the steering angle to increase the steering angle toward the side that directs the automated guided vehicle outward in the width direction as the weight of the cart including the object to be transported increases.

[0074] According to this configuration, even if the weight of the carriage containing the transport object changes each time, it is easy to prevent deviation between the traveling direction of the carriage and the traveling direction of the automatic guided vehicle. [Explanation of symbols]

[0075] 10:Transportation equipment 20: Cart 21: Body 22: Workbench 24 :Wheel 24a: Support wheel 25: Lifting device 25a: Support part 25b: Lower protrusion 34a: 1st wheel (drive wheel, steering wheel) 34b: Second wheel (drive wheel, steering wheel) 30:Automated guided vehicle 33: Drive source 35:Connection part 40: Control device 45: Steering control unit B: Transported object F: Floor surface

Claims

1. A transport facility including a carriage that supports an object to be transported, and an automated guided vehicle that is coupled to the carriage and moves by itself to cause the carriage to travel along a floor surface, the automated guided vehicle includes a coupling portion coupled to the carriage, drive wheels that roll on the floor surface, and a drive source that drives the drive wheels; the carriage includes a support portion that supports the object to be transported, a plurality of wheels that roll on the floor surface, and a vehicle body to which the support portion and the plurality of wheels are attached, The direction in which the carriage travels is the travel direction, and the direction perpendicular to the travel direction when viewed in the up-down direction is the width direction, The connecting portion is configured to be connected to the vehicle body in a state in which relative rotation about a vertical axis with respect to the vehicle body is restricted, The unmanned guided vehicle is a conveying facility in which the drive source drives the drive wheels to move the carriage while the connecting portion is connected to the support portion on the vehicle body at a position outside the width direction.

2. the carriage includes a plurality of support wheels that are arranged in an area overlapping with the object to be transported when viewed in the up-down direction, The conveying facility according to claim 1 , wherein the connecting portion is connected to the vehicle body at an outer position in the width direction relative to the support wheels.

3. the vehicle body is disposed outside in the width direction with respect to a region overlapping with the object to be transported as viewed in the up-down direction, and includes a work platform on which a worker who performs work on the object to be transported stands; The conveying facility according to claim 1 , wherein the connecting portion is connected to a lower surface of the work table portion.

4. the carriage includes a lifting device that lifts and lowers the object to be transported on the vehicle body, the support portion is a portion of the lifting device that comes into contact with the object to be transported, The lifting device includes a lower protrusion that protrudes downward from the vehicle body, The conveying facility according to claim 1 , wherein the automated guided vehicle is disposed outward in the width direction from the lower protrusion with the coupling portion coupled to the vehicle body.

5. Further, a control device for controlling the automatic guided vehicle is provided, The conveying facility according to claim 1 , wherein the control device executes a reversing operation to reverse a front-to-rear direction of the automated guided vehicle every time a predetermined reversing condition is satisfied.

6. the automated guided vehicle includes steering wheels that also serve as the drive wheels or that are provided separately from the drive wheels, and a steering control unit that controls the steering wheels; The tilt angle of the steering wheel relative to the traveling direction is defined as the steering angle, 5. The conveying equipment according to claim 1, wherein the steering control unit adjusts the steering angle to a side that directs the automated guided vehicle outward in the width direction when the connecting portion is connected to the vehicle body, compared to a state in which the connecting portion is not connected to the vehicle body.

7. The conveying equipment according to claim 6, wherein the steering control unit adjusts the steering angle to increase the steering angle toward the side that directs the automated guided vehicle outward in the width direction as the weight of the carriage including the object to be conveyed increases.

8. One side in the running direction is the first side in the running direction, and the other side is the second side in the running direction, The conveying facility according to claim 1 , wherein the connecting portion is connected at a position between the wheel closest to the first side in the traveling direction and the wheel closest to the second side in the traveling direction.

9. A conveying facility described in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the unmanned guided vehicle, when connected to the carriage by the connecting part, fits inside the vehicle body in the traveling direction and the width direction when viewed from above and below.

10. The unmanned transport vehicle is a transport facility described in any one of claims 1 to 4, in which the carriage is run with the connecting portion connected only to the outer position on one side of the width direction relative to the support portion on the vehicle body.

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