JP2021195199A - Unmanned carrier - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an unmanned carrier including a small-scale lift mechanism with a simple structure that can be easily controlled and perform lift operation stably.SOLUTION: An unmanned carrier 1 includes a lift mechanism 3 provided on a carrier truck 2. The lift mechanism 3 includes a lifting plate 4 and a lifting mechanism 5 for raising/lowering the lifting plate 4. The lifting mechanism 5 includes a swing member 6 swingably supporting the lifting plate 4 with a lower position of the lifting plate 4 as a fulcrum.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to an automatic guided vehicle.

Conventionally, an automatic guided vehicle that sneaks into the lower part of a car trolley such as a box pallet that does not have a drive mechanism, connects it to the car trolley by a connection mechanism, or lifts the car trolley by a lift mechanism and transports the car trolley to a predetermined place. Is used in factories and distribution sites. In order to realize such unmanned transportation, it is required that the connection with the automatic guided vehicle is easy, the scale of the structure for connection is small, and the control thereof is easy.

Patent Document 1 discloses an automatic guided vehicle that moves a dolly having wheels attached to the dolly body and a connected portion provided on the lower surface of the dolly body. This automatic guided vehicle is equipped with a drive wheel and a connecting mechanism connected to the bogie. This connecting mechanism includes a connecting portion that is movably arranged in the first horizontal direction on the upper surface of the upper surface of the vehicle body, and a driving device that moves this connecting portion in the first direction and connects it to the connected portion. , Have.

Patent Document 2 discloses a lifter device for an automatic guided vehicle for lifting a trolley or the like. In this lifter device, one end is rotatably supported by a nut member that moves linearly with the rotation of the male screw shaft, and the other end is rotatably supported by the lifter bar and the main body of the vehicle body, respectively. The lifter bar is moved up and down by rotating the arm in the upright direction and the tilting direction with the linear movement of the nut member.

Patent Document 3 discloses a transport vehicle that slips between the cage of the roll box and the traveling surface to transport the roll box. The transport vehicle comprises at least one set of diagonally arranged luggage lifting devices in a substantially rectangular transport vehicle casing. This luggage elevating device includes an elevating drive device arranged in the casing of the transport vehicle, and a luggage support stand that can be elevated by the elevating drive device.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2018-24415 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2017-47996 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2018-34932

In Patent Document 1, since it is necessary to attach a connecting device to the object to be transported, a special structure is required for implementation, and there is a possibility that it cannot be realized with a simple structure. Further, since the bogie and the transport vehicle are connected by a special connecting device, control such as mutual positioning may be complicated.
In Patent Document 2, a lift mechanism is configured by a combination of a plurality of members such as a male screw shaft, a nut member, a lifter bar, and a lifter arm, and the lift operation is performed by utilizing the mutual operation of the plurality of members, which is convenient. It is not a configuration, and the scale of its structure may increase. Moreover, the control may not be easy.
In Patent Document 3, since the four elevating portions independently ascend and descend without the intervention of a member connecting them to each other, the control for evenly ascending may become complicated. In addition, if the dolly cannot be raised evenly, the dolly may become unstable.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and it is an object of the present invention to provide an automatic guided vehicle equipped with a lift mechanism that is easy to control, enables stable lift operation, has a simple structure, and is small in scale. And.

The present invention employs the following means in order to solve the above problems.
That is, the automatic guided vehicle of the present invention is an automatic guided vehicle in which a lift mechanism is provided on a transport carriage, and the lift mechanism includes an elevating plate and an elevating mechanism for raising and lowering the elevating plate. A swing member that swingably supports the lift plate with the lower position of the lift plate as a fulcrum is provided.
According to such an invention, since the elevating mechanism supports the elevating plate swingably, the elevating plate can be stably moved up and down.

In one aspect of the present invention, the elevating plate is a long plate body, and the swing member is provided with intervals in the length direction of the elevating plate, and the first and second swing members are provided. A member is provided, and the elevating mechanism raises and lowers the elevating plate via the first and second rocking members.
According to such a configuration, the elevating plate of the long plate body is supported by the first and second rocking members provided at intervals in the length direction, so that the elevating operation is more stable. Can be realized.

In one aspect of the present invention, the elevating plate includes a first elevating plate and a second elevating plate arranged in parallel with each other.
According to such a configuration, since the lift mechanism is configured by the two elevating plates, the elevating and lowering of the transported object is stabilized.

In one aspect of the present invention, the elevating mechanism is a first elevating mechanism provided on one end side of each of the first elevating plate and the second elevating plate, and the other end. A second elevating mechanism provided on the portion side is provided, and the first and second elevating mechanisms mesh with a shaft, a pinion gear connected to the shaft, and the pinion gear, respectively, and rotate the pinion gear. The rack gear includes a rack gear that moves up and down by means of, and a drive source that drives the shaft, and the rack gear raises and lowers the first and second elevating plates via the first and second swing members.
According to such a configuration, a simple and small-scale structure including a pinion gear and a rack can be adopted, and a lift mechanism that can be easily controlled can be implemented.

In one aspect of the present invention, the elevating mechanism includes a sensor that detects an upper limit position and a lower limit position of the elevating plate.
According to such a configuration, since the sensor for detecting the upper limit position and the lower limit position of the elevating plate is provided, it is possible to reliably detect the limit point of the elevating position and carry out a safe elevating operation.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an automatic guided vehicle which is easy to control, enables stable lift operation, has a simple structure, and has a small-scale lift mechanism.

It is a top view of the automatic guided vehicle which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a side view of the automatic guided vehicle which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is an enlarged plan view of the elevating mechanism which concerns on embodiment of this invention. FIG. 3 is a view taken along the line AA of FIG. It is an enlarged view of the main part seen from the arrow B direction of FIG. FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along the line CC of FIG. It is an enlarged view of the upper part of FIG. It is a front view seen from the arrow D direction of FIG.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a plan view for explaining the configuration of the automatic guided vehicle 1 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a side view thereof. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the automatic guided vehicle 1 according to the present embodiment includes a lift mechanism 3 on the automatic guided vehicle 2. The transport carriage 2 is provided with four wheels 2b on the vehicle body 2a, and is provided with a wheel drive mechanism 2c for driving two of the wheels 2b.

The lift mechanism 3 is integrally incorporated in the vehicle body 2a of the transport carriage 2. The lift mechanism 3 includes an elevating plate 4 and an elevating mechanism 5 for raising and lowering the elevating plate 4. The elevating plate 4 is a long plate body, and includes a swinging member 6 that swingably supports the elevating plate 4 with a lower position of the elevating plate 4 as a fulcrum.

The lift mechanism 3 in the present embodiment includes a first elevating plate 4a, a second elevating plate 4b, a first elevating mechanism 5a, and a second elevating mechanism 5b arranged in parallel with each other. The elevating plates 4a and 4b are elevated and lowered by the first and second elevating mechanisms 5a and 5b via the first and second rocking members 6a and 6b provided at intervals in the length direction. ..

FIG. 3 is an enlarged plan view of the elevating mechanism 5 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 4 is a view taken along the line AA of FIG. 3, and FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of a main part seen from the direction of arrow B in FIG. FIG. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along the line CC of FIG. As shown in FIG. 3, the elevating mechanism 5 is provided on the base 8a fixed to the vehicle body 2a. The elevating mechanism 5 drives the rack gear 7c and the shaft 7a provided in the gear box 9 shown in FIG. 6, which mesh with the shaft 7a, the pinion gear 7b, and the pinion gear 7b, and move up and down by the rotation of the pinion gear 7b. It includes a drive source 10. The shaft 7a is connected to the pinion gear 7b.

The drive source 10 includes a motor 10a and a speed reducer 10b in the casing 10d. The rotation of the motor 10a is transmitted to the shaft 7a via the speed reducer 10b. The rotation transmitted to the shaft 7a rotates the pinion gear 7b connected to the shaft 7a, and the rack gear 7c that receives this rotation is the first or second swing member 6a, 6b (rocking member 6). The first or second elevating plates 4a and 4b (elevating plates 4) are moved up and down via the above.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the drive source 10 is a torque arm having a support member 8b fixed to the base 8a and a plate body having one end fixed to the casing 10d of the drive source 10 by bolts or the like. It is fixed with a shoulder bolt 8d via 8c. The torque arm 8c and the shoulder bolt 8d are provided with a rotation stopper so that the drive source 10 does not rotate at the center of the shaft 7a when the shaft 7a is rotationally driven. From the drive source 10, a motor wiring 10c for controlling the drive source 10 extends out of the casing 10d in order to connect to a control unit (not shown) mounted on the vehicle body 2a of the transport carriage 2.

As shown in FIG. 6, the rack gear 7c that meshes with the pinion gear 7b is held in the gear box 9 via the hollow shaft metal bushes 9a and 9b, and moves smoothly up and down with the rotation of the pinion gear 7b. It has become. A swing member 6 is provided on the upper portion of the rack gear 7c, and the swing member 6 swings left and right on the page of FIG. 6 with the pin 6g as an axis.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of a portion of the rocking member 6 of FIG. A tap 6f for a set screw (not shown) is formed on the swing member 6, and the pin 6g is fixed to the swing member by the set screw at the portion of the tap 6f. The pin 6g is configured to slide on the side of the rack gear 7c. As shown in FIG. 7, the elevating plate 4 is formed by adhering a cushion 4c to the surface of the loading platform 4e. The elevating plate 4 is fixed to the swing member 6 with a bolt 6c with a washer 6d and a collar 6e sandwiched in a hole 4f formed in the loading platform 4e. A sufficient gap is provided between the collar 6e, the washer 6d, and the loading platform 4e.

FIG. 8 is a front view of the elevating mechanism 5 as viewed from the direction of arrow D in FIG. The elevating mechanism 5 includes a sensor 11 that detects the upper limit position and the lower limit position of the elevating plate 4. The sensor 11 is a photomicro sensor that detects light shielding and passage depending on the position of the dog 11c, and is provided with an upper limit position sensor 11a and a lower limit position sensor 11b, respectively. The sensors 11a and 11b are held via the sensor holding member 11e screwed onto the base 8a.

The dog 11c is attached to the upper part of the swing member 6 and interlocks with the vertical movement of the elevating plate 4. The sensors 11a and 11b are photomicrosensors that allow light to pass in the direction perpendicular to the paper surface at the position of 11d, respectively. It is detected that this light is shielded or passed by the position of the dog 11c, and the upper limit position and the lower limit position of the elevating plate 4 are detected.

When the dogs 11c and 11c are located at the positions indicated by the solid lines on the drawing, the sensors 11a and 11b are shielded from light. In this state, it is determined that the elevating plate 4 is in the lower limit position. When the dogs 11c and 11c are located at the positions of the two-dot chain line, the sensor 11b senses the passage of light, and the sensor 11a senses the shielding of light. When the dog 11c rises further from the position of the two-dot chain line as the elevating plate 4 rises, the dog 11c of the sensor 11a does not block light, and the sensor 11a detects the transmission of light and positions this position on the elevating plate. Judged as the upper limit position of.

Next, the operation of the automatic guided vehicle 1 configured as described above will be described. First, as shown in FIG. 2, the automatic guided vehicle 1 is moved to the lower part of the car trolley 12 to be transported. At this position, the elevating plate 4 is raised by the elevating mechanism 5a and 5b described above to hold the car trolley 12 upward. After that, the automatic guided vehicle 1 is moved to the target destination of the car trolley 12 while holding the car trolley. Upon arriving at the target position, the elevating mechanisms 5a and 5b are driven again to lower the elevating plate 4, and the transfer process of one car trolley is completed. After that, the automatic guided vehicle 1 moves to the position of the next transport target, and repeats these transport steps.

In the above configuration, by rotating the motor 10a, the left and right pinion gears 7b rotate, and the rack gear 7c and the teeth mesh with each other to convert the rotary motion into a linear motion and raise and lower the elevating plate 4. A swing member 6 that swings around the pin 6 g is provided between the rack gear 7c and the elevating plate 4. The elevating plate 4 is not completely fixed and is placed on it with play.

Therefore, the first and second elevating mechanisms 5a and 5b cannot be synchronized, and even when they are operated separately, the rocking member 6 swings around the pin 6g, and the first and second elevating mechanisms 5a and 5b The elevating plate 4 can be raised and lowered without causing twisting between them.

In order to prevent the elevating plate 4 from falling, the collar 6e and the washer 6d are fixed to the rocking member 6 with bolts 6c to prevent them from coming off. A sufficient gap is provided between the collar 6e, the washer 6c, and the elevating plate 4 in order to prevent the elevating mechanism 5 from being twisted.

When the car carriage 12 is lifted, the thrust transmitted from the rack gear 7c is acted as a reaction force receiver by the torque arm 8c attached to the casing 10d of the drive source 10 to fix the drive source 10. By mounting the drive source 10 including the motor 10a and the speed reducer 10b at an angle, the pinion gear 7b is arranged at a high position, the stroke of the rack gear 7c is lengthened, and more space for the motor wiring 10c is secured.

The upper limit position and the lower limit position of the elevating plate 4 are detected by the photomicro sensor 11 held by the sensor holding member 11e on the base 8a on the fixed side. When ascending, the dog 11c is detached from the upper limit photomicro sensor 11a, and the sensor 11a itself detects the upper limit position by receiving and receiving light, and when descending, the dog detects the lower limit position by blocking the lower limit photomicro sensor 11b. ..

As described above, the automatic guided vehicle 1 of the present embodiment is provided with a lift mechanism 3 for lifting and transporting the object to be transported by the elevating plate 4, so that the automatic guided vehicle 1 can be used without limiting the transport target. By connecting the left and right pinion gears 7b with the shaft 7a to drive the pinion gears 7b, the number of drive sources 10 including the motor 10a can be reduced. Precise synchronization is not required because twisting does not occur even if the elevating states of the first and second elevating mechanisms 5a and 5b in the front-rear direction are displaced. Further, when the deviation occurs, the entire elevating plate 4 is tilted, so that the object to be conveyed can be stably grounded to the elevating plate 4. Therefore, it is possible to provide an automatic guided vehicle 1 provided with a lift mechanism 3 having a simple structure and a small scale, which is easy to control and enables stable lift operation.

In the present embodiment, two elevating plates 4 arranged in parallel are adopted, but the present invention is not limited to this, and one elevating plate may be connected as the elevating plate. Further, two gear boxes 9 contributing to the raising / lowering operation including the pinion gear 7b and the rack gear 7c connected to the shaft 7a are arranged on the left and right, but the shaft 7a is extended and the gear box 9 is not limited to this. You may increase the number. In that case, the number of elevating plates 4 corresponding to the gear box 9 may be increased.

1 Automated guided vehicle 2 Transport trolley 3 Lift mechanism 4 Lifting plate 4a First lifting plate 4b Second lifting plate 5 Lifting mechanism 5a First lifting mechanism 5b Second lifting mechanism 6 Swing member 6a First swing Member 6b Second swing member 7a Shaft 7b Pinion gear 7c Rack gear 10 Drive source

Claims (5)

It is an automatic guided vehicle with a lift mechanism on the transport trolley.
The lift mechanism is
It is equipped with an elevating plate and an elevating mechanism that elevates the elevating plate.
The automatic guided vehicle is provided with a swing member that swingably supports the lift plate with the lower position of the lift plate as a fulcrum. The elevating plate is a long plate body, and is
The swing member includes first and second swing members provided at intervals in the length direction of the elevating plate.
The automatic guided vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the elevating mechanism raises and lowers the elevating plate via the first and second rocking members. The automatic guided vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the elevating plate includes a first elevating plate and a second elevating plate arranged in parallel with each other. The elevating mechanism includes a first elevating mechanism provided on one end side of each of the first elevating plate and the second elevating plate, and a second elevating mechanism provided on the other end side. Equipped with an elevating mechanism
The first and second elevating mechanisms are, respectively.
With the shaft
The pinion gear connected to the shaft and
A rack gear that meshes with the pinion gear and moves up and down by the rotation of the pinion gear,
A drive source for driving the shaft is provided.
The automatic guided vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the rack gear raises and lowers the first or second elevating plate via the first or second swing member. The automatic guided vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the elevating mechanism includes a sensor for detecting an upper limit position and a lower limit position of the elevating plate.

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