Conveyance cart, automatic traveling vehicle, and automatic conveyance device

Abstract

This conveyance cart comprises a vehicle body having a loading bed and wheels that travel on a floor surface, a connection part which is provided on the vehicle body and which detachably connects to the automatic traveling vehicle, a brake mechanism which restricts movement of the vehicle body, and a brake release part which releases the restriction by the brake mechanism to allow the movement of the vehicle body. When the automatic traveling vehicle is in a non-connected state of not being connected to the connection part, the brake mechanism restricts the movement of the vehicle body, and when the automatic traveling vehicle is in a connected state of being connected to the connection part, the brake release part releases the restriction of the movement of the vehicle body by the brake mechanism.

Description

Transport carts, automated vehicles, and automated transport equipment

[0001] The present specification relates to a transport cart that can move while carrying an object to be transported, an autonomous vehicle that travels by connecting transport carts, and an automatic transport device that includes the transport cart and the autonomous vehicle.

[0002] To promote labor-saving in production and logistics, the application of automated guided transport systems that automatically transport objects within production factories and logistics warehouses is progressing. An example of an automated guided transport system includes a transport cart loaded with the object and an automated vehicle that connects the transport cart and tows it. In this configuration, multiple types of transport carts can be prepared to accommodate various shapes of objects, allowing the automated vehicle to be used in common. In particular, an automated guided transport system in which the automated vehicle enters and connects to the underside of the transport cart has the advantage of being compact in external dimensions, allowing for maneuverability even in tight spaces. Examples of technologies related to this type of automated guided transport system are disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a transport device including a carriage (transport cart) having a carriage body and a coupling part, and a transport vehicle (autonomous vehicle) that enters the underside of the carriage body and couples it to the coupling part to tow the carriage to a destination. Patent Document 2 also discloses a wheel chock device for a vehicle that uses a lifting mechanism that pulls up a string-like connecting member to lift a wedge-shaped wheel chock member higher than the ground when the vehicle is traveling, and drops the wheel chock member to the ground when the vehicle is stopped, so that the driver can insert the wheel chock member below the wheel.

[0004] International Publication No. 2023 / 037498 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2022-68449

[0005] In the transport device disclosed in Patent Document 1, a wheel stopper, as disclosed in Patent Document 2, for example, is used to restrict the movement of the carriage (transport cart) when the transport vehicle is not coupled and stabilize the stopped state. In recent years, instead of the wheel stopper, a configuration in which a foot-operated wheel locking mechanism is provided on the wheels of the carriage has been widely used. Whether a wheel stopper or a wheel locking mechanism is used, an operator must release the wheel locking mechanism when the carriage starts to move and must restrict the wheel locking mechanism when the carriage finishes moving. This reduces the labor-saving effect.

[0006] Therefore, the problem to be solved in this specification is to provide a transport cart, an automatic vehicle, and an automatic transport device in which the restriction and release of the movement of the transport cart are performed automatically and in a timely manner.

[0007] This specification discloses a transport cart comprising a vehicle body having a loading platform and wheels that run on a floor surface, a connecting part provided on the vehicle body to which an autonomous vehicle is detachably connected, a brake mechanism that restricts movement of the vehicle body, and a brake release part that releases the restriction imposed by the brake mechanism to allow movement of the vehicle body, wherein when the autonomous vehicle is in an unconnected state where it is not connected to the connecting part, the brake mechanism restricts movement of the vehicle body, and when the autonomous vehicle is in a connected state where it is connected to the connecting part, the brake release part releases the restriction imposed by the brake mechanism on movement of the vehicle body.

[0008] This specification also discloses an autonomous vehicle comprising a traveling vehicle side body having drive wheels that travel on a floor surface, a traveling vehicle side coupling part that is provided on the traveling vehicle side body and that couples to the coupling part of the transport cart, and a release operation part that operates in synchronization with the coupling operation in which the traveling vehicle side coupling part couples to the coupling part, or that operates in the coupled state after the coupling operation is completed, and that operates the brake release part of the transport cart.

[0009] Furthermore, this specification discloses an automatic transport device including the transport cart and the automatic vehicle.

[0010] This specification discloses a technical idea in which "an autonomous vehicle incorporating a transport cart according to claim 1" in claim 12 as originally filed is changed to "an autonomous vehicle incorporating a transport cart according to any one of claims 1 to 11." Furthermore, this specification discloses a technical idea in which "an automated transport system comprising a transport cart according to claim 1 and an automated transport vehicle according to claim 12" in claim 15 as originally filed is changed to "an automated transport system comprising a transport cart according to any one of claims 1 to 8 and an automated transport vehicle according to claim 12 or 13," as well as "an automated transport system comprising a transport cart according to claim 1, any one of claims 9 to 11 and an automated transport vehicle according to claim 12 or 14."

[0011] According to the disclosed configuration, when the autonomous vehicle is in an uncoupled state, the movement of the transport cart is restricted by the brake mechanism, and when the autonomous vehicle is in a coupled state, the restriction by the brake mechanism is automatically released by the brake release unit, allowing movement. Therefore, the restriction and release of the movement of the transport cart are performed automatically and in a timely manner. Furthermore, the release operation unit provided in the autonomous vehicle or the automatic transport device operates the brake release unit in synchronization with the coupling operation or in the coupled state, thereby automatically and in a timely manner restricting and releasing the movement of the transport cart.

[0012] 1 is a perspective view of an automatic transport device according to a first embodiment, which includes a transport cart and an autonomous vehicle, and shows a state in which an object to be transported is loaded on the transport cart. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the transport cart as viewed from diagonally below from the rear. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the autonomous vehicle as viewed from diagonally above from the front. FIG. 4 is a perspective view schematically showing the brake mechanism of the transport cart. FIG. 5 is a perspective view schematically showing the brake release unit of the transport cart. FIG. 6 is a perspective view schematically showing the manual release unit of the brake release unit, showing a state in which restriction by the brake mechanism is not released. FIG. 7 is a perspective view schematically showing a state in which restriction by the brake mechanism is released by manual operation of the manual release unit. FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a state in which the pushing unit pushes and moves the slide member of the brake release unit in synchronization with the coupling operation of the autonomous vehicle to the transport cart. FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram schematically showing the brake release unit of a second embodiment. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram schematically showing the brake release unit of a third embodiment.

[0013] 1. Overall Configuration of the Automatic Transfer Device 1 of the First Embodiment First, the overall configuration of the automatic transfer device 1 of the first embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 3. The automatic transfer device 1 includes a transfer cart 2 and an automatic traveling vehicle 3. As indicated by the arrows in the upper right corner of Figure 1, the automatic transfer device 1, the transfer cart 2, and the automatic traveling vehicle 3 are commonly defined as front, rear, left, and right. The transfer cart 2 and the automatic traveling vehicle 3 are configured to be largely symmetrical with respect to a center line extending in the front-to-rear direction.

[0014] The autonomous vehicle 3 enters from the rear under the transport cart 2 to perform a coupling operation. Completion of the coupling operation completes the automatic transport device 1. In the coupling operation, the vehicle-side coupling section 45 of the autonomous vehicle 3 is coupled to the coupling section 40 of the transport cart 2, as will be described later. This allows the autonomous vehicle 3 to travel while towing the coupled transport cart 2. After moving the transport cart 2 to the specified destination, the autonomous vehicle 3 retreats behind the transport cart 2 to perform a detachment operation.

[0015] The automatic transfer device 1 is used, for example, to support a substrate-related work line that performs predetermined substrate-related work on substrates on which circuit patterns are formed to produce substrate products. In FIG. 1 , a mask unit 29 (an example of an object to be transferred) is loaded on a transfer cart 2. The mask unit 29 is a transfer unit for transferring a mask and a substrate support member, and is set up in an external setup area and loaded onto the loading platform 21 of the transfer cart 2. The transfer cart 2 is coupled to an automated vehicle 3 to form the automatic transfer device 1. The automatic transfer device 1 travels to a solder printer that constitutes the substrate-related work line and delivers the mask and substrate support member to the solder printer. This automates the transfer of the mask and substrate support member, thereby achieving labor savings on the substrate-related work line.

[0016] The destination to which the automatic transfer device 1 transfers the mask unit 29 is not limited to a solder printer, but may be, for example, a transfer station provided near a substrate-related work line. The automatic transfer device 1 may also load the mask unit 29 at a solder printer and transfer it to a tool warehouse. Furthermore, the object to be transferred by the automatic transfer device 1 may be a tool used on a substrate-related work line in addition to the mask unit 29, or may be a board or component consumed on the substrate-related work line.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 2 , the transport cart 2 includes a vehicle body 20, a connecting portion 40, a brake mechanism 5, and a brake release portion 6. The vehicle body 20 includes a platform 21, a pair of left and right side portions 23, a pair of left and right legs 25, and three pairs of left and right wheels 26. The platform 21 is generally rectangular in plan view and is positioned horizontally and spaced apart from the floor. The top surface of the platform 21 is provided with four holding portions 22 that detachably hold mask units 29. The mask units 29 house a mask on which a solder paste printing pattern is formed, and a substrate support member that tightly contacts the substrate and the mask when the solder printer raises the substrate. The holding portions 22 can hold any of several types of mask units 29 that are interchangeably used in the solder printer.

[0018] Each of the pair of left and right side sections 23 is formed in a vertically long rectangular shape and is provided to extend downward from the left and right edges of the loading platform 21. A roughly triangular reinforcing side plate 24 is attached to the upper front side of the side section 23. A pair of left and right brake release sections 6 are provided in close proximity to the pair of left and right reinforcing side plates 24 (described in detail below). The space between the left and right side sections 23 on the underside of the loading platform 21 forms an entry area into which the autonomous vehicle 3 enters.

[0019] A pair of left and right legs 25 extending in the front-to-rear direction is provided on the underside of each side portion 23. The pair of left and right legs 25 are bent midway to narrow the distance between them at the front, allowing for easier transfer of the mask unit 29 to the solder printing machine. Wheels 26 for running are provided on the underside of each of the pair of left and right legs 25, near the front, near the center, and near the rear. A total of six wheels 26 are swivel wheels whose running direction can be changed. A pair of left and right brake mechanisms 5 (described in detail below) is provided between the wheel 26 near the center and the wheel 26 near the rear.

[0020] The connecting portion 40 is provided on the underside of the loading platform 21, near the rear of the center in the left-right direction. In this first embodiment, the connecting portion 40 is formed using a connecting recess that opens downward and forward. A cart-side guide 41 is provided in front of the connecting portion 40. The cart-side guide 41 is formed in a V-shape that opens at the rear. The power receiving connector 27 is provided on the underside of the loading platform 21, inside the right-side reinforcing side plate 24. The power receiving connector 27 receives power supplied from the autonomous vehicle 3. Therefore, power is supplied to electrical equipment provided on the transport cart 2. By providing the power receiving connector 27, the transport cart 2 does not require a power source such as a battery, thereby achieving weight reduction and cost reduction.

[0021] As shown in Figure 3, the autonomous vehicle 3 is composed of a vehicle-side body 31, multiple drive wheels 32, a pair of left and right front wheels 34, a pair of left and right rear wheels 35, an operation panel 36, a connecting guide 37, a power supply connector 38, a tape detection unit 39, an opposite communication unit 3A, and a vehicle-side connecting unit 45. The autonomous vehicle 3 further includes multiple travel motors and a travel control unit (not shown). The vehicle-side body 31 is generally rectangular parallelepiped-shaped and elongated in the front-to-rear direction, with rounded corners in a plan view. The vehicle-side body 31 is positioned horizontally and slightly spaced from the floor.

[0022] The multiple drive wheels 32 are arranged side by side in the left-right direction at a midpoint in the fore-and-aft direction on the underside of the traveling vehicle-side body 31. In the first embodiment, two drive wheels 32 are provided, but three or more may be provided. Each drive wheel 32 is driven by a respective travel motor. The multiple drive wheels 32 are capable of rotating at different rotational speeds and in different rotational directions. This allows the autonomous traveling vehicle 3 to move forward, backward, and change direction freely. The start, stop, and rotation direction of the travel motors are controlled, and the travel driving force output by the travel motors is adjusted, by a travel control unit. Naturally, the rotational speed of the drive wheels 32 and the travel speed of the autonomous traveling vehicle 3 change as the travel driving force increases or decreases.

[0023] The pair of left and right front wheels 34 are arranged spaced apart on the left and right sides, near the front of the underside of the traveling vehicle-side body 31. The pair of left and right rear wheels 35 are arranged spaced apart on the left and right sides, near the rear of the underside of the traveling vehicle-side body 31. The total of four front wheels 34 and rear wheels 35 are fixed wheels with their axles fixed in axial direction, or they may be free-wheeling wheels with their axles rotatable in a horizontal plane. The front wheels 34 and rear wheels 35 rotate following the rotation of the two drive wheels 32.

[0024] The tape detection units 39 are provided in a pair, front and rear, at positions towards the front and rear on the center line of the underside of the traveling vehicle-side body 31. The tape detection units 39 detect route display tape provided on the floor surface and output the detection results to the traveling control unit. The route display tape displays the traveling route of the autonomous traveling vehicle 3. The traveling control unit controls the autonomous traveling vehicle 3 so that it travels along the route display tape. Tape of a magnetic display type or an optical display type can be used as the route display tape. The tape detection units 39 use a detection method that corresponds to the display method of the route display tape.

[0025] Furthermore, the tape detection unit 39 can detect branch points on the driving route indicated by the route display tape. The driving route after the autonomous vehicle 3 passes the branch point is selected by the driving control unit. The driving control unit calculates and estimates the current position, attitude (orientation), and driving speed of the autonomous vehicle 3 using the detection results of the route display tape by the tape detection unit 39 and the control amount of the drive wheels 32, and controls the subsequent driving of the autonomous vehicle 3 based on these. In this way, the driving of the autonomous vehicle 3 is performed automatically mainly under control of the driving control unit.

[0026] An operation panel 36, a connection guide 37, a power supply connector 38, an opposite communication unit 3A, and a driving vehicle-side connection unit 45 are provided on the top of the driving vehicle-side body 31. The operation panel 36 is disposed at the rear of the top surface of the driving vehicle-side body 31, and is used for some manual operations related to the autonomous driving vehicle 3. For example, the operation panel 36 is used to clear an error when the autonomous driving vehicle 3 stops due to an error, or to perform an emergency stop operation for the autonomous driving vehicle 3.

[0027] The connecting guides 37 are arranged symmetrically on the left and right sides of the top surface of the traveling vehicle-side body 31, near the front of the center in the left-right direction. The connecting guide 37 is formed by two rod-shaped members 371 that are close to each other at the front and far apart at the rear, with guide rollers 372 attached to the front and rear ends, respectively. The connecting guides 37 slide against cart-side guides 41 provided on the underside of the loading platform 21 of the transport cart 2. This guides the relative positional relationship when the autonomous vehicle 3 enters the underside of the transport cart 2, and ultimately fixes the relative position.

[0028] The power supply connector 38 is provided near the front right side of the upper surface of the traveling vehicle-side body 31. The power supply connector 38 is driven forward in accordance with the coupling operation in which the autonomous traveling vehicle 3 couples the transport cart 2, and is engaged with the power receiving connector 27 of the transport cart 2. This is not limiting, and the power supply connector 38 may be driven forward in the coupled state after the coupling operation is completed, and engaged with the power receiving connector 27. The power supply connector 38 is connected to a power source such as a battery, and supplies power to the electrical components of the transport cart 2 via the power receiving connector 27.

[0029] The opposing communication units 3A are provided in a pair on the left and right sides at the front left and right ends of the upper portion of the traveling vehicle-side body 31. The opposing communication units 3A communicate with another opposing communication unit provided at the destination to which the transport cart 2 is being transported. This allows confirmation of the correctness of the destination and confirmation of the relative positional relationship between the destination and the automatic transport device 1. The opposing communication units 3A can improve the detection accuracy of the relative positional relationship by, for example, but not limited to, communicating using direct light, which has excellent linearity.

[0030] The traveling vehicle-side coupling portion 45 is provided on the rear side of the coupling guide 37 on the upper surface of the traveling vehicle-side body 31. The traveling vehicle-side coupling portion 45 is formed using a coupling hook that can protrude upward from the upper surface of the traveling vehicle-side body 31. In the uncoupled state, the coupling hook is stored below the upper surface of the traveling vehicle-side body 31 (see FIG. 3). After the autonomous traveling vehicle 3 enters the underside of the transport cart 2, the coupling hook protrudes upward and fits into the coupling recess of the coupling portion 40 of the transport cart 2. This enables the autonomous traveling vehicle 3 to be coupled to the transport cart 2 and to be towed, thereby forming the automatic transport device 1. Furthermore, by storing the coupling hook downward, the autonomous traveling vehicle 3 can be detached.

[0031] In the prior art, a foot-operated wheel locking mechanism was provided on the wheels to stabilize the stopped state of the transport cart when the autonomous vehicle 3 was not coupled. However, this required a worker to go to the site to unlock the wheel locking mechanism when the transport cart started to move and to lock the wheel locking mechanism when the transport cart finished moving. This reduced the labor-saving effect. Therefore, the transport cart 2 of the first embodiment does not have a foot-operated wheel locking mechanism on the wheels 26, but instead has a brake mechanism 5 and a brake release unit 6, eliminating the need for a worker to go to the site.

[0032] 2. Brake Mechanism 5 of Transport Cart 2 The configuration of the brake mechanism 5 of the transport cart 2 will be described with reference to FIG. 4 . The brake mechanism 5 restricts movement of the vehicle body 20 when the autonomous vehicle 3 is in an uncoupled state, i.e., not coupled to the transport cart 2. The brake mechanism 5 also releases the restriction and allows movement of the vehicle body 20 when the autonomous vehicle 3 is in a coupled state, i.e., coupled to the transport cart 2. As shown in FIG. 2 , the brake mechanisms 5 are provided in a pair on the left and right under the vehicle body 20. This is not a limitation, and one or three or more brake mechanisms 5 may be provided. Here, the description will be made with reference to the left brake mechanism 5 shown in FIG. 4 . The brake mechanism 5 is composed of a support member 51, a brake pad 52, a biasing member 53, and the like.

[0033] The support member 51 is formed in a generally vertically elongated rectangular parallelepiped shape and is fixed to the inside (center line side) of the side portion 23, near the bottom. The support member 51 has a through-hole 511 that penetrates in the vertical direction. A bracket 512 is provided on the support member 51. The bracket 512 is formed in an L-shape that extends upward from the side of the support member 51 and then bends horizontally. A wire support portion 513 is provided on the bracket 512 directly above the through-hole 511.

[0034] The brake pad 52 is composed of a shaft portion 521, a pad body 526, and the like. The shaft portion 521 is a rod-shaped member that extends vertically and has a polygonal or circular cross section when cut horizontally. The upper portion of the shaft portion 521 is inserted into a through-hole 511 of the support member 51 so as to be vertically movable. In other words, the brake pad 52 is supported on the vehicle body 20 so as to be vertically movable. A biased portion 522 is provided at a midpoint of the shaft portion 521. The biased portion 522 is fixed so as to protrude outward from the outer circumferential surface of the shaft portion 521. A female thread 523 that opens downward is formed at the lower portion of the shaft portion 521. The other end 633 of an inner wire 631 of the brake wire 63, which will be described in detail later, is connected to an upper end 524 of the shaft portion 521.

[0035] The pad body 526 is formed by a contact member 527 and a height adjustment screw 528. The contact member 527 is a disk-shaped member that extends horizontally. The lower surface of the contact member 527 is the portion that comes into contact with the floor surface and is appropriately surface-treated to increase contact resistance. The height adjustment screw 528 is fixed to the center of the upper surface of the contact member 527 and extends upward. The height adjustment screw 528 has a male thread 529 that threadably couples with the female thread 523 of the shaft portion 521. The relative height of the contact member 527 with respect to the shaft portion 521 can be adjusted by adjusting the number of turns of the male thread 529 relative to the female thread 523.

[0036] The biasing member 53 biases the contact member 527 of the brake pad 52 downward so as to press it against the floor surface. In this embodiment, a coil-shaped biasing spring is used as the biasing member 53. The biasing member 53 (biasing spring) is fitted in a compressed state between the biased portion 522 on the outer periphery of the shaft portion 521 and the lower end surface of the support member 51. Therefore, the brake pad 52 is biased downward by the biasing member 53, and the contact member 527 is pressed against the floor surface, thereby performing the braking function. By appropriately setting the spring constant of the biasing member 53 (biasing spring), its free length when no external force is applied, and its compressed length when fitted, the magnitude of the pressing load is optimized. As a result, the pair of left and right brake mechanisms 5 can reliably restrict movement of the vehicle body 20. Furthermore, excessive operating force is not required to release the restriction imposed by the brake mechanisms 5.

[0037] 3. Brake Release Unit 6 of Transport Cart 2 and Push Unit 7 of Autonomous Traveling Vehicle 3 Next, the configuration of the brake release unit 6 of the transport cart 2 will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 to 7 . When the autonomous traveling vehicle 3 and transport cart 2 are connected, the brake release unit 6 automatically releases the restriction imposed by the brake mechanism 5 to allow the vehicle body 20 to move. In the first embodiment, the brake release unit 6 is operated by the autonomous traveling vehicle 3 in synchronization with the connection operation in which the autonomous traveling vehicle 3 connects to the transport cart 2. The brake release units 6 are provided on the vehicle body 20 in a pair of left and right units corresponding to the pair of left and right brake mechanisms 5. The brake release units 6 are composed of a support member 61, a slide member 62, a brake wire 63, a toggle lever 64, and the like.

[0038] As shown in Figure 5, the support material 61 is provided inside (towards the center line) the reinforcing side plate 24 attached to the side surface portion 23, and at a position outside the entry area of ​​the autonomous vehicle 3. The support material 61 is a plate-shaped member that is long in the front-to-rear direction, and is arranged parallel to the reinforcing side plate 24. The upper part of the support material 61 is bent horizontally inward and fixed to the bottom surface of the loading platform 21 using set screws 611. The support material 61 is formed with two upper and lower slide holes 612 that extend parallel to the front-to-rear direction. The rear part of the support material 61 is bent inward, and a wire support part 613 is provided.

[0039] The slide member 62 is a generally rectangular parallelepiped member that is long in the front-to-rear direction. The slide member 62 is disposed inside the support member 61. Meanwhile, as shown in FIG. 6 , a bracket 621 is disposed outside the support member 61. The bracket 621 is a plate-like member that is bent into an L-shape when viewed from above. The portion of the bracket 621 that is parallel to the support member 61 and the slide member 62 are connected using two connecting screws 624 that pass through the two slide holes 612, respectively. The bracket 621 and the slide member 62 are disposed with the support member 61 in between, and a small gap is secured between them.

[0040] As a result, the slide member 62 and bracket 621 are supported by the support member 61 so that they cannot fall off. Furthermore, the slide member 62 and bracket 621 can be displaced together in the front-to-rear direction by a stroke length within the range of the hole length of the slide hole 612. The position where the slide member 62 is displaced rearward is the reference position, and the position where it is displaced forward is the release position. A round bar-shaped release lever 625 extending horizontally inward is provided on the inside of the slide member 62.

[0041] As shown in FIG. 2 , the brake wire 63 connects the slide member 62 of the brake release unit 6 to the brake mechanism 5. The brake wire 63 switches between restricting and releasing the brake mechanism 5 by displacement of the slide member 62. More specifically, the brake wire 63 is made up of a thin inner wire 631 and a tubular outer cable 635. The inner wire 631 is longer than the outer cable 635 and is housed inside the outer cable 635 so as to be able to move forward and backward. One end 636 of the outer cable 635 is supported by the wire support portion 613 of the support member 61, and the other end 637 is supported by the wire support portion 513 of the support member 51 of the brake mechanism 5. One end 632 of the inner wire 631 is connected to the rear end of the slide member 62, and the other end 633 is connected to the upper end 524 of the shaft portion 521 of the brake mechanism 5.

[0042] The portion of the bracket 621 that is perpendicular to the support member 61 extends outward from the reinforcing side plate 24 through a rectangular cutout hole 241 formed in the reinforcing side plate 24. The toggle lever 64 is provided behind the bracket 621 on the outer side of the reinforcing side plate 24. The toggle lever 64 is a manually operated lever that swings between a rearward tilted position (see FIG. 6) inclined backward and a forward tilted position (see FIG. 7) inclined forward.

[0043] The toggle lever 64 has an operating pin 641 that moves in the forward and backward directions. The operating pin 641 moves forward when the toggle lever 64 is operated from a rearward tilted position to a forward tilted position, pushing the bracket 621 forward. This causes the bracket 621 and the slide member 62 to be displaced from the reference position to the release position. The toggle lever 64 is normally maintained in the rearward tilted position. The toggle lever 64 is one form of a manual release unit that can manually displace the slide member 62 when the autonomous vehicle 3 and the transport cart 2 are in a disconnected state.

[0044] In order to automatically release the brake mechanism 5 in synchronization with the coupling operation of the autonomous vehicle 3, a pushing unit 7 is provided on the autonomous vehicle 3. As shown in FIG. 3 , the pushing units 7 are provided in a pair of left and right configurations at the upper front portions of the left and right sides of the traveling vehicle-side body 31. The pushing units 7 are plate-like members bent into an L shape when viewed from above. The pair of left and right pushing units 7 protrude outward from the side surfaces of the traveling vehicle-side body 31. The separation distance between the left and right pushing units 7 is approximately the same as the separation distance between the release levers 625 of the left and right brake release units 6 of the transport cart 2. The pushing units 7 are one form of release operation unit that operates in synchronization with the coupling operation and activates the brake release units 6 of the transport cart 2.

[0045] 4. Operation and Function of the Brake Mechanism 5, Brake Release Unit 6, and Push Unit 7 Next, the operation and function of the brake mechanism 5, brake release unit 6, and push unit 7 will be described with reference to Figures 4 to 8. When the autonomous vehicle 3 is in an uncoupled state, the brake pad 52 of the brake mechanism 5 of the transport cart 2 is pressed against the floor surface by the pressing load of the biasing member 53, thereby performing the braking function. This stabilizes the stopped state of the transport cart 2 when the autonomous vehicle 3 is not coupled. At this time, the other end 633 of the inner wire 631 of the brake wire 63 is pulled downward by the brake pad 52, and one end 632 displaces the slide member 62 to the rear reference position.

[0046] During the coupling operation of the autonomous vehicle 3 to the transport cart 2, the pair of left and right pushing units 7 push the left and right release levers 625 forward almost simultaneously, as shown in Figure 8, to displace the left and right slide members 62 from the reference position to the release position. In other words, the slide members 62 come into contact with the autonomous vehicle 3 performing the coupling operation and are displaced from the reference position to the release position. At this time, one end 632 of the inner wire 631 of the brake wire 63 is pulled forward by the slide members 62 (see arrow M1 in Figure 5).

[0047] As a result, the other end 633 of the inner wire 631 of the brake wire 63 is pulled upward (see arrow M2 in FIG. 4 ), driving the brake pad 52 upward against the biasing member 53. As a result, the pad bodies 526 of the left and right brake pads 52 rise almost simultaneously and separate from the floor surface (indicated by dashed lines), and the restriction on movement of the vehicle body 20 by the brake mechanism 5 is released. The amount of lift of the brake pads 52 is appropriately set based on the flatness of the floor surface, and is set to, for example, approximately several mm to 10 mm. Furthermore, the specifications of the brake wire 63 are set to match the amount of lift of the brake pads 52, and the stroke length of the slide member 62 is set.

[0048] After the autonomous vehicle 3 has moved the coupled transport cart 2 to the destination, it retreats and detaches from the transport cart 2. At this time, the slide member 62 is released from the release position. Therefore, the pressing load of the biasing member 53 presses the brake pad 52 against the floor surface again, and the brake mechanism 5 performs its braking function again. The slide member 62 is driven by the brake wire 63 and automatically returns to the reference position.

[0049] In addition, there may be cases where an operator pushes or otherwise moves the uncoupled transport cart 2. In this case, the operator manually operates the toggle lever 64 from a rearward tilted position to a forward tilted position. This causes the operating pin 641 to push the bracket 621 forward, displacing the slide member 62 from the reference position to the release position (see arrow M3 in FIG. 7 ). Therefore, similar to the case of automatic operation using the release lever 625, the brake release unit 6 can release the restriction on movement of the vehicle body 20 by the brake mechanism 5. After moving the transport cart 2, the operator returns the toggle lever 64 to the rearward tilted position to restore the braking function of the brake mechanism 5. Because the toggle lever 64 utilizes the "leverage principle," the operator's manual operating force may be smaller than the pressing load of the biasing member 53.

[0050] In the first embodiment, when the autonomous vehicle 3 is in an uncoupled state, the movement of the transport cart 2 is restricted by the brake mechanism 5, and when the autonomous vehicle 3 is in a coupled state, the restriction by the brake mechanism 5 is automatically released by the brake release unit 6, allowing movement. Therefore, the restriction and release of movement of the transport cart 2 are performed automatically and in a timely manner. Furthermore, the pushing unit 7 provided on the autonomous vehicle 3 or the automatic transport device 1 operates the brake release unit 6 in synchronization with the coupling operation, thereby automatically and in a timely manner restricting and releasing the movement of the transport cart 2.

[0051] As a modification of the brake mechanism 5 described above, a remotely controlled wheel lock mechanism operated by the brake wire 63 can be used. The wheel lock mechanism is provided, for example, on a pair of left and right wheels 26. The wheel lock mechanism restricts rotation of the wheels 26 when the other end 633 of the inner wire 631 is pulled downward, and releases the restriction when the other end 633 is pulled upward, allowing rotation of the wheels 26. In this modification, restriction and release of movement of the transport cart 2 are automatically performed in a timely manner, as in the first embodiment.

[0052] 5. Second Embodiment Next, a transport cart 2 according to a second embodiment will be described, focusing on differences from the first embodiment, with reference to Fig. 9. In the second embodiment, an electromagnetic solenoid 66 is used instead of the brake release unit 6, and the brake pads 52 of the brake mechanism 5 are deformed.

[0053] More specifically, the upper portion of the shaft portion 521 of the brake pad 52 passes upward through the through-hole 511 of the support member 51. The upper end 524 of the shaft portion 521 is inserted into the electromagnetic solenoid 66 without the brake wire 63 connected. When the autonomous vehicle 3 and the transport cart 2 are coupled, the electromagnetic solenoid 66 is excited by power supplied via the power supply connector 38 and the power receiving connector 27, which are fitted together. When excited, the electromagnetic solenoid 66 generates an electromagnetic force, driving the shaft portion 521 upward against the biasing member 53 (see arrow M4 in FIG. 9 ). This causes the brake pad 52 to rise and separate from the floor F (indicated by the dashed line), thereby releasing the brake mechanism 5 from restricting the movement of the vehicle body 20.

[0054] Furthermore, when the autonomous vehicle 3 detaches from the transport cart 2 and enters an uncoupled state, the power supply connector 38 and the power receiving connector 27 are disengaged, so that the electromagnetic solenoid 66 is no longer supplied with power and does not generate electromagnetic force. This causes the brake pads 52 of the brake mechanism 5 to press against the floor surface F again, thereby restoring the braking function. In the second embodiment, the release operation unit that drives the electromagnetic solenoid 66 of the transport cart 2 corresponds to the power supply unit of the autonomous vehicle 3 that supplies power to the electromagnetic solenoid 66. The electromagnetic solenoid 66 may be another electrical component having an equivalent function, such as an electromagnet.

[0055] A manual release lever 67 is provided on the shaft 521 of the brake pad 52. The manual release lever 67 is a form of a manual release unit that can be operated manually or by foot to raise the brake pad 52. When moving the uncoupled transport cart 2, the operator operates the manual release lever 67 to raise the brake pad 52 and separate it from the floor F. Note that the manual release lever 67 must be configured to maintain the brake pad 52 in a raised state even after operation. Furthermore, the "leverage principle" can be applied to the manual release lever 67 to reduce the required operating force. In the second embodiment, as in the first embodiment, the restriction and release of movement of the transport cart 2 are automatically performed in a timely manner.

[0056] 6. Third Embodiment Next, a transport cart 2 according to a third embodiment will be described, focusing on differences from the first and second embodiments, with reference to Fig. 10. In the third embodiment, the brake release unit 8 differs from the brake release unit 6 of the first embodiment, and the brake pads 52 of the brake mechanism 5 are modified.

[0057] More specifically, the brake release unit 8 is composed of a slide member 81, a release member 85, and the like. The slide member 81 is provided on the vehicle body 20, is positioned at the same height as the slide member 62 of the first embodiment, and is supported so as to be displaceable in the horizontal fore-and-aft direction. An operating slope 82 that is inclined relative to the horizontal plane is provided on the upper front side of the slide member 81. The operating slope 82 is formed so that its front side is lower and its rear side is higher. The slide member 81 is provided with a release lever 625 that has the same shape as that of the first embodiment. Furthermore, a toggle lever 64 that can manually operate the slide member 81 is provided.

[0058] The release member 85 is a vertically long rod-shaped member that is attached to the vehicle body 20 and supported so as to be vertically movable. The lower end of the release member 85 is connected to the upper end 524 of the shaft portion 521 of the brake pad 52. This allows the release member 85 and the brake pad 52 to move vertically together. The upper part of the release member 85 is bent diagonally upward and rearward. An operated inclined surface 86 is provided on the lower side of the bent upper part of the release member 85. The operated inclined surface 86 has the same inclination angle as the operating inclined surface 82 and is positioned so as to be able to slide in surface contact with the operating inclined surface 82 from above.

[0059] As in the first embodiment, the slide member 81 of the brake release unit 8 comes into contact with the autonomous vehicle 3 performing the coupling operation and is displaced horizontally. More specifically, in synchronization with the coupling operation of the autonomous vehicle 3 to the transport cart 2, the pushing unit 7 pushes the release lever 625 forward, displacing the slide member 81 forward (see arrow M5). At this time, the operating inclined surface 82 pushes up the operated inclined surface 86, displacing the release member 85 upward (see arrow M6). Therefore, the release member 85 can drive the brake pad 52 upward against the biasing member 53. This causes the brake pad 52 to rise (indicated by a dashed line), and the restriction on the movement of the vehicle body 20 by the brake mechanism 5 is released.

[0060] Furthermore, when the autonomous vehicle 3 detaches from the transport cart 2 and enters an uncoupled state, the pressing load of the biasing member 53 presses the brake pad 52 against the floor surface F again. This causes the brake mechanism 5 to perform its braking function again. At this time, the sliding member 81 automatically returns to the rear due to the downward load applied to the operating slope 82 from the descending operated slope 86. In the third embodiment, as in the first and second embodiments, the restriction and release of movement of the transport cart 2 are automatically performed in a timely manner.

[0061] 7. Modifications and Applications of the Embodiments The first to third embodiments can be applied to a configuration in which the transport cart 2 is coupled to the rear or front of the autonomous vehicle 3. Furthermore, the autonomous vehicle 3 may use a method other than traveling along a route marking tape on the floor, such as detecting the surrounding conditions or predetermined signs to determine its current location and determine its travel route. Furthermore, in the first and third embodiments, the toggle lever 64 that manually operates the slide member 62 may be replaced by the manual release lever 67 of the second embodiment. Furthermore, in the third embodiment, the slide member 81 may be provided on the side of the autonomous vehicle 3, and may be configured to advance and push up the release member 85 during the coupling operation. Various other modifications and applications of the first to third embodiments are possible.

[0062] 1: Automatic transport device 2: Transport cart 20: Vehicle body 21: Loading platform 26: Wheel 27: Power receiving connector 3: Automatic driving vehicle 31: Driving vehicle side vehicle body 32: Drive wheel 38: Power supply connector 40: Connection part 45: Driving vehicle side connection part 5: Brake mechanism 51: Support material 52: Brake pad 53: Pressing member 6: Brake release part 61: Support material 62: Slide member 625: Release lever 63: Brake wire 64: Toggle lever 66: Electromagnetic solenoid 67: Manual release lever 7: Pushing part 8: Brake release part 81: Slide member 82: Operating slope 85: Release member 86: Operated slope

Claims

1. A transport cart comprising a vehicle body having a loading platform and wheels for traveling on a floor surface, a connecting portion provided on the vehicle body to which an autonomous vehicle is detachably connected, a braking mechanism for restricting the movement of the vehicle body, and a brake release portion for releasing the restriction by the braking mechanism to allow the movement of the vehicle body. When the autonomous vehicle is in a non-connected state where it is not connected to the connecting portion, the braking mechanism restricts the movement of the vehicle body. When the autonomous vehicle is in a connected state where it is connected to the connecting portion, the brake release portion releases the restriction on the movement of the vehicle body by the braking mechanism.

2. The transport cart according to claim 1, wherein the brake release portion releases the restriction on the movement of the vehicle body by the braking mechanism by the autonomous vehicle in synchronization with the connecting operation in which the autonomous vehicle connects to the connecting portion.

3. The brake release portion includes a slide member provided on the vehicle body and displaced by contacting the autonomous vehicle performing the connecting operation, and a brake wire that connects the slide member and the braking mechanism and switches between restriction and release by the braking mechanism according to the displacement of the slide member. The transport cart according to claim 2.

4. The braking mechanism includes a brake pad supported by the vehicle body so as to be vertically movable and a biasing member for biasing the brake pad downward. When the vehicle body and the autonomous vehicle are in the non-connected state, the biasing member presses the brake pad against the floor surface to restrict the movement of the vehicle body. When the vehicle body and the autonomous vehicle are in the connected state, the slide member of the brake release portion is displaced, and the brake wire displaces the brake pad upward against the biasing member. The transport cart according to claim 3.

5. The transport cart according to claim 3, wherein the braking mechanism is a wheel lock mechanism that is operated by the brake wire to restrict and release the rotation of the wheels.

6. The brake release portion is provided on the vehicle body and has an operation slope inclined with respect to the horizontal plane. The brake release portion includes a slide member that contacts the automatic traveling vehicle performing the connection operation and is displaced in the horizontal direction, and a release member that has an operation slope to be slid on the operation slope, is supported by the vehicle body so as to be vertically movable, and is displaced upward according to the displacement of the slide member to release the restriction by the brake mechanism. The transport cart according to claim 2 includes the above components.

7. The brake mechanism includes a brake pad supported by the vehicle body so as to be vertically movable integrally with the release member, and a biasing member that biases the brake pad downward so as to press the brake pad against the floor surface. When the release member is displaced upward, the release member displaces the brake pad upward against the biasing member. The transport cart according to claim 6 includes the above components.

8. The brake release portion has a manual release portion that enables manual displacement of the slide member in the unconnected state. The transport cart according to any one of claims 3 to 7 includes the manual release portion.

9. The brake release portion operates by electric power supplied from the automatic traveling vehicle in the connected state. The transport cart according to claim 1 includes the brake release portion.

10. The brake mechanism includes a brake pad supported by the vehicle body so as to be vertically movable, and a biasing member that biases the brake pad downward so as to press the brake pad against the floor surface in the unconnected state. The brake release portion is an electromagnetic solenoid or an electromagnet that displaces the brake pad upward against the biasing member when the electric power is supplied. The transport cart according to claim 9 includes the above components.

11. The brake release portion has a manual release portion that enables manual operation of moving the brake pad upward in the unconnected state. The transport cart according to claim 10 includes the manual release portion.

12. An automatic traveling vehicle includes a traveling vehicle side body having drive wheels that travel on the floor surface, a traveling vehicle side connection portion provided on the traveling vehicle side body and connected to the connection portion of the transport cart according to claim 1, and a release operation portion that operates in synchronization with the connection operation in which the traveling vehicle side connection portion is connected to the connection portion, or operates in the connected state after the connection operation is completed, and operates the brake release portion of the transport cart.

13. The brake release unit has a slide member that is displaceably provided on the vehicle body, and the release operation unit is a pushing unit that pushes the slide member in synchronization with the connection operation. The automatic traveling vehicle according to claim 12.

14. The brake release unit operates by power, and the release operation unit is a power supply unit that supplies the power to the brake release unit in the connected state. The automatic traveling vehicle according to claim 12.

15. An automatic conveying device including the conveying cart according to claim 1 and the automatic traveling vehicle according to claim 12.