JP2000139003A - Transporter - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To make a transporter to be able to be taken out easily from a narrow holding space. SOLUTION: A transporter 11 is provided with a driving motor 22 which drives a driving wheel 21 on the bottom face of a box shaped wagon 12. When the release of braking by means of a braking mechanism is detected, a controller 25 controls the drive of the motor 22 based on operation signals outputted from operating sections 15 and 16 and, when a control mode change-over switch 39 is turned on, an ordinary assist mode is switched to a taking-out mode and the controller 25 controls the motor 22 so that the motor 22 may by driven in the retreating direction only for a preset prescribed period of time (for example, 0.3 second). Therefore, the transporter 11 automatically retreats to a easily taking-out position from a narrow holding space.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an improvement in a transfer device configured to transmit a motor driving force to wheels when an operator presses a bogie to perform power assist.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For example, there has been developed a transfer device for driving a cart in response to a pressing operation of an operator when carrying a load or the like and performing power assist. In a transport device of this type, a motor for driving wheels, a battery for rotating the motor, a control device for controlling the driving torque of the motor, and the like are mounted on a truck on which the load is placed. Further, a force sensor including a strain gauge or the like for detecting the operation force of the operator is provided in the operation unit gripped by the operator.

[0003] The control device controls the voltage supplied to the motor in accordance with the output signal from the force sensor. Therefore, for example, when heavy luggage is loaded on the trolley, the driving torque of the motor is increased by strongly pressing the force sensor of the gripper, and the operator's labor is reduced. When the load loaded on the cart is relatively light, the driving torque of the motor is reduced by pressing the force sensor of the gripper with a small force.
As described above, by adjusting the pressing force applied to the force sensor, the transport device can transport the load at a constant speed regardless of the weight of the load.

[0004] In the transport device having the power assist function configured as described above, the drive motor is driven at a preset magnification. For example, the motor performs the same work as the force pressed by the operator. The burden on the operator is halved. In addition, when the transport device having the power assist function is used for a service cart used in an airplane, even a woman can easily move the service cart.

A service cart used in an airplane as described above is disclosed, for example, in JP-A-5-193368. In the transfer device described in this publication, a battery, a control device, a motor, and driving wheels are mounted on an integrated chassis, and a box-shaped housing with little unevenness is supported on the chassis. In the service cart, an in-flight meal tray is stored in a housing, and is stored in a narrow cart storage space provided in a place called a galley in an airplane. A plurality of service carts are accommodated in the cart accommodation space with almost no gap, and a stopper for preventing the service cart from jumping out during flight is provided on the floor.

[0006]

However, when taking out the service carts housed in the narrow cart box as described above, the housing of each service cart has almost no irregularities, and a plurality of service carts are provided in the service cart. Since the service cart is heavy and the service cart is heavy, pulling out the service cart from the cart storage space required considerable labor.

In particular, when the first service cart is taken out, the space between the service carts accommodated in the cart accommodation space is small, so that the service carts cannot be accessed and the service cart is pulled out of the cart accommodation space. It was difficult. In addition, a stopper is provided on the floor of the cart storage space to prevent the service cart from jumping out, so that the wheels require considerable force to get over the stopper, so it is difficult for women who are powerless to The cart could not be pulled out smoothly.

[0008] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a transport device that solves the above-mentioned problems.

[0009]

Means for Solving the Problems To solve the above problems, the present invention is characterized by taking the following means. According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a driving wheel provided at a bottom portion of a bogie, a motor for driving the driving wheel, an operating portion to which an operating force is applied, and a magnitude of the operating force applied to the operating portion. A control unit that controls the motor in accordance with the switch, a switch that is operated when driving the drive wheel in the reverse direction, and that the motor is operated for a predetermined time by operating the switch. And control means for controlling the drive in the backward direction.

Therefore, according to the first aspect of the present invention, since the motor is driven in the backward direction for a predetermined period of time by operating the switch, the motor can be easily taken out even if it is housed in a narrow place without any gap. For example, a powerless woman can smoothly take out a service cart stored in a cart storage space in an airplane. In addition, since the motor stops in a predetermined time, the motor can be safely taken out without colliding with an operator or a wall.

The invention according to claim 2 is the transport device according to claim 1, further comprising changing means for changing a drive time during which the motor is driven by operating the switch to an arbitrary time. It is characterized by becoming. Therefore, according to the second aspect of the present invention, the drive time during which the motor is driven can be changed to an arbitrary time by operating the switch. The drive time can be set according to the possible space, and it is possible to prevent unnecessary drive.

[0012] Further, the invention according to claim 3 provides a drive wheel provided at the bottom of the bogie, a motor for driving the drive wheel, an operation section to which an operation force is applied, and an operation section. A control unit for controlling the motor in accordance with the magnitude of the operating force, a switch operated when the drive wheels are driven in the backward direction, and the bogie is set in advance by operating the switch. And control means for controlling the driving of the motor until the motor moves backward by a predetermined distance.

Therefore, according to the third aspect of the present invention, the motor is driven and controlled by operating the switch until the bogie retreats by a predetermined distance, so that even if the bogie is housed in a narrow place without a gap, it can be easily operated. For example, a service cart stored in a cart storage space in an airplane can be smoothly taken out even by a weak woman. Moreover, since the motor stops at a predetermined distance, the motor can be safely taken out without colliding with an operator, a wall, or the like.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the transport apparatus of the third aspect, the distance changing means for changing a set distance at which the motor is driven by operating the switch to an arbitrary distance. It is characterized by comprising. Therefore, according to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the set distance at which the motor is driven can be changed to an arbitrary distance by operating the switch. The drive time can be set according to the possible space, and it is possible to prevent unnecessary drive.

[0015]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIGS. 1A to 1C are side views for explaining a configuration of an embodiment of a transfer device according to the present invention;
It is a front view and a bottom view. As shown in FIGS. 1 (A) to 1 (C), the transport device 11 includes an operation unit provided with a force sensor (not shown) for detecting an operation force at the upper right and left corners of the rear surface of the cart 12. 15 and 16 are attached.

A drive unit 13 is provided on the bottom surface of the carriage 12, and a door 14 for opening and closing the storage unit is mounted on the rear surface of the carriage 12. The cart 12 has four casters attached to the left and right sides of the bottom. That is, the front wheels 17 and 1 as driven wheels are provided at the bottom of the truck 12.
8 and rear wheels 19 and 20 are provided. In addition, trolley 1
A drive wheel 21 driven by the drive unit 13 is provided so as to be located on the center line in the longitudinal direction of the bottom of the second.

In addition to the drive unit 13, a control device 25, a battery 26, and a motor driver 27 are arranged at the bottom of the carriage 12. The drive motor 22 is driven or stopped by the control device 25. A memory (not shown) of the control device 25 stores a control program for driving the drive motor 22 based on an operation signal output from the operation units 15 and 16 when the release of braking by the brake mechanism is detected, and a control program to be described later. When the control mode changeover switch (reverse switch) 39 is turned on, a control program (control means) for controlling the drive of the drive motor 22 in the reverse direction for a predetermined period of time is stored.

That is, when the control mode changeover switch 39 is turned on, the transfer device 11 switches from the normal assist mode to the take-out mode, and the drive motor 22
Is controlled in the backward direction for a predetermined time (for example, 0.3 seconds) set in advance, and automatically moves backward from the narrow accommodation space to a position where it can be easily taken out. Battery 2
6 is charged by a household power source 100 V by a cord with a plug (not shown) when the transport device 11 is not used. The electric power of the battery 26 is supplied to the drive motor 22 under the control of the control device 25.

The output shaft of the drive motor 22 is connected to a clutch brake unit (not shown), and the drive force of the drive motor 22 is transmitted to the drive wheels 21 via the clutch brake unit to generate an assist force. Let it. The rotation of the drive wheel 21 is detected by the speed detector 29, and the moving speed is calculated. Further, an operation panel 35 is provided between the operation units 15 and 16 at the rear of the transport device 11. The operation panel 35 includes a brake-on switch 36, a brake-off switch 37, a power switch 38, a control mode changeover switch 39 operated when driving the drive wheels 21 in the reverse direction, and a control mode changeover switch 39. A setting switch 40 for changing the driving time or the moving distance of the drive motor 22 when it is turned on to an arbitrary value, and an L for displaying each operation state.
ED lamps 41a to 41d are arranged.

The transport device 11 having the above-described configuration is housed in a narrow cart housing space (not shown) provided at a place called a galley in an airplane, for example, and distributes meals in the aircraft. When removed from the cart storage space. A stopper 42 is provided on the floor of the cart storage space as shown by a broken line in FIG. 1 to prevent the transport device 11 from jumping out during flight. Therefore, when removing the transport device 11 from the cart storage space, the front wheels 17, 18 and the rear wheels 19, 20 need to get over the stopper 42 on the floor surface.

The control mode changeover switch 39 is connected to the transport device 1 accommodated in the cart accommodation space (not shown).
This is a switch that is operated when taking out 1. And
When the control mode changeover switch 39 is turned on, the control device 25 controls the drive of the drive motor 22 in the backward direction for a predetermined time set in advance. In addition, each switch 36 ~
Reference numeral 40 denotes a plurality of cables 4 wired inside the carriage 12.
3a to 43e (shown by broken lines in FIG. 1)
5 is connected.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control device 25. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the control device 25 includes a CPU 45 that is an arithmetic device, a storage device 46 that stores device-specific constants and data such as an operation program, and an ON / OFF signal of each switch and sensor. A digital input / output device (Di / o) 47 for inputting and outputting a signal for driving a relay, and an A / A for converting inputs of force sensors 15a and 16a provided in the operation units 15 and 16 into digital values. It has a D converter 48 and a D / A converter 49 that outputs a torque command to the motor driver 27.

A clutch 50, a brake 51, and a drive wheel 21 are provided on an output shaft of the drive motor 22, and power assist for moving the carriage 12 is performed. The clutch 50 and the brake 51 are turned on or off in conjunction with the operation of the brake-on switch 36 and the brake-off switch 37.
It is activated by the signal from 3.

Signals from a brake on switch 36, a brake off switch 37, a power switch 38, a control mode changeover switch 39, and a setting switch 40 provided on the operation panel 35 are sent to the CPU 45 via the Di / o 47.
Supplied to Then, in addition to receiving the data from the storage device 46 as described above, the CPU 45
47, a signal can be transmitted and received, the operation control of the brake 51 and the clutch 50, and the servo O
The output of the N / 0FF signal, the input of an alarm signal such as overload and overheat from the motor driver 27, and the input of signals from the brake 51 and the control mode switching switch 39 can be received.

The CPU 45 includes, via an A / D converter 48, force sensors 15a, 15a provided on the operation units 15, 16.
A signal of the operation force detected by 16a is input. Then, the CPU 45 outputs a torque command signal corresponding to the magnitude of the operating force detected by the force sensors 15a and 16a to the D / D.
Output to the drive motor 22 via the A converter 49. FIG.
5 is a flowchart for explaining a control process executed by the CPU 45.

As shown in FIG. 3, the CPU 45 is managed by a timer using a clock, and is executed once every predetermined time (for example, every 10 msec). First,
In step S1 (hereinafter, "step" is omitted), a switch and a driver alarm signal are read from the Di / o 47. Next, it is checked whether or not an alarm of the motor driver 27 has occurred (S2).

Here, if an alarm has occurred, the digital output of the warning lamp is set to ON (S3), and the control signal is turned OFF to stop the operation of the motor 22 (S3).
4). Subsequently, the clutch 50 is turned off and the brake 51 is turned off (S5, S6). With this, the transfer device 11 can perform the normal operation force assist function (power assist function).
Can be used as a trolley without.

If it is determined in step S2 that no alarm has occurred, the process proceeds to step S8, where the brake on switch 36
Or, check whether the brake off switch 37 is on.
If the brake-on switch 36 is on, the control signal is turned off (S9). Then, the brake 51 is turned on (S10), and the clutch 50 is turned off (S1).
1), the drive motor 22 is not operated, and the drive motor 21 is fixed.

In step S8, if the brake-off switch 37 is on, the driving force is generated in order to generate driving force.
Proceeding to 12, the control of the drive motor 22 is started. Subsequently, the brake 51 is turned off (S13), and the clutch 50 is turned on to transmit the driving force of the drive motor 22 to the drive wheels 22 (S14). Here, the control mode changeover switch 39 is turned on to change the control mode to the “galley take-out mode (the control mode changeover switch 3 for taking out the transport device 11 from the galley cart accommodation space).
9 has been turned on) "(S1
5) The direction in which the torque command is output from the galley (reverse direction)
(S16).

Therefore, when the transport device 11 is taken out of the cart storage space, when the control mode changeover switch 39 is turned on, the drive motor 22 is driven in the backward direction and the driving force is transmitted to the drive wheels 22. Accordingly, the transport device 11 moves in the backward direction by the driving force of the drive motor 22, and the front wheels 17, 18 and the rear wheels 19, 20 can get over the stopper 42 on the floor. Therefore, the operator can take out the transport device 11 from the cart housing space by a simple operation.

In S15, if the control mode is the normal control mode, the force sensors 15a, 16a
Is read (S17), and a torque command is calculated based on this value (S18). And
In order to generate a driving force according to the control mode, a torque command is calculated, and then a command value is output to the motor driver 27 via the D / A converter 48 (S19). Under any conditions, since the output signal of the Di / o 47 suitable for the control is set, a digital signal is output (S7), and the current control processing is terminated.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the input processing of Di / o 47. As shown in FIG. 4, Di / o4
7 first reads data from a predetermined port (S
21). Next, it is checked whether the brake-on switch 36 or the brake-off switch 37 is on (S22). Thereafter, it is checked whether the control mode switch 39 for switching the control mode is on or off (S23).

FIG. 5 is a timing chart for switching the control mode. As shown in FIG. 5A, the signal of the control mode changeover switch 39 is unstable at the start of the operation due to mechanical play or the like, and becomes a stable signal after a while. Therefore, when the ON signal is continuously input for a predetermined time or more, the control mode is set to the “galley pick-up mode”, so that the mode signal is turned on as shown in FIG. I do.

At the same time, as shown in FIG. 5C, the switch mask is turned on so that the input of the control mode changeover switch 39 is not accepted. This allows
Even if the control mode changeover switch 39 is pressed for a predetermined time or more, the drive motor 22 is driven in the backward direction for, for example, 0.3 seconds and automatically returns to the stop state. This is because the space of the galley in which the transport device 11 is accommodated in the airplane is very small, and if the control mode changeover switch 39 is kept pressed by mistake, the transport device 11 retreats too far and collides with the operator. This is to prevent it.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart for explaining the procedure of the control processing of the timing chart shown in FIG.
In FIG. 6, first, it is checked whether a flag for masking reception of a mode switching signal is on or off (S31). If the switch input mask flag is on, it is checked whether the control mode is the "galley fetch mode" (S32).

Here, when the galley take-out mode is set, the timer for counting the time controlled in the galley take-out mode is incremented by one sample (S33). This time is the set time T shown in FIG.
If it exceeds m (S34), the control mode is set to normal, and the galley take-out mode counting timer is cleared (S35).

If the control time in the galley take-out mode does not exceed the set time Tm in S34,
The processing of S35 is not performed. Then, in S36, the timer for counting the mask time of the mode changeover switch is incremented by one sample. If this time exceeds the mask set time Tc shown in FIG. 5 (S37), the mode switching mask flag is turned off, the mask time counting timer is cleared, and the process ends (S38).

If it is determined in step S32 that the current mode is not the galley take-out mode, the process directly proceeds to step S36 while omitting the processes in steps S33 to S35. If the mode switching mask flag is OFF in S31, the process proceeds to S39 to check the switch input. An AND operation is performed between the input data and a value indicating the bit input from the control mode changeover switch 39, and it is checked whether the value is not zero (S40).

In step S40, if it is not zero, the control mode changeover switch 39 has been depressed. Therefore, the timer for counting the depressed time of the control mode changeover switch 39 shown in FIG. 5 is incremented by one sample. (S41). Here, when the value of the timer exceeds the set value Ts of the switch pressing time, it is determined that the control mode changeover switch 39 is continuously on for a predetermined time or more (S4).
2) Set the control mode to the galley take-out mode (S
43).

In step S43, the timer for avoiding chattering due to the instability of the switch signal is cleared, and the flag for masking the mode switch input is turned on. In step S42, the timer sets the set value T.
If it does not exceed s, the process of S43 is not performed. If the control mode changeover switch 39 has not been pressed in S40, the process proceeds to S44, the control mode is set to the normal assist mode, the timer and the switch input mask flag are cleared, and the current process ends.

In this embodiment, the value of the control time Tm in the galley take-out mode is, for example, 0.3 seconds, and the mask setting time Tc is 1 second. Also, these values are
An arbitrary value can be set by operating the setting switch 40. As described above, when the control mode changeover switch 39 is turned on, the CPU 45 controls the drive of the drive motor 22 in the backward direction for a predetermined time (for example, 0.3 seconds), and the transport device 11 controls the operator, the wall, or the like. The drive motor 22 is stopped before colliding with. Therefore, the transport device 11 automatically stops in a state where the transport device 11 protrudes from the galley cart accommodation space by a predetermined distance.

Therefore, even if the transporting devices 11 are accommodated side by side in a narrow space without any gap and the stopper 42 is provided on the floor surface, the transporting device 11 is automatically turned on simply by turning on the control mode changeover switch 39. The operator moves backward by a predetermined distance from the cart housing space and stops at a position where it can be easily taken out, so that the operator's labor is significantly reduced as compared with the conventional one.

Next, a modification of the present invention will be described.
FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure in the case where the control of the galley take-out mode is controlled by the moving distance of the transfer device 11. In FIG. 7, in order to see the change in the moving distance of the airplane within the narrow galley, it is first determined whether or not the control mode is the galley take-out mode (S5).
1). Here, in the galley take-out mode, it is compared whether the output value of the speed detector (encoder) 29 is equal to the previous output value (S52).

If the ON / OFF of the pulse from the speed detector (encoder) 29 has changed from the previous state, the pulse count value is incremented by one (S5).
3). Then, in S54, when the count value of the pulse exceeds the count value P_num indicating the predetermined distance,
In S55, the count value is cleared, and the control mode is set to the normal mode. If the pulse count value does not exceed the count value P_num indicating the predetermined distance in S54, the process of S55 is omitted.

In S51, if the control mode is the normal mode, the process proceeds to S56, where the switch input is checked as in the case of FIG. And S
At 57, it is determined whether the bit indicating the input data from the mode changeover switch 39 is on or off. If it is off, the control mode is set to the normal assist mode and the timer for switch stability determination is cleared (S61). .

In S57, if there is input data from the mode changeover switch 39, the value of the stability check timer is incremented by one sample (S58), and if this timer value is larger than the set value Ts (S59). ,
The control mode is set to the galley take-out mode, and the counter is cleared (S60). At the end of the process, the pulse signal from the speed detector (encoder) 29 is stored in a buffer that stores the state of the signal one sample before (S56), and the current process ends.

FIG. 8 is a waveform diagram of the pulse signal from the speed detector 29. As shown in FIG. 8, the speed detector 29
Assuming that the pulse signal from is read by software at the time indicated by the black dot in the figure, the pulse count is performed at the time surrounded by a white circle. Therefore, the CPU 45 can accurately integrate the number of pulses even when the pulse output from the speed detector 29 is longer than the sampling time.

Therefore, the CPU 45 calculates the moving distance of the transport device 11 by counting the pulses at the time surrounded by a white circle among the pulse signals from the speed detector (encoder) 29, and calculates the travel distance of the transport device 11. The drive motor 22 is stopped before colliding. Therefore, the transport device 11 automatically stops in a state where the transport device 11 protrudes from the galley cart accommodation space by a predetermined distance.

In the above-described embodiment, a transport device applied to a cart used in an airplane has been described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and can be applied to a transport device used for other purposes. Of course. Further, in the above-described embodiment, the box-shaped transport device 11 as described above is given as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this, and it goes without saying that the present invention can be applied to transport devices having other shapes or structures. .

[0050]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, the operation of the switch is used to control the driving of the motor in the reverse direction for a predetermined time, so that the motor can be accommodated in a narrow place without any gap. It can be easily taken out, for example, even a powerless woman can take out the service cart housed in the cart housing space in the airplane smoothly. In addition, since the motor stops in a predetermined time, the motor can be safely taken out without colliding with an operator or a wall.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the driving time during which the motor is driven can be changed to an arbitrary time by operating the switch. The driving time can be set according to the movable space in the above, and it is possible to prevent the driving more than necessary. According to the third aspect of the present invention, the motor is driven and controlled by operating the switch until the bogie retreats by a predetermined distance, so that the bogie can be easily taken out even if it is housed in a narrow place without any gap. For example, a powerless woman can take out a service cart stored in a cart storage space in an airplane smoothly. Moreover, since the motor stops at a predetermined distance, the motor can be safely taken out without colliding with an operator, a wall, or the like.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the set distance at which the motor is driven can be changed to an arbitrary distance by operating the switch. The driving time can be set according to the movable space in the above, and it is possible to prevent the driving more than necessary.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining a configuration of an embodiment of a transport device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a control device 25.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a control process executed by a CPU 45;

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a process for inputting Di / o 47;

FIG. 5 is a timing chart for switching control modes.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart for explaining a procedure of a control process of the timing chart shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 shows the control of the galley take-out mode performed by the transfer device 11.
6 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure when control is performed with a moving distance of the control unit.

8 is a waveform diagram of a pulse signal from a speed detector 29. FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 Conveying device 12 Dolly 13 Drive unit 14 Storage part 15, 16 Operation part 17, 18 Front wheel 19, 20 Rear wheel 21 Drive wheel 22 Drive motor 25 Control device 26 Battery 27 Motor driver 28 Clutch brake unit 35 Operation panel 36 Brake-on switch 37 Brake off switch 38 Power switch 39 Mode switch 39 40 Setting switch

 ────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Yoshiko Iriyama 1-6-3 Fujimi, Kawasaki-ku, Kawasaki-shi, Kanagawa Prefecture Tokiko Corporation F-term (reference) 3D050 AA01 BB05 DD03 EE08 EE15 GG01 JJ01 JJ09 KK09 KK14 5H115 PG10 PI16 PO09 PO14 PU01 QE13 QN03 QN12 TB01 TO30 TU12 TZ02 TZ07

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A driving wheel provided at a bottom of a bogie, a motor for driving the driving wheel, an operating unit to which an operating force is applied, and a driving force applied to the operating unit according to the magnitude of the operating force applied to the operating unit. A transport device having a control unit for controlling the motor, wherein a switch operated when driving the drive wheel in the reverse direction; and driving the motor in the reverse direction for a predetermined time set by operating the switch. A transfer device comprising: control means for controlling; 2. The transfer device according to claim 1, further comprising a change unit that changes a drive time during which the motor is driven by operating the switch to an arbitrary time. . 3. A driving wheel provided at a bottom of a bogie, a motor for driving the driving wheel, an operating unit to which an operating force is applied, and a driving force applied to the operating unit according to the magnitude of the operating force applied to the operating unit. A transport device having a control unit for controlling the motor, wherein a switch operated when driving the drive wheel in the backward direction; and the operation of the switch causes the carriage to retreat by a predetermined distance set in advance. A transport device comprising: a control unit that controls driving of a motor. 4. The transport apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a distance changing unit that changes a set distance at which the motor is driven by operating the switch to an arbitrary distance. apparatus.