JPH05112188A - Charging connector for automated guided vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a charging connector for an automated guided vehicle, which contacts well and seldom causes a failure. CONSTITUTION:A fixed section 1 which is installed on the floor consists of a fixed cylinder 4, a rod 5, and a linear bearing 6. They are mutually combined with a slide cylinder 7 and a slide pipe 9 in a movable section 2 in such a way that the movable section 2 can slide. The movable section 2 is energized by a spring 12. An electrode 13 is provided at the front of an electrode support section 8 of the movable section 2. An automated guided vehicle V has a terminal 16 for charging, runs in such a way that a hole 17 engages with the electrode 13, and pushes the movable section 2 against force of the spring 12. The electrode 13 is fitted in the hole 17 due to stress of the spring 12.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a charging connector having electrodes for charging a battery of an automatic guided vehicle.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In factories and warehouses, unmanned guided vehicles traveling on the floor are used to convey articles. Since the traveling and article transfer operations of the automatic guided vehicle are performed by the electric motor, the automatic guided vehicle includes a battery for supplying electric power to the electric motor. When the battery is exhausted and the unmanned guided vehicle needs to be charged, the unmanned guided vehicle travels toward the charging facility and connects the charging terminal of the unmanned guided vehicle to the electrode of the charging facility for charging.

[0003]

It is preferable that the connection of the charging terminal of the automatic guided vehicle to the electrode is automatically performed, but if a contact failure occurs or an attempt is made to improve the connection, the mechanism becomes complicated. There was a problem that it caused a failure.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a charging connector for an automated guided vehicle which can be surely connected by a simple mechanism.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention is provided with an electrode on the front surface which is fitted with a charging terminal of an automatic guided vehicle, and when the electrode is fitted with the charging terminal, A movable part that is retractable in a direction opposite to the direction in which the electrode moves relative to the charging terminal and in a horizontal direction, and is biased in a forward direction, and the movable part is slidably attached. The charging connector for the automatic guided vehicle was constructed with the fixed part.

[0006]

Since the present invention has the above-mentioned structure, it has the following effects.

In the charging connector for the automated guided vehicle according to the present invention, the automated guided vehicle travels on the floor surface and advances in the direction in which the charging terminals of the automated guided vehicle are brought into contact with the electrodes. When the charging terminal comes into contact with the electrode, the movable part equipped with the electrode on the front surface starts to retreat as the unmanned guided vehicle travels. Sufficient reaction force is generated to mate with. Therefore, while the movable part slides, the electrode and the charging terminal relatively move and fit, and the two are connected.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The embodiments shown in the drawings will be described below.

1, 2, and 3 are front views, plan views, and right side views, each showing a partial cutaway, showing an embodiment of a charging connector for an automated guided vehicle according to the present invention, and FIG. 4 is an automated guided vehicle. It is a left side view which shows the charging terminal part of a vehicle.

In each drawing, the charging connector is composed of a fixed portion 1 fixed on the floor surface and a movable portion 2 slidably attached to the fixed portion 1. The fixed portion 1 has a pillar 3 protruding from the floor surface, and a fixed cylinder 4 protruding horizontally from near the upper end of the pillar 3. The fixed cylinder 4 is hollow, and the inside of the fixed cylinder 4 has the same axis as the fixed cylinder 4, and
There is a rod 5 protruding from. The vicinity of the tip of the rod 5 is slightly thin. A linear bearing 6 is attached inside the fixed barrel 4 near the tip thereof.

The fixed barrel 4 is inserted into a hollow slide barrel 7 having an inner diameter slightly larger than the outer diameter of the fixed barrel 4.
The slide cylinder 7 is attached to the electrode support portion 8. A slide tube 9 having the same axis as the slide tube 7 is passed through the inside of the slide tube 7, and is attached to the electrode support portion 8. The outer diameter of the slide tube 9 is substantially the same as the inner diameter of the linear bearing 6, and the inner diameter of the slide tube 9 is the rod 5.
Slightly larger than the outer diameter of. Therefore, the electrode support 8 is
The fixed cylinder 4, the rod 5, the slide cylinder 7, and the slide tube 9 can slide along the common axis direction.

A long hole 10 is provided in the slide cylinder 7 along the axial direction, and a pin 11 protruding laterally from the fixed cylinder 4 is loosely fitted in the long hole 10 to form a slide portion. The stroke of 2 is limited to the length of the long hole 10, and the movable part 2 is prevented from rotating with respect to the fixed part 1.

A spring 12 is provided inside the slide tube 9.
And the one end of the spring 12 has an electrode supporting portion 8
Since the other ends are in contact with the boundaries of the narrowed portions of the rod 5, the movable portion 2 is biased in the right direction in FIG.

The electrode supporting portion 8 has two electrodes 1 each.
3, 13 and signal electrodes 14, 14 are attached and exposed on the front surface of the electrode supporting portion 8 (right end surface in FIG. 1). A line for connecting to a power feeding device is connected to the electrodes 13 and 13 (not shown).

A slide cover 15 that slides with respect to the electrode support 8 is slidably attached to the electrode support 8. Under normal conditions, the slide cover 15 protrudes forward of the front end of the electrode support portion 8 and the electrodes 13, 1
3 and the exposed portions of the signal electrodes 14 and 14 are covered from above, below, left and right to prevent a worker from receiving an electric shock and the electrodes 13 and 13 from being contaminated, and are pushed by the automatic guided vehicle V approaching for charging. And retract as shown.

The charging terminal 16 on the unmanned guided vehicle V side is provided on the side surface of the unmanned guided vehicle V, and corresponds to the electrodes 13 and 13 and the signal electrodes 14 and 14 on the front surface of the electrode supporting portion 8. Holes 17, 17 and holes 18, 18 are provided. The electrodes 13 and 13 and the signal electrodes 14 and 14 are holes 1 respectively.
By fitting into 7, 17 and holes 18, 18, charging becomes possible. A line (not shown) is connected to the holes 17 and 17 and is connected to the battery section of the automatic guided vehicle V.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described.

When the battery of the automatic guided vehicle V is exhausted, the automatic guided vehicle V approaches the charging connector from the right side of the charging connector in FIG. At this time, the posture is adjusted so that the charging terminal 16 correctly faces the front surface of the electrode supporting portion 8.

The automated guided vehicle V first contacts the slide cover 15 and pushes it in. Then, the holes 17 and 18 of the charging terminal 16 come into contact with the corresponding electrode 13 and signal electrode 14. When the automatic guided vehicle V further advances, the spring 1
The movable part 2 starts sliding to the left in FIG. 1 against the force of 2. At this point of time, the movable portion 2 and the charging terminal 16 are relatively close to each other, and the force necessary for fitting the electrode 13 and the signal electrode 14 into the holes 17 and 18 is not generated (fitting is shown in the figure. The state is shown). When the movable part 2 is further pushed in, the reaction force of the spring 12 increases and the holes 1
The electrode 13 and the signal electrode 14 are fitted into the electrodes 7 and 18. This allows charging. The automated guided vehicle V has a long hole 10
The travel of the movable part 2 is controlled so as not to push the movable part 2 beyond the stroke limit of the movable part 2 defined by the pin 11 and the pin 11. When charging is completed, the guided vehicle V travels to the right in FIG. 1, the movable portion 2 returns to its original position, and the slide cover 15 also returns to its original position.

As described above, according to the charging connector of this embodiment, the electrode 13 is pushed into the hole 17 of the charging terminal 16 by utilizing the reaction force of the spring 12, so that the electrode 13 and the charging terminal 16 are connected to each other. There is no risk of poor contact. In addition, even if the electrode 13 may not fit into the hole 17 due to the posture of the automated guided vehicle V being misaligned, the electrode 13
The electrode 13 is not damaged because the vehicle moves only backward as the automated guided vehicle V advances. Furthermore, since the spring 12 absorbs the shock of the collision of the automatic guided vehicle V,
Failure due to collision can be prevented.

The embodiment of the present invention has been described above.
It is needless to say that the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments and can be appropriately modified within the scope of the gist of the present invention.

[0022]

As described above, according to the charging connector for the automatic guided vehicle according to the present invention, the charging terminal and the electrode of the automatic guided vehicle are sufficiently urged in the forward direction of the movable portion. Since it can be configured to be fitted with force, contact failure or disconnection does not occur during charging. In addition, because it is connected by running an automated guided vehicle, it does not require a special drive mechanism,
In addition, since the movable part can be retracted, there is no occurrence of a failure caused by the displacement of the relative position between the electrode and the charging terminal or the collision with the charging connector of the automatic guided vehicle.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway front view showing an embodiment of a charging connector for an automated guided vehicle according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the same embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a right side view showing the same embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a left side view showing a charging terminal portion of the automatic guided vehicle shown in FIG. 1.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Fixed Part 2 Movable Part 4 Fixed Cylinder 5 Rod 6 Linear Bearing 7 Slide Cylinder 8 Electrode Support 9 Slide Tube 12 Spring 13 Electrode 16 Charging Terminal 17 Hole

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A front surface is provided with an electrode that fits with a charging terminal of an automated guided vehicle, and when the electrode fits with the charging terminal, the electrode moves relative to the charging terminal. The automatic guided vehicle is characterized in that it has a movable part that is retractable in a direction opposite to the horizontal direction and is biased in a forward direction, and a fixed part to which the movable part is slidably attached. Charging connector to.