Autonomous guided vehicles

Abstract

To provide an autonomous carrier vehicle to which luggage can be fixed more reliably.SOLUTION: An autonomous carrier vehicle carries luggage P. The autonomous carrier vehicle includes a housing unit 2 including an inner wall for zoning and forming a luggage room 20 capable of storing luggage P. The autonomous carrier vehicle includes a cushion unit 5 including a plurality of bag-like parts 52 swelled inward of the luggage room with a gas between stationary points fixed to the inner wall on both sides in a reference direction in the luggage room 20. The autonomous carrier vehicle includes a compressor unit 6 for controlling charging and discharging of a gas to the respective bag-like parts 52.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an autonomous guided vehicle that transports packages. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses air cushions arranged on the inside of two opposing side surfaces of a box that stores luggage, and an air compressor that fills the air cushions with air. When the air cushions are filled with air by the air compressor, they expand into the gap between the box and the luggage. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-246369 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In order to secure a load in an air cushion, it is necessary to ensure sufficient air pressure. However, the air cushion in Patent Document 1 is configured so that only one bag-shaped portion expands between the fixing points that are fixed to the side surfaces. When the air in such an air cushion is relatively pressurized, the contact area between the sharpened tip of the expansion and the load may become small. This may result in the load not being sufficiently secured, and there is a risk that the load may move due to turbulence during travel.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to provide an autonomous transport vehicle that can more reliably secure cargo. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The technical means of the present disclosure for solving the problems will be described below. Note that the claims and the reference characters in parentheses in this section indicate the correspondence with the specific means described in the embodiments described later in detail, and do not limit the technical scope of the present disclosure.

[0007] A first aspect of the present disclosure is an autonomous guided vehicle that transports a load (P), a housing unit (2) that defines, by an inner wall, a luggage compartment (20) capable of accommodating luggage; a cushion unit (5) having a plurality of bag-shaped portions (52) that expand with gas toward the inside of the luggage compartment between fixing points fixed to the inner wall on both sides of the reference direction of the luggage compartment; a compressor unit (6) that controls the intake and exhaust of gas to and from each bag-shaped portion; Equipped with 、 The cushion unit has an elastic portion (53) at the bulging tip of each bag-shaped portion, which has a higher degree of freedom in shape than the bag-shaped portion. . A second aspect of the present disclosure is an autonomous guided vehicle that transports a load (P), a housing unit (2) that defines, by an inner wall, a luggage compartment (20) capable of accommodating luggage; a cushion unit (5) having a plurality of bag-shaped portions (52) that expand with gas toward the inside of the luggage compartment between fixing points fixed to the inner wall on both sides of the reference direction of the luggage compartment; a compressor unit (6) that controls the intake and exhaust of gas to and from each bag-shaped portion; Equipped with The housing unit has a door portion (23) that opens laterally from a closed state as luggage is loaded or unloaded from the luggage compartment, and has an inner wall that faces upward in the open state; An elastic rolling element (27) is provided on the inner wall of the door portion, and has elasticity and rolls to load and unload luggage into and from the luggage compartment.

[0008] child Rera The first aspect of and the second aspect According to the invention, since a plurality of bag-shaped portions inflated by the compressor unit are present between the fixing points, the plurality of bag-shaped portions can come into contact with the luggage. Therefore, the contact area of ​​the cushion unit with the luggage can be relatively large, and the luggage can be more reliably fixed.

[0009] The present disclosure three The aspect is an autonomous guided vehicle that transports a load (P), a housing unit (2) that defines a luggage compartment (20) by an inner wall, capable of accommodating luggage; a cushion unit (5) fixed to an inner wall of the luggage compartment and having a bag-shaped portion that expands inwardly of the luggage compartment due to gas, and an elastic portion that is provided at the expanding tip of the bag-shaped portion and has a higher degree of freedom in shape than the bag-shaped portion; a compressor unit (6) that controls the intake and exhaust of gas into and from the bag-shaped portion; Equipped with.

[0010] This three According to this embodiment, the contact area of ​​the cushion unit with the luggage can be relatively large due to the elastic portion at the tip of the bag-shaped portion expanded by the compressor unit. The elasticity of the elastic portion can press the luggage against the inner wall on the opposite side of the expanding direction. Therefore, the luggage can be more securely fixed. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an overall configuration of an autonomous guided vehicle according to a first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 2] 2 is a partial cross-sectional view mainly showing the configuration of a housing unit in the autonomous guided vehicle of the first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a state in which a rear wall portion is open in the autonomous guided vehicle of the first embodiment. [Figure 4] 2 is a partial cross-sectional view mainly showing the configuration of a housing unit in the autonomous guided vehicle of the first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 5] 10A and 10B are schematic diagrams showing the mounting configuration of the cushion unit. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a perspective view schematically illustrating a bag-shaped portion and an elastic portion of the cushion unit. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a control device. [Figure 8] 4 is a flowchart showing a control flow according to the first embodiment. [Figure 9] 4 is a flowchart showing a control flow according to the first embodiment. [Figure 10] 10 is a flowchart showing a control flow according to a second embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a partial cross-sectional view mainly showing the configuration of a housing unit in an autonomous guided vehicle according to a third embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 11 is a partial cross-sectional view mainly showing the configuration of a housing unit in a contracted state in an autonomous guided vehicle according to a third embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating a mounting configuration of a cushion unit in an autonomous guided vehicle according to a third embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a partial cross-sectional view mainly showing the configuration of a housing unit in an autonomous guided vehicle according to a fourth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Hereinafter, multiple embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that corresponding components in each embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant description may be omitted. Furthermore, when only a portion of the configuration is described in each embodiment, the configuration of another previously described embodiment may be applied to the remaining portions of the configuration. Furthermore, in addition to the combinations of configurations explicitly stated in the description of each embodiment, configurations of multiple embodiments may be partially combined together even if not explicitly stated, provided that there is no particular problem with the combination.

[0013] (First embodiment) The autonomous guided vehicle 1 of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1 transports a package P by autonomous driving. The autonomous guided vehicle 1 autonomously drives in any direction, including forward, backward, left, and right. The autonomous guided vehicle 1 may be a delivery vehicle that autonomously drives on roads to transport the package P to a delivery destination. The autonomous guided vehicle 1 may also be a logistics vehicle that autonomously drives inside and outside a warehouse to transport the package P. The autonomous guided vehicle 1 may be any other vehicle as long as it has the function of transporting the package P. Furthermore, the autonomous guided vehicle 1 may receive remote driving assistance or driving control through communication with an external center. In the following, the forward / backward direction of the autonomous guided vehicle 1 is referred to as the X direction, the left / right direction as the Y direction, and the up / down direction as the Z direction.

[0014] The autonomous guided vehicle 1 includes a housing unit 2, a drive system 3, a sensor system 4, a cushion unit 5, and a compressor unit 6. The cushion unit 5 is not shown in Fig. 1. The drive system 3 is not shown in Figs. 2 to 4. The housing unit 2 forms the body of the autonomous guided vehicle 1, which is driven by the drive system 3 based on sensor information from the sensor system 4.

[0015] The drive system 3 includes drive wheels 30, a drive actuator 31, and a battery 32. A plurality of drive wheels 30 are supported by the housing unit 2. Each drive wheel 30 is configured to be rotatable independently. The drive wheels 30 are, for example, Mecanum wheels or omni wheels, which are capable of turning due to the difference in rotational speed between the drive wheels 30. In addition to the drive wheels 30, driven wheels may be provided.

[0016] The drive actuators 31 are mounted within the housing unit 2. Each drive actuator 31 is mainly composed of an individual electric motor. Each drive actuator 31 independently drives and rotates its corresponding drive wheel 30. Each drive actuator 31 may be equipped with a brake unit that applies braking to the corresponding drive wheel 30 while it is rotating. Each drive actuator 31 may be equipped with a lock unit that locks the corresponding drive wheel 30 when it is stopped.

[0017] The battery 32 is mounted, for example, on the lower part of the housing unit 2. The battery 32 is mainly composed of a storage battery such as a lithium-ion battery. The battery 32 stores power by charging from an external source to be supplied to electrical components mounted on the autonomous guided vehicle 1 by discharging power. The battery 32 may also store regenerated power from the drive actuator 31. The battery 32 is connected to the drive actuator 31, the sensor system 4, and the control device 65 via a wire harness or the like so as to be able to supply power to them.

[0018] The sensor system 4 acquires sensing information usable by the autonomous guided vehicle 1 by sensing the external and internal worlds of the autonomous guided vehicle 1. To this end, the components of the sensor system 4 are mounted on the housing unit 2. Specifically, the sensor system 4 is configured to include an external sensor 40 and an internal sensor 41.

[0019] The external sensor 40 acquires external information as sensing information from the external world that is the surrounding environment of the autonomous guided vehicle 1. The external sensor 40 acquires the external information by detecting objects that exist in the external world of the autonomous guided vehicle 1. The object detection type external sensor 40 is at least one of a camera, LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging / Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging), radar, sonar, etc.

[0020] The external sensor 40 may acquire external information by receiving positioning signals from artificial satellites of a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) that exist in the external world of the autonomous guided vehicle 1. The positioning type external sensor 40 is, for example, a GNSS receiver. The external sensor 40 may acquire external information by transmitting and receiving communication signals to and from a V2X system that exists in the external world of the autonomous guided vehicle 1. The communication type external sensor 40 is, for example, at least one of a Dedicated Short Range Communications (DSRC) communication device, a cellular V2X (C-V2X) communication device, a Bluetooth (registered trademark) device, a Wi-Fi (registered trademark) device, and an infrared communication device. Of the communication type external sensors 40, the V2X type in particular may be capable of communicating with at least one of an external center and another autonomous guided vehicle.

[0021] The internal sensor 41 acquires internal information as sensing information from the internal world, which is the internal environment of the autonomous guided vehicle 1. The internal sensor 41 acquires internal information by detecting luggage P on a loading platform in the luggage compartment 20, which is the internal world of the autonomous guided vehicle 1. The internal sensor 41 of a luggage detection type is at least one type of sensor selected from the group consisting of a weight sensor, a pressure sensor, a camera, and an RFID (Radio Frequency Identifier) ​​reader. The internal sensor 41 may acquire internal information by detecting a specific physical quantity of motion in the internal world of the autonomous guided vehicle 1. The internal sensor 41 of a motion detection type is at least one type of sensor selected from the group consisting of a speed sensor, an acceleration sensor, and a yaw rate sensor.

[0022] The housing unit 2 surrounds and defines a luggage compartment 20 from above, below, front, rear, left and right. In the housing unit 2, the luggage compartment 20 has a spatial size that allows at least one piece of luggage P to be loaded therein.

[0023] The housing unit 2 is hollow and made of, for example, metal or resin. The housing unit 2 defines, by an inner wall, a luggage compartment 20 capable of accommodating luggage P. The housing unit 2 has a plurality of wall portions 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 that form the inner wall, and elastic rolling elements 27.

[0024] The multiple walls 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, and 26 include, for example, an upper wall 21, a lower wall 22, a rear wall 23, a front wall 24, a left wall 25, and a right wall 26. These multiple walls form a luggage compartment 20 in the shape of a substantially rectangular parallelepiped in the housing unit 2.

[0025] The upper wall portion 21 is provided at the top of the housing unit 2 and forms an upper inner wall 21a that defines the upper surface of the luggage compartment 20. The lower wall portion 22 is provided at the bottom of the housing unit 2 opposite the upper wall portion 21 and forms a lower inner wall 22a that defines the lower surface of the luggage compartment 20.

[0026] The rear wall 23 is a rear wall of the four side walls of the housing unit 2 in the front-to-rear direction. The rear wall 23 forms a rear inner wall 23a that defines the rear surface of the luggage compartment 20. As shown in FIG. 3 , the rear wall 23 is configured as a door that opens laterally from a closed state as luggage P is loaded or unloaded from the luggage compartment 20. In the open state, the rear inner wall 23a of the rear wall 23 faces upward. More specifically, for example, a lower end 231 of the rear wall 23 is fixed to the bottom wall 22 so as to be rotatable. The lower end 231 is provided with, for example, a rotation shaft rotatably supported by the bottom wall 22 and an actuator that can rotate the rotation shaft. When the actuator is rotated in response to a command from a control device 65 (described later), the rear wall 23 can be switched between a closed state in which the rear wall 23 closes the luggage compartment and an open state in which the rear wall 23 rotates about the lower end 231 to open the luggage compartment to the side. The rear wall 23 may have a locking mechanism that locks it to at least one of the upper wall 21, the left wall 25, and the right wall 26. The rear wall 23 may be configured to be manually openable and closable.

[0027] The front wall 24 is the front wall in the front-to-rear direction of the four side walls of the housing unit 2. The front wall 24 forms a front inner wall 24a that defines the front surface of the luggage compartment 20. The front inner wall 24a is an example of a door-opposing inner wall that faces the rear wall 23, which is a door. The left wall 25 is the left wall in the left-to-right direction of the four side walls of the housing unit 2. The left wall 25 forms a left inner wall 25a that is a side inner wall that defines the left surface of the luggage compartment 20. The right wall 26 is the right wall in the left-to-right direction of the four side walls of the housing unit 2. The right wall 26 forms a right inner wall 26a that defines the right surface of the luggage compartment 20.

[0028] As shown in Fig. 4, a shock absorbing member 26b is provided on the right inner wall 26a of the right wall portion 26. The shock absorbing member 26b is provided so as to cover most of the right inner wall 26a. The shock absorbing member 26b is made of an elastic material such as sponge or rubber. The shock absorbing member 26b is a member provided on the inner wall facing the side inner wall on which the cushion unit 5 described below is provided.

[0029] The elastic rolling elements 27 allow luggage P to be loaded and unloaded into the luggage compartment by rolling. A plurality of elastic rolling elements 27 are provided, for example, on the inner walls 22a, 23a of the lower wall 22 and the rear wall 23. The elastic rolling elements have a rotating shaft, an actuator, and an elastic cylindrical element. The rotating shaft of each elastic rolling element is rotatably supported on the lower wall and the rear wall. The actuator rotates the rotating shaft in response to commands from a control unit, which will be described later. The elastic cylindrical element is a cylindrical body that covers the rotating shaft. The elastic cylindrical element is formed, for example, from rubber, sponge, etc.

[0030] The cushion unit 5 is hollow and mainly made of a flexible sheet member. The cushion unit is a cushion member that expands when gas is injected into the hollow interior. The injected gas is, for example, air. The cushion unit 5 is provided, for example, on the upper inner wall 21a, the front inner wall 24a, and the left inner wall 25a.

[0031] The cushion unit 5 has a bottom 51, a plurality of bag-shaped portions 52, and an elastic portion 53. The bottom 51 is a portion of the cushion unit 5 that faces the inner wall. The bottom 51 is formed, for example, to have substantially the same shape and substantially the same size as the inner wall to which it is attached. That is, in this embodiment, the bottom 51 is formed in a rectangular shape. The bottom 51 has a hole formed therein through which air is let in and out by the compressor unit 6, which will be described later.

[0032] 5, for the cushion unit 5 attached to the upper inner wall 21a, the attachment portion 51a of the bottom 51 is fixed to the inner wall edge portion 21b of the upper inner wall 21a. Here, the attachment portion 51a is the outer edge portion of the bottom 51. The attachment portion 51a may be fixed with an adhesive member such as an adhesive or adhesive tape. Alternatively, the attachment portion 51a may be attached to a frame shaped to fit along the inner wall edge portion 21b, and then fixed to the upper inner wall 21a via the frame.

[0033] With such a bottom portion 51, in the cushion unit 5 provided on the upper inner wall 21a, both ends of the bottom portion 51 in the X direction and the Y direction respectively serve as mounting portions 51a that are fixed to the inner wall. That is, in this cushion unit, the X direction and the Y direction are the "reference directions." Similarly, in the cushion unit attached to the front inner wall 24a, both ends of the bottom portion 51 in the Y direction and the Z direction respectively serve as mounting portions 51a that are fixed to the front inner wall 24a. That is, in this cushion unit, the Y direction and the Z direction are the "reference directions." And, in the cushion unit 5 attached to the left inner wall 25a, both ends of the bottom portion 51 in the X direction and the Z direction respectively serve as mounting portions 51a that are fixed to the left inner wall 25a. That is, in this cushion unit, the X direction and the Z direction are the "reference directions."

[0034] A plurality of bag-shaped portions 52 are provided between the fixing points on both sides in at least a specific direction. For example, in the cushion unit 5 provided on the upper inner wall 21a shown in Fig. 5, a plurality of bag-shaped portions 52 are provided between the edges of the bottom portion 51 in the X and Y directions. The base portions of the bag-shaped portions 52 are separated from the bottom portion 51 except for the portions that connect to the edges. In other words, the internal spaces of the plurality of bag-shaped portions 52 are continuous with each other.

[0035] As shown in Figure 6, the bag-shaped portion 52 expands toward the inside of the luggage compartment 20 when gas is injected by the compressor unit 6, which will be described later. Note that Figure 6 shows the bag-shaped portion and elastic portion 53 of the cushion unit 5 attached to the upper inner wall 21a. Also, in Figure 6, the bottom portion 51 is omitted and only a portion of the bag-shaped portion 52 and elastic portion 53 is shown. In the expanded state, the bag-shaped portion 52 is stretched in the longitudinal direction (the vertical direction in Figure 6) in response to the internal pressure. The cross section of the bag-shaped portion 52 in the expanded state, which is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, is formed so as to have, for example, a rectangular frame shape. In other words, the shape of the bag-shaped portion 52 in the expanded state when viewed in the longitudinal direction is rectangular.

[0036] The elastic portion 53 is provided at the bulging tip of each bag-shaped portion 52. The elastic portion 53 is made of a material that has elasticity and has a higher degree of freedom in shape than the bag-shaped portion 52. Here, a material that has a higher degree of freedom in shape than the bag-shaped portion 52 refers to a material that requires a smaller external force to cause an equivalent shape deformation than the external force applied to the material that constitutes the bag-shaped portion 52. The elastic portion 53 may be made of, for example, a bag body and a granular material contained in the bag body. The granular material is, for example, foam-molded or non-foam-molded resin beads. The elastic portion 53 may also be made of, for example, a bag body and a viscous material contained in the bag body.

[0037] The compressor unit 6 controls the intake and exhaust of gas into and from the bag-shaped portion 52 of the cushion unit 5. In this embodiment, the compressor unit 6 intakes and exhausts air into and from the bag-shaped portion 52 of the cushion unit 5. The compressor unit 6 includes a compressor 61, piping 62, a connection portion 63, an air pressure sensor 64, and a control device 65. The compressor 61 is capable of drawing air from the outside air and pumping it to the bag-shaped portion 52 via the piping 62. The compressor 61 is also capable of drawing air from the bag-shaped portion 52 via the piping 62 and releasing it into the outside air. In other words, the compressor 61 is capable of controlling the internal pressure of the cushion unit 5.

[0038] The piping 62 provides an air passage between the compressor 61 and the cushion units 5. The piping 62 forms, for example, a branch passage that branches off from the compressor 61 to three cushion units 5. A switching valve is provided at the branching point of the piping 62. The switching valve can switch between opening and closing the air passage to each cushion unit 5 in the piping 62. This allows the switching valve to switch the cushion unit 5 whose internal pressure is to be controlled by the compressor.

[0039] The connection part 63 is a piping end that is attached to the wall part on which the cushion unit 5 is attached and to the bottom part of the cushion unit 5. The connection part 63 is provided with a joint that connects and communicates the piping 62 to the inside of the cushion unit 5. The air pressure sensor 64 is provided, for example, on a joint of the connection part 63, and is capable of detecting the internal pressure in the cushion unit 5. The air pressure sensor 64 may also be provided inside the piping 62.

[0040] The control device 65 is mainly composed of at least one dedicated computer, including a computer mounted in the housing unit 2 of the autonomous guided vehicle 1. The dedicated computer constituting the control device 65 is connected to the drive actuator 31, the sensor system 4, the compressor 61, etc., via at least one of, for example, a LAN (Local Area Network) line, a wire harness, an internal bus, and a wireless communication line.

[0041] The dedicated computer constituting the control device 65 may be a planning ECU (Electronic Control Unit) that plans a target trajectory along which the autonomous guided vehicle 1 travels. The dedicated computer constituting the control device 65 may be a trajectory control ECU that causes the actual trajectory to follow the target trajectory of the autonomous guided vehicle 1. The dedicated computer constituting the control device 65 may be an actuator ECU that controls each drive actuator 31 of the autonomous guided vehicle 1.

[0042] The dedicated computer constituting the control device 65 may be a sensing ECU that controls the sensor system 4 of the autonomous guided vehicle 1. The dedicated computer constituting the control device 65 may be a locator ECU that estimates the autonomous guided vehicle 1's own state quantities including its own position. The dedicated computer constituting the control device 65 may be an information presentation ECU that controls the presentation of information by the autonomous guided vehicle 1. The dedicated computer constituting the control device 65 may be a computer outside the housing unit 2 that constitutes an external center or mobile terminal that can communicate via a communication-type external sensor 40, for example.

[0043] The dedicated computer constituting the control device 65 has at least one memory 101 and one processor 102. The memory 101 is at least one type of non-transitory tangible storage medium, such as a semiconductor memory, a magnetic medium, or an optical medium, that non-temporarily stores computer-readable programs, data, and the like.

[0044] Here, the term "storage" may refer to accumulation in which data is retained even when the autonomous guided vehicle 1 is turned off, or may refer to temporary storage in which data is erased when the autonomous guided vehicle 1 is turned off. The processor 102 includes at least one type of core, such as a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), a reduced instruction set computer (RISC)-CPU, a data flow processor (DFP), or a graph streaming processor (GSP).

[0045] In the control device 65, the processor 102 executes a plurality of instructions included in a carry-in / out control program stored in the memory 101 in order to control the carry-in / out process of the package P in the autonomous guided vehicle 1. In this way, the control device 65 constructs a plurality of function blocks for controlling the carry-in / out process of the package P. The plurality of function blocks constructed in the control device 65 include an acquisition block 110 and an output block 120, as shown in FIG.

[0046] A carry-in / out control method in which the control device 65 controls the carry-in / out processing of the package P in the autonomous guided vehicle 1 by cooperation of these blocks 110 and 120 is executed according to the control flow shown in Figures 8 and 9. This control flow is executed while the autonomous guided vehicle 1 is starting up. Note that each "S" in this flow represents a plurality of steps executed by a plurality of commands included in the carry-in / out control program.

[0047] First, the control during loading will be explained according to the flow of Fig. 8. This flow is executed when the rear wall 23 is opened and loading of the luggage P begins. First, in S10, the acquisition block 110 determines whether loading of the luggage P has been completed. For example, the acquisition block 110 may determine that loading of the luggage P has been completed when it acquires information that loading has been completed from outside. If it is determined that loading has been completed, this flow proceeds to S20.

[0048] In S20, the output block 120 controls the compressor unit 6 to inject air into the cushion units 5 provided on the side inner walls, i.e., the front inner wall 24a and the left inner wall 25a, thereby inflating each cushion unit 5. The output block 120 continues inflation until the internal pressure of each cushion unit 5 reaches a predetermined threshold. Once inflation is complete, the flow proceeds to S30. In S30, the output block 120 injects air into the cushion unit 5 provided on the upper inner wall 21a, thereby inflating the cushion unit 5. As in the case of the side inner walls, the output block 120 continues inflation until the internal pressure of the cushion unit 5 reaches a predetermined threshold. Once inflation is complete, the flow ends.

[0049] Next, the control during unloading will be described according to the flow of Fig. 9. First, in S40, the acquisition block 110 determines whether or not the package P has arrived at the destination to which it is to be delivered. The acquisition block 110 may determine whether or not the package P has arrived at a pre-recorded destination based on, for example, a positioning signal from a positioning type external sensor 40 and map information.

[0050] When it is determined that the vehicle has arrived at the destination, in S50, the output block 120 deflates the cushion units 5 provided on the upper inner wall 21 a and the left inner wall 25 a. The output block 120 outputs a control instruction to the compressor unit 6 to, for example, discharge substantially all of the air from the cushion units 5.

[0051] In the next step S60, the output block 120 temporarily contracts the cushion units 5 provided on the front inner wall 24a. For example, the output block 120 outputs a control instruction to the compressor unit 6 to deflate the air until the internal pressure reaches an allowable internal pressure range, which is an internal pressure at which the pressure of the luggage P pressed against the rear inner wall 23a by the cushion units 5 is substantially zero. The allowable internal pressure range is, for example, a range of internal pressure that is smaller than the internal pressure during transport of the luggage P and larger than the internal pressure of the cushion units 5 provided on the upper inner wall 21a and the left inner wall 25a that were contracted in step S50.

[0052] Then, in S70, the output block 120 opens the rear wall portion 23. Specifically, the output block 120 outputs a control instruction to an actuator that drives the rear wall portion 23, thereby automatically opening the rear wall portion 23.

[0053] Thereafter, in S80, the output block 120 inflates the cushion unit 5 of the front inner wall 24a and executes rotational driving of the elastic rolling elements 27. The output block 120 outputs a control instruction to the compressor unit 6 to increase the internal pressure of the cushion unit 5 to a predetermined value. Then, the output block 120 outputs a control instruction to rotationally drive the elastic rolling elements 27 in a direction to move the luggage P to the outside of the housing unit 2.

[0054] According to the first embodiment described above, the autonomous guided vehicle 1 includes a housing unit 2 that defines, by means of an inner wall, a luggage compartment 20 capable of accommodating luggage P. The autonomous guided vehicle 1 includes a cushion unit 5 having multiple bag-shaped portions 52 that expand with gas toward the inside of the luggage compartment 20 between fixing points that are fixed to the inner wall on both sides of the luggage compartment 20 in a reference direction. The autonomous guided vehicle 1 includes a compressor unit 6 that controls the supply and discharge of gas to and from each bag-shaped portion 52. As a result, since multiple bag-shaped portions 52 that expand due to the compressor unit 6 are present between the fixing points, multiple bag-shaped portions 52 can come into contact with the luggage P. Therefore, the contact area of ​​the cushion unit 5 with the luggage P can be relatively large. Therefore, the luggage P can be more reliably fixed.

[0055] Furthermore, according to the first embodiment, the cushion unit 5 has elastic portions 53 at the bulging tip of each bag-shaped portion 52, which have a higher degree of freedom in shape than the bag-shaped portion 52. This allows the elastic portions 53 to further increase the contact area with the luggage P. The elasticity of the elastic portions 53 can then press the luggage P against the inner wall on the opposite side of the bulging direction. This allows the luggage P to be more securely fixed.

[0056] Furthermore, according to the first embodiment, the housing unit 2 has a rear wall portion 23 that opens sideways from a closed state as luggage P is taken in or out of the luggage compartment 20, and that has an inner wall that faces upward in the open state. The rear inner wall 23a is provided with elastic rolling elements 27 that have elasticity and roll to take luggage P into or out of the luggage compartment 20. Therefore, luggage P can be taken in or out from the rear wall portion in the open state by the elastic rolling elements 27. Therefore, using the rear wall portion 23 can make it easy to take in or out luggage P.

[0057] Additionally, according to the first embodiment, the cushion unit 5 is provided at least on the front inner wall 24a facing the rear wall 23 in the closed state, the upper inner wall 21a defining the upper portion of the luggage compartment 20, and the side inner wall adjacent to the front inner wall 24a. As a result, the bag-shaped portion 52 bulges out from three of the inner walls forming the luggage compartment 20. Therefore, the bag-shaped portion 52 bulges out from three directions, so that the luggage P can be more securely fixed in place.

[0058] The compressor unit 6 lowers the internal pressure of the luggage compartment 20 before the luggage P is unloaded from the luggage compartment 20 compared to the pressure during transportation, and injects gas into the cushion unit 5 on the front inner wall 24a when the rear wall 23 is in the open state during unloading. Therefore, when the luggage P is unloaded, the cushion unit 5 can push the luggage P toward the rear wall 23. Therefore, it is possible to use the cushion unit 5 to unload the luggage P.

[0059] Second Embodiment The second embodiment is a modification of the first embodiment, as shown in Fig. 10. The autonomous guided vehicle 1 in the second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in the control during unloading.

[0060] Control during unloading in the second embodiment will be described with reference to the flow in Fig. 10. First, S40 is substantially the same processing as the step with the same reference numeral in Fig. 9.

[0061] When it is determined in S40 that the vehicle has arrived at the destination, in S51 the output block 120 deflates the cushion units 5 provided on the upper inner wall 21 a, the left inner wall 25 a, and the front inner wall 24 a. The output block 120 outputs a control instruction to the compressor unit 6 to deflate the cushion units 5 until substantially all of the air is discharged.

[0062] In S70 following S51, the output block 120 opens the rear wall portion 23. As in the processing flow of Fig. 9, the output block 120 outputs a control instruction to an actuator that drives the rear wall portion 23, thereby automatically opening the rear wall portion 23.

[0063] Thereafter, in S81, the output block 120 executes the rotational driving of the elastic rolling element 27. Specifically, the output block 120 outputs a control instruction to rotate the elastic rolling element 27 in a direction to move the luggage P to the outside of the housing unit.

[0064] According to the second embodiment described above, the autonomous transport vehicle 1 can perform removal by driving the elastic rolling body 27 without using the cushion unit 5 provided by the front inner wall 24a to push out the luggage P during removal.

[0065] (Third embodiment) As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the third embodiment is a modification of the first embodiment.

[0066] In the third embodiment, the housing unit 2 is divided in the front-rear direction into an upper wall portion 21, a right wall portion 26, a left wall portion 25, and a lower wall portion 22. The divided rear wall portion is an expandable / contractable wall that is moved by an expandable / contractable portion 28 described below. The divided front wall portion is a fixed wall that is fixed to the housing unit 2.

[0067] The housing unit 2 has an expansion / contraction section 28. The expansion / contraction section 28 includes, for example, an expansion / contraction frame and an actuator. The expansion / contraction frame allows each expansion / contraction wall to move forward. The expansion / contraction frame itself can expand and contract. The actuator, which can move the expansion / contraction wall section and expand / contract the frame by driving the expansion / contraction frame, is driven in response to control instructions from, for example, the control device 65. The expansion / contraction section 28 expands and contracts depending on the occupancy of the luggage P to be carried in the luggage compartment 20. This allows the overall size of the housing unit 2 to be changed depending on the amount of luggage P. In other words, the housing unit 2 can be switched between an expanded state shown in FIG. 11 and a contracted state shown in FIG. 12.

[0068] In this housing unit 2, as shown in FIG. 13, the cushion unit 5 provided on the upper inner wall 21a has only the rear end 51c of the bottom 51 fixed to the rear end 21c of the upper inner wall 21a on the expansion / contraction wall side. This allows the housing unit 2 to be collapsed without the cushion unit 5 interfering with the collapse. In this case, the rear end 51c also serves as a "fixed point." Note that on the fixed wall side, a mounting portion 51a corresponding to the fixed wall on the bottom 51 is attached to the edge 21b of the fixed wall. Similarly, the cushion unit 5 provided on the left inner wall 25a has only the rear end fixed to the rear end of the left inner wall 25a on the expansion / contraction wall side.

[0069] (Fourth embodiment) As shown in FIG. 14, the fourth embodiment is a modification of the first embodiment.

[0070] Each cushion unit 5 in the fourth embodiment has one bag-shaped portion 52. An elastic portion 53 is provided at the tip of each bag-shaped portion 52. In this way, even if there is only one bag-shaped portion 52, as long as the cushion unit 5 is provided with the elastic portion 53, the luggage P can be reliably fixed by the elastic portion 53. In other words, even if only one bag-shaped portion 52 is formed between the fixing points to the inner wall, the cushion unit 5 can reliably fix the luggage P as long as the elastic portion 53 is provided.

[0071] (Other embodiments) Although multiple embodiments have been described above, the present disclosure should not be construed as being limited to those embodiments, and can be applied to various embodiments and combinations within the scope that does not deviate from the gist of the present disclosure.

[0072] As a modified example, the cushion unit 5 does not need to have the elastic portion 53 as long as a plurality of bag-shaped portions 52 are formed between the fixing points on the inner wall.

[0073] Alternatively, the cushion unit 5 may have a plurality of sac-shaped portions 52 between the fixing points in only one direction.

[0074] As a modified example, the cushion unit 5 may not have the bottom 51, and the outer edge of the bag-shaped portion 52 may be attached to the inner wall. In this case, the cushion unit 5 may be attached so that the entire outer edge of the bag-shaped portion 52 is in close contact with the inner wall to seal the inside.

[0075] As a modified example, the cushion unit 5 may be formed so that each of the plurality of bag-shaped portions 52 partitions the internal space from each other. Alternatively, the cushion unit 5 may be formed so that each group of the plurality of bag-shaped portions 52 partitions the internal space.

[0076] In a modified example, the dedicated computer constituting the control device 65 may have at least one of a digital circuit and an analog circuit as a processor. Here, the digital circuit is at least one of the following: an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), a system on a chip (SOC), a programmable gate array (PGA), and a complex programmable logic device (CPLD). Such a digital circuit may also have a memory that stores a program.

[0077] In addition to the embodiments described above, the above-described embodiments and modifications may be implemented in the form of a processing circuit or a semiconductor device as a control device that is configured to be mountable on the autonomous guided vehicle 1 and has at least one processor 102 and one memory 101. The processing circuit is, for example, a processing ECU, etc. The semiconductor device is, for example, a semiconductor chip, etc.

[0078] (Disclosure of technical ideas) This specification discloses multiple technical ideas described in the following multiple clauses. Some clauses may be written in a multiple dependent form, with the subsequent clause referring to the preceding clause as an alternative. Furthermore, some clauses may be written in a multiple dependent form, referring to another multiple dependent clause. These multiple dependent clauses define multiple technical ideas.

[0079] (Technical thought 1) An autonomous guided vehicle that transports a load (P), a housing unit (2) that defines, by an inner wall, a luggage compartment (20) capable of accommodating luggage; a cushion unit (5) having a plurality of bag-shaped portions (52) that expand with gas toward the inside of the luggage compartment between fixing points that are fixed to the inner wall on both sides of the luggage compartment in the reference direction; a compressor unit (6) for controlling the gas flow into and out of each of the bag-shaped portions; An autonomous transport vehicle comprising:

[0080] (Technical thought 2) The autonomous transport vehicle according to Technical Idea 1, wherein the cushion unit has an elastic portion (53) at the bulging tip of each of the bag-shaped portions, which has a higher degree of freedom in shape than the bag-shaped portions.

[0081] (Technical Thought 3) An autonomous guided vehicle that transports a load (P), a housing unit (2) that defines, by an inner wall, a luggage compartment (20) capable of accommodating the luggage; a cushion unit (5) fixed to an inner wall of the luggage compartment and having a bag-shaped portion that expands inwardly of the luggage compartment due to gas, and an elastic portion that is provided at the expanding tip of the bag-shaped portion and has a higher degree of freedom in shape than the bag-shaped portion; a compressor unit (6) that controls the gas flow into and out of the bag-shaped portion; An autonomous transport vehicle comprising:

[0082] (Technical Thought 4) the housing unit has a door portion (23) that opens laterally from a closed state as the luggage is put into or taken out of the luggage compartment, and in which the inner wall is formed and faces upward in the open state; An autonomous transport vehicle according to Technical Idea 1 or Technical Idea 3, wherein the inner wall of the door section is provided with an elastic rolling element (27) that has elasticity and rolls to move the luggage in and out of the luggage compartment.

[0083] (Technical Thought 5) The autonomous transport vehicle described in Technical Idea 4, wherein the cushion units are provided at least on a door-facing inner wall that faces the door portion in the closed state, an upper inner wall that defines the upper part of the luggage compartment, and a side inner wall that is adjacent to the door-facing inner wall and defines the side of the luggage compartment.

[0084] (Technical Thought 6) The autonomous transport vehicle described in Technical Idea 5, wherein when the door section is in the closed state after the luggage has been delivered into the luggage compartment, the compressor unit injects gas into the cushion unit provided on the upper inner wall after injecting gas into the cushion units provided on the door-facing inner wall and the side inner wall.

[0085] (Technical Thought 7) the compressor unit lowers the internal pressure of the cushion unit provided on the door-opposing inner wall before the luggage is carried out into the luggage compartment compared to the internal pressure during transportation; The autonomous transport vehicle according to Technical Idea 5, wherein when the door section is in the open state during unloading, the gas is injected into the cushion unit provided on the inner wall opposite the door.

[0086] (Technical Thought 8) An autonomous transport vehicle according to any one of Technical Ideas 1 to 7, wherein the housing unit has an expansion / contraction section that expands and contracts depending on the occupancy of the cargo compartment by the luggage. [Explanation of symbols]

[0087] 2 housing unit, 20 luggage compartment, 23 door portion, 27 elastic rolling element, 5 cushion unit, 52 bag-shaped portion, 53 elastic portion, 6 compressor unit, P luggage.

Claims

1. An autonomous guided vehicle that transports a load (P), a housing unit (2) that defines, by an inner wall, a luggage compartment (20) capable of accommodating luggage; a cushion unit (5) having a plurality of bag-shaped portions (52) that expand with gas toward the inside of the luggage compartment between fixing points fixed to the inner wall on both sides of the luggage compartment in the reference direction; a compressor unit (6) for controlling the gas flow into and out of each of the bag-shaped portions; Equipped with The cushion unit has an elastic portion (53) at the bulging tip of each of the bag-shaped portions, which has a higher degree of freedom in shape than the bag-shaped portions.

2. An autonomous transport vehicle that transports luggage (P), a housing unit (2) that defines, by an inner wall, a luggage compartment (20) capable of accommodating luggage; a cushion unit (5) having a plurality of bag-shaped portions (52) that expand with gas toward the inside of the luggage compartment between fixing points fixed to the inner wall on both sides of the luggage compartment in the reference direction; a compressor unit (6) for controlling the gas flow into and out of each of the bag-shaped portions; Equipped with The housing unit has a door portion (23) that opens laterally from a closed state as the luggage is put into or taken out of the luggage compartment, and in which the inner wall is formed and faces upward in the open state, The autonomous transport vehicle has an inner wall of the door section provided with an elastic rolling element (27) that has elasticity and rolls to move the luggage in and out of the luggage compartment.

3. An autonomous guided vehicle that transports a load (P), a housing unit (2) that defines a luggage compartment (20) capable of accommodating the luggage by an inner wall; a cushion unit (5) fixed to the inner wall of the luggage compartment and having a bag-shaped portion that expands inwardly of the luggage compartment due to gas, and an elastic portion that is provided at the expanding tip of the bag-shaped portion and has a higher degree of freedom in shape than the bag-shaped portion; a compressor unit (6) for controlling the gas flow into and out of the bag-shaped portion; An autonomous transport vehicle comprising:

4. The housing unit has a door portion (23) that opens laterally from a closed state as the luggage is put into or taken out of the luggage compartment, and in which the inner wall is formed and faces upward in the open state, 4. The autonomous guided vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the inner wall of the door section is provided with an elastic rolling element (27) that has elasticity and rolls to move the luggage in and out of the luggage compartment.

5. 5. The autonomous guided vehicle according to claim 4, wherein the cushion units are provided at least on a door-facing inner wall that faces the door portion in the closed state, an upper inner wall that defines an upper portion of the luggage compartment, and a side inner wall that is adjacent to the door-facing inner wall and defines a side portion of the luggage compartment.

6. 6. The autonomous guided vehicle according to claim 5, wherein when the door section is in the closed state after the luggage has been delivered into the luggage compartment, the compressor unit injects the gas into the cushion units provided on the upper inner wall after injecting the gas into the cushion units provided on the door-facing inner wall and the side inner wall.

7. the compressor unit lowers the internal pressure of the cushion unit provided on the door-opposing inner wall before the luggage is carried out into the luggage compartment compared to the internal pressure during transportation; The autonomous guided vehicle according to claim 5 , wherein, when the door portion is in the open state during unloading, the gas is injected into the cushion unit provided on the inner wall facing the door.

8. 3. The autonomous guided vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the housing unit has an expandable / contractable portion that expands and contracts depending on the occupancy of the luggage compartment by the luggage.

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