JP2002347618A - Automatic guided vehicle and article carrier equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an automatic guided vehicle capable of preventing cargo collapse, eliminating impressing of excessive force on an article. SOLUTION: Side surface supporting parts 71A and 71B for supporting the side surface of the article F with an interval from a horizontal direction, and pressing the article F from the horizontal direction of the article F and supporting the article F at the time of the cargo collapse are provided on each of front and rear parts of the automatic guided vehicle 3. An upper surface supporting part 72 for supporting the article F with an interval from an upper direction of the article F, pressing the article F from the upper direction of the article F and supporting the article F at the time of the cargo collapse is provided on an upper part of the automatic guide vehicle 3. By this constitution, the article F carried to the automatic guide vehicle 3 is pressed and supported by the side supporting parts 71A and 71B and the upper surface supporting part 72 at the time of the cargo collapse to prevent the cargo collapse. Since impressing of pressing on the article F is eliminated at a normal time, damage and impressing of unnecessary force on the article F can be prevented and the quality of the article F can be stabilized without impairing workability.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an automatic guided vehicle for transporting and transferring articles between stations and the like, and to an article transporting facility using the automatic guided vehicle. The present invention relates to a mechanism for preventing the articles from falling over, which is intended for articles requiring a high degree of cleanliness.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional unloading prevention mechanism for an automatic guided vehicle is disclosed in, for example, JP-A-7-285434 and JP-A-64-11878.

[0003] An article unloading prevention mechanism disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-285434 is capable of raising and lowering a press plate of an article placed on a mounting table above a mounting table of a body of an automatic guided vehicle. A supporting mechanism is provided for driving the holding plate up and down while supporting the holding plate, a number of elastic bodies are attached to the lower surface of the holding plate, and the holding plate is lowered by the driving mechanism, and the elastic body is elastically deformed to press the upper part of the article. This prevents the cargo from falling.

[0004] Further, an article unloading prevention mechanism disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open Publication No. 64-11878 is provided with uprights at the front and rear portions of a traveling main body of an automatic guided vehicle, and can be moved up and down along the uprights. A pressing plate capable of pressing an article to be conveyed from above is provided, and the pressing plate presses an upper portion of the article to be conveyed to prevent the article from falling over.

[0005]

However, these are premised on an unspecified number of cardboard boxes or the like which are used in a production line in a normal atmosphere and have unfixed shapes as articles to be conveyed. (Pressing is applied) to prevent the cargo from falling down, but it is more convenient and more heavy, and it is necessary to have a high degree of cleanliness, such as liquid crystal panels and semiconductor devices. It is desirable that no excessive pressure be applied to the article, that it be possible to automatically correct even when the cargo has fallen, and that a mechanism for ensuring cleanness be provided.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide an automatic guided vehicle capable of preventing unloading while eliminating the application of an extra force to an article, and an article transporting equipment using the automatic guided vehicle. .

[0007]

Means for Solving the Problems To achieve the above-mentioned object, an invention according to claim 1 of the present invention is an automatic guided vehicle that travels along a traveling route and transports articles,
The front and rear portions of the automatic guided vehicle each include side support means for supporting the side surface of the article from a lateral direction, and upper surface support means for supporting or pressing and supporting the article from above. Things.

According to the above configuration, the article conveyed to the automatic guided vehicle is supported by the side support means and the top support means at the time of falling of the load, and the falling of the load is prevented. In addition, since no pressure is applied to the article during normal times, damage to the article and application of unnecessary force are prevented, and the quality of the article can be stabilized without impairing workability.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided the first aspect of the present invention, wherein the upper surface supporting means is provided with a gap between the upper surface supporting means and the article. The upper surface support means switches between supporting the article by providing a gap and holding the article by pressing.

[0010] According to the above configuration, the article is normally supported with a gap provided by the upper surface support means without applying a force, and the article is not moved during high-speed running or sudden acceleration / deceleration in which the article is likely to collapse. It is held down and supported by the upper surface supporting means, and the unloading of articles due to the traveling speed or acceleration / deceleration of the automatic guided vehicle is prevented.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for detecting the inclination of an article generated during the transportation of the article. The upper surface support means presses and supports the article.

According to the above arrangement, when the inclination detecting means detects that the article is tilted, the article is pressed down and supported by the upper surface supporting means, thereby preventing the article from falling over. The invention according to claim 4 is the invention according to claim 1, wherein the side support means and the top support means are each provided with a gap between the article and the side support means and the article. At least one of the gap or the gap between the upper surface support means and the article can be adjusted to an appropriate position.

According to the above configuration, by properly adjusting the gap according to the transport environment including the state of the article, a gap corresponding to the article and the transport speed is secured, and unnecessary force is applied in various transport situations. By transporting the articles while minimizing the load, the effects on the articles can be further suppressed, and the quality can be stabilized. Further, when the articles are unloaded, the articles can be supported to prevent the unloading.

The invention according to claim 5 is the invention according to claim 1, wherein the side support means and the top support means are each provided with a gap between the article and the traveling of the automatic guided vehicle. At least one of the gap between the side support means and the article or the gap between the top support means and the article can be adjusted by speed or acceleration / deceleration.

According to the above construction, the article is normally supported with a gap provided between the side support means and the top support means without applying a force, so that the article can be loaded at a high speed or where acceleration or deceleration is likely to occur. At times, at least one of the gap between the side support means and the article or the gap between the top support means and the article is adjusted to support the article, thereby preventing the article from falling due to the traveling speed or acceleration / deceleration of the automatic guided vehicle. .

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the first aspect of the present invention, wherein each of the side support means and the top support means is provided with a gap between the article and the article. The inclination detecting means for detecting the inclination of the article generated, when the inclination detecting means detects that the article is inclined, the gap between the side support means and the article, or the gap between the top support means and the article The inclination of the article is corrected by adjusting at least one of them.

According to the above arrangement, when the inclination detecting means detects that the article is tilted, at least one of the gap between the side support means and the article or the gap between the upper surface support means and the article is adjusted. Thereby, the article is supported, and the article is prevented from falling.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an inclination detecting means for detecting an inclination of the article generated during the transportation of the article, and the article is detected by the inclination detecting means. When the inclination is detected, the inclination of the article is corrected by changing the traveling speed.

According to the above arrangement, when the inclination detecting means detects that the article is inclined, the inclination of the article is corrected by changing the traveling speed. In other words, when an article is tilted, an acceleration in a direction opposite to the direction in which the article is tilted is applied, so that the load is corrected.

The invention according to claim 8 is the invention according to claim 7, wherein when the inclination of the article is corrected, the traveling speed is returned to the original speed or the original speed while maintaining the state. It is characterized by returning to a near speed.

According to the above configuration, when the inclination of the article is corrected, the state is maintained, the running speed is returned to the original speed or a speed close to the original speed, and the conveyance is continued. The ninth aspect of the present invention is the invention according to any one of the third, sixth, seventh, and eighth aspects, wherein the inclination detecting means is provided by a push button type or photoelectric type detecting means. It is characterized by having comprised.

According to the above arrangement, the inclination detecting means is formed by, for example, a push-button flat type tact switch or a photoelectric type photoelectric switch. Therefore, the detection means is constituted industrially at low cost.

The invention according to claim 10 is the first invention.
An article transport facility using the automatic guided vehicle according to any one of claims 9 to 9, wherein the automatic guided vehicle is provided with distance detecting means for detecting a distance from a bottom surface to a floor surface of the automatic guided vehicle, There is provided a storage means for storing the distance information to the floor surface detected by the distance detection means in a time series, and the state of the floor surface is learned by storing the distance information to the floor surface.

According to the above configuration, the distance to the floor is detected by the distance detecting means provided on the automatic guided vehicle, and the information on the distance is stored in the storage means in chronological order. By storing the distance information to the floor, the state of the floor is learned in advance.

The invention described in claim 11 is the first invention.
0. The apparatus according to claim 0, further comprising: a determination unit configured to determine a state of the floor surface from a change state of the distance information stored in the storage unit, wherein the determination unit determines that the state of the floor surface is not appropriate. The state is notified to the user.

According to the above arrangement, when the state of the floor surface is determined to be inappropriate by the determining means, the state is notified. For example, by detecting and reporting an abnormality in the track or floor, the possibility of a transport accident can be eliminated.

The invention according to claim 12 is the first invention.
12. The traveling speed of the automatic guided vehicle according to claim 11, wherein a change occurs between the learned floor surface state and the distance information to the floor surface detected by the distance detecting means. Is reduced.

According to the above configuration, if a change occurs between the learned floor surface state and the distance information to the floor surface detected by the distance detecting means, an abnormality has occurred in the track and the floor. When it is determined that there is a possibility, the traveling speed of the automatic guided vehicle is reduced, and the possibility of a transport accident is eliminated beforehand. Further, it is possible to early detect and notify a precursor of an abnormality that is not noticeable visually, thereby preventing an accident.

The invention described in claim 13 is the first invention.
The invention according to any one of claims 0 to 12, wherein the automatic guided vehicle has a side support means for supporting a side surface of an article from a lateral direction, and a top support for supporting or holding the article from above. The means, provided with a gap between the article, the state of the floor surface learned, when the distance information to the floor surface detected by the distance detection means changes, the side support means and the article, Or at least one of the gap between the upper surface support means and the article is adjusted.

According to the above arrangement, when a change occurs between the information and the distance to the floor detected by the distance detecting means,
Judging that there is a possibility that an abnormality has occurred on the track and floor,
The article is supported by adjusting at least one of the gap between the side support means and the article, or the gap between the upper surface support means and the article, and the possibility of falling over due to a change in the floor surface is obviated.

The invention according to claim 14 is the first invention.
The distance detecting means according to any one of claims 0 to 13, wherein the distance detecting means is configured to move up and down according to unevenness of the floor surface, and to obtain a displacement of the member from a reference value, thereby obtaining a distance from the floor surface. Characterized by a detecting means for detecting the distance of the object.

According to the above construction, the distance detecting means comprises a member which moves up and down in accordance with the unevenness of the floor, and a detecting means which detects the distance from the floor by calculating the displacement of the member from the reference value. The distance from the floor is easily detected by the mechanical displacement.

[0033] The invention according to claim 15 is the invention according to claim 1.
The distance detecting means projects a sound wave or an electromagnetic wave from a vehicle bottom surface to a floor surface, and detects a floor or a time difference until a reflected wave from the floor surface arrives. It is characterized in that a distance to a surface is obtained.

According to the above configuration, the distance to the floor is detected by using a sound wave or an electromagnetic wave. By using such a detecting means without an operating part, it is possible to confirm a sign of an abnormality without damaging the floor surface at all.

The invention according to claim 16 is the first invention.
The invention according to any one of claims 0 to 15, further comprising: a dust removing unit that removes dust on a traveling path on a bottom surface of the automatic guided vehicle, wherein the dust removing unit is operated according to an operation time or the number of operations of the automatic guided vehicle. The cleaning device is operated to clean dust on the travel route.

According to the above configuration, by providing the dust removing means on the vehicle bottom surface of the automatic guided vehicle, accumulation of dust on the traveling route is prevented, and cleanness of the entire traveling route is ensured.

The invention according to claim 17 is the first invention.
The invention according to any one of claims 0 to 16, wherein the traveling instruction information from the general control means for controlling the conveyance of the articles by the automatic guided vehicle, or the distance between the preceding automatic guided vehicles, It is characterized by increasing or decreasing the traveling speed.

According to the above configuration, the traveling speed of the automatic guided vehicle is increased or decreased according to travel command information from the general control means for controlling the transport of articles by the automatic guided vehicle or the distance from the preceding automatic guided vehicle. Accordingly, a redundant facility capable of flexibly responding to the movement of the entire transport is constructed, and contact between the automatic guided vehicles is avoided.

[0039]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an automatic guided vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a layout diagram of an article transport facility using the automatic guided vehicle.

In FIGS. 1 and 2, reference numeral 1 denotes a pair of traveling rails (running) mounted on a floor 2 in a clean room along a station (or a process or a factory) where the articles F are transferred. An example of a route) and 3
Is a four-wheeled automatic guided vehicle guided by the traveling rail 1 and self-propelled in one direction indicated by an arrow to convey an article F. A plurality of automatic guided vehicles 3 are provided. The clean room is configured such that clean air is blown downward from a ceiling side (or a side wall side) through a filter, and the descending clean air is sucked under the floor through the mesh type floor 2. In the article F, for example, a liquid crystal panel is placed in a glass substrate transport box C, and is stacked on a pallet P in four boxes in two stages.
This article F weighs about 250 kg when the liquid crystal panel is a large panel. When the liquid crystal panel is a single glass substrate, the weight is about 100 kg. In addition, if the cleanliness of the articles (liquid crystal panels) inside is maintained by the box C, it is not always necessary to install the article transport equipment using the automatic guided vehicle 3 in the clean room.
It can be used in a normal atmosphere (the installation of article transport equipment is not limited to a clean room).

The automatic guided vehicle 3 is, as shown in FIG.
A vehicle body (hereinafter, abbreviated as a vehicle body) 5, a transfer / loading device 6 for an article F installed on the vehicle body 5, and a support for the article F mounted on the transfer / loading device 6 It is composed of a device 7. [Transfer / Placement Device 6 for Article F] The transfer / placement device 6 for the article F is composed of a chain conveyor 8 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3. In FIG. 3, 9 is a pair of chains before and after transferring and placing the article F, 10 is a transfer motor that drives each of these chains 9, and 11 is before and after guiding the article F when the article F is transferred. It is a pair of guides.

With this configuration, the chain 9 is driven in the right and left direction perpendicular to the traveling direction of the automatic guided vehicle 3 by the forward / reverse drive of the transfer motor 10, and the article F is guided and transferred by the guide 11. . The chain 9 also serves as a mounting table on which the article F is mounted. [Vehicle body 5] As shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, the vehicle body 5 has two revolving driven wheel devices 13 attached to the lower part of the vehicle body 5 and supporting the vehicle body 5 on one traveling rail 1. 2 that supports the vehicle body 5 with respect to the other traveling rail 1, can follow the bent shape of the traveling rail 1, and is movable (slidably) with respect to the revolving driven wheel device 13.
As shown in FIG. 6, a right frame 21 for supporting two turning driven wheel devices 13 so as to be able to turn around the vertical axis, and two turning / sliding driving wheel devices 14 are provided. A left frame 22 for supporting the slide-type drive wheel device 14 so as to be pivotable about the longitudinal axis and to be movable in the left-right direction (a direction toward and away from the pivot-type driven wheel device 13); and a right frame 21 and a left frame 22. Front and rear frames 23, 24 for fixing the front and rear ends of
And a box 25 fixed on a frame formed by the frames 21, 22, 23, and 24. On the box 25,
The transfer / loading device 6 for the article F is installed.

Each of the revolving driven wheel devices 13 includes a revolving body 31 that is rotatable around the vertical axis with respect to the right frame 21.
A bracket 32 connected to the lower surface side of the revolving structure 31 and having a pair of legs corresponding to the side surfaces of the traveling rail 1, an axle 33 provided at the center of both legs of the bracket 32, and an axle 33 And four guide rollers (guides) that are provided at the front, rear, left and right ends of both legs of the bracket 32 and that come into contact with both side surfaces of the traveling rail 1. Example of device) 35
With the four guide rollers 35, the revolving unit 31 is rotated around the vertical axis via the bracket 32 in accordance with the bending of the traveling rail 1, so that the idle wheel 34 is connected to the traveling rail 1. The idler wheels 34 can be moved on the traveling rail 1 without falling off.

Each turning / sliding type driving wheel unit 14
Is a revolving body 41 that is rotatable about the vertical axis with respect to the left frame 22 and is movable in the left-right direction.
A bracket 42 connected to the lower surface of the bracket 41 and having a pair of legs corresponding to the side surfaces of the traveling rail 1;
Axle 43 provided at the center of both legs of
A drive wheel 44 supported by the axle 43, a motor 45 having a drive shaft connected to a rotation shaft of the drive wheel 44, and a lower and front and left and right ends of both legs of the bracket 42 are provided on the traveling rail 1 respectively. 4 which can contact freely on both sides of
And a revolving unit around the center of the vertical axis via the bracket 42 corresponding to the bending of the traveling rail 1 by the four guide rollers 46.
When the swivel body 41 moves left and right via the bracket 42 corresponding to the width between the pair of traveling rails 1, the drive wheels 44 travel on the traveling rail 1 without derailing. In addition, when the drive wheels 44 are rotated by the drive of the motor 45, the automatic guided vehicle 3 can be guided by the traveling rail 1 and travel.

As described above, the two drive wheels 44 are structured so as to be capable of turning and sliding (movable in a distance from and away from the idler wheels 34), and the positioning is performed by the two idler wheels 34 so that a curve is obtained. The traveling of the automatic guided vehicle 3 in the section is smoothly performed without any trouble, and the vehicle body 5 is prevented from swinging in the left-right direction. Further, the load on the motor 45 of the drive wheel 44 is reduced, and the configuration of the idle wheel 34 and the drive wheel 44 can be simplified as compared with the case where positioning is performed by the drive wheel 44.

Further, a frame 2 is provided below the box 25 of the vehicle body 5.
A control box 47 and a power box 48 are fixed at an upper part in a space formed by the motors 45 in the frame formed by 1, 22, 23, and 24, and a vacuum cleaner (a dust removing means) is provided at a lower part. Example) 49 is fixed.

As shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 5,
A current collecting rail 51 is laid along the running direction on the outer side surface of one of the running rails 1 along the running direction.
A current collector 52 is provided outside the 13 brackets 32, and power is supplied to the automatic guided vehicle 3 from the current collecting rail 51 via the current collector 52.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, a feeder line 54 is laid on the outer side surface of the other traveling rail 1 along the traveling direction along the traveling direction.
A wireless modem 55 is installed outside the bracket 42 so as to approach and face the feeder line 54.

As a sensor, as shown in FIG. 5, a bracket of one turning type driven wheel device 13 of the automatic guided vehicle 3 is provided.
32, a distance sensor 56 is provided as distance detecting means for detecting the distance between the vehicle body 5 and the floor 2. This distance sensor
As shown in FIG. 7, reference numeral 56 denotes a rack 57A supported by a guide body 57 fixed to the bracket 32 and slidable vertically with respect to the floor 2, and attached to the lower end of the rack 57A. And a spring 59 provided in the guide body 57 for lightly pressing the rack 57A downward.
, A pinion 60 that meshes with the rack 57A and rotates, and an encoder 61 connected to a rotation shaft of the pinion 60. The distance sensor 56 can measure the displacement by counting the pulses output from the encoder 61 from the reference height of the floor 2. As described above, the distance sensor 56 includes the rack 57A that moves up and down according to the unevenness of the floor 2 and the encoder 61 that detects the distance from the floor 2 by calculating the displacement of the rack 57A from the reference value.
And the distance from the floor 2 is easily detected by mechanical displacement.

As sensors, bumper switches 62 for detecting rear-end collision before and after the vehicle body 5 are provided.
An encoder 63 for detecting the number of rotations of the motor 45 is provided on the drive shaft of the motor 45.

Further, an optical sensor transmitter 65 and a receiver 66 are provided as data transmitting / receiving means for transmitting / receiving data between the front and rear automatic guided vehicles 3. For the optical sensor transmitter 65 and the receiver 66, a flat plate 67 also serving as a blocking member for blocking light from leaking downward is provided below the box 25 of the vehicle body 5 and at the front and rear center positions. The optical sensor transmitter 65 and the receiver 66 are mounted on a flat plate 67 with the rear and front facing each other. The mounting position of the optical sensor transmitter 65 and the receiver 66 is set between the upper surface level and the lower surface level of the traveling rail 1.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, an HP (origin) 70A formed of a magnet is provided at one point on the side surface of the running rail 1 in the straight portion, and the other turning type driven wheel of the automatic guided vehicle 3 is provided. The origin 70A is attached to the bracket 32 of the device 13.
Is provided with an origin detector 70 composed of a magnetic sensor for detecting the origin. [Supporting device 7 for article F] The supporting device 7 for the article F is provided on each of the front and rear portions of the vehicle body 5 as shown in FIG.
Side supporting portions (an example of side supporting means) 71A and 71B for supporting or pressing the side surface of the article F from the lateral direction, and an upper surface provided on the upper part of the vehicle body 5 for supporting or pressing and supporting the article F from above. The support portion (an example of the upper surface support means) 72 is configured. The side supporting portions 71A and 71B are provided with the article F
The height is set to be 1766 mm high for a package having a height of 1686 mm, which is sufficient to support the package of the article F having a side length equal to or longer than that of the article F. Since the space where the article F can be taken in and out from the side of the automatic guided vehicle 3 is vacant, the efficiency of the automatic transfer operation of the article F from the side does not decrease, and the glass substrate transfer box C which is the article F As long as the internal environment is kept clean, it can withstand long-distance transport in a normal atmosphere, and the transfer efficiency is good because there is no need to make the transfer airtight.

As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, on the vehicle body 5, at the four front and rear sides (four corners) of the transfer / loading device 6 for the article F,
A pair of left and right front frames 81 and a pair of left and right rear frames 82 are erected, and a front upper frame 83 that fixes the upper ends of the pair of front frames 81 and a rear upper frame that fixes the upper ends of the pair of rear frames 82. 84, the left frame that fixes both ends of the front upper frame 83 and the rear upper frame 84 respectively
85 and a right frame 86 are provided. The front side supporting portion 71A is fixed to a pair of front frames 81, the rear side supporting portion 71B is fixed to a pair of rear frames 82, and the upper surface supporting portion 72 is fixed on a left frame 85 and a right frame 86. ing. As shown in FIGS. 8 to 10, the “upper surface support portion 72” includes, as shown in FIGS. 8 to 10, a motor 91 with a speed reducer, a bearing 92 that supports an intermediate portion of a rotation shaft 91 </ b> A of the motor 91, and a bearing 92. , A cam-shaped member 93 fixed to the end of the rotation shaft 91A of the motor 91, and a pin 94A
A link member 94 having one end rotatably connected thereto via a pin 95A is attached to the other end of the pair of link members 94.
A flat plate 95 rotatably connected via a plate, guide rods 96 erected at four corners of the flat plate 95, guides 97 for vertically supporting the guide rods 96, these guides 97, the motor 91, and bearings As shown in FIG. 11, a frame 98 supporting the 92, a holding plate 99 suspended by vertically slidable pins 99A provided below the four corners of the flat plate 95, and wound around the pins 99A, as shown in FIG. A spring 100 is fixed at both ends to a flat plate 95 and a holding plate 99, respectively, and a cover 101 (FIGS. 1 and 8) covering the entire member.

The frame 98 is fixed on the left frame 85 and the right frame 86. The pressing plate 99 has a width of 800 mm in the direction, for example, for a package of an article F having a width of 1200 mm in the traveling direction.

A proximity sensor 102 for detecting the distance to the upper surface of the article F (box C) is provided on the upper surface support section 72. As the proximity sensor 102 for detecting the distance, for example, a high frequency oscillation type proximity switch or an ultrasonic sensor is used as a non-contact type sensor, and a differential transformer is used as a contact type sensor. As the proximity sensor 102,
By using a proximity switch, an ultrasonic sensor, and a differential transformer, the distance can be accurately detected.

With the above configuration, when the motor 91 rotates,
The cam-shaped member 93 rotates simultaneously, and the rotation of the member 93 causes the link member 94 to move up and down via the pin 94A. When the link member 94 is moved up and down and the guide rod 96 is guided by the guide 97, the flat plate 95 moves up and down, and the pressing plate 99 moves up and down. When the holding plate 99 is lowered and comes into contact with the upper surface of the article F, the holding plate 99 is returned upward by the action of the pin 99A and the spring 100 so that unnecessary pressing is not applied to the article F. The gap between the holding plate 99 and the article F is adjusted by feeding back the distance to the upper surface of the article F detected by the proximity sensor 102. It is configured to support from above, or to support by pressing. "Supporting" the article F means that a gap is provided between the holding plate 99 and the article F, and the article F is supported by the holding plate 99 only when the article F is tilted, and is supported so that further tilting does not proceed. The phrase “press and support” the article F means to support the article F by bringing the press plate 99 into contact with the upper surface of the article F or applying a pressure to the article F by the press plate 99. "Side support parts 71A, 71B" The side support parts 71A, 71B are formed by vertically configuring the upper support part 72, and a detailed description thereof will be omitted. In FIG. 8, reference numeral 104 denotes a front side supporting portion 7.
1A, a motor for driving the pressing plate 99; 105, a proximity sensor for detecting the distance to the side surface of the article F in the front side supporting portion 71A; 106, a pressing plate 99 for the rear side supporting portion 71B.
Is a proximity sensor that detects the distance to the side surface of the article F in the rear side supporting portion 71B, and the gap between the pressing plate 99 of the front side supporting portion 71A and the article F is , Article F detected by the proximity sensor 105
Is adjusted by feeding back the distance to the side surface of the article F, and the pressing plate 99 of the rear side supporting portion 71B and the article F are adjusted.
Is adjusted by feeding back the distance to the side of the article F detected by the proximity sensor 107, and the side supporting portions 71A and 71B respectively support the article F from the side of the article F, or It is configured to hold down and support. "Support" the article F means a side support
A gap is provided between each of the holding plates 99 of 71A and 71B and the article F, and the article F is supported by the holding plate 99 only when the article F is laterally displaced or inclined, and is supported so that no further displacement or inclination proceeds. That is, "pressing and supporting the article F" means supporting the article F by bringing the pressing plate 99 into contact with the side surface of the article F or applying pressure to the article F by the pressing plate 99.

The proximity sensors 105 and 107 detect the distance from the upper position of the article F, and are also used as inclination detecting means for detecting the inclination of the article F. Although the proximity sensors 105 and 107 are used as the tilt detecting means as described above, a reflection type photoelectric switch (an example of a photoelectric type detecting means) which operates according to the tilt of the article F or a flat type tact switch (push button) is used. An example of an expression detecting means) can be used. Such photoelectric switches and tact switches are industrially inexpensive, and can reduce equipment costs. [Control Block] FIG. 12 shows a control block of the automatic guided vehicle 3.

In FIG. 12, reference numeral 111 denotes a microcomputer, which is a ground controller (an example of general control means) for controlling the transportation of the article F.
Judgment is made by inputting a feedback signal for each automatic guided vehicle 3 from 112, for example, a current position (travel distance or address) signal or a signal such as the presence or absence of an article F, and making a determination.
The transfer of the article F between the respective stations is controlled by controlling each time.

The ground controller 111 is connected to the automatic guided vehicle 3
Transmission of the signal with the terrestrial modem 112 corresponding to the transceiver.
In addition, the antenna is provided on the traveling rail 1 as a path along the traveling direction of the automatic guided vehicle 3 via the feeder wire 54 laid over the entire length.

In FIG. 12, reference numeral 113 denotes a main body controller of the automatic guided vehicle 3 comprising a microcomputer. This main body controller 113 is connected to the ground controller via the wireless modem 55 installed so as to approach and face the feeder line 54. Transmission of signal with 111. The main body controller 113 includes the above sensors and communication devices, that is, the encoder 61 of the distance sensor 56 and the bumper switch 62.
And the encoder 63 of the traveling motor 45, the optical sensor transmitter 65, the receiver 66, the origin detector 70, and the proximity sensor 102 of the upper surface support portion 72.
The proximity sensor 105 of the front side supporting portion 71A and the proximity sensor 107 of the rear side supporting portion 71B are connected, and signals from the sensors and communication devices and control from the ground controller 111 input from the wireless modem 55 are connected. Judgment is made based on a signal, and the traveling motor 45 or the changeover switch 117 is switched via the inverter 116 and the changeover switch 117 to control the transfer motor 10 of the load transfer / loading device 6 to control the automatic guided vehicle 3
And the transfer control of the article F by the automatic guided vehicle 3 is executed, and the motor 91 of the upper surface support portion 72 and the front side support portion are executed.
The gap between each press plate 99 and the article F is controlled by controlling the motor 104 of 71A and the motor 106 of the rear side supporting portion 71B.

Control block diagrams of the main body controller 113 are shown in FIGS. The main body controller 113
An integrated control unit 121; a travel control unit 122 that drives the travel motor 45 via the inverter 116 based on a command (destination) of the integrated control unit 121 to control the travel of the automatic guided vehicle 3; The transfer of the article F (scooping of the article F
The control unit 123 controls the motor 91 of the upper support unit 72, the motor 104 of the front side support unit 71A, and the motor 106 of the rear side support unit 71B. It comprises a gap control unit 124 for controlling the gap between F and a floor control unit 125 for monitoring the condition of the floor 2 and controlling the vacuum cleaner 49.

The above-mentioned general control unit 121 is provided with the ground controller 1
11 based on the transfer data (the data of the “station for picking up the article F” and the data of the “station for unloading the article F” which are input via the ground modem 112, the feeder line 54, and the wireless modem 55). A command is output to the traveling control unit 122 and the transfer control unit 123 to control the entire automatic guided vehicle 3. The travel destination is instructed to the travel control unit 122, an arrival signal to the destination is input from the travel control unit 122, and the transfer control unit 123 is instructed to scoop up the article F or unload the article F. A transfer end signal is input from the loading control unit 123.

When the general control section 121 inputs the above-mentioned transport data, the general control section 121 first outputs the "station for scooping the article F" to the travel control section 122 and inputs an arrival signal to the travel destination. When a command for scooping the load is given to the control unit 123 and a transfer end signal is input, the end of the scooping of the load is transmitted to the ground controller 111 via the wireless modem 55, the feeder line 54, and the ground modem 112. Subsequently, when the "station for unloading the article F" is output to the travel control unit 122 as a travel destination and an arrival signal to the travel destination is input, the transfer control unit 123
When a transfer end signal is input and a transfer end signal is input, a transfer end is transmitted to the ground controller 111 via the wireless modem 55, the feeder line 54, and the ground modem 112. When outputting the travel destination, the travel start signal St is output from the floor controller.
Output to 125.

The traveling control section 122 will be described in detail. In FIG. 13, reference numeral 131 denotes a counter which is reset by an origin detection signal of the origin detector 70 and counts pulses output from the encoder 63.
The count value of 1 is input to the travel distance calculation unit 132, and the drive shaft of the motor 45, that is, the cumulative rotation speed of the drive wheel 44 is obtained in the travel distance calculation unit 132, and the cumulative rotation speed of the drive wheel 44 is calculated from the origin 70A. Is measured. The traveling distance Mf is output to the traveling drive unit 133 (details will be described later), is also output to the subsequent automatic guided vehicle 3 via the optical sensor transmitter 65, and is further transmitted to the wireless modem 5
5. The data is transmitted to the ground controller 111 via the feeder line 54 and the ground modem 112, and the current running position is fed back to the ground controller 111.

Reference numeral 134 denotes a memory in which the distance of each station from the origin 70A and the arrangement of the curved portion of the traveling rail 1 are stored. When the traveling target value setting unit 135 inputs the traveling destination from the general control unit 121, Memory 13
4 to obtain a travel target value Ms consisting of a distance from the origin 70A of the travel destination and the arrangement of the curve portion. The travel target value Ms and the arrangement of the curve portion are output to the travel drive unit 133.

The traveling drive unit 133 has a moving speed v
And the distance traveled by the automatic guided vehicle 3 from the moving speed v to the speed 0, that is, the distance Q required to stop, is set, and the own travel distance Mf is fed back using the travel target value Ms as the target value. While outputting the rotation speed command value to the inverter 116. That is, when the difference between the travel target value Ms and the travel distance Mf is equal to or greater than the distance Q, a rotation speed command value corresponding to the moving speed v is output, and the difference between the travel target value Ms and the travel distance Mf is smaller than the distance Q. Then, the rotation speed command value 0 is output. Further, the following traveling control is executed.

1. The linear portion and the curved portion of the traveling rail 1 are determined from the traveling distance Mf and the arrangement of the curved portion, and a rotation speed command value corresponding to the moving speed v is output in the linear portion. A rotation speed command value corresponding to a moving speed lower than the moving speed v is output and decelerated so as not to go out of a range where the holding plate 99 of the supporting portions 71A and 71B does not support the holding plate 99.

2. The traveling distance of the unmanned guided vehicle 3 in front, which is input via the optical sensor receiver 66, is compared with its own traveling distance Mf. Decrease and slow down.

3. When the travel target value Ms matches the travel distance Mf, that is, when the vehicle has arrived at the travel destination, an arrival signal is output to the overall control unit 121. 4. When a front tilt signal Sf described later is input, the rotation speed command value is increased to increase the speed, and a rear tilt signal Sb described later is used.
When is input, the rotation speed command value is decreased to decelerate.
Further, when a floor abnormal signal Ir described later is input, the rotational speed command value is reduced to reduce the speed.

5. When the bumper switch 62 operates, an output stop signal is output to the inverter 116, the output of the inverter 116 is stopped, and the automatic guided vehicle 3 is stopped.
In FIG. 13, reference numeral 136 denotes an acceleration / deceleration Md of the automatic guided vehicle 3 by detecting a change in the count value of the counter 131.
Is an acceleration / deceleration calculation unit.
The acceleration / deceleration Md obtained by 136 is output to the gap control unit 124.

When controlling the traveling motor 45, the inverter 116 controls the rotation speed of the traveling motor 45 based on the rotation speed command value input from the main body controller 113.
When the rotation speed command value is changed, the rotation speed is changed by the preset acceleration / deceleration of the automatic guided vehicle 3.

Next, the gap control section 124 will be described in detail. In FIG. 14, reference numeral 141 denotes an upper surface gap setting unit that sets a gap between the pressing plate 99 of the upper surface support unit 72 and the upper surface of the article F. The target value Lu of the gap set by the upper surface gap setting unit 141 is set. Is input to the upper surface support controller 142,
The upper surface support control unit 142 controls the motor 91 of the upper surface support unit 72 while feeding back the distance to the upper surface of the article F detected by the proximity sensor 102 of the upper surface support unit 72 using the gap target value Lu as a target value. To form a target gap.

Reference numeral 143 denotes a front side gap setting section for setting a gap between the pressing plate 99 of the front side supporting section 71A and the side face (front side) of the article F.
Is set to the front side support controller 144, and the front side support controller 144 detects the gap target value Lf as a target value by the proximity sensor 105 of the front side support 71A. While feeding back the distance to the side surface of the article F, the motor 104 of the front side support portion 71A is controlled to form a target gap.

Reference numeral 145 denotes a rear side gap setting section for setting a gap between the pressing plate 99 of the rear side supporting section 71B and the side surface (rear side) of the article F. 145
Is set to the rear side support controller 146, and the rear side support controller 146 sets the gap target value Lb as a target value by the proximity sensor 107 of the rear side support 71B. By controlling the motor 106 of the rear side support 71B while feeding back the detected distance to the side of the article F, a target gap is formed.

147 is a distance between the front side of the article F detected by the proximity sensor 105 of the front side support 71A and the side of the article F detected by the proximity sensor 107 of the rear side support 71B. A tilt detector that inputs the rear distance and detects a tilt of the article F, and outputs an article tilt detection signal Sr when a change of a predetermined value or more occurs in these distances;
When the front distance changes more than the predetermined value, it is determined that the article F has tilted to the rear, and the rear tilt signal Sb is output to the traveling control unit 122. When the rear distance changes more than the predetermined value, It determines that the article F has tilted forward and outputs the front tilt signal Sf to the travel control unit 122.

The setting of the gap target value Lu by the upper surface gap setting section 141 will be described in detail with reference to the block diagram of FIG. The same applies to the setting by the gap setting units 143 and 145. In the upper surface gap setting unit 141, the acceleration / deceleration Md,
A floor abnormality signal Ir, which will be described later, is input from the floor control unit 125, and an article inclination detection signal Sr from the inclination detection and detection unit 147.
Is entered.

In FIG. 16, reference numeral 151 denotes a floor abnormal signal Ir.
Alternatively, a relay that operates when the article inclination detection signal Sr is operating (ON), 152 is a setting device that sets an appropriate gap value x that can be set from the outside, and 153 is a gap correction value in proportion to the acceleration / deceleration Md. This is a function part for obtaining y. The function part
The correction value y output from 153 is set so as to exceed the appropriate gap value x during rapid acceleration / deceleration. The correction value y is subtracted from the appropriate gap value x set in the setting unit 152 by the subtractor 154, and the lower limit is limited to 0, that is, no gap by the lower limiter 155, and the target value Lu of the gap is obtained. When the relay 151 operates, the target value Lu of the gap is set to 0,
That is, no gap is set.

With the configuration of the setting section 141, when the automatic guided vehicle 3 is traveling at a constant speed (acceleration / deceleration Md = 0)
When the appropriate gap value x set in the setter 152 is set as the gap target value Lu, and the automatic guided vehicle 3 accelerates or decelerates,
The target value Lu of the gap is reduced by the correction value y, and when the floor abnormality signal Ir or the article inclination detection signal Sr operates, the target value Lu of the gap is set to zero.

The floor controller 125 will be described in detail. In FIG. 15, reference numeral 161 denotes a floor distance calculation unit that measures a displacement F from the height of the reference floor 2 by counting pulses output from the encoder 61 of the distance sensor 56. The displacement F is input to a floor learning unit (an example of a storage unit) 162 and a floor state determination unit (an example of a determination unit) 163.

The traveling distance Mf from the origin 70A obtained by the traveling control unit 122 is input to the floor learning unit 162. During the test traveling, the unmanned guided vehicle 3 travels in chronological order. The travel distance Mf and the displacement F measured by the floor condition determination unit 163 are simultaneously stored as a pair.
Thereby, the state of the unevenness of the initial floor 2 (the state of the floor surface)
Are learned in advance.

The travel distance Mf from the origin 70A obtained by the travel control unit 122 is also input to the floor surface state determination unit 163, and determines the state of unevenness of the floor 2 during actual traveling. That is, the floor surface learning unit 162 is searched by the traveling distance Mf, and an initial displacement at the traveling distance Mf is obtained.
If a change equal to or more than a certain value occurs between the initial displacement and the displacement F measured by the floor condition determining unit 163, it is determined that some inappropriate state has occurred on the floor 2 and a floor abnormality signal is generated. Ir is output to the traveling control unit 122 and the gap control unit 124, and is further transmitted to the ground controller 111 via the wireless modem 55, the feeder line 54, and the ground modem 112, thereby notifying the ground controller 111 of an abnormality in the floor 2.

In FIG. 15, reference numeral 164 denotes the general control unit 121.
The number of operations of the automatic guided vehicle 3 is obtained by counting the traveling start signal St output from the driving control unit 12, and a dust removal unit that drives the vacuum cleaner 49 at a constant frequency.
The travel distance Mf from the origin 70A obtained in 2 is input, and the vacuum cleaner 49 is activated by the travel start signal St, and is stopped when the travel distance Mf reaches a certain distance. By driving the vacuum cleaner 49 according to the number of operations of the automatic guided vehicle 3 in this manner, accumulation of dust on the traveling route is prevented, and cleanness of the entire traveling route is ensured.

The main body controller 113 has a structure in which the above-described control software for running and gaps shown in FIGS. 13 to 16 is incorporated in a rewritable nonvolatile memory (medium) such as a flash memory. By embedding control software in a rewritable medium in this way, software changes due to changes in the traveling route environment, transport method, etc. can be easily performed without changing the board, etc. Is also possible. In addition, when the basic control method has been decided and only the data table is adjusted,
SOP (Small Outline Package)
If only the data part is recorded in the package of the e) format, it is possible to prevent a situation in which security is uneasy such as rewriting the nonvolatile memory by remote control. At this time, a socket corresponding to the SOP is provided in the main body controller 113. Which form is selected may depend on the control form of the entire article transport facility and the degree of control content change of the automatic guided vehicle 3. Further, by providing the above-mentioned software rewriting means in the controller (overall control device) 111 on the ground, the software of the entire article transport facility may be rewritten collectively.

The operation of the side support portions 71A and 71B and the upper support portion 72 when the automatic guided vehicle 3 having the above configuration travels will be described. It is assumed that an appropriate gap value x is set in each of the three gap setting units 141, 143, and 145. In addition, it is assumed that the article F is normally transferred and placed by the transfer / loading device 6. When the article F is placed on the transfer / loading device 6, the holding plate 99 of each of the supporting portions 71A, 71B, 72 provides the article F with a gap x between the article F and the unmanned transport vehicle 3 The upper surface and both side surfaces are separated from each other in the traveling direction.

When the transport data is input from the ground controller 111, the destination is determined and the travel controller
The rotation speed command value is output from the inverter 122 to the inverter 116, the traveling motor 45 is driven, and the automatic guided vehicle 3 starts traveling.

When the vehicle is accelerated at the start of traveling, the target values Lu, Lf, Lb output from the gap setting units 141, 143, 145 become smaller due to the acceleration, and the motors 91, 104, 106 of the respective supporting units are driven accordingly. To reduce the gap.
Thus, even when the article F falls over due to acceleration, the article F is supported by the short gap, and the occurrence of a large load shift or fall is prevented. The gap is also reduced at the time of deceleration, so that a load collapse due to deceleration can be handled. At the time of rapid acceleration / deceleration, the target values Lu, Lf, Lb are set to 0, that is, there is no gap, and accordingly, the motors 91, 104, 1 of the respective supporting portions are accordingly set.
06 is driven to reduce the gap, and the side support portions 71A, 71
B and the pressing plate 99 of the upper surface supporting portion 72 come into contact with the article F, and the article F is pressed by the pressing plate 99.

When the automatic guided vehicle 3 reaches a constant speed, the target values Lu and L output from the gap setting units 141, 143 and 145 are output.
f and Lb are returned (adjusted) to the appropriate gap value x. Also, in the curved portion, the center of gravity of the article F is set to the side support portion 71A,
The moving speed is reduced to a moving speed lower than the moving speed v so as not to go out of a range where the holding plate 99 of the 71B cannot support the load. You.

When a load shift or a load drop occurs during traveling and the inclination is detected by the inclination detecting section 147, the target values Lu, Lf,
Lb is set to 0, that is, there is no gap, and accordingly, the motors 91, 104, and 106 of the respective support sections are driven to reduce the gap. The article F comes into contact with the article F and is held down by the holding plate 99. As a result, the article F is pushed from the upper surface and the front and rear side surfaces, and the package appearance is corrected. When the vehicle is tilted forward at the same time as the inclination is detected, the automatic guided vehicle 3 is accelerated by the traveling drive unit 133, and the article F is shifted rearward to correct the package, and the vehicle is tilted rearward. When the vehicle is traveling, the traveling drive unit 133 decelerates the automatic guided vehicle 3 and the article F is shifted to the front side, so that the package appearance is corrected.

When the package is corrected and the inclination disappears (when the inclination detection signal output from the inclination detection section 147 is turned off), the target values Lu, Lf, and Lp output from the gap setting sections 141, 143, and 145 are output. Lb is returned to the appropriate gap value x, unnecessary pressure on the article F is avoided, and the speed of the automatic guided vehicle 3 is returned to the original speed (which may be a speed close to the original speed), and the conveyance is continued. You.

If the floor controller 125 detects an abnormality in the floor 2 during traveling (if the floor abnormality signal Ir is output), the traveling controller 122 lowers the speed of the automatic guided vehicle 3 to a low speed. And the possibility of transport accidents is eliminated.

As described above, the article F conveyed to the automatic guided vehicle 3 is supported by the side support portions 71A and 71B and the upper support portion 72 when a misalignment, a tilt, or a precursor of a collapse of the load occurs. , It is possible to prevent unloading. In addition, since no gap is provided and no pressure is applied to the article F during normal times, damage to the article F and application of unnecessary force can be prevented, and quality of the article can be stabilized without impairing workability. it can.

That is, in the transport of a horizontally-long heavy object, which is mainly caused by the fact that the article F is shifted laterally in the running direction or the upper stage of the two-tiered article F is inclined, the main factor of the load is falling. Has a structure in which the article F is not pressed and is supported by the press plate 99 only when the article F is displaced or inclined and no further displacement or inclination occurs, so that the load is prevented without applying an extra force. be able to.
As described above, in the case where the liquid crystal panel is put in the glass substrate transport box C and is loaded on a pallet with two stacked boxes and four boxes, the weight of a recent large panel is about 250 kg, and Even in the case of a single glass substrate instead of a bonded panel, the weight is about 100 kg, so that it is not light enough to be pressed down from above during traveling and effective in preventing collapse of a load.

Further, according to the transport environment including the status of the article F, the setting of the setting device 152 (FIG. 16) of each of the upper surface interval setting section 141, the front side interval setting section 143, and the rear side interval setting section 145 is performed. By properly adjusting the gap between the upper surface and both side surfaces of the article F, a gap corresponding to the article F and the traveling speed is secured, and the application of unnecessary force can be minimized in various transport situations. By transporting, the influence on the article F can be further suppressed and the quality can be stabilized.

In normal times, the article F is not applied with a force, but is supported by providing a gap between the side supporting portions 71A and 71B and the upper supporting portion 72. By adjusting the gaps between the side supporting portions 71A and 71B and the article F and the gap between the upper surface supporting section 72 and the article F to support the article F, the article F is controlled by the traveling speed or acceleration / deceleration of the automatic guided vehicle 3. Unloading can be prevented.

When the inclination detecting section 147 detects that the article F is inclined, the traveling speed is changed (by giving an acceleration in a direction opposite to the inclination direction),
The inclination of the article F is corrected, and the unloading can be corrected. When the inclination of the article F is corrected, the state is maintained, the traveling speed is returned to the original speed or a speed close to the original speed, and the conveyance can be continued at the normal moving speed.

The distance to the floor 2 is detected by the distance sensor 56 provided on the automatic guided vehicle 3, the information on the distance is stored in the floor learning unit 162 in time series, and the state of the floor 2 is learned in advance. During the actual traveling, if a change occurs between the state of the floor 2 learned by the floor state determining unit 163 and the distance information to the floor 2 detected by the distance sensor 56, the traveling rail 1 (track) or Eliminate the possibility of transport accidents by judging that there is a possibility that an abnormality may have occurred on the floor 2 and notifying the status, and simultaneously reducing the traveling speed of the automatic guided vehicle 3 Can be. Further, it is possible to early detect and notify a precursor of an abnormality that is not noticeable visually, thereby preventing an accident. When it is determined that there is a possibility that an abnormality has occurred in the traveling rail 1 (track) or the floor, the side support portion 71 is determined.
Since the article F is supported by adjusting the gap by the upper and lower support portions 72, A, 71B, the possibility of falling over can be eliminated.

The traveling speed of the automatic guided vehicle 3 is determined by the traveling command information from the ground controller 111 which is the general control means for controlling the transportation of the article F by the automatic guided vehicle 3 or the distance from the preceding automatic guided vehicle 3. By increasing or decreasing, it is possible to construct a redundant facility capable of flexibly responding to the movement of the entire conveyance, and to avoid contact between the automatic guided vehicles 3.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 17 (a), the support portions 72, 71A, 71B capable of adjusting the gap between the upper surface of the article F and the front and rear side surfaces are provided. If the transport conditions are always the same, or if the difference in the transport conditions is not sufficiently reflected in the gap, as shown in FIG. Supports 171A and 171B that can support but cannot adjust the gap may be provided. The support portion 72 can appropriately adjust the gap, and can prevent the article from falling down to some extent by supporting the article F from the upper surface. When the article F is resistant to external pressure, control may be performed such that the article F is always directly pressed by the pressing plates 99 of the support portions 72, 71A, and 71B.

In the present embodiment, the gap is adjusted by the acceleration / deceleration Md of the automatic guided vehicle 3.
May be adjusted according to the traveling speed Mf. For example, at high speeds, the gap is reduced, and at low speeds, the gap is widened to prevent a large load collapse.

In the present embodiment, when it is detected that the article F is tilted during traveling (when a load falls), the pressing plate 99 of the upper surface support portion 72 and the front and rear side surface support portions 71A and 71B. The article F is pressed by the above, and the packing is corrected, but at least the gap between the pressing plate 99 of the side support portions 71A and 71B and the article F or the gap between the pressing plate 99 of the upper surface support portion 72 and the article F is reduced. By adjusting one of them, the inclination of the article F may be corrected.

In this embodiment, when an abnormality of the floor 2 is detected (when the floor surface abnormality signal Ir is turned on), the article F is pressed by the upper surface support portion 72 and the pressing plates 99 of the front and rear side surface support portions 71A and 71B. Is held down, but the side supporting portions 71A,
A gap between the holding plate 99 of 71B and the article F, or a top support portion
The article F may be held down by adjusting at least one of the gaps between the 72 holding plate 99 and the article F.

Further, in the present embodiment, when the article F is tilted and the front side tilt signal Sf is input in the traveling control unit 122, the rotation speed command value is increased to increase the speed, and the rear side tilt signal Sb is generated. When input, the rotation speed command value is decreased to decelerate, and when the inclination of the article F is corrected, the moving speed is returned to the original state, but when the front side inclination signal Sf or the rear side inclination signal Sb is input. For example, the normal moving speed of 200 m / min may be reduced to 100 m / min, the conveyance may be continued, and control may be performed so as not to cause any further load shift or inclination. In addition, traveling rail 1
If the optimum acceleration / deceleration data has been obtained by the test according to the type of the article F (empty load, actual load), the shift of the center of gravity, the weight, etc. at each point of the above, the traveling speed is changed accordingly. The transfer can be completed in the shortest time without causing the cargo to fall.

In this embodiment, each upper surface interval setting section
The gap between the upper surface and both side surfaces of the article F is adjusted by setting the setting device 152 (FIG. 16) of the front side space setting section 143 and the rear side space setting section 145. Appropriate gap data corresponding to the pod weight and the speed and acceleration of the automatic guided vehicle 3 may be confirmed and recorded in a test, and the gap may be set based on the record. At this time, an appropriate gap can always be set under a plurality of transport conditions. Further, when the article F is taken in and out, the gap can be widened to improve the workability, and when the article F is stored, the gap can be narrowed to an appropriate value. At this time,
Workability can be improved.

In this embodiment, the distance sensor 56 is moved up and down by the unevenness of the floor 2 (a rack 57A supported by a guide body 57 fixed to the bracket 32 and slidable perpendicular to the floor 2). Irradiating means for irradiating weak electromagnetic waves and sound waves which are non-destructive detecting means such as infrared rays and ultrasonic waves on the vehicle bottom surface of the automatic guided vehicle 1, receiving means for confirming reflected waves, and radiating means And the receiving means may be controlled to measure the distance to the floor from the phase difference of the waves or the time from radiation to reception. By using such a detecting means without an operating part, it is possible to confirm a sign of an abnormality without damaging the floor surface at all.

In this embodiment, the vacuum cleaner 49 is used as dust removing means. However, it is also possible to install a blower to remove dust on the traveling route. When dust is blown off from the space between the running rails 1 to the outside of the running rail 1 by the blower, the dust blown by the blower is lowered by the descending clean air and is sucked under the floor through the mesh type floor 2. ,It is processed. Also, the force to blow off is strongest at the center of the vehicle body 5,
By making appropriate adjustments, such as weakening toward the end of the vehicle body 5, the efficiency of blowing off the traveling rail 1 can be improved. Further, the vacuum cleaner 49 as the dust removing means is operated according to the number of operations of the automatic guided vehicle 3, but may be operated according to the operation time of the automatic guided vehicle 3.

In this embodiment, the article supporting device 7 is used.
Is applied to the automatic guided vehicle 3 that moves along the traveling rail 1 laid on the floor 2.
Is effective when the article F is a heavy object and acceleration occurs before and after in the traveling direction. Therefore, the present invention can be applied to all types of transportation such as waterborne or underwater transportation, aerial transportation by magnetic force, or a monorail, overhead carriage, or stacker crane. Also, in order to prevent the load from falling during conveyance in which three-dimensionally changing acceleration occurs, a support portion having a gap in the front-rear direction of the acceleration vector is usually provided in the same manner as in the case where the speed changes on the above-mentioned plane. At this time, it is possible to prevent the cargo from falling without applying an extra force. Needless to say, the optical sensor transmitter 65, the optical sensor receiver 66, the sensing means, and the like can be changed so as not to cause a collision or unloading, and can be adapted to the traveling route or the transport mode. Alternatively, only the side support portions 71A and 71B may be employed when the ceiling portion is not required.

In the present embodiment, the traveling speed is set in the traveling control unit 122. However, by instructing the traveling speed from the ground controller (overall control device) 111, the traveling speed of the automatic guided vehicle 3 is reduced. Adjustments are also possible. Since the ground controller 111 performs cooperative control of the entire article transport facility, when a change in the transport plan or the like occurs, it is possible to instruct to increase or decrease the operation speed of any transport apparatus including the automatic guided vehicle 3. it can. In addition, the automatic guided vehicle 3 checks the waiting time of the traveling destination (destination), autonomously controls the speed change, and controls the ground controller 111.
May be notified. By feeding back the speed change information to the ground controller 111, it is used as a means for facilitating identification of a factor such as a palletizing robot or a conveyor, in a case where there is no factor causing a discrepancy in the transport plan in the automatic guided vehicle 3 itself. You can also.

In the present embodiment, the displacement of the floor 2 is constantly detected by the distance sensor 56 to determine the state of the floor surface. However, it is also possible to confirm only a specific location. Further, a distance sensor for detecting the distance from the vehicle body 5 may be provided at a specific location on the floor 2 to transmit data to the ground controller (overall control device) 111. Also, only one distance sensor 56 is installed on the vehicle body 5, but if there is an abnormality in the floor 2 or the running rail 1, there will be signs that the vehicle body 5 will tilt slightly at the place where the abnormality has occurred. ,
If the distance sensors 56 are provided at a plurality of locations on the vehicle body 5, the abnormality can be detected with higher accuracy.

Further, in this embodiment, since the ceiling of the automatic guided vehicle 1 covers the entire top surface of the article F by the upper surface support portion 72, dust is generated on the outside of the article F even when the traveling route is in a normal atmosphere. Although it is intended to prevent the accumulation, if the ceiling is inclined from the center to the outside or in the opposite direction, the automatic guided vehicle 3 itself can be combined with the cleanness maintaining function of the clean room. Dust accumulation on the surface can be prevented. In addition, if a vacuum cleaner or a blower is provided on the ceiling as necessary and operated by checking the deposition status periodically or by an optical sensor, the need for maintenance is reduced.

In the present embodiment, the automatic guided vehicle 3 is
Although it is a wheel, it can be three wheels. In addition, in the present embodiment, for example, when the inclination of the article F is corrected only by the upper surface support portion 72, the side support portions 71A and 71B including the proximity sensors 105 and 107 are only covered. Each configuration can be omitted or changed without departing from the scope of the invention.

[0111]

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to support an article in the event of a sign of load collapse such as a load shift or tilt without applying unnecessary pressure to the article in normal times. In addition, it is possible to prevent damage to the article and application of unnecessary force, and to stabilize the quality of the article without impairing workability.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an automatic guided vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a main part of an article transport facility using the automatic guided vehicle.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a vehicle body and a transfer / loading device of the automatic guided vehicle.

FIG. 4 is a side view of a vehicle body of the automatic guided vehicle.

FIG. 5 is a front view of a main part of a vehicle body of the automatic guided vehicle.

FIG. 6 is a partial plan view of a vehicle body of the automatic guided vehicle.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of a distance sensor attached to a vehicle body of the automatic guided vehicle.

FIG. 8 is a side view of the article support device of the automatic guided vehicle.

FIG. 9 is a plan view of the article support device of the automatic guided vehicle.

FIG. 10 is a front view of a top support portion of the article support device of the automatic guided vehicle.

FIG. 11 is an enlarged sectional view of a main part of the article support device of the automatic guided vehicle.

FIG. 12 is a control block diagram of an article transport facility using the automatic guided vehicle.

FIG. 13 is a control block diagram of a main body controller of the automatic guided vehicle.

FIG. 14 is a control block diagram of a main body controller of the automatic guided vehicle.

FIG. 15 is a control block diagram of a main body controller of the automatic guided vehicle.

FIG. 16 is a control block diagram of a main body controller of the automatic guided vehicle.

FIG. 17 is an explanatory view of an automatic guided vehicle according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF REFERENCE NUMERALS 1 traveling rail 2 floor 3 automatic guided vehicle 5 vehicle body 6 transfer / placement device 7 article support device 9 chain conveyor 10 transfer motor 45 traveling motor 49 vacuum cleaner (dust removing means) 54 feeder line 55 wireless modem 56 Distance sensor 62 Bumper switch 61 (Distance sensor) encoder 63 (Travel motor) encoder 65 Optical sensor transmitter 66 Optical sensor receiver 70 Origin detector 71A, 71B, side support section 72 Top support section 91 Top support section motor 99 Holding plate 102 Upper surface support proximity sensor 104, 106 Side support motor 105, 107 Side support proximity sensor 111 Ground controller 112 Ground modem 113 Main controller F Article

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing from the front page (72) Inventor Narito Abe 22-22, Nagaikecho, Abeno-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka Inside Sharp Corporation (72) Inventor Tsugio Komiya 22-22, Nagaikecho, Abeno-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka Inside Sharp Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Takashi Mizugusa 22-22 Nagaikecho, Abeno-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka Within Sharp Corporation (72) Inventor Yuji Takada 1-3-2 Shibaura, Minato-ku, Tokyo Shimizu Corporation (72) Inventor Masato Sakiyama 1-3-2 Shibaura, Minato-ku, Tokyo Shimizu Corporation (72) Inventor Shinsaku 1-23 2-3 Shibaura, Minato-ku, Tokyo Shimizu Corporation (72) Invention Person Hiroyuki Kataoka 3-2-1-11 Mundejima, Nishiyodogawa-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka Daifuku Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Hirofumi Suzuki 3 Mitejima, Nishiyodogawa-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka No.2-11 Daifuku Co., Ltd. F-term (reference) 3F022 CC00 EE08 JJ11 MM05 MM66 NN21 NN38 NN55 PP06 QQ01 QQ03 QQ11 3F027 AA10 CA01 DA01 DA05 DA09 DA32 EA01 EA05 FA01 FA12 FA16

Claims (17)

[Claims] 1. An automatic guided vehicle that travels along a traveling route and conveys articles, comprising side support means for supporting side surfaces of the articles from a lateral direction at front and rear portions of the automatic guided vehicle, respectively. An automatic guided vehicle comprising an upper surface supporting means for supporting or holding the article from above. 2. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a gap provided between the upper surface supporting means and the article, wherein the upper surface supporting means supports the article with a gap depending on the traveling speed or acceleration / deceleration of the automatic guided vehicle. 2. The automatic guided vehicle according to claim 1, wherein switching is made between pressing and supporting. 3. 3. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an inclination detecting unit configured to detect an inclination of the article generated during the transportation of the article, wherein when the inclination detecting unit detects that the article is inclined, the upper surface supporting unit may move the article. The automatic guided vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the automatic guided vehicle is held down and supported. 4. A side surface supporting means and an upper surface supporting means, each having a gap provided between the articles, wherein at least one of the gap between the side supporting means and the article or the gap between the upper surface supporting means and the article is appropriately adjusted. The automatic guided vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the automatic guided vehicle can be adjusted to a position. 5. A gap between the side support means and the article, or an upper face support means according to the traveling speed or acceleration / deceleration of the automatic guided vehicle, wherein the side support means and the top support means are provided with a gap between the article and the article. The automatic guided vehicle according to claim 1, wherein at least one of a gap between the object and the article is adjustable. 6. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a side support unit and an upper surface support unit, each of which has a gap between the object and the inclination detection unit for detecting an inclination of the article generated during the conveyance of the article. When it is detected that the article is tilted, the inclination of the article is corrected by adjusting at least one of the gap between the side support means and the article or the gap between the upper surface support means and the article. The automatic guided vehicle according to claim 1. 7. An inclination detecting means for detecting an inclination of the article generated during the transportation of the article, and when the inclination detecting means detects the inclination of the article, the inclination of the article is changed by changing a traveling speed. The automatic guided vehicle according to claim 1, wherein: 8. The automatic guided vehicle according to claim 7, wherein when the inclination of the article is corrected, the traveling speed is returned to the original speed or a speed close to the original speed while maintaining the state. 9. The automatic guided vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the inclination detecting means is constituted by a push button type or a photoelectric type detecting means. . 10. An article carrier using the automatic guided vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the automatic guided vehicle detects a distance from a bottom surface to a floor surface of the automatic guided vehicle. Storage means for storing the distance information to the floor surface detected by the distance detection means in time series, and learning the state of the floor surface by storing the distance information to the floor surface. Article transport equipment characterized by the above-mentioned. 11. A determining means for determining a state of a floor surface from a change state of distance information stored in a storage means, and when the determining means determines that the state of the floor surface is not appropriate, the state is notified. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein
Item 0, the article transport equipment. 12. The method according to claim 1, wherein when a change occurs between a learned state of the floor surface and information on a distance to the floor surface detected by the distance detecting means, the traveling speed of the automatic guided vehicle is reduced. Item transfer equipment according to claim 10 or 11. 13. An automatic guided vehicle, comprising: side support means for supporting a side surface of an article in a lateral direction; and upper surface support means for supporting or holding the article from above, with a gap between the article. Provided, provided that the learned state of the floor surface and a change in the distance information to the floor surface detected by the distance detection unit occur, the gap between the side support unit and the article, or the top support unit and the article 13. The article conveying equipment according to claim 10, wherein at least one of the gaps is adjusted. 14. The distance detecting means comprises a member which moves up and down in accordance with the unevenness of the floor, and a detecting means which detects a distance from the floor by calculating a displacement of the member from a reference value. The article transport facility according to any one of claims 10 to 13, wherein: 15. The distance detecting means projects a sound wave or an electromagnetic wave from a vehicle bottom surface to a floor surface, and obtains a distance to the floor surface by a time or a phase difference until a reflected wave from the floor surface reaches. An article transport facility according to any one of claims 10 to 13. 16. A dust removing means for removing dust on a travel route provided on a bottom surface of the automatic guided vehicle, and operating the dust removing means according to an operation time or the number of operations of the automatic guided vehicle to clean dust on the travel route. The article transport equipment according to any one of claims 10 to 15, wherein: 17. The traveling speed of the automatic guided vehicle is increased or decreased according to travel command information from a general control means for controlling the transport of articles by the automatic guided vehicle or a distance from a preceding automatic guided vehicle. Item transfer equipment according to any one of claims 10 to 16.