GB2336838A

GB2336838A - A driverless transport vehicle

Info

Publication number: GB2336838A
Application number: GB9908972A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Walter Harter; Martin Fien
Original assignee: Indumat GmbH and Co KG
Current assignee: Indumat GmbH and Co KG
Priority date: 1998-04-30
Filing date: 1999-04-21
Publication date: 1999-11-03
Anticipated expiration: 2019-04-21
Also published as: ITMI990863A1; GB9908972D0; GB2336838B; IT1312214B1

Abstract

A driverless transport vehicle includes a plurality of storage locations 11, eg shelves, provided for material 12 to be transported, and a handling device 10 for setting down and picking up the material to be transported in the storage locations, and for setting down and picking up the material to be transported at predetermined set-down locations adjacent to which the transport vehicle can be positioned. The vehicle also includes a pivoting device for pivoting the material to be transported about a substantially vertical axis. The handling device may comprise a generally horizontal support member 15 secured to a lifting mast 13 by means of a transverse slide mechanism 14. A pivoting device 16 may be secured to the support member to allow a telescopic platform 17 to extend material towards the storage locations or to pick up or set down material. Set-down locations (18, fig 3) may be provided adjacent which the vehicle may be positioned in order to set-down or pick up material. The material to be transported may be a container, pallet, or wire mesh box. The navigation unit of the vehicle may incorporate a rotating laser beam which emerges in the upper region of a column 6. Flexible bumpers 7, 8 may be provided to damp any possible collision with an obstruction.

Description

1 DRIVERLESS TRANSPORT VEHICLE 2336838 The present invention relates to a

driverless transport vehicle.

Driverless transport vehicles are known which have thereon a plurality of storage locations for material to be transported. The material to be transported may be stored in suitable transport means such as a container, pallet or wire mesh box. Such transport vehicles incorporate a handling device for setting down and picking up the material to be transported in the storage locations and for setting down and picking up the material to be transported at predetermined set-down locations adjacent to which the transport vehicle can be positioned.

With driverless transport vehicles of this kind empty and laden transport means can be set down in the storage locations of the transport vehicle. The transport vehicle travels automatically to different set-down locations for the material to be transported or transport means in an assembly building for example. As a rule, an empty transport means is picked up from a set-down location by means of the handling device and Then a laden transport means is taken from a storage location and set down in the set-down location.

set down in a storage location on the transport vehicle.

With known transport vehicles of the above-identified type, the usually rectangular transport means can only be picked up and set down with a predetermined fixed orientation. In addition, the transport means can only be set down and picked up again in a set-down location on one particular side of the transport vehicle.

An object of the present invention is to provide a transport vehicle with which the material to be transported can be handled and stored flexibly with free access.

2 According to the present invention there is provided a driverless transport vehicle having a plurality of storage locations provided thereon for material to be transported, the transport vehicle comprising a handling device for setting down and picking up the material to be transported in the storage locations and for setting down and picking up the material to be transported at predetermined set-down locations adjacent to which the transport vehicle can be positioned, a pivoting device for pivoting the material to be transported about a substantially vertical axis.

The pivoting device makes it possible to set the material to be transported down in the storage location and in the set-down location with a different orientation. in addition, storage locations on both sides of the vehicle can be served with the same handling device.

The pivoting device is preferably capable of pivoting through an angle of at least 90 degrees. This allows material to be transported to be pivoted from the longitudinal direction of the vehicle into the transverse direction of the 'Vehicle and vice versa.

The handling device may include a lifting device by means of which the pivoting device is movable upwardly and downwardly in a substantially vertical direction.

The handling device may include a telescopic platform which can be pivoted by means of the pivoting device and which can be extended and retracted in a substantially horizontal direction. With the telescopic platform the handling device is able to reach to a storage location or a set-down location. When the telescopic platform can be extended in both directions, set-down locations on both sides of the transport vehicle can be reached without pivoting the telescopic platform. To pick up material to be transported, the telescopic platform is slid under the material to be 3 transported so that this can be lifted slightly. The telescopic platform can be provided with a continuous platform or with a fork to pick up the load.

The handling device may include a lateral reaching device with which the pivoting device and the telescopic platform are movable substantially horizontally in a direction transversely of the transport vehicle. This is one way of making it possible to reach storage locations which are arranged in laterally adjacent pairs in a direction transversely of the transport vehicle. This arrangement is advantageous in its use of space. Such storage locations may be aligned in a longitudinal direction in relation to the transport vehicle. This means that two storage locations can be disposed next to one another without exceeding the usual breadth for transport vehicles of this kind.

The material to be transported may advantageously be provided with a rectangular base area. As a result of the pivoting device, both the storage locations and the set-down locations can be aligned individually according to specific requirements.

For a better understanding of the present invention and to show more clearly how it may be carried into effect reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of one embodiment of a transport vehicle according to the present invention; Figure 2 is a plan view of the transport vehicle shown in Figure 1; and Figure 3 is a front elevational view of the transport vehicle shown in Figures 1 and 2.

4 In the embodiment of a driverless transport vehicle illustrated in the drawings the vehicle comprises two housings 1, 2 for driving and control units, the housings 1 and 2 being secured on a common vehicle frame 3. In the illustrated embodiment at least one driving wheel 4, 5 of the transport vehicle in contact with a ground or road surface is located under each housing 1, 2. However, it is also possible to embody the transport vehicle as a three-wheeled vehicle with only one driving wheel (not illustrated).

In the illustrated embodiment a navigation unit of the transport vehicle incorporates a rotating laser beam which emerges in the upper region of a column 6. Flexible bumpers 7, 8 are disposed at the ends of the transport vehicle. The flexible bumpers 7, 8 damp any possible collision with an obstruction and at the same time switch off the propulsion drive of the transport vehicle in the event of any such collision.

A load handling device 10 and storage locations 11, such as shelves, for material 12 to be transported are located between the two housing blocks 1, 2. The material 12 to be transported may have a rectangular base area, for example the material may be stored in a container, pallet or wire mesh box having such a rectangular base area. The storage locations are each formed by a shelf in the illustrated embodiment. The handling device 10 comprises a lifting mast 13 secured rigidly to the vehicle frame 3. A generally horizontal support member 15 is secured to the lifting mast by means of a lateral reaching device in the form of a transverse slide mechanism 14 mounted on the mast 13. The slide mechanism 14 is able to move the support member 15 in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the drawing. The support member 15 carries a pivoting device 16 on which a telescopic platform 17 is secured. The load handling device 10 is shown in a lowered position by continuous lines, while dashed lines shown above the continuous lines show the position of the transverse slide mechanism 14, support member 15, pivoting device 16 and telescopic platform 17 when raised.

As best seen in Figure 2 two storage locations 11 are disposed next to one another on a single shelf, that is the storage locations are arranged in laterally adjacent pairs in a direction transversely of the transport vehicle and are aligned in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle. In the configuration shown in the Figure 2, the telescopic platform 17 can be extended in a transverse direction of the transport vehicle. However, when the telescopic platform 17 is pivoted by 90 degrees by means of the pivoting device 16 (Figure 1), the telescopic platform 17 can extend in the direction of the storage locations 11. To be able to reach the two adjacent storage locations 11 separately, the support member 15, pivoting device 16 and telescopic platform 17 can be moved together by means of the transverse slide mechanism 14 in a direction transversely of the transport vehicle.

In Figure 3 there is shown one of a number of set-down locations 18 adjacent to which the transport vehicle can be positioned. In the illustrated embodiment the set-down locations are aligned in a direction transverse to the transport vehicle. With the handling device 10 (Figure 1) material 12 to be transported can be set down in the selected set-down location 18 and picked up again as required.

6

Claims

1. A driverless transport vehicle having a plurality of storage locations provided thereon for material to be transported, the transport vehicle comprising a handling device for setting down and picking up the material to be transported in the storage locations and for setting down and picking up the material to be transported at predetermined set-down locations adjacent to which the transport vehicle can be positioned, and a pivoting device for pivoting the material to be transported about a substantially vertical axis.

2. A driverless transport vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pivoting device is capable of pivoting through an angle of at least 90 degrees.

3. A driverless transport vehicle as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the handling device includes a lifting device by means of which the pivoting device is movable upwardly and downwardly in a substantially vertical direction.

4. A driverless transport vehicle as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the handling device includes a telescopic platform which is pivotable by means of the pivoting device and which is extendable and retractable in a substantially horizontal direction.

5. A driverless transport vehicle as claimed in claim 4, wherein the handling device includes a lateral reaching device by means of which the pivoting device and the telescopic platform are movable substantially horizontally in a direction transversely of the transport vehicle.

6. A driverless transport vehicle as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the storage locations are arranged in laterally adjacent pairs in a direction transversely of the transport vehicle.

7 7. A driverless transport vehicle as claimed in claim 6, wherein the storage locations for receiving the material to be transported are aligned in a longitudinal direction in relation to the transport vehicle.

8. A driverless transport vehicle as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the material to be transported is provided with a rectangular base area.

9. A driverless transport vehicle as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the set-down locations for receiving the material to be transported are aligned in a direction transverse to the transport vehicle.

10. A driverless transport vehicle substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as shown in, the accompanying drawings.