Conveyance device and removal device

Abstract

This conveyance device for conveying conveyance objects is provided with: a control unit having a calculation device for executing predetermined calculation processing and a storage device connected to the calculation device; drive wheels disposed on the right and left of a bottom surface of a vehicle body, and rotated by power; auxiliary wheels disposed on the right and left of the bottom surface of the vehicle body, and freely rotatable; and a removal device extending downward from the bottom surface of the vehicle body, and attached to the front side of the conveyance device. The removal device has a width covering the auxiliary wheels, is formed in a shape in which side parts are recessed from a central part, and extends to a position covering the outside of the auxiliary wheels close to the removal device. The removal device removes obstacles to the side of the vehicle body when the conveyance device is moved forward, and removes obstacles in the rotation direction when the conveyance device is rotated.

Description

Conveying device and removal device Incorporation by Reference

[0001] This application claims priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-143245, filed on September 4, 2023, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The present invention relates to a transport device and an exclusion device attached to the transport device.

[0003] Automated guided vehicles often have contact and non-contact sensors to detect obstacles on their travel paths. However, if the obstacle is small, it may not be detected by the sensors and may get between the underside of the vehicle and the floor, interfering with the vehicle's travel.

[0004] To address this issue, a technology is disclosed in Patent Document 1 (JP 4-121267 A). Patent Document 1 describes a floor cleaning device for an automated guided vehicle, which comprises a magnet that is made of a non-magnetic metal or synthetic resin and is mounted in the gap between the battery frame and the floor below the battery housing on both sides of the drive wheels in the center of the vehicle body, and a magnet that is long enough to cover the width of the vehicle body is mounted in the center of the magnet housing case using a magnet holder made of an elastic material such as spring steel, and cleaning elements made of an elastic material that are inclined in a U-shape in front and behind the magnet so that the center is a "mountain" and the outer edges are "valleys" relative to the direction of travel of the automated guided vehicle, and the cleaning element of the rear floor cleaning device is mounted in the opposite U-shape to the above.

[0005] The technology described in Patent Document 1 removes minute particles such as chips and dust from the travel path. Meanwhile, in a logistics warehouse or the like where automated guided vehicles travel, products that have fallen from storage shelves can become obstacles.

[0006] With the recent development of e-commerce, the number of logistics warehouses storing a wide variety of products is increasing. In such warehouses, a wide variety of products fall onto the path of an automated guided vehicle, and various obstacles also enter the underside of the vehicle. Depending on the shape of the product, the obstacle may become entangled in the drive wheels or training wheels, making it difficult to control the automated guided vehicle.

[0007] Furthermore, magnetic tape or markers may be laid on the travel path of an automated guided vehicle as guides for estimating the vehicle's own position, and dropped goods may interfere with the recognition of the guide for the automated guided vehicle.

[0008] Furthermore, because an automated guided vehicle can move in a straight line as well as rotate, it is necessary to prevent obstacles from getting caught not only in the vehicle from the front but also from the side.

[0009] An object of the present invention is to prevent abnormal running of an automated guided vehicle caused by an obstacle on the running path as described above.

[0010] A representative example of the invention disclosed in the present application is as follows: That is, a transport device for transporting an object to be transported, comprising: a control unit having a calculation device that executes predetermined calculation processing and a storage device connected to the calculation device; drive wheels arranged on the left and right sides of the bottom of the vehicle body and rotated by power; auxiliary wheels arranged on the left and right sides of the bottom of the vehicle body and rotatable freely; and an excluding device that extends downward from the bottom of the vehicle body and is attached to the front side of the transport device, the excluding device having a width that covers the auxiliary wheels, is formed in a shape in which the sides are set back from the center, and extends to a position that covers the outside of the auxiliary wheels that are closest to the excluding device, and the excluding device removes obstacles to the side of the vehicle body when the transport device moves forward, and removes obstacles in the rotational direction when the transport device rotates.

[0011] According to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to reduce abnormalities in an automated guided vehicle caused by obstacles on the travel path. Problems, configurations, and effects other than those described above will become apparent from the following description of the embodiments.

[0012] 1 is a side view of an automated guided vehicle according to a first embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the automated guided vehicle according to the first embodiment; FIG. 3 is a front view of the excluding device according to the first embodiment, as seen from the front of the automated guided vehicle; FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the excluding device according to the first embodiment, as seen from the right in a front view; FIG. 5 is a view illustrating the removal of an obstacle by the advancement of the automated guided vehicle according to the first embodiment; FIG. 6 is a view illustrating the removal of an obstacle by the advancement of the automated guided vehicle according to the first embodiment; FIG. 7 is a view illustrating the removal of an obstacle by the rotation of the automated guided vehicle according to the first embodiment; FIG. 8 is a view illustrating the removal of an obstacle by the rotation of the automated guided vehicle according to the first embodiment; 1 is a flowchart of an obstacle removal process executed by an automated guided vehicle of Example 1. FIG. 2 is a bottom view of an automated guided vehicle of Example 2. FIG. 3 is a side view of an automated guided vehicle of Example 3. FIG. 4 is a bottom view of an automated guided vehicle of Example 3. FIG. 5 is a side view of an automated guided vehicle of Example 4. FIG. 6 is a bottom view of an automated guided vehicle of Example 5. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an excluding device of Example 6. FIG. 8 is a partial side view of an automated guided vehicle of Example 7. FIG. 9 is a partial bottom view of an automated guided vehicle of Example 7.

[0013] Hereinafter, an embodiment of an automated guided vehicle, which is an example of a transport device of the present invention, will be described with reference to the drawings. The embodiment is an illustration for explaining the present invention, and details have been omitted or simplified as appropriate for clarity of explanation. The present invention can be implemented in various other forms. Unless otherwise specified, each component may be singular or plural. The position, size, shape, range, etc. of each component shown in the drawings may not represent the actual position, size, shape, range, etc., in order to facilitate understanding of the invention. Therefore, the present invention is not necessarily limited to the position, size, shape, range, etc. disclosed in the drawings.

[0014] Although various types of information may be described using expressions such as "table," "list," and "queue" as examples, the various types of information may also be expressed using data structures other than these. For example, various types of information such as "XX table," "XX list," and "XX queue" may also be expressed as "XX information." When describing identification information, expressions such as "identification information," "identifier," "name," "ID," and "number" are used, but these are interchangeable.

[0015] When there are multiple components having the same or similar functions, they may be described using the same reference numeral with different subscripts. When there is no need to distinguish between these multiple components, the subscripts may be omitted.

[0016] In the present embodiment, processing performed by executing a program may be described. Here, a computer executes the program using a processor (e.g., a CPU or a GPU) and performs processing defined by the program using storage resources (e.g., memory) and interface devices (e.g., communication ports). Therefore, the entity performing the processing by executing the program may be the processor. Similarly, the entity performing the processing by executing the program may be a controller, device, system, computer, or node having a processor. The entity performing the processing by executing the program may be any computing unit, and may include a dedicated circuit that performs specific processing. Here, the dedicated circuit may be, for example, an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), or a CPLD (Complex Programmable Logic Device).

[0017] A program may be installed on a computer from a program source. The program source may be, for example, a program distribution server or a computer-readable storage medium. When the program source is a program distribution server, the program distribution server may include a processor and storage resources for storing the program to be distributed, and the processor of the program distribution server may distribute the program to be distributed to other computers. In addition, in the embodiments, two or more programs may be realized as one program, or one program may be realized as two or more programs.

[0018] First Embodiment FIG. 1A is a side view of an automated guided vehicle 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1B is a bottom view of the automated guided vehicle 1 according to the first embodiment.

[0019] An automated guided vehicle 1, which is an example of a transport device, has a pair of drive wheels 20 on the left and right sides and multiple auxiliary wheels 21F, 21R on its bottom. For example, as shown in FIG. 1B , one front auxiliary wheel 21F is located on the front left and front right sides of the bottom of the vehicle body, and one rear auxiliary wheel 21R is located on the rear left and rear right sides of the bottom of the vehicle body. The drive wheels 20 are located between the front auxiliary wheel 21F and the rear auxiliary wheel 21R on the left side of the bottom of the vehicle body, and between the front auxiliary wheel 21F and the rear auxiliary wheel 21R on the right side of the bottom of the vehicle body. The automated guided vehicle 1 travels on a floor by rotating the drive wheels 20. When the drive wheels 20 rotate in the same direction at the same rotation speed, the automated guided vehicle 1 moves straight, and when the drive wheels 20 rotate in opposite directions at the same rotation speed, the automated guided vehicle 1 turns on the spot.

[0020] The auxiliary wheels 21F, 21R are freely rotatable wheels, and a plurality of them are provided on the rear surface of the automatic guided vehicle 1. The auxiliary wheels 21F are generally divided into the auxiliary wheels 21F in front of the drive wheels 20 and the auxiliary wheels 21R in the rear.

[0021] The automated guided vehicle 1 is provided with a clearance device 60 between the vehicle body 1A and the floor surface. The clearance device 60 extends from the front of the automated guided vehicle 1 to cover the outside of the front auxiliary wheels 21F and to the side of the automated guided vehicle 1 behind the rear ends of the front auxiliary wheels 21F. The lower end of the clearance device 60 may be in contact with the floor surface, or there may be a gap between the clearance device 60 and the floor surface. In other words, the lower end of the clearance device 60 is close to or in contact with the floor surface, and can push and clear obstacles on the floor surface as the automated guided vehicle 1 travels.

[0022] The excluding device 60 is formed in a V-shape on the front of the automated guided vehicle 1, with the side portions recessed from the center. The excluding device 60 on the front of the automated guided vehicle 1 may have any shape as long as the side portions are recessed from the center, and may be arc-shaped as shown in FIG. 9 . While the excluding device 60 is illustrated as being continuous in the horizontal direction in FIG. 1B , it may also have a discontinuous shape with a gap in the horizontal direction. The front portion of the excluding device 60 prevents obstacles from entering between the vehicle body 1A and the floor from the front of the vehicle body 1A when the automated guided vehicle 1 moves forward or rotates. Furthermore, the side portions of the excluding device 60 prevent obstacles from entering between the vehicle body 1A and the floor from the side of the vehicle body 1A when the automated guided vehicle 1 rotates.

[0023] A contact sensor 70 is provided on the front surface of the automated guided vehicle 1. When an object comes into contact with the contact sensor 70 and the contact sensor 70 detects a force, the automated guided vehicle 1 is controlled to stop.

[0024] Fig. 2A is a front view of the excluding device 60 of this embodiment as seen from the front of the automatic guided vehicle 1, and Fig. 2B is a cross-sectional view of the excluding device 60 of this embodiment as seen from the right side in a front view. Note that Fig. 2A is illustrated with reduced dimensions on the left and right due to space limitations, and the scale is different in the vertical and horizontal directions.

[0025] The excluding device 60 is composed of an excluder 61 whose lower end is close to or in contact with the floor surface, and a support member 63 to which the excluder 61 is attached. The excluder 61 is composed of a brush portion 61A and a frame 61B to which the brush portion 61A is attached, and is formed, for example, in a brush shape using thin wires made of soft synthetic resin embedded in the frame 61B. The frame 61B is fixed to the support member 63 by adhesive or the like. The support member 63 is provided with a screw hole into which a bolt 68 can be threaded. As shown in FIG. 2A , it is preferable that multiple excluders 61 be divided across the width of the support member 63 and attached to avoid the positions of the bolts 68, but it is also possible to attach a single excluder 61 across the entire width to the support member 63.

[0026] An L-shaped support member fixture 64 is attached to the underside of the body 1A of the automatic guided vehicle 1. The support member fixture 64 is provided with a hole through which a bolt 68 passes.

[0027] The removal device 60 is disposed in front of the support member fixture 64 and is fixed to the support member fixture 64 from the rear with a bolt 68 .

[0028] Although the brush-shaped excluder 61 is shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the excluder 60 may be configured as a plate-shaped member made of a hard material or a plate-shaped member made of a soft resin material.

[0029] 3A and 3B are diagrams illustrating the removal of an obstacle 100 by the excluding device 60 as the automated guided vehicle 1 of the first embodiment travels.

[0030] As shown in Fig. 3A, an obstacle 100 that is lower than the position of the contact sensor 70 gets under the automatic guided vehicle 1. Furthermore, as the automatic guided vehicle 1 moves forward, as shown in Fig. 3B, the exclusion device 60 comes into contact with the obstacle 100, causing the obstacle 100 to slide along the exclusion device 60, preventing the obstacle 100 from entering between the front of the vehicle body 1A and the floor, and removing the obstacle 100 to the outside of the vehicle body 1A. Once the obstacle 100 is removed to the outside of the vehicle body 1A, the automatic guided vehicle 1 can travel without being affected by the obstacle 100.

[0031] 4A to 4D are diagrams showing the removal of the obstacle 100 by the excluding device 60 as the automated guided vehicle 1 rotates.

[0032] As shown in Fig. 4A, an obstacle 100 that is lower than the position of the contact sensor 70 gets under the automatic guided vehicle 1, and the obstacle 100 comes into contact with the removal device 60. When the automatic guided vehicle 1 rotates, as shown in Fig. 4B, the obstacle 100 is pushed by the removal device 60 on the front side of the automatic guided vehicle 1 and removed to the outside of the vehicle body 1A. Once the obstacle 100 is removed to the outside of the vehicle body 1A, the automatic guided vehicle 1 can rotate without being affected by the obstacle 100.

[0033] 4C, an obstacle 100 located beside the automated guided vehicle 1 comes into contact with the excluding device 60 when the automated guided vehicle 1 rotates, and as shown in FIG. 4D, the obstacle 100 is pushed by the excluding device 60 on the side of the automated guided vehicle 1 and removed to the outside of the vehicle body 1A. Once the obstacle 100 is removed to the outside of the vehicle body 1A, the automated guided vehicle 1 can rotate without being affected by the obstacle 100. In this way, by providing the excluding device 60 on the side of the automated guided vehicle 1, obstacles can be removed not only when the automated guided vehicle 1 is moving forward, but also when it is rotating.

[0034] Furthermore, once the obstacle 100 is removed from the outside of the body 1A of the unmanned guided vehicle 1, the obstacle 100 will no longer affect the movement of the unmanned guided vehicle 1, so a work vehicle or obstacle recovery robot can recover the obstacle 100 at any time.

[0035] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the transport system of this embodiment.

[0036] The transport system of this embodiment includes a plurality of automated guided vehicles (transport devices) 1, a control device 4 that transmits command signals to the automated guided vehicles 1, and a network 5 that connects the automated guided vehicles 1 and the control device 4. The transport system may further include other transport equipment (e.g., vertical transport machines, etc.), transported objects (e.g., shelves, etc.), and work stations (e.g., picking stations). There may be one or more of all or some of the components of the transport system. The control device 4 and each automated guided vehicle 1 can communicate via the network 5.

[0037] The automated guided vehicle 1 has a drive unit 11, a storage device 12, an interface unit 13, multiple types of sensors 14, a battery (not shown), and a controller 10 connected to these.

[0038] The controller 10 is a control device that controls the operation of the automatic guided vehicle 1 in accordance with movement instructions from the control device 4, the charge state of the battery, etc. The drive device 11 has drive wheels 20, auxiliary wheels 21, and a lifting body 22, as well as an actuator (not shown) such as a motor that rotates the drive wheels 20, and an actuator (not shown) such as a motor that raises and lowers and rotates the lifting body 22.

[0039] The interface device 13 is a device that communicates with the control device 4 using a predetermined wireless communication method, and may be configured, for example, by a wireless LAN card.

[0040] The sensor 14 is a device for collecting information about the floor surface on which the automated guided vehicle 1 travels and various information about the automated guided vehicle 1. For example, the multiple types of sensors 14 can read information about markers 202 displayed on sections of the storage space 201. The automated guided vehicle 1 may also have, as the sensor 14, sensors such as a camera that captures images of the state of the storage space 201, a vibration sensor that detects vibrations that occur in the automated guided vehicle 1 while it is moving, a speed sensor that measures the speed of the automated guided vehicle 1, an acceleration sensor that measures the acceleration of the automated guided vehicle 1, a weight sensor that measures the weight of the load (transported object), and a gyro sensor that measures the orientation of the automated guided vehicle 1.

[0041] The storage device 12 stores, for example, a route table 23, a device table 24, a map table 25, a measurement table 26, and a performance table 27. The controller 10 executes a control program 30. When the controller 10 executes the control program 30, each function of the automated guided vehicle 1, such as a communication unit, a travel control unit, a measurement unit, and a position estimation unit, is realized.

[0042] The route table 23 stores information representing movement instructions received from the control device 4 and movement routes specified in the movement instructions (the information representing the movement route may include information about sections of the movement route, etc.). The device table 24 stores identification information of the automated guided vehicle 1, the loading status of the transported object, the current position (section), the remaining battery level, the device status (for example, "standby," "moving," or "transporting"), and the ID of the transported object.

[0043] The map table 25 stores information indicating the position and attributes of each section (for example, which area it belongs to). The map table 25 may also include information on the storage space 201 exemplified in FIG. 6. The measurement table 26 stores values ​​measured by multiple types of sensors 14 (for example, speed, acceleration, rotation, weight, position (values ​​read from markers on the floor), photographed images of the section, etc.). The performance table 27 stores movement performance information including the route and date and time traveled by the automated guided vehicle 1.

[0044] The control program 30 is a program that has the function of transmitting and receiving commands and information to and from the control device 4 via the interface device 13. For example, the control program 30 transmits at least some of the information in tables 23 to 27 to the control device 4 in response to a request from the control device 4 (or without a request). Note that the control program 30 of each automated guided vehicle 1 may transmit each of these pieces of information to the control device 4 at regular or irregular intervals.

[0045] The control program 30 is a program that controls the movement of the automated guided vehicle 1 in accordance with movement instructions received from the control device 4. For example, the control program 30 controls the drive device 11 to move to the position of a specified object to be transported (e.g., a shelf) in accordance with the movement instructions from the control device 4, cause the lifting body 22 to lift the object to move along a specified movement path to a destination (e.g., a picking station), and then cause the lifting body 22 to lower the object to the destination.

[0046] The control program 30 registers the output (measurement results) of each sensor 14 in the measurement table 26. The control program 30 estimates the position of the automatic guided vehicle 1 based on the markers detected by the sensors 14 of the automatic guided vehicle 1.

[0047] The control device 4 may be one or more physical computers having hardware such as a processor 40, a memory 41, a storage device 42, an input device 43, an output device 44, and an interface device 45, or may be configured as a system (e.g., a cloud computing system) implemented on one or more physical computers (e.g., a cloud platform). Each device included in the control device 4 may be located on a single physical computer, or may be distributed across multiple physical computers. The programs and information stored in the storage device 42 may be stored in a single storage device, or may be stored separately in multiple storage devices. Instead of the input device 43 and the output device 44, information may be input and output via a client system that can communicate via the interface device 45.

[0048] The processor 40 is a computing device that controls the overall operation of the control device 4. The memory 41 is used as a work memory for the processor 40. The storage device 42 stores programs and tables. The input device 43 is composed of, for example, a mouse or a keyboard, and is used by an operator to input necessary information and instructions to the control device 4. The output device 44 may be composed of a display device such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display. The interface device 45 is a device that communicates with the automatic guided vehicle 1 via a predetermined wireless communication method, and may be composed of, for example, a wireless LAN card.

[0049] The storage device 42 stores, for example, an equipment table 53, an inventory table 54, an order table 55, and a map table 56. The equipment table 53 stores information transmitted from and collected from each automatic guided vehicle 1. For each automatic guided vehicle 1, the equipment table 53 stores information such as the ID of the automatic guided vehicle 1, the loading status of the transported object, the current location (section), the remaining battery level, the equipment status (for example, "standby," "moving," or "transporting"), and the ID of the transported object. The equipment table 53 may also store information on movement instructions for each automatic guided vehicle 1 (for example, information on the destination location to which the automatic guided vehicle 1 is to be moved, etc.).

[0050] The inventory table 54 stores information about transported objects (e.g., products and containers such as shelves for storing products). For each transported object, the inventory table 54 stores information such as the ID of the transported object, the position of the transported object (e.g., the position of the container or the position of the product within the container), and the number of items in stock (e.g., the number of items in stock).

[0051] The order table 55 is a table that stores various information related to orders from customers, and stores, for each order, information such as the order ID, information about the order originator, information about the shipping destination, the ID and quantity of the item (e.g., product) specified in the order, delivery date, date and time the order was received, and the date and time of work to transport or pick the item specified in the order.

[0052] The map table 56 stores information representing a map of the travel area (for example, information representing the position (coordinates) and attributes (for example, shelf storage section, picking station, battery station, travel section, etc.) of each section of the travel area). The map table 56 may be distributed to each automated guided vehicle 1 and stored as the map table 25 in each automated guided vehicle 1. The map table 56 may include information on the storage space 201 exemplified in FIG. 6 .

[0053] The storage device 42 executes the processing program 50. A storage unit and a processing unit are realized by the processor 40 executing the processing program 50. For example, the processing program 50 stores tables 53 to 56 in the storage device 42.

[0054] The processing program 50 may refer to the order table 55 and process the orders in order of earliest (oldest) work date and time, for example. The processing program 50 identifies the location of the item specified in the order in the inventory table 54. The processing program 50 also refers to the equipment table 53 and identifies, for example, an AGV 1 in a standby state (if there are multiple AGVs 1 in a standby state, the processing program 50 identifies one AGV 1, such as the AGV 1 closest to the location of the item). The processing program 50 transmits a movement instruction to the identified AGV 1 to transport the transported object (the item specified in the order or a container for storing the item) to a destination (e.g., a picking station). For example, the movement instruction instructs the AGV 1 to move to the location of the specified transported object, pick up the transported object, move to the destination via the specified movement path, and unload the transported object. This movement instruction may be issued all at once, or may be divided according to the status of the AGV 1.

[0055] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the layout of a transport system in a logistics center where the automated guided vehicle 1 of this embodiment travels.

[0056] The logistics center has a storage space 201. A plurality of shelves (not shown) and a plurality of automated guided vehicles 1 are arranged in the storage space 201. The automated guided vehicles 1 move under the shelves and lift up the shelves to move.

[0057] The floor of the storage space 201 is divided into sections of a predetermined size, and each section is marked with a marker 202. The automated guided vehicle 1 can determine its position (section number) by reading the information from the marker.

[0058] A work station 205 is disposed at a predetermined position on the outer edge of the storage space 201. At the work station 205, workers and robots perform the work of storing and retrieving items. A station terminal that displays work instructions to the worker is disposed at the work station 205. In addition, a work space for sorting and packing is provided near the work station.

[0059] A plurality of chargers 204 for charging the automated guided vehicles 1 are arranged at predetermined locations in the storage space 201. An obstacle recovery area 206 for recovering obstacles 100 removed by the automated guided vehicles 1 is arranged at a predetermined position on the outer edge of the storage space 201.

[0060] 3A and 3B and the rotational movements shown in Figures 4A to 4D may not remove the obstacle, and the automated guided vehicle 1 may continue to travel with the obstacle 100 stuck between the remover and the floor surface. The obstacle 100 dragged by the automated guided vehicle 1 can be removed in an obstacle recovery area 206 provided adjacent to the storage space 201.

[0061] A step 206A, which lowers the floor by one step, is provided at the far side of the obstacle recovery area 206 as seen from the storage space 201. When the automated guided vehicle 1 stops at the position of the marker 202 in the obstacle recovery area 206, the training wheels 21 and drive wheels 20 do not reach the position of the step 206A, and the front end of the removal device 60 stops at a position beyond the step 206A. The obstacle recovery area 206 and the charger 204 are located nearby, allowing the automated guided vehicle 1 to charge after transporting the obstacle 100 to the recovery area, thereby improving the availability of the automated guided vehicle 1. The obstacle recovery area 206 may also be located near a work station 205 that the automated guided vehicle 1 frequently visits, thereby improving the availability of the automated guided vehicle 1.

[0062] The automated guided vehicle 1 may also move freely using inertial navigation using a gyro, without following the marker 202.

[0063] 7A to 7C are diagrams showing the removal of the obstacle 100 in the obstacle recovery area 206 by the automated guided vehicle 1 of the first embodiment.

[0064] 7A , a step 206A, which lowers the floor surface by one step, is provided at the far side of the obstacle recovery area 206 when viewed from the storage space 201. When the automated guided vehicle 1 enters the obstacle recovery area 206, the training wheels 21 and drive wheels 20 do not reach the position of the step 206A, and the front end of the removal device 60 stops at a position beyond the step 206A.

[0065] As shown in Figure 7B, the automated guided vehicle 1 moves forward and enters the obstacle recovery area 206 with the obstacle 100 sandwiched between the remover 61 (brush unit 61A) and the floor surface. When the automated guided vehicle 1 moves further forward and the remover 61 passes over the step 206A and is positioned in an area where the floor surface is low, the gap between the brush unit 61A and the floor surface becomes larger, as shown in Figure 7C, and the obstacle 100 sandwiched between the remover 61 and the floor surface falls to the floor below the step 206A. The automated guided vehicle 1 then moves backward and exits the obstacle recovery area 206. Through this operation, the automated guided vehicle 1 collects obstacles in the obstacle recovery area 206.

[0066] 8 is a flowchart of the obstacle removal process executed by the automated guided vehicle 1, showing the process from entering into to leaving the obstacle recovery area 206. The obstacle removal process shown in FIG. 8 starts simultaneously with the start of the forward and rotational movements of the automated guided vehicle.

[0067] By the process shown in Figure 8, the automated guided vehicle 1 removes the obstacle 100 by forward movement and rotational movement when moving and transporting the shelf, and transports the obstacle 100 to the obstacle recovery area 206 after charging is completed or picking is completed.

[0068] The controller 10 of the automated guided vehicle 1 determines whether the next operation is to move forward (S11). For example, if the end point indicated by the movement command signal received from the control device 4 is different from the current position, it can be determined that the next operation is to move forward. If the next operation is to move forward, the controller 10 rotates the two drive wheels 20 in the forward direction to move the automated guided vehicle 1 forward (S12). This forward movement of the automated guided vehicle 1 performs obstacle removal during forward movement (FIGS. 2A and 2B) (S13).

[0069] Next, the controller 10 determines whether the next operation is a rotation (S14). For example, if the movement command signal received from the control device 4 includes a rotation command at the end point, it can be determined that the next operation is a rotation. If the next operation is a rotation, the controller 10 rotates the two drive wheels 20 in opposite directions to rotate the automated guided vehicle 1 (S15). This rotational operation of the automated guided vehicle 1 performs obstacle removal during rotation (FIGS. 4A to 4D) (S16).

[0070] Next, the controller 10 determines whether the AGV 1 has arrived at the obstacle recovery area 206 (S17). For example, if the sensor 14 of the AGV 1 detects the marker 202 in the obstacle recovery area 206, it can be determined that the AGV 1 has arrived at the obstacle recovery area 206. If the AGV 1 has arrived at the obstacle recovery area 206, the controller 10 rotates the two drive wheels 20 in the reverse direction to cause the AGV 1 to move backward and exit the obstacle recovery area 206 (S18). This exit operation of the AGV 1 removes obstacles in the obstacle recovery area 206 (FIGS. 7A to 7C) (S19).

[0071] Next, the controller 10 determines whether traveling has ended (S21). If all commands received from the control device 4 have been executed, it is determined that traveling has ended and the obstacle removal process is terminated. On the other hand, if there are any unexecuted commands received from the control device 4, the process returns to step S11 and the operation of the automated guided vehicle 1 is controlled in accordance with the unexecuted commands.

[0072] As described above, according to the embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to reduce abnormalities in the automated guided vehicle 1 caused by obstacles on the travel path, suppress a decrease in the operating rate of the automated guided vehicle 1, and improve the productivity of factories and logistics warehouses where the automated guided vehicle 1 travels.

[0073] Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in the shape of the excluding device 60. In the second embodiment, differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described, and descriptions of the same configurations and processes as the first embodiment will be omitted.

[0074] 9 is a bottom view of the automated guided vehicle 1 according to the second embodiment of the present invention. Note that a side view of the automated guided vehicle 1 according to this embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1A, and therefore will not be shown here.

[0075] The automated guided vehicle 1 of this embodiment is provided with a pair of rotationally driven drive wheels 20 on the left and right sides, and a plurality of freely rotatable auxiliary wheels 21F, 21R on the bottom surface. A contact sensor 70 is provided on the front surface of the automated guided vehicle 1.

[0076] In this embodiment, the AGV 1 is provided with a clearance device 60 between the vehicle body 1A and the floor. The clearance device 60 extends from the front of the AGV 1 to cover the outside of the front auxiliary wheels 21F and to the side of the AGV 1 behind the rear ends of the front auxiliary wheels 21F. The lower end of the clearance device 60 may be in contact with the floor, or there may be a gap between the clearance device 60 and the floor. That is, the lower end of the clearance device 60 is close to or in contact with the floor, and obstacles on the floor can be pushed and removed by the AGV 1 as it travels. The clearance device 60 is formed in an arc shape on the front of the AGV 1, with the sides recessed from the center. Note that the clearance device 60 on the front of the AGV 1 may have any shape as long as the sides are recessed from the center. While FIG. 9 illustrates the clearance device 60 as being continuous in the horizontal direction, it may also have a discontinuous shape with a gap in the horizontal direction.

[0077] Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. The third embodiment differs from the first embodiment in the shape of the excluding device 60. In the third embodiment, differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described, and descriptions of the same configurations and processes as the first embodiment will be omitted.

[0078] FIG. 10A is a side view of an automated guided vehicle 1 according to a third embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 10B is a bottom view of the automated guided vehicle 1 according to the third embodiment.

[0079] The automated guided vehicle 1 of this embodiment is provided with a pair of rotationally driven drive wheels 20 on the left and right sides, and a plurality of freely rotatable auxiliary wheels 21F, 21R on the bottom surface. A contact sensor 70 is provided on the front surface of the automated guided vehicle 1.

[0080] The automated guided vehicle 1 of this embodiment is provided with a front clearance device 60F and a rear clearance device 60R between the vehicle body 1A and the floor. The front clearance device 60F is the same as the clearance device 60 of the first embodiment, and extends from the front surface of the automated guided vehicle 1 to cover the outside of the front auxiliary wheels 21F and to a side surface of the automated guided vehicle 1 rearward from the rear end of the front auxiliary wheels 21F. The rear clearance device 60R is the same as the clearance device 60 of the first embodiment, and extends from the rear surface of the automated guided vehicle 1 to cover the outside of the rear auxiliary wheels 21R and to a side surface of the automated guided vehicle 1 forward from the front end of the rear auxiliary wheels 21R.

[0081] The lower ends of the front removal device 60F and the rear removal device 60R may be in contact with the floor surface, or there may be a gap between the front removal device 60F and the rear removal device 60R and the floor surface. In other words, the lower ends of the front removal device 60F and the rear removal device 60R are close to or in contact with the floor surface, and obstacles on the floor surface can be pushed and removed by the automatic guided vehicle 1 as it travels.

[0082] The front removal device 60F is formed in a V-shape on the front surface of the automated guided vehicle 1, with the sides recessed from the center. The rear removal device 60R is formed in a V-shape on the rear surface of the automated guided vehicle 1, with the sides recessed from the center. Note that the removal devices 60F, 60R on the front or rear surface of the automated guided vehicle 1 may have any shape as long as the sides are recessed from the center, and may be arc-shaped as shown in Fig. 9. In Fig. 10B, the front removal device 60F and the rear removal device 60R are shown as being continuous in the horizontal direction, but they may also have a discontinuous shape with a gap in the horizontal direction.

[0083] In the third embodiment, the automated guided vehicle 1 can remove the obstacle 100 not only during forward movement and rotational movement in the storage space 201 but also during backward movement.

[0084] Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described. The fourth embodiment differs from the first embodiment in the shape of the excluding device 60. In the fourth embodiment, differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described, and descriptions of the same configurations and processes as the first embodiment will be omitted.

[0085] FIG. 11A is a side view of an automated guided vehicle 1 according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 11B is a bottom view of the automated guided vehicle 1 according to the fourth embodiment.

[0086] The automated guided vehicle 1 of this embodiment is provided with a pair of rotationally driven drive wheels 20 on the left and right sides, and a plurality of freely rotatable auxiliary wheels 21F, 21R on the bottom surface. A contact sensor 70 is provided on the front surface of the automated guided vehicle 1.

[0087] In the automatic guided vehicle 1 of this embodiment, an elimination device 60 is provided between the vehicle body 1A and the floor surface. The elimination device 60 extends from the front of the automatic guided vehicle 1 to the rear of the automatic guided vehicle 1, covering the outside of the front auxiliary wheels 21F, the drive wheels 20, and the rear auxiliary wheels 21R. The lower end of the elimination device 60 may be in contact with the floor surface, or there may be a gap between the elimination device 60 and the floor surface. In other words, the lower end of the elimination device 60 is close to or in contact with the floor surface, and can push and remove obstacles on the floor surface as the automatic guided vehicle 1 travels.

[0088] The removing device 60 is formed in a V-shape on the front and rear surfaces of the automated guided vehicle 1, with the side portions recessed from the center. Note that the removing device 60 on the front or rear surface of the automated guided vehicle 1 may have any shape as long as the side portions are recessed from the center, and may also have an arc shape as shown in Fig. 9. In Fig. 11B, the removing device 60 is shown as being continuous in the horizontal direction, but it may also have a discontinuous shape with gaps in the horizontal direction.

[0089] Next, a fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described. The fifth embodiment differs from the first embodiment in the shape of the excluding device 60. In the fifth embodiment, differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described, and descriptions of the same configurations and processes as the first embodiment will be omitted.

[0090] FIG. 12A is a side view of an automated guided vehicle 1 according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 12B is a bottom view of the automated guided vehicle 1 according to the fifth embodiment.

[0091] The automated guided vehicle 1 of this embodiment is provided with a pair of rotationally driven drive wheels 20 on the left and right sides, and a plurality of freely rotatable auxiliary wheels 21F, 21R on the bottom surface. A contact sensor 70 is provided on the front surface of the automated guided vehicle 1.

[0092] In the automatic guided vehicle 1 of this embodiment, an elimination device 60 is provided between the vehicle body 1A and the floor surface. The elimination device 60 extends from the front of the automatic guided vehicle 1 to cover the outside of the front auxiliary wheels 21F and to the side of the automatic guided vehicle 1 rearward from the rear end of the front auxiliary wheels 21F. On the side of the automatic guided vehicle 1, the elimination device 60 is positioned outward from the side of the automatic guided vehicle 1. The lower end of the elimination device 60 may be in contact with the floor surface, or there may be a gap between the elimination device 60 and the floor surface. In other words, the lower end of the elimination device 60 is close to or in contact with the floor surface, and can push and remove obstacles on the floor surface as the automatic guided vehicle 1 travels.

[0093] The excluding device 60 is formed in a V-shape on the front side of the automated guided vehicle 1, with the side portions recessed from the center. Note that the excluding device 60 on the front side of the automated guided vehicle 1 may have any shape as long as the side portions are recessed from the center, and may also have an arc shape as shown in Fig. 9. In Fig. 12B, the excluding device 60 is illustrated as being continuous in the horizontal direction, but it may also have a discontinuous shape with gaps in the horizontal direction.

[0094] In this way, the exclusion device 60 of Example 5 is positioned outside the side of the unmanned guided vehicle 1, so even if the drive wheels 20 and auxiliary wheels 21F, 21R are positioned near the side of the unmanned guided vehicle 1, the exclusion device 60 can be attached to the unmanned guided vehicle 1 while avoiding the drive wheels 20 and auxiliary wheels 21F, 21R.

[0095] Sixth Embodiment Next, a sixth embodiment of the present invention will be described. The sixth embodiment differs from the first embodiment in the exclusion device 60. In the sixth embodiment, differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described, and descriptions of the same configurations and processes as the first embodiment will be omitted. Note that the sixth embodiment may be combined with any of the first to fifth embodiments.

[0096] Fig. 13 is a view of a removal device 60 according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention, as seen from the rear of the automatic guided vehicle 1. The drive wheels 20 and auxiliary wheels 21F, 21R are omitted from Fig. 13. Note that Fig. 13 is scaled down on the left and right due to space limitations, and the scale is different in the vertical and horizontal directions.

[0097] The excluding device 60 of this embodiment is composed of an excluder 61 whose lower end is close to or in contact with the floor surface, and a support member 63 to which a frame 61B of the excluder 61 is attached. The excluder 61 is composed of a brush portion 61A and a frame 61B to which the brush portion 61A is attached, and is formed, for example, in a brush-like shape by thin wires made of soft synthetic resin embedded in the frame 61B. The frame 61B is fixed to the support member 63 by adhesive or the like. The support member 63 is provided with a hole into which an engaging pin 66 can be inserted. As shown in FIG. 13 , the excluder 61 may be attached to the entire width of the support member 63 as a unit, or the excluder 61 may be attached in the width direction of the support member 63.

[0098] An L-shaped support member fixture 64 is attached to the underside of the body 1A of the automatic guided vehicle 1. The support member fixture 64 is provided with an elongated hole 65 formed vertically and through which an engagement pin 66 passes.

[0099] The excluder 61 and the support member 63 are disposed in front of a support member fixture 64, and the support member 63 is attached to the support member fixture 64 with an engagement pin 66. A stopper (e.g., a C-ring) may be attached to the end of the engagement pin 66 to prevent the engagement pin 66 from falling off. The engagement pin 66 is restrained in its horizontal position by the elongated hole 65 of the support member fixture 64, but is able to move up and down, so that the exclusion device 60 is attached to the vehicle body 1A in a manner that allows it to move up and down.

[0100] The floor surface of the storage space 201 is uneven due to undulations, and depending on the location of travel, a gap may be formed between the lower end of the excluder and the floor surface, or the excluder may be pressed against the floor surface, increasing friction. For this reason, in Example 6, the excluder 61 is attached so as to be movable up and down, so that the excluder device 60 moves up and down in accordance with the height of the vehicle body 1A and the unevenness of the floor surface, maintaining a position where the excluder 61 contacts the floor surface, allowing small obstacles 100 to be removed efficiently and reducing the pressing of the excluder 61 against the floor surface.

[0101] <Seventh Embodiment> Next, a seventh embodiment of the present invention will be described. The seventh embodiment differs from the first embodiment described above in that it includes a detection member 71. In the seventh embodiment, differences from the first embodiment described above will be mainly described, and descriptions of the same configurations and processes as the first embodiment will be omitted. Note that the seventh embodiment may be combined with any of the first to fifth embodiments described above.

[0102] Fig. 14A is a partial side view of an automated guided vehicle 1 according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 14B is a partial bottom view of the automated guided vehicle 1 according to this embodiment. Note that Figs. 14A and 14B both show only the front center portion of the automated guided vehicle 1.

[0103] The automated guided vehicle 1 of Example 7 is equipped with a detection member 71 located in front of the contact sensor 70. In the figure, the detection member 71 is supported so as to be horizontally movable by a support member 72 extending forward from the exclusion device 60. The support member 72 may be formed of, for example, an elastic material so that the detection member 71 can press the contact sensor 70 from the front. The detection member 71 may be attached to the contact sensor 70, in which case there is no need to provide the support member 72. The detection member 71 is preferably provided within a predetermined range in the center of the automated guided vehicle 1 in the width direction. The detection member 71 is attached so that a small gap is formed between its bottom end and the floor surface.

[0104] When the automated guided vehicle 1 moves forward with an obstacle in contact with the detection member 71, the detection member 71 moves and presses the contact sensor 70, causing the automated guided vehicle 1 to stop. As shown in FIG. 6 , the automated guided vehicle 1 may remove an obstacle in the storage space 201 by pushing the obstacle with the removal device 60 or by moving with the obstacle sandwiched under the removal device 60, damaging the surface of the marker 202 affixed in the center of the travel path. Therefore, in Example 7, when strong friction occurs between the floor surface and an obstacle 100 caught on the detection member 71 in the center of the travel path, the contact sensor 70 is activated, causing the automated guided vehicle 1 to stop traveling. That is, the friction between the floor surface and the obstacle 100 sandwiched between the lower end of the detection member 71 and the floor surface urges the detection member 71 backward, pressing the contact sensor 70 and causing the automated guided vehicle 1 to stop traveling. Therefore, when an obstacle is in a position where it interferes with the marker 202, the automatic guided vehicle 1 does not transport it to the obstacle collection area 206, and the detection member 71 provided in the center of the width of the automatic guided vehicle 1 activates the contact sensor 70, causing the automatic guided vehicle 1 to stop. Therefore, the automatic guided vehicle 1 of Example 7 can suppress damage to the marker 202 caused by the obstacles it collects.

[0105] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and includes various modifications and equivalent configurations within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. For example, the above-described embodiments have been described in detail to clearly explain the present invention, and the present invention is not necessarily limited to configurations including all of the described configurations. Furthermore, part of the configuration of one embodiment may be replaced with the configuration of another embodiment. Furthermore, the configuration of another embodiment may be added to the configuration of one embodiment. Furthermore, part of the configuration of each embodiment may be added, deleted, or replaced with other configurations.

[0106] Furthermore, the aforementioned configurations, functions, processing units, processing means, etc. may be realized in part or in whole in hardware, for example by designing them as integrated circuits, or may be realized in software by a processor interpreting and executing a program that realizes each function.

[0107] Information such as programs, tables, and files that realize each function can be stored in a storage device such as a memory, hard disk, or SSD (Solid State Drive), or in a recording medium such as an IC card, SD card, or DVD.

[0108] In addition, the control lines and information lines shown are those that are considered necessary for the explanation, and do not necessarily show all the control lines and information lines that are necessary for implementation. In reality, it can be considered that almost all components are interconnected.

Claims

1. A conveying device for conveying an object to be conveyed, comprising: a control unit having a calculation device that executes predetermined calculation processing and a memory device connected to the calculation device; drive wheels arranged on the left and right sides of the bottom of the vehicle body and rotated by power; auxiliary wheels arranged on the left and right sides of the bottom of the vehicle body and capable of rotating freely; and an exclusion device that extends downward from the bottom of the vehicle body and is attached to the front of the conveying device, wherein the exclusion device has a width that covers the auxiliary wheels and is formed in a shape in which the sides are set back from the center and extends to a position that covers the outside of the auxiliary wheels that are close to the exclusion device, and the exclusion device excludes obstacles to the side of the vehicle body when the conveying device moves forward, and excludes obstacles in the direction of rotation when the conveying device rotates.

2. A transporting device as described in claim 1, wherein the training wheels are arranged on each of the front left, front right, rear left and rear right sides of the bottom of the vehicle body, the drive wheels are arranged between the training wheels on the left side of the bottom of the vehicle body and between the training wheels on the right side of the bottom of the vehicle body, and the exclusion device is arranged in a position that covers the outside of the training wheels closest to the exclusion device and covers up to the front of the drive wheels.

3. A conveying device as described in claim 1, wherein the removal device has an remover that comes into contact with obstacles when the conveying device is moving, a support member that supports an upper part of the remover, and a support member fixing device that is attached to the body of the conveying device, and the support member is attached to the support member fixing device by a bolt.

4. A conveying device as described in claim 1, wherein the floor surface on which the conveying device travels is provided with an obstacle recovery area having a step where the floor surface is at a lower position, and the conveying device stops at a position where the front auxiliary wheels are just before the step and the exclusion device exceeds the step, and drops the obstacles held by the exclusion device onto the floor surface at the lower position to separate them.

5. A transport device as described in claim 4, characterized in that the transport device advances into the obstacle recovery area, and then reverses after the front auxiliary wheels have stopped in front of the step and at a position where the removal device has exceeded the step, thereby separating the obstacle held by the removal device.

6. A transport device as described in claim 1, wherein the auxiliary wheels are arranged on each of the front left, front right, rear left and rear right sides of the bottom of the vehicle body, the drive wheels are arranged between the auxiliary wheels on the left side of the bottom of the vehicle body and between the auxiliary wheels on the right side of the bottom of the vehicle body, and the removal device is arranged in a position covering the outside of all of the drive wheels and the outside of all of the auxiliary wheels.

7. A conveying device as described in claim 3, characterized in that the support member fixing device has a guide portion that allows the support member to move in the vertical direction, the support member has a member that engages with the guide portion, and the ejector is attached to the body of the conveying device so that its movement in the horizontal direction is restricted and it can move in the vertical direction.

8. A conveying device as described in claim 1, comprising: a contact sensor that detects a contacting object; a detection member arranged in front of said contact sensor; and a support member that supports said detection member so that it can move horizontally, and wherein when said detection member is urged rearward, said contact sensor is pushed.

9. An exclusion device that can be attached to a transport device that transports an object to be transported, the transport device having a control unit having a calculation device that executes predetermined calculation processing and a memory device connected to the calculation device, drive wheels arranged on the left and right sides of the bottom of the vehicle body and rotated by power, auxiliary wheels arranged on the left and right sides of the bottom of the vehicle body and rotatable freely, and an exclusion device that extends downward from the bottom of the vehicle body and is attached to the front of the transport device, the exclusion device having a width that covers the auxiliary wheels and is formed in a shape in which the sides are set back from the center, and when attached to the transport device, has a length that extends to a position that covers the side of the auxiliary wheels that is closest to the exclusion device, the exclusion device removing obstacles to the side of the vehicle body when the transport device moves forward, and removing obstacles in the direction of rotation when the transport device rotates.

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