JP2748963B2 - Moving car - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a bumper which is provided so that a front bumper in a traveling direction protrudes to both left and right sides of a vehicle body.
The present invention relates to a moving vehicle provided such that a bumper on a rear side in a traveling direction does not protrude to both left and right sides of the vehicle body.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a moving vehicle of this type, a front bumper in the traveling direction prevents an obstacle located in the front in the traveling direction from directly colliding with the vehicle body, and a bumper located in the rearward direction in the traveling direction. Eliminating the protruding portions that protrude on both the left and right sides of the vehicle body allows the worker to work safely without involving the workers working on the lateral sides of the vehicle body when the mobile vehicle travels forward.

[0003]

A moving vehicle turns in addition to traveling straight, and during turning, the traveling locus is widened, and there is a great risk that an obstacle collides with a side portion of the vehicle body. Become. However, in the above-described conventional technology, it was not possible to detect that an obstacle approached the side portion, and thus it was not possible to avoid collision with the obstacle.

In order to detect the approach of an obstacle to the side surface of the vehicle body, photoelectric switches having light emitting and receiving functions are provided on both lateral side surfaces of the vehicle body to form an optical path along the traveling direction. It has been considered to detect an obstacle blocking the optical path to detect the approach of the obstacle and avoid collision. However, since the photoelectric switch is provided so as to protrude to both lateral sides of the vehicle body, there is a high possibility that an obstacle collides with the photoelectric switch and damages the photoelectric switch.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a photoelectric switch for forming an optical path along the traveling direction on both lateral sides of a vehicle body due to collision with an obstacle. It is to effectively prevent damage.

[0006]

The feature of the moving vehicle according to the present invention is that the rear portion of the left and right protrusions projecting to both lateral sides of the vehicle body in the front bumper in the traveling direction or the rear portions thereof, respectively. The reflection type photoelectric switch is provided in a state where it does not protrude laterally from the left and right protrusions, and is provided in a state of projecting light backward in the traveling direction, and is provided corresponding to the left and right protrusions. A pair of reflectors for reflecting light from each of the pair of photoelectric switches to the corresponding photoelectric switch is provided at a position on the rear side in the traveling direction of the vehicle body so as to protrude to the left and right lateral sides of the vehicle body. The present invention is characterized in that each of the bodies is configured to be able to swing backward in the rearward direction in the traveling direction, and to be urged to return to an initial position in which light is reflected by the corresponding photoelectric switch.

[0007]

According to the characteristic structure of the present invention, the reflective bumpers provided at the rear portions of the left and right protruding portions projecting to both lateral sides of the vehicle body in the front bumper in the traveling direction or at the rear portions thereof, respectively. Since the photoelectric switch is protected by the left and right protrusions without protruding laterally beyond the left and right protrusions, it is possible to avoid colliding with an obstacle while the mobile vehicle is moving. Further, a reflector provided at a position on the rear side in the traveling direction of the vehicle body so as to reflect the light from the photoelectric switch to the corresponding photoelectric switch to form the optical path is provided in a rearward direction in the traveling direction when an obstacle comes in contact with the vehicle body. By retracting and retreating to the side, damage is avoided, and when an obstacle stops contacting, the body returns to the initial posture for forming the optical path.

[0008]

Therefore, according to the characteristic structure of the present invention, it is possible to effectively prevent the photoelectric switch from colliding with an obstacle and being damaged while the mobile vehicle is moving, and to swing the reflector instead of the photoelectric switch. As a result, simplification of the configuration was also realized without any wiring problems.

[0009]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIG. 1, the moving vehicle A includes one wheel 1 on the front side in the traveling direction and a pair of left and right idle wheels 2 on the rear side in the traveling direction. The direction of the wheel 1 is changed around the longitudinal axis P by a steering electric motor M2, and
The electric motor M1 for propulsion drives and rotates.

Further, the moving vehicle A is automatically driven along a guide line G constituted by attaching a light reflecting tape or a magnetic tape to a running road surface. That is, the mobile vehicle A is provided with a steering control sensor 3 for detecting an amount of deviation in the vehicle width direction with respect to the guidance line G, and an electric motor for steering based on the detection information of the steering control sensor 3. Motor M
2 is provided with a controller SC for running control for operating the vehicle. In addition, the controller SC for traveling control includes:
The operation of the electric motor M1 for propulsion is also controlled based on the traveling start command and the traveling stop command.

Protrusions 4a, 4b projecting to the left and right sides of the vehicle B in front of the vehicle A in the traveling direction of the vehicle B.
A shock-absorbing bumper 4 provided with a shock-absorbing bumper 5 similar to the above is provided on the rear side in the traveling direction of the vehicle body B so as not to protrude to the left and right lateral sides of the vehicle body B. Have been.

Although not described in detail, the two bumpers 4, 5
Is a bumper body for absorbing shock formed of an elastic member such as foamed neoprene rubber, and an obstacle detection device that is attached to the front surface of the bumper body by adhesion to detect contact with the obstacle S. The detection information is input to the traveling control controller SC and used as emergency stop information.

At the rear portions of the left and right protrusions 4a and 4b of the bumper 4 on the front side in the traveling direction, reflection-type photoelectric switches 6a and 6b having a light emitting and receiving function are provided with the left and right protrusions 4a. , 4b so as not to protrude laterally and to project light backward in the traveling direction. A pair of reflectors 7 that reflect light from the pair of left and right photoelectric switches 6a and 6b to the corresponding photoelectric switches 6a and 6b are provided at positions on the rear side in the traveling direction of the vehicle body B.
a, 7b are provided so as to protrude on both left and right sides of the vehicle body B. The photoelectric switches 6a, 6
b and the reflectors 7a and 7b form a pair of front and rear sides to form an optical path L along the traveling direction on each side of the vehicle body B, and the approach of the obstacle S is detected by the interruption state of the optical path L. You do it. The detection information is input to the traveling control controller SC and used as emergency stop information.

As shown in FIG. 2, each of the pair of right and left reflectors 7a and 7b is capable of swinging backward in the traveling direction, for example, when the obstacle S comes into contact, and When there is no contact, the light is reflected by the corresponding photoelectric switches 6a and 6b, and the light is returned to the initial position C where the optical path L is formed. Next,
The mechanism for the backward swing and the return bias to the initial posture C will be described by taking the left reflector 7a of the vehicle body B as an example, but the following configuration is the same for the right reflector 7b. The reflector 7a is attached to a rotating part 8a provided around the longitudinal axis R provided on the vehicle body B on the base side thereof, and the rotating part 8a holds the reflector 7a in the initial posture by a built-in helical spring 11a. C is rotationally urged in a direction for returning to C (clockwise in the figure). Also,
A locking projection 9 is provided at a predetermined location on the outer periphery of the rotating portion 8a.
a, the rotation of the rotating part 8a is restricted at a position where the reflector 7a has returned to the initial posture C by coming into contact with the fixing member 10a provided on the vehicle body B.

[Alternative Embodiment] In the above embodiment, the reflective photoelectric switches 6a and 6b are provided at the rear portions of the left and right protrusions 4a and 4b of the bumper 4 on the front side in the traveling direction.
The rear side of the left and right protrusions 4a, 4b may be attached to the side surface of the vehicle body B without protruding laterally beyond the left and right protrusions 4a, 4b.

In the above embodiment, the reflectors 7a, 7
Although b is only allowed to swing backward, swinging to the front side is also possible, and the initial posture C may be set to a neutral state to return and urge.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the case where the moving vehicle A is configured to automatically travel by using a traveling guide using a light reflecting tape or a magnetic tape has been described.
The mobile vehicle A may be configured to run autonomously.

In the claims, reference numerals are provided for convenience of comparison with the drawings, but the present invention is not limited to the configuration shown in the attached drawings.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of a moving vehicle.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory view of a swinging mechanism of a reflector.

[Explanation of symbols]

 4,5 Bumper 4a, 4b Projection 6a, 6b Photoelectric switch 7a, 7b Reflector B Body C Initial posture

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on front page (58) Field surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁶ , DB name) G05D 1/02 B60R 19/48

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A bumper (4) on the front side in the traveling direction is provided so as to protrude on both left and right sides of the vehicle body (B), and a bumper (5) on the rear side in the traveling direction is provided on the vehicle body (B). A moving vehicle provided so as not to protrude on both left and right sides, and a left and right protruding portion (4a) protruding on both sides of the vehicle body (B) in the bumper (4) on the front side in the traveling direction. ,
At the rear part of (4b) or at the rear side thereof, the reflection type photoelectric switches (6a) and (6b) do not protrude laterally beyond the left and right protruding parts (4a) and (4b).
In addition, the light from the pair of photoelectric switches (6a) and (6b) provided in a state of projecting rearward in the traveling direction and corresponding to the left and right protrusions (4a) and (4b) is provided. A pair of reflectors (7a) and (7b) reflecting on the corresponding photoelectric switches (6a) and (6b) protrude on both left and right sides of the vehicle body (B).
Of the reflector (7)
Each of (a) and (7b) is capable of swinging backward to the rear in the traveling direction, and emits light corresponding to the corresponding one of the photoelectric switches (6a) and (6).
A mobile vehicle configured to be urged to return to the initial posture (C) reflected by b).