JP2006213216A - Carrier - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a carrier capable of suppressing collapse of a posture of an article when the carrier is traveling, and smoothly transferring the article. <P>SOLUTION: A loading stand 7 to load and support an article Y is provided on a vehicle body 5, and a posture changing means 6 is provided, which is capable of changing a horizontal condition in which a loading face of the loading stand 7 is in a horizontal posture or in a substantially horizontal posture, and an inclined condition in which the loading face of the loading stand 7 is in an inclined posture. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a transport vehicle in which a vehicle body is provided with a mounting table for mounting and supporting an article.

  Such a transport vehicle is used so as to travel and transport an article in a state where the article is placed on and supported by the mounting table. In such a transport vehicle, the placement surface has a horizontal or substantially horizontal posture. The mounting table is provided, and the vehicle is configured to travel in a state where the article is mounted and supported on the horizontal or substantially horizontal mounting surface (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP-A-6-31824

However, in the case of the above-described transport vehicle, the inertial force is applied in a predetermined horizontal direction in a horizontal posture like a container that can store the plate-like bodies in a stacked state and has an opening for taking in and out the plate-like bodies on the lateral side. In the case of transporting an article whose posture is likely to collapse due to working as an article, the article placed and supported on the placing surface of the placing table in a horizontal or substantially horizontal posture is in a horizontal posture. Sometimes, when an inertial force acts on the article in a predetermined horizontal direction, the attitude of the article tends to collapse.
Therefore, a mounting table is provided so that the mounting surface is inclined, and the article is placed and supported on the mounting table in an inclined posture, and a predetermined horizontal direction with respect to the article during acceleration / deceleration or curve traveling It is conceivable that the posture of the article will not easily collapse even if inertial force is applied to it, but when the article is transferred to or from an article transfer location such as a station, the placement surface of the arrangement table is inclined. Although the posture is the posture, the placement surface of the article transfer location is horizontal or substantially horizontal, so there is a possibility that the article cannot be transferred smoothly.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a transport vehicle capable of suppressing the collapse of the posture of the article when traveling and smoothly transferring the article. There is in point to do.

In order to achieve this object, the first characteristic configuration of the transport vehicle according to the present invention is a transport vehicle in which a vehicle body is provided with a mounting table for mounting and supporting an article.
There is a posture change means that can be switched between a horizontal state in which the mounting surface of the mounting table is in a horizontal or substantially horizontal posture and a tilted state in which the mounting surface of the mounting table is in a tilting posture.

That is, when the vehicle is traveling, the posture changing means is switched to the inclined state, so that the article placed on the placement surface is inclined and the acceleration / deceleration is performed. Even when an inertial force acts on the article in a predetermined horizontal direction during running or on a curve, the attitude of the article can be made difficult to collapse. In other words, the posture collapses due to the inertial force acting in a predetermined horizontal direction in a horizontal posture, like a container that can store plate-like members in a stacked state and has an opening for taking in and out the plate-like body on the lateral side. In the case of transporting easy items as articles, even if inertial force acts on the articles in a predetermined horizontal direction during acceleration / deceleration or curve running, by making the article tilt so that the opening side faces upward, The posture of the article can be made difficult to collapse.
In addition, when transferring an article to or from an article transfer location such as a station, the mounting surface of the mounting table becomes horizontal or substantially horizontal by switching the posture changing means to a horizontal state. Since the article placed and supported in the horizontal position is horizontal, the article can be smoothly transferred to and from the article transfer position where the placement surface is horizontal or substantially horizontal.
Therefore, it has become possible to provide a transport vehicle capable of suppressing the collapse of the posture of the article during traveling and smoothly transferring the article.

  The second characteristic configuration of the transport vehicle according to the present invention is the transport according to the first characteristic configuration, wherein the mounting table mounts and transports an article placed on the mounting surface in the horizontal state in a horizontal direction or a substantially horizontal direction. It is in the point comprised by the conveyor.

That is, the vehicle body is provided with a transport conveyor for placing and transporting an article placed on the placement surface in the horizontal state in a horizontal direction or a substantially horizontal direction, and the posture changing means is configured so that the placement surface of the transfer conveyor is in a horizontal or substantially horizontal posture. The posture of the conveyor is changed by switching to the horizontal state or the inclined state where the placement surface of the conveyor is inclined.
Therefore, for example, in the case where the posture changing means is configured to change the posture of the article mounting stand provided separately from the conveyor, the article is transferred between the article transfer location using the conveyor. When loading, it is necessary to move the article between the conveyor and the article mounting table, but the attitude change means is configured to change the attitude of the conveyor, so the attitude of the article Therefore, it is not necessary to move the article from the conveyer to the other, and the transfer between the article transfer locations can be performed smoothly.

  According to a third characteristic configuration of the transport vehicle according to the present invention, in the second characteristic configuration, the posture changing unit has an intermediate portion in the transport direction or an intermediate portion in the width direction of the transport conveyor around the horizontal swing axis. A guide member that is swingable and guides the vehicle body so as to be movable up and down; one end side lifting device that moves up and down one end side in the transport direction or one end side in the width direction of the transport conveyor; and The other end side in the conveying direction or the other end side in the horizontal width direction is moved up and down, and is configured to be able to adjust the height of the placement surface of the conveying conveyor in the horizontal state. There is in point.

That is, the one end side and the other end side of the conveyor are moved up and down by the one end side elevator and the other end elevator, and either one of the one end and the other end of the conveyor is moved from the other. It can be switched to an inclined state by being positioned upward. Also, the one end side and the other end side of the transport conveyor are moved up and down by the one end side lifting device and the other end side lifting device, and the one end side and the other end side of the transport conveyor are the same height or substantially the same height. It is possible to switch to a horizontal state by placing the switch in the position.
Then, the height of the loading conveyor mounting surface in the horizontal state is adjusted by moving the one end side and the other end side of the conveying conveyor in the horizontal state up and down by the one side lifting device and the other end lifting device. Even if the heights of the placement surfaces of the plurality of article transfer locations are different from each other, the height of the placement surface of the transfer conveyor can be adjusted to the height of the placement surfaces of the article transfer locations, respectively. It is possible to smoothly transfer articles between a plurality of stations having different heights.

  According to a fourth characteristic configuration of the transport vehicle according to the present invention, in any one of the first to third characteristic configurations, the posture changing means is rotatable around an eccentric horizontal axis and supports the mounting table. And a lifting operation means for rotating the cam member around the horizontal axis.

  That is, the posture changing means is configured to switch between the horizontal state and the inclined state only by rotating the cam member around the horizontal axis by the lifting operation means, and the configuration of the posture changing means is simplified. can do.

  According to a fifth characteristic configuration of the transport vehicle according to the present invention, in any one of the first to fourth characteristic configurations, the article can store a plate-like body in a stacked state, and the plate-like body is placed on a lateral side portion. The container is provided with an opening to be taken in and out, and the posture changing means switches to the inclined state in which the container is placed and supported on the placement surface of the placement section so that the opening side faces upward. It is in the point which is comprised.

  In other words, since an opening for taking in and out the plate-like body is formed in the lateral side portion of the container, the posture collapses so that the plate-like body pops out from the opening due to inertial force during acceleration / deceleration or curve traveling However, it is possible to prevent the plate-like body from jumping out of the opening and to prevent the posture of the article from collapsing by placing and supporting the container so that the opening is directed upward.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
As shown in FIG. 1, the transport vehicle V is configured to travel independently along the travel route 1 and transport the container Y as an article in a warehouse or factory having a high cleanliness like a clean room. .
As shown in FIG. 2, the container Y is a container that can store the liquid crystal glass 28 as a plate-like body in a laminated state and is provided with an opening 29 for taking in and out the liquid crystal glass 28 on the lateral side. . The container Y is configured to store a plurality of glass substrates 28 in a stacked state at intervals in the vertical direction by mounting and supporting the liquid crystal glass 28 on a support member 30 provided on the inner surface of the lateral side wall. ing.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the transport vehicle V includes a vehicle body 5 including a drive wheel 3 that can be steered and driven by a traveling motor 2, and an idler driven wheel 4, and a mounting surface. Conveyor 7 for placing and transporting the placed container Y in the horizontal direction or substantially horizontal direction, and posture changing means 6 for supporting the mounting table 7 so that the posture can be changed about the swing axis in the lateral direction with respect to the vehicle body 5. The vehicle body 5, the posture changing means 6, the mounting table 7, and the cover body 8 that covers the container Y mounted and supported on the mounting table 7 are provided. Further, the transport vehicle V is configured to be able to travel in a state in which the container Y is placed and supported by the transport conveyor 7, and a placing table on which the container Y is placed and supported by the transport conveyor 7 is configured. FIG. 3 is a front view showing the internal configuration of the transport vehicle V.
As shown in FIG. 1, the side surface of the cover body 8 is provided with a loading / unloading port 9 that can be opened and closed by the shutter 10, and as shown in FIG. 9 is opened, and the container Y is received and delivered to and from the station S through the inlet / outlet 9.
As shown in FIG. 3, the transport conveyor 7 is configured as a roller-type conveyor in which a plurality of rollers are arranged in parallel in the transport direction, and is opposite to the side where the loading / unloading port 9 is present in the transport direction of the transport conveyor 7. A stopper member 11 for receiving horizontal movement of the container Y placed and supported to the opposite side is provided at the end of the container. The container Y is placed and supported on the conveyor 7 so that the opening 29 faces the entrance / exit 9.

Next, the posture changing means 6 will be described. For convenience, in the state shown in FIG. 3, the direction along the traveling direction of the transport vehicle V will be referred to as the front-rear direction, and the direction along the transport direction of the transport conveyor 7 orthogonal to the traveling direction will be referred to as the left-right direction.
The posture changing means 6 includes a horizontal state (see FIG. 8 (a)) where the placement surface of the conveyor 7 is horizontal or substantially horizontal, and an inclined state where the placement surface of the conveyor 7 is inclined. (See FIG. 8 (b)).
And the posture changing means 6 guides a guide member 22 that can swing an intermediate portion in the transport direction of the transport conveyor 7 around a swing axis in a lateral direction and move up and down with respect to the vehicle body 5; One end side lifting device 19 that moves up and down one end side in the left-right direction of the transport conveyor 7, and the other end side lifting device 20 that moves up and down the other end side in the left-right direction of the transport conveyor 7, the horizontal state The height of the placement surface of the transfer conveyor 7 is adjustable. The one-end side lifting device 19 is moved up and down with the side of the loading / unloading port 9 in the transporting direction in the transporting conveyor 7 as one end side, and the other end lifting device 20 is moved in the transporting direction of the transporting conveyor 7 in the transporting direction 9. The side opposite to the existence side is moved up and down as the other end side.

The posture changing means 6 will be described in detail. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, guide members 22 are provided at the front and rear end portions of the support frame 21 connected and supported by the vehicle body 5. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, each of the guide members 22 is formed with a recessed portion that is recessed toward the outside along the vertical direction. A guided member 23 is provided at each of the front and rear end portions of the left and right intermediate portion of the transport conveyor 7, and the guided member 23 is engaged with the recessed formation portion of the guide member 22. That is, the movement of the guided member 23 in the vertical direction with respect to the guide member 22 is allowed, and the transport conveyor 7 can be moved up and down with respect to the vehicle body 5. The movement of the guided member 23 in the front-rear direction and the left-right direction with respect to the guide member 22 is restricted by the guide member 22, and the movement of the transport conveyor 7 in the front-rear direction and the left-right direction is restricted.
Further, the guided member 23 is provided on the conveyor 7 so as to be rotatable around a horizontal swing axis, and the transport conveyor 7 is configured to be swingable around a horizontal swing axis.

  The support frame 21 is provided with cam members 17 that can rotate around an eccentric horizontal axis and that supports the conveyor 7. Four cam members 17 are provided and conveyed by the cam members 17. The four corners of the conveyor 7 are mounted and supported. Further, the support frame 21 is provided with a lifting motor 18 as a lifting operation means for rotating the cam member 17 around the horizontal axis. Four lifting motors 18 are provided to provide four cam members 17. Are configured to rotate individually.

The posture changing means 6 includes a cam member 17 and a lifting / lowering motor 18. The posture changing means 6 includes a cam member 17 and a lifting / lowering motor 18 in each of the one end-side lifting device and the other end-side lifting device in the posture changing means 6. Is provided.
That is, the one end side lifting device 19 is provided on one end side of the transport vehicle V and rotates a pair of front and rear cam members 17 that place and support one end side of the transport conveyor 7 and the pair of front and rear cam members 17. A pair of front and rear elevating motors 18 are configured to rotate, and a pair of front and rear cam members 17 on one end side are rotated and moved up and down by the elevating motor 18 to move one end side of the conveyor 7. It is configured to move up and down.
Further, the other end side lifting device 20 is provided on the other end side of the transport vehicle V and each of the pair of front and rear cam members 17 for mounting and supporting the other end side of the transport conveyor 7, and the pair of front and rear cam members 17. And a pair of front and rear elevating motors 18 that rotate and move the pair of front and rear cam members 17 on the other end by the elevating motor 18 so as to move up and down. It is comprised so that the other end side of this may be moved up and down.

Accordingly, the posture changing means 6 moves the cam member 17 up and down so that the pair of front and rear cam members 17 on one end side and the pair of front and rear cam members 17 on the other end side have the same height or substantially the same height. 8 (a), the mounting surface of the conveyor 7 is switched to a horizontal state where the mounting surface is horizontal or substantially horizontal, and a pair of front and rear ends on the other end side than the pair of front and rear cam members 17 on one end side. By moving the cam member 17 up and down so that the cam mechanism 17 is positioned downward, as shown in FIG. 8 (b), the loading surface of the conveyor 7 is switched to an inclined state in which it is inclined. It is configured. In the state switched to the inclined state, the container Y is placed and supported on the transfer conveyor 7 so that the opening 29 side faces upward, and the liquid crystal glass 28 from the opening 29 due to the inertial force during the curve traveling of the transfer vehicle V. Popping out is suppressed.
Then, by adjusting the amount of rotation operation of the cam member 17 from the lower limit position, the position of the placement surface of the transfer conveyor 7 in the restricted state is set to a high position as shown in FIG. The height can be adjusted to a low position as shown in (c) and an intermediate position as shown in FIG. Therefore, even when the heights of the transfer surfaces of the plurality of stations S are different, the height of the loading surface of the transfer conveyor 7 can be adjusted to the height of the transfer surface of each station S. The container Y can be transported smoothly. The height information of the transfer surface of the station S is configured to input the height information of the station S through communication with the station S.

  As shown in FIG. 6, in addition to the position information of the travel route 1, the control device H also stores in advance the arrangement position information for a plurality of reflectors outside the figure as a layout map. The laser beam is projected and the laser beam reflected by the reflecting plate is received, and the position of the transport vehicle V is determined based on the scanning angle information when the light is received and the arrangement position information about the plurality of reflecting plates. Is configured to detect. The control device H is configured to control the steering direction of the traveling motor 11 and the drive wheels 3 so that the transport vehicle V travels along the traveling route 1 based on the detected position information.

[Another embodiment]
(1) In the above embodiment, the conveyor 7 is swung around the horizontal swing axis along the front-rear direction to switch between the horizontal state and the inclined state. May be configured to be switched between a horizontal state and an inclined state by swinging around a horizontal swing axis along the horizontal axis.
That is, in the said embodiment, since the container Y is mounted and supported by the conveyance conveyor 7 so that the opening part 29 may face one side of the left-right direction, the conveyance conveyor 7 is along the front-back direction by the attitude | position change means 6. Although it is configured to swing around a horizontal swing axis and switch between a horizontal state and an inclined state, the container Y is placed and supported on the transport conveyor 7 so that the opening 29 faces one side in the front-rear direction. In this case, the conveying conveyor 7 is swung around the horizontal swing axis along the left-right direction by the posture changing means 6 to switch between the horizontal state and the tilted state. You may comprise so that the container Y may be mounted and supported by the conveyance conveyor 7 so that it may become upward.

(2) In the above embodiment, the one end side lifting device 19 and the other end side lifting device 20 are provided, and the both ends of the mounting table 7 are moved up and down to switch between the horizontal state and the inclined state. The other end side of the mounting table 7 is pivotably connected to the vehicle body 5 without the other end side lifting device 20, and only one end side of the mounting table 7 is moved up and down by the one end side lifting device 19. It may be configured to switch between a horizontal state and an inclined state.

(3) In the above embodiment, the posture changing means 6 includes the cam member 17 and the lifting operation means 18, and the cam member 17 is rotated by the lifting operation means 18 to move up and down. The posture changing means 6 includes a cylinder mechanism for mounting and supporting the mounting table 7 and switches between a horizontal state and an inclined state by operating the cylinder mechanism to extend and contract. And a switching mechanism for switching the attitude of the link mechanism, and switching the attitude of the link mechanism by the switching mechanism to switch between the horizontal state and the inclined state. Such a configuration may be used.

(4) In the above embodiment, the stopper member 11 is provided on one end side in the transport direction of the transport conveyor 7, and the article Y is transferred to and from the station S provided on one side of the travel path 2. However, the stopper member 11 may be configured to move up and down freely so that the article Y can be transferred between the stations S provided on both sides of the travel route 2.

(5) In the above-described embodiment, the mounting table 7 is configured by the transport conveyor, and the transport conveyor is used when the article Y is transferred to and from the station S. For example, the transfer device may be provided in the station S and the article may be transferred to and from the station S using the transfer device.

(6) In the above embodiment, the article Y is a container that can store the plate-like body 28 in a laminated state and is provided with an opening 29 for taking in and out the plate-like body 28 on the lateral side. However, the container is not limited to such a container, and may be a container having a different shape or a pallet that can place and support a conveyed product.

Perspective view showing a transport vehicle Perspective view showing container Front view showing the internal configuration of the transport vehicle Side view showing posture changing means Plan view showing the guide structure of the conveyor Control block diagram Action diagram showing transfer with station Action diagram showing attitude change of conveyor Action diagram showing up and down movement of conveyor

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 5 Car body 6 Posture change means 7 Mounting stand 17 Cam member 18 Elevating operation means 19 One end side elevating device 20 Other end side elevating device 22 Guide member 28 Plate-shaped body 29 Opening part V Conveyor vehicle Y Article

Claims (5)

A transport vehicle equipped with a mounting table for mounting and supporting an article on a vehicle body,
A transport vehicle provided with a posture changing means capable of switching between a horizontal state in which the mounting surface of the mounting table is in a horizontal or substantially horizontal posture and a tilted state in which the mounting surface of the mounting table is in a tilted posture.   The transport vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the mounting table is configured by a transporting conveyor for mounting and transporting an article placed on the mounting surface in the horizontal state in a horizontal direction or a substantially horizontal direction.   A guide member for guiding the posture changing means to swing an intermediate portion in the transport direction or an intermediate portion in the width direction of the transport conveyor around a swing axis in the horizontal direction and to be movable up and down with respect to the vehicle body; One end side elevating device that moves up and down one end side in the transport direction or one end side in the width direction of the transport conveyor, and the other end side in the transport direction or the other end side in the width direction of the transport conveyor is moved up and down. The transport vehicle according to claim 2, further comprising a lifting device on the other end side, wherein the height of the placement surface of the transport conveyor in the horizontal state is adjustable.   The posture changing means includes a cam member that is rotatable around an eccentric horizontal axis and that supports the mounting table, and an elevating operation means that rotates the cam member around the horizontal axis. The conveyance vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 3. The article is a container that can store a plate-like body in a laminated state and is provided with an opening for taking in and out the plate-like body on a lateral side portion,
The said attitude | position change means is comprised so that it may switch to the said inclination state which mounts and supports the said container so that the said opening part side may face upwards in the said mounting surface of the said mounting part. The transport vehicle according to one item.

Images