JP2001187606A - Unmanned carrying vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent a work from largely projecting from a side surface of a car body opposite to the transferring direction without increasing the size of a car body even in the case of an unmanned carrying vehicle for transferring the work by turning it into the predetermined direction. SOLUTION: This unmanned carrying vehicle 1 has a turnable work support part 33, a transferring device 2 for transferring a work W by projecting it from a turnout position on a car body toward a station, and a control device 7 for controlling the transferring device 2 so as to change direction of the work for transference. The control device 7 controls so that the work support part 33 is turned at a position displaced to a station 8 side.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention has a transfer device which has a rotatable article support portion, and which transfers an article by projecting from a standby position on a vehicle body to a station side to change the direction of the article. Related to an automatic guided vehicle to be transferred to a station.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a clean room for producing liquid crystals, a work is transported by an unmanned transport vehicle, and various processes for chemical treatment of the workpiece are provided on both sides of a transport path of the unmanned transport vehicle. The device is located. A plurality of workpieces are stored in a cassette having one side open, and the cassette is mounted on each processing apparatus by an unmanned carrier so that the opening faces the processing apparatus. The automatic guided vehicle is equipped with a scalar arm (transfer device) having a rotatable article support portion, and is provided between an article mounting table in the center of the vehicle body and a station for mounting a cassette of the processing apparatus. The cassette is transferred. The cassette is configured such that the opening thereof is directed to the traveling direction on the article mounting table, and when the cassette is transferred to and from the station of the processing apparatus,
By turning the article support part 90 degrees clockwise or counterclockwise, the opening is directed to the processing apparatus side. In such an automatic guided vehicle, when the cassette is large, there is a problem that the cassette protrudes greatly from the side surface of the main body while the article support portion is being turned.

[0003]

For this reason, in the conventional automatic guided vehicle, the size of the vehicle body is increased so that the revolving cassette does not protrude from the side opposite to the processing device, and passes through the vicinity. The cassette is prevented from coming into contact with persons. The present invention has been made by paying attention to the problems existing in such conventional techniques. An object of the present invention is to provide an automatic guided vehicle in which articles are turned in a predetermined direction and transferred, and the articles do not protrude significantly from the side of the vehicle body opposite to the station without increasing the size of the vehicle body. .

[0004]

In order to achieve the above object, according to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a swivelable article support portion, which projects an article from a standby position on a vehicle body to a station side. An automatic guided vehicle equipped with a transfer device for transferring the articles and control means for controlling the transfer apparatus so as to change the direction of the articles and transfer the articles to the station. The article supporting portion is controlled to be swung at the position displaced in the above manner.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the position where the article supporting portion is displaced to the station side is a position where the turning article does not protrude from the side of the vehicle body opposite to the station. It was decided to be the feature.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first or second aspect, a plurality of articles can be juxtaposed in the station, and the article support portion is displaced toward the station. In addition, the present invention is characterized in that the revolving article is at a position where it does not come into contact with other articles placed on the station.

Therefore, according to the first aspect of the present invention, since the article supporting means is turned at the position where the article supporting means is displaced to the station side, the size of the article from the side of the vehicle body opposite to the station can be increased without increasing the size of the vehicle body. The amount of protrusion of the article can be suppressed.

According to the second aspect of the invention, in addition to the functions and effects of the first aspect of the invention, the article supporting portion is turned at a position where the turning article does not project from the side of the vehicle body opposite to the station. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the article from protruding from the side of the vehicle body opposite to the station, and it is possible to reliably prevent the article from coming into contact with a worker or the like passing nearby.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, in addition to the functions and effects of the first or second aspect of the present invention, in addition to the position and the position where the turning article does not come into contact with other articles placed on the station. Since the article support portion is swung, the article can be prevented from contacting another article placed on the station, and the article can be prevented from being damaged due to the contact.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of an automatic guided vehicle according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a plan view of the automatic guided vehicle 1 according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 2 shows a front view of the automatic guided vehicle 1. The automatic guided vehicle 1 includes a transfer device 2 for transferring the cassette w, and a mounting table 6 for supporting four corners of the cassette w. The transfer device 2 is disposed at the lower center of the mounting table 6. It is designed to wait. The transfer device 2 includes a scalar arm 3, a lifting device 4 that supports the scalar arm 3 so as to be able to move up and down, and a turning table 5 that turns the lifting device 4.
And The turning table 5 has a station 8
A distance sensor 51 for detecting the position of the automatic guided vehicle 1 relative to the station 8 can be detected.

The scalar arm 3 includes a first arm 31, a second arm 32, and a hand 34 having a pivotable article support portion 33 provided at the distal end of the second arm 32, and is advanced and retracted by driving means. I have. The scalar arm 3 sets the rotation angle of the first arm 31 to 1 and the second arm 32
By setting the rotation angle of the hand 34 to -2 and the rotation angle of the hand 34 to 1, the cassette w can be moved without changing its attitude. Further, by turning the article support portion 33 90 degrees clockwise or counterclockwise, the cassette w, which is mounted on the mounting table 6 so that the opening is directed in the traveling direction, is set so that the opening faces the processing apparatus side. Can be transferred to the station 8.

The movement of the transfer device 2 such as expansion and contraction of the scalar arm 3, elevating and lowering of the elevating table 4, and turning of the swivel table 5 and the article support 33 are controlled by the control device 7. The scalar arm 3 used in the transfer device 2 may be a slide fork or the like having a pivotable article support portion 33 at the tip. The lifting device is built in the hand 34 so that only the article support portion 33 is moved up and down. Is also good.

In the station 8, for example, three cassettes w are arranged side by side at predetermined intervals, and have a work space 81 into which the scalar arm 3 can be inserted. The station 8 includes a distance sensor 5 of the automatic guided vehicle 1.
A target t corresponding to 1 is provided.

The operation of transferring the cassette w from the automatic guided vehicle 1 to the station will be described with reference to FIGS. First, the automatic guided vehicle 1 is stopped in front of a target station. The cassette w is mounted on the article mounting table 6 at the center of the automatic guided vehicle 1 with its opening facing the traveling direction. The scalar arm 3 is folded and is in a standby state in preparation for transfer (FIG. 4A). It is assumed that the automatic guided vehicle 1 is stopped while being inclined with respect to a target station, and is also shifted in the front-rear direction. For this reason, it is necessary to correct the deviation amount and transfer the cassette w to the station. This shift amount is obtained based on the distance to the target t detected by the distance sensor s, and the amount of expansion and contraction of the scalar arm 3 and the turning angle of the turning table are controlled based on the shift amount (step s1).

Next, the lifting table is raised to support the cassette w on the mounting table 6 by the article support section 33 of the scalar arm 3 (step s2). Then, the turning table is turned at the turning angle obtained in step s1, and the article support unit 33 is turned by the same amount in the direction opposite to the turning angle, so that the automatic guided vehicle 1 moves to the station (the position where the cassette w is placed). The inclination is corrected (step s3). The turning angle of the turning table and the article support portion 33 is extremely small, and there is no possibility that the turned cassette w will protrude from the vehicle body of the automatic guided vehicle 1. In addition, as described above, not only the turning table but also the article support portion 33 is turned so that the cassette w is mounted without tilting with respect to the station.

Next, the scalar arm 3 is advanced to a predetermined position on the station side and temporarily stopped (step s).
4). The stop position is a position at which the cassette w does not protrude from the side of the vehicle body opposite to the station even when the cassette w is turned, and is turned to another cassette (not shown) mounted on the station. This is a position where the cassette w does not come into contact (FIG. 4B).

Next, at this position, the article support portion 33 is turned 90 degrees clockwise so that the opening of the cassette w faces the processing device (step s5). As shown in FIG. 4C, the turning locus 9 of the turned cassette w does not protrude from the side of the vehicle body opposite to the station.

Next, the scalar arm 3 is extended by the extension amount obtained in step 1 (step s6). FIG.
As shown in (d), the cassette w is placed in a correct posture with respect to the station. Then, the elevating device is lowered, and the cassette w is placed on the station (step s).
7). When the transfer to the station is completed, the scalar arm 3 is retracted and retracted to the article platform of the automatic guided vehicle,
Return to the standby position (step s8).

When transferring a cassette from a station to an unmanned transport vehicle, as shown in FIG.
It stops in front of the target station, and calculates the amount of expansion and contraction of the scalar arm and the turning angle of the turning table based on the amount of deviation from the target station obtained from the distance to the target detected by the distance sensor (step s11).
The turning table is turned at the turning angle obtained in step s11, and the article support unit is turned by the same amount in the direction opposite to the turning angle to correct the attitude of the cassette with respect to the station (step s12). The scalar arm is extended from the standby position to the station by the amount of expansion / contraction determined in step s11 (step s13). The elevating device is raised to support the cassette on the station with the article support of the scalar arm (step s14).

After the cassette is supported by the article support section, the scalar arm is retracted to a predetermined position and temporarily stopped (step s15). This stop position is a position at which the rotating cassette does not come into contact with another cassette mounted on the station, and may be the same position as in FIG. 5 or a different position.

Next, the article supporting portion is rotated 90 degrees counterclockwise.
So that the opening of the cassette faces the traveling direction of the automatic guided vehicle when the opening of the cassette is placed on the article support portion (step s).
16). The scalar arm is contracted and retracted below the article mounting table of the automatic guided vehicle (step s17). The elevating device is lowered, the cassette is mounted on the article mounting table, and the scalar arm is returned to the standby position (step s18).

The present invention may be embodied as follows. In the present embodiment, as means for obtaining correction data, a distance sensor provided on the turning table and a target provided on the station are used, but a CCD camera is mounted on the tip of the scalar arm, and an image taken at the time of stop is obtained. Correction data may be obtained from the amount of deviation from a normal image stored in advance, or another method may be used. Further, in the present embodiment, assuming that the processing apparatus is disposed on both sides of the automatic guided vehicle, the article support unit is turned 90 degrees clockwise or counterclockwise, but the turning angle of the article support unit is The angle is not limited to 90 degrees, but may be an angle corresponding to the position of the processing device with respect to the traveling route, the cassette storage direction of the processing device, or the like. In the present embodiment, the standby position of the transfer device is located below the center of the mounting table. However, the present invention is not limited to this position. In the present embodiment,
Although the cassette is transferred after being transferred from the transfer device to the mounting table, the transfer may be performed while the cassette is supported by the transfer device without providing the mounting table.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an automatic guided vehicle according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a front view showing the automatic guided vehicle of the present embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a side view showing the automatic guided vehicle of the present embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a plan view showing the movement of transferring the cassette of the automatic guided vehicle according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of control performed by the control device when a cassette is transferred from the automatic guided vehicle to the station according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart of control by the control device when a cassette is transferred from the station to the automatic guided vehicle according to the present embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 automatic guided vehicle 2 transfer device 7 control means 8 station 33 article support unit w cassette

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A transfer device having a swivelable article support portion, which projects an article from a standby position on a vehicle body toward a station, and transfers the article to a station by changing the direction of the article. An automatic guided vehicle having control means for controlling a transfer device, wherein the control means controls the article support section to turn at a position where the article support section is displaced toward the station. Transport vehicle. 2. The automatic guided vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the position at which the article support portion is displaced toward the station is a position at which the turning article does not protrude from the side of the vehicle body opposite to the station. . 3. A station in which a plurality of articles can be juxtaposed, and the position where the article support is displaced toward the station is defined as a position at which the swiveling article does not come into contact with other articles placed on the station. The automatic guided vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle is provided.