JP2007210729A - Transfer machine - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a transfer machine to be positioned at a predetermined position by a small driving force. <P>SOLUTION: The transfer machine 30 has a transfer machine body 31 to be mounted on an unmanned conveying vehicle 40. The transfer machine body 31 has a plurality of vertically movable outriggers 10. The outriggers 10 are abutted on a traveling passage 1 to support the transfer machine body 31, and raised from the unmanned conveying vehicle 40. Thus, the transfer machine body 31 is positioned at a predetermined position, and the outriggers 10 are driven by the small driving force. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a transfer machine, and more particularly to a transfer machine that is mounted on an automated guided vehicle and can be positioned at a predetermined position with a small driving force.

  The transfer machine has a lifting tool that can be moved up and down for loading a transported article to be transported, and is mounted on an automatic guided vehicle. Four caster wheels are attached to the automated guided vehicle, and two of them are provided with a compression coil spring that urges the traveling path between the caster wheel and the loading platform, so that the four caster wheels are connected to the traveling path. To ground. When such an automatic guided vehicle is disposed at a predetermined position and the transported article is loaded on the transfer machine, the compression coil spring contracts due to the weight of the transported article, and the position of the automatic guided vehicle is shifted. End up. In order to prevent such misalignment, the automatic guided vehicle is provided with an outrigger, and the automatic guided vehicle and the transfer machine are arranged at predetermined positions by obtaining reaction force by bringing the outrigger into contact with the traveling path. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1).

JP 2000-344478 A

  However, in the automatic guided vehicle as described above, although the automatic guided vehicle and the transfer machine can be positioned at predetermined positions by the outrigger, the outrigger supports the dead weight of the transfer machine, A device that supports the weight of the automatic guided vehicle and that has a large driving force for driving the outrigger is required, which increases the manufacturing cost.

  Therefore, the present invention has been proposed in view of the above-described problems, and an object thereof is to provide a transfer machine that can be positioned at a predetermined position with a small driving force.

  A transfer machine according to a first invention for solving the above-mentioned problem is a transfer machine having a transfer machine body mounted on an automatic guided vehicle, and the transfer machine body is movable in a plurality of vertical directions. The outrigger is provided so that the outrigger is brought into contact with a traveling path to support the transfer machine main body and to be lifted from the automatic guided vehicle.

  A transfer machine according to a second invention for solving the above-mentioned problem is the transfer machine described in the first invention, wherein at least two tips of the outriggers are arranged in the travel path. A locked portion that can be locked to the locking portion is formed.

  A transfer machine according to a third invention for solving the above-described problem is the transfer machine described in the first or second invention, wherein the automatic guided vehicle forms a second locking portion, When the transfer machine main body is formed with a second locked portion that can be locked to the second locking portion, and the transfer machine main body is mounted on the automatic guided vehicle, a second of the automatic guided vehicle is used. The locking portion is locked to the second locked portion of the transfer machine main body.

  According to the transfer machine which concerns on 1st invention, a transfer machine main body can be positioned in a predetermined position. Since there is no need to support the automatic guided vehicle by the outrigger, the driving force for driving the outrigger can be reduced accordingly. Therefore, the power source for driving the outrigger can be made smaller than the conventional one, and the manufacturing cost can be reduced accordingly.

  According to the transfer machine which concerns on 2nd invention, besides having the effect similar to the transfer machine described in 1st invention, a transfer machine main body can be reliably positioned in a predetermined position. Further, by making the locking portion conical and the locked portion a conical hole, the transfer machine main body can be used even if the locking portion and the locked portion are displaced in the overlapping region. The weight of the slab acts on the contact surface between the locking part and the locked part, and the apex of the locking part and the innermost part of the locked part coincide with each other. Furthermore, it can position reliably.

  According to the transfer machine concerning the 3rd invention, besides having the same operation effect as the transfer machine described in the 1st and 2nd inventions, the position shift of the transfer machine body with respect to the automatic guided vehicle is prevented. As a result, it is possible to prevent displacement when positioning the transfer machine body. Further, by providing the proximity sensor in the second locking portion or the second locked portion, it is possible to confirm whether the transfer machine body is positioned at a predetermined position with respect to the automatic guided vehicle.

  Hereinafter, the best mode for carrying out the transfer machine according to the present invention will be specifically described based on examples.

The transfer machine according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a plan view of a transfer machine according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a front view thereof. 3 is an enlarged view of a surrounding line III in FIG. 2, and FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a surrounding line IV in FIG. FIG. 5 is a plan view of an outrigger drive mechanism included in the transfer machine according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 6 is a front view thereof. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of a position detection mechanism included in the transfer machine according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the transfer machine 30 according to the first embodiment of the present invention is mounted on a loading platform 41 of an automatic guided vehicle 40 and is a workpiece that is a transported article arranged at a predetermined position. (Not shown) is lifted, or the workpiece that is lifted and gripped is placed at a predetermined position. In the vicinity of the outrigger (jack 25) in the loading platform 41 of the automatic guided vehicle 40, a plate-like slide plate 44 having a low friction coefficient and a ball caster 45 movable in all directions are attached. Here, the slide plate 44 is disposed on both sides of the automatic guided vehicle 40 and diagonally. The ball casters 45 are also arranged on both sides of the automatic guided vehicle 40 and diagonally.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, a conical convex portion 2 that protrudes upward is provided at a predetermined position on the traveling path 1 on which the automatic guided vehicle 40 travels. The locking portion is provided in at least two locations (see FIG. 6) at predetermined positions.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the transfer machine 30 includes a substantially rectangular transfer machine body 31, an outrigger 10 disposed in a lower portion near each corner of the transfer machine body 31, and an outrigger 10. And an outrigger drive mechanism 20 for driving.

  A fork 32 (gripping member) that can hold a workpiece, can protrude from the transfer machine body 31, and can be moved up and down is disposed on the upper part of the transfer machine body 31. Outrigger drive mechanisms 20 are disposed on both sides of the transfer machine main body 31, respectively. The outrigger drive mechanism 20 is connected to a drive motor 21 as a drive source, an orthogonal differential 23 connected to a main shaft 22 extending from the drive motor 21, a drive shaft 24 connected to the orthogonal differential 23, and a drive shaft 24. Jack 25 is provided. The rotation of the main shaft 22 is transmitted to the drive shaft 24 by the orthogonal differential 23 and the drive shaft 24 rotates.

  As shown in FIG. 6, a guide member 32 extending vertically downward is provided at the lower portion 31 a of the transfer machine main body 31. A rail 33 extending vertically downward is attached to the guide member 32.

  The jack 25 is connected to a rotatable vertical shaft 26 that extends vertically downward through the transfer machine body 31. A shaft hole 10 a formed in the outrigger 10 is locked to the vertical shaft 26. That is, a screw thread (not shown) is formed in the shaft hole 10a, and a screw thread (not shown) formed on the vertical shaft 26 is screwed into the shaft hole 10a. A slide member 27 that is movable on the rail 33 of the guide member 32 is fixed to one side portion of the outrigger 10. Therefore, the outrigger 10 moves in the vertical direction along the rail 33 as the vertical shaft 26 rotates.

  As shown in FIGS. 2, 4, and 6, the front ends of the two outriggers 10 disposed on one side of the transfer machine main body 31 are engaged with the locking portions 2 disposed on the travel path 1. A hole-like recess 10b that is recessed downward, which is a locked portion that can be stopped, is formed. That is, the concave portion 10 b is formed in a conical shape and is in contact with the convex portion 2. Therefore, by making the locking portion and the locked portion as described above, dust or the like is prevented from entering, and the positioning error of the transfer machine main body 31 can be reduced.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a ball caster 28 capable of traveling in all directions on the traveling path 1 is attached to the distal ends of the two outriggers 10 disposed on the other side of the transfer machine body 31. .

  As shown in FIG. 1, the position detection mechanisms 11 are attached to two outriggers 10, respectively, and are here attached to the outriggers 10 arranged on both sides of the transfer machine main body 31 and arranged diagonally. . As shown in FIG. 7, the position detection mechanism 11 is fixed to the outrigger 10 via a fixture 12, and is disposed within the tubular member 13 and a tubular member 13 disposed so as to extend in the vertical direction. In addition, the tip 15a is disposed upward and has a position detection shaft 15 biased upward by the spring 14. The position detection shaft 15 is provided with a proximity switch (not shown), and this proximity switch detects that the transfer machine 30 is disposed at a predetermined position with respect to the automatic guided vehicle 40.

  An inclined surface 13a is formed at the tip of the cylindrical member 13 and extends outwardly downward. The rear end of the tubular member 13 is closed by a lid member 16, and the lower part of the spring 14 is locked to the lid member 16. The lid member 16 is fixed to the outrigger 10 by the support 17.

  In the vicinity of the position detection mechanism 11 in the automatic guided vehicle 40, as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. The side projecting member 42 has a contact surface 43 a that contacts the inclined surface 13 a of the tubular member 13, and a position detection hole 43 through which the position detection shaft 15 can project is formed. However, the width of the position detection hole 43 is substantially the same as the width of the convex portion 2 that is the locking portion, and is formed so as to allow the positional shift of the transfer machine 30 with respect to the automatic guided vehicle 40.

  When the transfer machine 30 is mounted on the automatic guided vehicle 40, the inclined surface 13 a of the cylindrical member 13 is brought into contact with and locked with the contact surface 43 a of the position detection hole 43 of the side protruding member 42. The 15 tips 15 a are arranged so as to protrude from the position detection hole 43. When the drive motor 21 is driven, the outrigger 10 initially extends downward. Along with this, the cylindrical member 13 and the position detection shaft 15 move downward and come out of the position detection hole 43 of the side protruding member 42. Further, when the outrigger 10 is extended and brought into contact with the traveling path 1, the transfer machine main body 31 is moved upward and is lifted from the automatic guided vehicle 40. When the outrigger 10 is brought into contact with the travel path 1, even if the recess 10b of the outrigger and the convex part 2 of the travel path are shifted within the width, the weight of the transfer machine 30 is changed to the convex part 2 via the concave part 10b. The transfer machine 30 is moved laterally by the ball caster 28, and the innermost part 2c of the concave part 10b of the outrigger 10 and the tip part 2a of the convex part 2 coincide with each other. It is arranged at a predetermined position and positioned. In this state, the workpiece is transferred.

  Subsequently, when the outrigger 10 is contracted, the transfer machine main body 31 moves downward. When the outrigger 10 is further contracted, the cylindrical member 13 and the position detection shaft 15 of the position detection mechanism 11 are disposed in the position detection hole 43 of the side protrusion member 42. When the outrigger 10 is further contracted, the transfer machine main body 30 comes into contact with the loading platform 41 of the automatic guided vehicle 40 and is mounted. At this time, the inclined surface 13 a of the cylindrical member 13 contacts the contact surface 43 a of the position detection hole 43, and the position detection shaft 15 contacts the contact surface 43 a of the position detection hole 43. When the outrigger 10 is further contracted and the transfer machine 30 is completely mounted on the automatic guided vehicle 40, the inclined surface 13 a of the cylindrical member 13 and the position detection via the contact surface 43 a of the position detection hole 43. The transfer machine 30 is arranged at a predetermined position with respect to the automatic guided vehicle 40 due to the weight of the transfer machine body 31 acting on the tip 15 a of the shaft 15. That is, the position detection hole 43 corresponds to the second locking portion, and the cylindrical member 13 and the position detection shaft 15 correspond to the second locked portion.

  Therefore, according to the transfer machine 30 according to the first embodiment of the present invention, the transfer machine body 31 can be positioned at a predetermined position. Since there is no need to support the automatic guided vehicle 40 by the outrigger 10, the driving force for driving the outrigger 10 can be reduced accordingly. Therefore, the power source for driving the outrigger 10 can be made smaller than the conventional one, and the manufacturing cost can be reduced accordingly.

  Further, by forming a locked portion 10b that can be locked to the locking portion 2 disposed in the traveling path 1 at the tip of the two outriggers 10, the transfer machine body is reliably positioned at a predetermined position. can do. The locking unit 2 has a conical shape, and the locked portion 10b has a conical hole, so that the transfer machine main body can be moved even if the locking portion 2 and the locked portion 10b are displaced in the overlapping region. Since the own weight of 31 acts on the contact surface between the locking portion 2 and the locked portion 10b, the apex 2a of the locking portion 2 and the innermost portion 10c of the locked portion 10b are made to coincide with each other. The machine body 31 can be more reliably positioned at a predetermined position.

  While the position detection hole 43 is formed in the side protrusion member 42 of the automatic guided vehicle 40, the cylindrical member 13 and the position detection shaft 15 that can be locked to the position detection hole 43 are formed in the transfer machine main body 31, and the automatic transfer is performed. Since the cylindrical member 13 and the position detection shaft 15 are locked in the position detection hole 43 when the transfer machine main body 31 is mounted on the car 40, the position of the transfer machine main body 31 with respect to the automatic guided vehicle 40. Misalignment can be prevented, and as a result, misalignment when positioning the transfer machine main body 31 can be prevented. Further, by providing the proximity sensor, it can be confirmed whether or not the transfer machine main body 31 is positioned at a predetermined position with respect to the automatic guided vehicle 40.

  In the above description, the projecting portion 2 protruding upward provided on the traveling path 1 is used as the locking portion, and the recessed portion 10b recessed downward is used as the locked portion. For example, the locking portion may be a hole recessed downward, and the locked portion may be a convex portion protruding downward, and the locking portion and the locked portion The same effect is produced.

  In the above description, the transfer machine 30 having the four outriggers 10 has been described. However, a transfer machine having three outriggers, of which at least two outriggers are formed with locked portions, may be used. The same effect as the mounting machine 30 is produced.

  In the above description, the proximity sensor is provided in the second locked portion. However, the proximity sensor may be provided in the second locked portion, and the same operation as that in which the proximity sensor is provided in the second locked portion. There is an effect.

  The present invention can be used for a transfer machine, and in particular, can be used for a transfer machine that is mounted on an automatic guided vehicle and can be positioned at a predetermined position with a small driving force.

It is a top view of the transfer machine concerning the 1st example of the present invention. It is a front view of the transfer machine concerning the 1st example of the present invention. FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a surrounding line III in FIG. 2. FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a surrounding line IV in FIG. 2. It is a top view of an outrigger drive mechanism which a transfer machine concerning the 1st example of the present invention has. It is a front view of an outrigger drive mechanism which a transfer machine concerning the 1st example of the present invention has. It is explanatory drawing of the position detection mechanism which the transfer machine which concerns on 1st Example of this invention has.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Traveling path 2 Convex part 10 Outrigger 11 Position detection mechanism 12 Fixing tool 13 Cylindrical member 14 Spring 15 Position detection shaft 16 Lid member 17 Support tool 20 Outrigger drive mechanism 21 Drive motor 22 Main shaft 23 Orthogonal differential 24 Drive shaft 25 Jack 26 Vertical Shaft 27 Slide member 28 Ball caster 30 Transfer machine 31 Transfer machine main body 32 Fork 33 Rail 40 Automated guided vehicle 41 Loading platform 42 Side protrusion member 43 Position detection hole 44 Slide plate 45 Ball caster

Claims (3)

A transfer machine having a transfer machine body mounted on an automated guided vehicle,
The transfer machine body has a plurality of outriggers movable in the vertical direction;
A transfer machine characterized in that the outrigger is brought into contact with a traveling path to support the transfer machine body and to be lifted from the automatic guided vehicle. The transfer machine according to claim 1,
At least two tips of the outriggers are formed with a locked portion that can be locked to a locking portion disposed in the travel path. A transfer machine according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein
While forming the second locking part in the automatic guided vehicle, the transfer machine body is formed with a second locked part that can be locked to the second locking part,
When the transfer machine main body is mounted on the automatic guided vehicle, the second locked portion of the transfer machine main body is locked to the second locking portion of the automatic guided vehicle. Machine.

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