JP2009261217A - Method for charging storage battery of carrier machine, and spot welder used therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method for charging a capacitor-type storage battery which is mounted on a carrier machine by utilizing existing facilities in a factory, and to provide a spot welder used in the method. <P>SOLUTION: In the method for charging a storage battery of a carrier machine, the spot welder 4 is used which is equipped with a pair of welding electrodes 41a, 41b, and is constituted, such that the switching between a welding mode which welds members to be welded by the resistance heat generated by an electric current made to flow between tips of the pair of the welding electrodes 41a, 41b, and a charging mode which charges the storage battery is made possible, while a plurality of members to be welded are laminated and pinched between the tips thereof; and the capacitor-type storage battery 1 is charged by putting the spot welder 4 in the charging mode, by electrically connecting the pair of welding electrodes 41a, 41b respectively on both the ends of the capacitor-type storage battery 1, constituted of a capacitor and then making the current flow from the welding electrodes 41a, 41b. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a method for charging a storage battery of a conveyor and a spot welder used for the charging method.

  In a factory production line or the like, as shown in FIG. 9, an automated guided vehicle (AGV) that automatically travels by computer control is used as a transporter for transporting various components. The automatic guided vehicle 90 (hereinafter referred to as “AGV” as appropriate) is equipped with a storage battery 91 as its power source.

As the storage battery 91, a lead storage battery is usually used, but charging takes time. Therefore, after completion of production on the production line, an operation is performed in which the storage battery 91 is removed from the AGV 90 and replaced with another charged storage battery 91 ′.
However, the weight of the storage battery 91 is heavy, and the work of manually removing and installing the storage battery 91 from the AGV 90 every time it is charged is a heavy burden on the operator and takes time.
Some production lines, for example, employ a two-way system or a three-way system and operate continuously over the day and night. In such a case, the storage battery 91 is replaced immediately. However, depending on the number of AGVs, a long time is spent for the replacement, which may cause a decrease in productivity.

  On the other hand, if the storage battery 91 is to be charged while it is mounted on the AGV during operation of the production line, the operation of the AGV 90 is stopped during the charging time, resulting in a decrease in productivity. In particular, in the case of a lead-acid battery, the charging time may take about the same as the traveling time, and such a charging method causes the operating rate to drop to about 50%.

Further, Patent Document 1 proposes a control system in which the AGV operation system is devised to suppress the influence of charging time on production efficiency.
In addition, as a storage battery that can be charged in a short time, it has been proposed to use a capacitor-type storage battery using an electric double layer capacitor (electric double layer capacitor) as a driving power source for an electric vehicle or the like (Patent Document 2). etc).

Japanese Patent No. 3466075 JP 2001-268816 A

  However, in order to employ the control system described in Patent Document 1, it is necessary to perform complicated control, and it is necessary to change the layout of the production line as appropriate, so that it cannot be easily introduced. There's a problem. Moreover, when using a lead storage battery, if charging / discharging is repeated frequently, there also exists a problem that the lifetime will fall significantly.

  Moreover, when using a capacitor type storage battery as described in Patent Document 2, it is necessary to introduce a charger having an output voltage corresponding to the terminal voltage of the capacitor type storage battery. That is, when the output voltage of the charger is lower than the terminal voltage of the capacitor-type storage battery, the charging cannot be performed. Therefore, even if an existing charger is present in the factory, there is a problem that if the output voltage is lower than the voltage between terminals of the capacitor-type storage battery, it cannot be used for charging the capacitor-type storage battery.

  On the other hand, since a capacitor-type storage battery needs to be charged frequently, it is desired to install a plurality of chargers in a factory in order to perform charging smoothly. However, introducing a large number of new chargers causes a cost problem. Therefore, it is not necessary to introduce a new charger, and a method capable of charging a capacitor-type storage battery using existing equipment is desired.

  The present invention has been made in view of such conventional problems, and a method of charging a capacitor-type storage battery mounted on a conveyor using existing equipment in a factory, and a spot welder used in the method are provided. It is something to be offered.

The present invention is a method for charging a storage battery of a conveyor,
A pair of welding electrodes is provided, a plurality of members to be welded are stacked and sandwiched between the tips of the pair of welding electrodes, and an electric current is passed between the tips, and the above-mentioned welding is performed by resistance heat generated by the current Using a spot welding machine configured to be able to switch between a welding mode for welding a member and a charging mode for charging by supplying current from the pair of welding electrodes to the storage battery,
The spot welding machine is set to the charging mode, and the pair of welding electrodes are electrically connected to both terminals of a capacitor-type storage battery that is composed of a capacitor and forms the storage battery, and a current is supplied from the welding electrode. The capacitor-type storage battery is charged, and the storage battery charging method for a transporter is provided (claim 1).

Next, the effects of the present invention will be described. In the present invention, a capacitor-type storage battery mounted on a transporter is charged using a spot welder as a charger. Therefore, it is not necessary to separately introduce new equipment for charging.
More specifically, the spot welder is configured to be switchable between a welding mode for welding a member to be welded and a charging mode for charging a capacitor-type storage battery. In the welding mode, the time during which the current flows is set to about 0.5 s, for example. In the charging mode, the current flowing time is set to a relatively long time of 12 to 13 seconds. Control of the time during which this current flows is performed by using a time control unit described later.

  Moreover, the capacitor-type storage battery mounted on the carrier is an electric double layer capacitor, for example, and can be charged at high speed using a large current. Therefore, when charging, it is possible to charge the capacitor-type storage battery at high speed using a short time when the spot welder is not used for welding. Moreover, since it can charge at high speed, it is not necessary to replace the storage battery 91 (refer FIG. 9) at the time of charge unlike the past, and it can charge with the state mounted in the conveyance machine.

  As described above, the present invention can provide a method for charging a capacitor-type storage battery mounted on a transport machine using existing equipment in a factory.

A preferred embodiment of the present invention described above will be described.
In the present invention (Claim 1), the output voltage of the pair of welding electrodes is an alternating current, and the maximum value of the alternating voltage is lower than the maximum output voltage of the capacitor-type storage battery. It is preferable that the capacitor-type storage battery is charged in a state where it is rectified by the pressure and boosted using a booster (Claim 2).
In this case, it is possible to charge the capacitor-type storage battery even when the welding electrode of the spot welder outputs an AC voltage. That is, in order to charge a capacitor-type storage battery, it is necessary to pass a direct current between the terminals. Therefore, when the spot welder is alternating current, it cannot be charged. This problem can be solved by converting AC to DC using a rectifier.
Further, the capacitor type storage battery needs to be charged with a relatively high voltage, for example, about 30V. On the other hand, the output voltage of the welding electrode of the spot welder has an AC maximum value of about 10 V, for example, and is lower than the required charging voltage of the capacitor-type storage battery. Therefore, even if the spot welder is directly connected to the capacitor-type storage battery, it cannot be charged efficiently. This problem can be solved by boosting the output voltage of the welding electrode with a booster. For example, the voltage of the spot welder is increased from 10V to 30V. Thereby, it becomes possible to charge a capacitor type storage battery efficiently.

The capacitor-type storage battery has a plurality of capacitor cells, and the output voltage between the pair of welding electrodes is lower than the voltage between the terminals of the capacitor-type storage battery,
The plurality of capacitor cells are divided into a plurality of sets of cell units so that the voltage across the terminals of each cell unit is equal to or lower than the output voltage between the pair of welding electrodes. It is preferable that the capacitor-type storage battery is charged by connecting the pair of welding electrodes to each of the terminals, and charging all the cell units individually from the welding electrodes of the spot welder. Item 3).
In this case, the capacitor-type storage battery can be charged using a spot welder having an output voltage smaller than the terminal voltage of the capacitor-type storage battery. That is, the capacitor-type storage battery is divided so that the inter-terminal voltage of each cell unit is equal to or lower than the output voltage of the spot welder, and each is charged individually. Thereby, the capacitor-type storage battery can be charged by the spot welder.

  Further, since the capacitor type storage battery is a storage battery using a capacitor, the charging time can be shortened, and there is also an advantage that charging can be performed even if the current used for charging is a pulsating current. . Moreover, even if it uses repeatedly charging / discharging, there exists an advantage that the lifetime can be made comparatively long.

The cell unit may be composed of a plurality of the capacitor cells or one capacitor cell.
Further, in configuring the plurality of cell units, it is not particularly necessary to physically or electrically divide the plurality of capacitor cells. That is, “dividing the plurality of capacitor cells into a plurality of sets of cell units” means that the cell unit is a unit of capacitor cells that are charged at one time by a single charger (spot welder). It means that the capacitor unit is divided into a plurality of sets as the cell unit.

Further, the capacitor-type storage battery is used as a main storage battery of the transporter, and the transporter has an auxiliary storage battery whose charging speed is slower than the main storage battery and the number of chargeable / dischargeable times is small, and the power of the main storage battery or the auxiliary storage battery. A drive unit that is driven by the switch, a changeover switch that switches the drive unit to either the main storage battery or the auxiliary storage battery, and the drive when the voltage between the terminals of the main storage battery is higher than a predetermined threshold value. A switching control unit that controls the changeover switch so as to connect the driving unit to the auxiliary storage battery when the voltage between the terminals is lower than the threshold value. It is preferable that the capacitor-type storage battery used as the main storage battery is charged using the spot welder.
In this case, the auxiliary storage battery can be used only when the drive unit (motor) is driven using the capacitor-type storage battery as the main storage battery and the charge amount of the capacitor-type storage battery is reduced. In this way, since the main storage battery that needs to be charged frequently is a capacitor-type storage battery that can be charged at high speed, the charging time can be shortened. In addition, an electric double layer capacitor can be used as the main storage battery, and a lead storage battery can be used as the auxiliary storage battery. Although a lead storage battery has a slow charging speed, it has a large charge capacity, and therefore can be suitably used as a backup storage battery. Moreover, according to the said structure, since the frequency | count of charging / discharging of a lead storage battery reduces, the lifetime of a lead storage battery can be lengthened.

In addition, the input portion is composed of an insulating substrate and a pair of conductive plates formed on both main surfaces of the insulating substrate, and is configured to be electrically connected to the conductive plate and connectable to both terminals of the capacitor-type storage battery. A connection tool including an output portion is prepared, and the input portion is sandwiched in the plate thickness direction between the pair of welding electrodes, whereby the pair of welding electrodes and the pair of conductive plates are brought into contact with each other. In addition, it is preferable to charge the capacitor-type storage battery by connecting the output unit to the terminal of the capacitor-type storage battery and supplying a current from the welding electrode.
In this case, the spot welder and the capacitor-type storage battery can be easily connected by simply sandwiching the input part of the connection tool between a pair of welding electrodes and connecting the output part to the terminal of the capacitor-type storage battery. can do. This simplifies the charging operation.

Moreover, it is preferable that the said conveyance machine is an automatic guided vehicle comprised so that unmanned automatic driving | running | working was possible along the driving | running route predetermined in the factory (Claim 6).
If the carrier is configured as an automatic guided vehicle (AGV), the capacitor-type storage battery can be charged without hindering its operation. Therefore, the operation of AGV can be performed smoothly.
That is, the capacitor-type storage battery has a short charging time as described above and can be rapidly charged. Further, as described above, since charging is possible with a charger having a low output voltage, charging can be easily performed in a factory or the like. Therefore, since the charging can be easily performed in a short time while the capacitor type storage battery is mounted between the operations of the AGV, the smooth operation of the AGV can be ensured.
Also, if a plurality of spot welders are distributed in the factory, when charging, it can move to the spot welder that is closest to the transporter and charge, There is no need to travel to the charger.

Further, the spot welder of the present invention is used for the charging method of the transporter, and the time for flowing the current from the welding electrode in the welding mode is set shorter than the time for flowing the current in the charging mode. And a time control unit that switches between the welding mode and the charging mode by switching the time during which the current flows.
In this case, it is possible to easily use the charging method for the transporter according to the present invention simply by providing the time control unit in the existing spot welder. This eliminates the need for a new charger.

Example 1
A method for charging a capacitor-type storage battery and a spot welder according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
The present invention is a method of charging the storage battery 1 of the conveyor 7. As shown in FIG. 1, in the present invention, a spot welder 4 is used for charging. The spot welder 4 includes a pair of welding electrodes 41a and 41b.
As shown in FIG. 6, the spot welder 4 sandwiches and holds a plurality of welded members A1 and A2 between the tips of a pair of welding electrodes 41a and 41b, and causes a current to flow between the tips. A welding mode in which the welded members A1 and A2 are welded by the generated resistance heat and a charging mode in which current is supplied from the pair of welding electrodes 41a and 41b to the storage battery 1 as shown in FIG. 1 can be switched. Has been.
The spot welding machine 4 is set to a charging mode, and as shown in FIG. 1, a pair of welding electrodes 41a and 41b are electrically connected to both terminals 11 of the capacitor-type storage battery 1 which is composed of a capacitor and forms the storage battery, Capacitor-type storage battery 1 is charged by flowing current from welding electrodes 41a and 41b.

  In this example, the output voltage of the pair of welding electrodes 41a and 41b is alternating current, and the maximum value of the alternating voltage is lower than the maximum output voltage of the capacitor-type storage battery 1, as shown in FIG. The capacitor-type storage battery 1 is charged with the AC voltage rectified by the rectifier 81 and boosted by the booster 82.

  FIG. 4 shows a circuit diagram of the rectifier 81 and the booster 82. As illustrated, the AC voltage input from the spot welder 4 is boosted by a booster 82 (transformer). In this example, the maximum value of the AC voltage of the spot welder 4 is 10 V, and the AC voltage is boosted three times. The boosted power is rectified by the rectifier 81. A diode bridge is used for the rectifier 81 as shown.

  FIG. 5A shows the waveform of the output voltage of the welding electrodes 41a and 41b. This can be boosted by the booster 82 in FIG. 4 and rectified by the rectifier 81 to be converted into the waveform of FIG.

  In addition, as shown in FIG. 2, the capacitor-type storage battery 1 is used as the main storage battery 1 of the transport device 7, and the transport device 7 has a slower charging speed than the main storage battery 1, and the auxiliary storage battery 5 that can be charged and discharged less. A drive unit 61 (motor) that is driven by the power of the main storage battery 1 or the auxiliary storage battery 5, a changeover switch 62 that switches and connects the drive unit 61 to either the main storage battery 1 or the auxiliary storage battery 5, and When the inter-terminal voltage is higher than a predetermined threshold value, the drive unit is connected to the main storage battery 1 (see FIG. 2), and when the inter-terminal voltage becomes lower than the threshold value, the drive unit 61 is connected to the auxiliary storage battery 5. As shown in FIG. 3, the capacitor type storage battery 1 that is used as the main storage battery 1 is charged using the spot welding machine 4.

As shown in FIG. 2, one terminal 11 of the capacitor-type storage battery 1 and one terminal 51 of the lead storage battery 5 are connected to one electrode of the drive unit 61 (motor) via a changeover switch 62, and the capacitor The other terminal 11 of the type storage battery 1 and the other terminal 51 of the lead storage battery 5 are connected to the other electrode of the drive unit 61 via a changeover switch 62.
The changeover switch 62 includes a pair of first relays 621 provided between the capacitor-type storage battery 1 and the drive unit 61 and a pair of second relays 622 provided between the lead storage battery 5 and the drive unit 61.

  During normal operation of the transport device 7 (AGV), the first relay 621 is turned on and the second relay 622 is turned off, and the drive unit 61 is driven using the capacitor-type storage battery 1. And when the charge amount of the capacitor-type storage battery 1 decreases, the output voltage supplied to the drive unit 61 decreases. When this output voltage is detected and becomes equal to or lower than 20 V, the changeover switch 62 is switched between the first relay 621 off and the second relay 622 on (see FIG. 3). Thereby, the motor 61 is driven using the lead storage battery 5.

  Then, by driving the motor 61 by the lead storage battery 5, the conveyor 7 (AGV) self-runs to the installation position of the spot welding machine 4, and then the capacitor type storage battery 1 is charged. Thereafter, the changeover switch 62 is switched between the first relay 621 on and the second relay 622 off, and the conveyor 7 is operated again by driving the motor 61 by the capacitor-type storage battery 1.

  The switching control unit 14 is composed of electronic elements (an OP amplifier, a variable resistor, a resistor, etc.). The voltage value at which the selector switch is switched is determined by adjusting the resistance value.

  Next, an enlarged view of the connector 8 in the charging mode is shown in FIG. As shown in the figure, an input portion 85 comprising an insulating substrate 84 and a pair of conductive plates 83a and 83b formed on both main surfaces of the insulating substrate 84, and connected to both terminals of the capacitor-type storage battery 1 in conduction with the conductive plate. A connecting tool 8 having an output portion 86 (see FIG. 1) configured so as to be possible is prepared, and the input portion 85 is sandwiched in the plate thickness direction between the pair of welding electrodes 41a and 41b. The welding electrodes 41a and 41b and the pair of conductive plates 83a and 83b are brought into contact with each other, and the output portion 86 is connected to the terminal 11 of the capacitor-type storage battery 1 (see FIG. 1), and current is supplied from the welding electrodes 41a and 41b. By supplying, the capacitor-type storage battery 1 is charged.

  Moreover, the conveyance machine 7 is an automatic guided vehicle configured to be capable of unmanned automatic traveling along a predetermined traveling route in the factory.

  An automatic guided vehicle (AGV) travels unmanned on a production line of a factory according to a predetermined computer program, and transports various parts, products, semi-finished products, and the like.

  Further, for example, a spot welder 4 is installed in a plurality of processes in a production line of a factory such as an automobile factory. This spot welder 4 is used as a charger. That is, the spot welder 4 is normally used for welding work in a welding process on a production line, but is used as a charger when charging the capacitor-type storage battery 1 mounted on the AGV.

  That is, when the charge amount of the capacitor-type storage battery 1 mounted on the AGV falls below a predetermined amount and charging is required (for example, when the output voltage becomes 20 V or less), the AGV is connected to the nearest spot welder 4 in the factory. The capacitor-type storage battery 1 is charged by the spot welder 4. For example, the spot welder 4 is disposed between a production line and a passage along the production line. After the AGV is stopped in a passage on the side of the spot welder 4, the spot welder 4 is used for welding the spot welder 4. The electrode 41 is reversed from the line side to the passage side to switch from welding work to charging work.

  As described above, the spot welder 4 of this example is configured to be able to switch between a welding mode (see FIG. 6) and a charging mode (see FIG. 7) as shown in FIGS. More specifically, in the spot welder 4 of the present invention, the time for flowing current from the welding electrodes 41a and 41b in the welding mode is set to be shorter than the time for flowing current in the charging mode. A time control unit 44 that switches between the welding mode and the charging mode by switching the time is provided.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the spot welder 4 includes a transformer 42, a relay 43, and the time control unit 44 described above. The voltage on the input side is 400V, for example, and is stepped down by the transformer 42 to about 10V, for example. In the welding mode (see FIG. 6), the relay 43 is connected for a time required for welding, for example, about 0.5 s. In the charging mode, the relay 43 is connected for a time required for charging, for example, 12 to 13 s (about 1 minute at the maximum). The time control unit 44 controls the time for connecting the relay 43.
The robot control panel automatically switches between the welding mode and the charging mode.

Next, the effect of the storage battery charging method and spot welder of the transporter of this example will be described.
In this example, as shown in FIG. 1, the capacitor-type storage battery 1 mounted on the carrier 7 is charged using a spot welder 4 that can switch between a welding mode and a charging mode as a charger. Therefore, it is not necessary to separately introduce new equipment for charging.
More specifically, the spot welder 4 is configured to be switchable between a welding mode (see FIG. 6) for welding the member to be welded and a charging mode (see FIG. 7) for charging the capacitor-type storage battery 1. In the welding mode, the time during which the current flows is set to about 0.5 s, for example. In the charging mode, the current flowing time is set to a relatively long time of 12 to 13 seconds.

  Moreover, the capacitor type storage battery 1 mounted on the carrier 7 is an electric double layer capacitor, for example, and can be charged at high speed using a large current. Therefore, when charging, it is possible to charge the capacitor-type storage battery 1 at high speed using a short time when the spot welder 4 is not used for welding. Moreover, since it can charge at high speed, it is not necessary to replace the storage battery 91 (refer FIG. 9) at the time of charge unlike the past, and it can charge with the state mounted in the conveying machine 7. FIG.

Moreover, in this example, as shown in FIG. 4, FIG. 5, the alternating current voltage of the spot welder 4 is rectified, and the capacitor type storage battery 1 is charged in a boosted state.
In this case, it is possible to charge the capacitor-type storage battery 1 even when the welding electrodes 41a and 41b of the spot welder 4 output an alternating voltage. That is, in order to charge the capacitor-type storage battery 1, it is necessary to pass a direct current between the terminals. Therefore, when the spot welder 4 is alternating current, it cannot be charged. This problem can be solved by converting AC to DC using the rectifier 81.
Further, the capacitor-type storage battery 1 needs to be charged with a relatively high voltage, for example, about 30V. On the other hand, the maximum output voltage of the welding electrodes 41 a and 41 b of the spot welder 4 is, for example, about 10 V, which is lower than the required charging voltage of the capacitor-type storage battery 1. Therefore, even if the spot welder 4 is directly connected to the capacitor-type storage battery 1, it cannot be charged efficiently. This problem can be solved by boosting the AC voltage output from the welding electrodes 41a and 41b by the booster 82. For example, the voltage of the spot welder 4 is increased from 10V to 30V. Thereby, it becomes possible to charge the capacitor type storage battery 1 efficiently.

In this example, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the capacitor-type storage battery 1 is used as the main storage battery, and the auxiliary storage battery 5 (lead storage battery) is used only when the charge amount of the main storage battery is reduced.
In this way, the main storage battery that needs to be charged frequently is the capacitor-type storage battery 1 that can be charged at high speed, so that the charging time can be shortened. An electric double layer capacitor can be used as the main storage battery, and a lead storage battery can be used as the auxiliary storage battery 5. Although a lead storage battery has a slow charging speed, it has a large charge capacity, and therefore can be suitably used as a backup storage battery. Moreover, according to the said structure, since the frequency | count of charging / discharging of a lead storage battery reduces, the lifetime of a lead storage battery can be lengthened.

  Moreover, it can be set as the power supply system using each advantage of the capacitor | condenser type storage battery 1 and the lead storage battery 5 effectively. That is, by using a lead-acid battery 5 having a relatively large charge capacity as a backup power supply and using a capacitor-type storage battery 1 capable of rapid charging as a main power supply, it is possible to smoothly operate the conveyor 7 (AGV), and to produce a production line. Can be prevented from obstructing continuous operation. Moreover, although the capacitor type storage battery 1 will repeat frequent charging / discharging, the fall of a lifetime can fully be suppressed also by this frequent charging / discharging.

Moreover, in this example, as shown in FIG. 7, it charges using the connector 8 provided with the input part 85 which consists of the insulated substrate 84 and the electroconductive plates 83a and 83b formed in the both main surfaces. That is, by sandwiching the input portion 85 between the welding electrodes 41a and 41b, the welding electrodes 41a and 41b and the conductive plates 83a and 83b are made conductive.
In this case, the input part 85 of the connection tool 8 is simply sandwiched between the pair of welding electrodes 41a and 41b, and the output part 86 (see FIG. 1) is simply connected to the terminal of the capacitor-type storage battery 1, and thus, The spot welder 4 and the capacitor type storage battery 1 can be connected to each other. This simplifies the charging operation.
Further, if a large current is passed when charging the capacitor-type storage battery 1, spatter (sparks: not shown) is generated between the welding electrodes 41a and 41b and the conductive plates 83a and 83b. When this spatter is generated, a force for separating the welding electrodes 41a and 41b from the conductive plates 83a and 83b is generated. In this example, since a force f is applied between the welding electrodes 41a and 41b, electrical contact is made. I can keep it enough.
That is, when the capacitor-type storage battery 1 is charged with a large current, a force that separates the electrodes is generated by sputtering generated between the electrodes. As described above, the current is passed while pressing the welding electrodes 41a and 41b with the force f. Thus, such a problem can be solved and charging can be performed efficiently.

Moreover, in this example, the said conveying machine 7 is an automatic guided vehicle comprised so that unmanned automatic driving | running | working was possible along the driving | running route predetermined in the factory.
If the transport device 7 is configured as an automatic guided vehicle (AGV), the capacitor-type storage battery 1 can be charged without hindering its operation. Therefore, the operation of AGV can be performed smoothly.
That is, the capacitor type storage battery 1 has a short charging time and can be rapidly charged. Therefore, since the charging can be easily performed in a short time with the capacitor-type storage battery 1 mounted between the operations of the AGV, the smooth operation of the AGV can be ensured.
In addition, if a plurality of spot welders 4 are distributed in the factory, when charging, the spot welder 4 that is closest to the conveyor 7 can be moved and charged. Yes, there is no need to travel to a far charger.

Moreover, the spot welder 4 of this example is provided with the time control part 44 which switches a welding mode and a charge mode by switching-controlling the time which flows an electric current, as shown in FIGS.
In this case, the existing spot welder 4 can be simply used in the charging method for the transporter 7 according to the present invention simply by providing the time control unit 44. This eliminates the need for a new charger.

  As described above, the present invention can provide a method for charging the capacitor-type storage battery 1 mounted on the transporter 7 using existing facilities in the factory.

(Example 2)
In this example, the capacitor-type storage battery 1 is charged by dividing it into a plurality of capacitor cells.
As shown in FIG. 8, in this example, the capacitor type storage battery 1 has a plurality of capacitor cells 2, and the output voltage between the pair of welding electrodes 41 a and 41 b is lower than the voltage between terminals of the capacitor type storage battery 1. And
The plurality of capacitor cells 2 are divided into a plurality of sets of cell units 3 so that the voltage between terminals at each end of each cell unit 3 is equal to or lower than the output voltage between the pair of welding electrodes 41a and 41b. A pair of welding electrodes 41a and 41b are respectively connected to the terminals 31 at both ends of the unit 3, and the capacitor type is obtained by charging all the cell units 3 individually from the welding electrodes 41a and 41b of the spot welder 4. The storage battery 1 is charged.

In this example, as shown in FIG. 8, the capacitor-type storage battery 1 has twelve capacitor cells 2. Each capacitor cell 2 has a pair of terminals 21, and twelve capacitor cells 2 are connected in series at the terminals 21.
The twelve capacitor cells 2 are divided into three sets, and four capacitor cells 2 constitute a set of cell units 3. There is no particular need to physically or electrically divide the plurality of capacitor cells 2 in configuring the plurality of cell units 3, but the pair of terminals 31 of the cell unit 3 can be easily taken out.

The welding electrodes 41 a and 41 b of the spot welding machine 4 are electrically connected to the terminals 31 at both ends of each cell unit 3, that is, the two terminals 31 positioned at both ends of the series circuit among the terminals 21 of the four capacitor cells 2. Connect. Here, a rectifier 81 and a booster 82 are interposed between the spot welder 4 and the capacitor cell 2 (see FIG. 1) to convert the alternating current of the charger 4 into a direct current and boost the voltage. Supply to the capacitor cell 2.
As the capacitor cell 2, an electric double layer capacitor (electric double layer capacitor) can be used.

  In this example, as shown in FIG. 8, one end of each of the conductive wirings 32a, 32b, 32c, and 32d is connected to the terminal 31 of each cell unit 3. The other ends of the conductive wirings 32a, 32b, 32c, and 32d are sequentially connected to the output unit 86 (see FIG. 1), and charging is performed for each cell unit 3.

For example, first, the terminal 87 (see FIG. 1) of the output unit 86 is connected to the conductive wirings 32a and 32b connected to the terminal 31 of the first cell unit 301, respectively. In this state, the first cell unit 301 is charged by applying a voltage from the spot welder 4. When the charging of the first cell unit 301 is completed, the terminals 87 are then connected to the conductive wirings 32b and 32c connected to the terminal 31 of the second cell unit 302, respectively. In this state, the second cell unit 302 is charged by applying a voltage from the spot welder 4. When the charging of the second cell unit 302 is completed, the terminal 87 is then connected to the conductive wirings 32c and 32d connected to the terminal 31 of the third cell unit 303, respectively. In this state, the third cell unit 303 is charged by applying a voltage from the spot welder 4.
Thus, the charging of the three cell units 303 is completed, and the charging of the capacitor type storage battery 1 is completed.

Here, the inter-terminal voltage of each cell unit 3 is 10V, and the inter-terminal voltage of the capacitor-type storage battery 1 in which three of these are connected in series is 30V. On the other hand, the output voltage of the spot welder 4 is 13 V, which is smaller than the inter-terminal voltage of the capacitor-type storage battery 1, but is equal to or higher than the inter-terminal voltage of each cell unit 3.
In addition, the configuration is the same as that of the first embodiment.

Next, the effect of Example 2 is demonstrated.
The charging method of the storage battery 1 of the carrier 7 is that a plurality of (12) capacitor cells 2 are divided into a plurality of sets (three sets) of cell units 3 and then individually welded to each cell unit 3. Charge from 4. Therefore, the capacitor-type storage battery 1 can be charged using the spot welding machine 4 having an output voltage (13 V) smaller than the voltage (30 V) between the terminals of the capacitor-type storage battery 1. That is, the capacitor-type storage battery 1 is divided so that the inter-terminal voltage of each cell unit 3 is equal to or lower than the output voltage of the spot welder 4 and is charged individually. Thereby, the capacitor type storage battery 1 can be charged by the spot welder 4.

  In addition, since the capacitor-type storage battery 1 is a storage battery using a capacitor, the charging time can be shortened, and there is an advantage that charging can be performed even if the current used for charging is a pulsating current. . Moreover, even if it uses repeatedly charging / discharging, there exists an advantage that the lifetime can be made comparatively long.

The capacitor-type storage battery 1 is a storage battery used as a power source for AGV, and the capacitor-type storage battery 1 can be charged without obstructing the operation of the AGV. Therefore, the operation of AGV can be performed smoothly.
That is, the capacitor type storage battery 1 of this example has a short charging time as described above and can be rapidly charged. Further, as described above, charging can be performed by the charger 4 having a low output voltage, so that charging can be easily performed in a factory or the like. Therefore, since the charging can be easily performed in a short time with the capacitor-type storage battery 1 mounted between the operations of the AGV, the smooth operation of the AGV can be ensured.
In addition, the same effects as those of the first embodiment are obtained.

Explanatory drawing of the storage battery charging method of the conveying machine in Example 1. FIG. The circuit diagram of Example 1 and a spot welding machine, Comprising: The figure showing the state by which the main storage battery and the drive part are connected. The circuit diagram of a conveyance machine in Example 1, and a spot welding machine, Comprising: The figure showing the state by which the auxiliary storage battery and the drive part are connected. FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram of a rectifier and a booster in the first embodiment. (A) Waveform of voltage before being rectified and boosted in Example 1 (B) Waveform of voltage after being rectified and boosted 1 is a conceptual diagram of a spot welder in a welding mode in Embodiment 1. FIG. The conceptual diagram of the spot welder made into charge mode in Example 1. FIG. Explanatory drawing of the method which divides | segments and charges a capacitor | condenser storage battery in Example 2. FIG. Explanatory drawing of the method of charging the storage battery of a conveying machine in a prior art example.

Explanation of symbols

1 Capacitor-type storage battery (main storage battery)
11 terminal 4 spot welder 41a, 41b welding electrode 44 time control unit 5 lead storage battery (auxiliary storage battery)
61 drive unit 62 changeover switch 8 connector 81 rectifier 82 booster 83a, 83b conductive plate 84 insulating plate 85 input unit 86 output unit

Claims (7)

A method of charging a storage battery of a carrier,
A pair of welding electrodes is provided, a plurality of members to be welded are stacked and sandwiched between the tips of the pair of welding electrodes, and an electric current is passed between the tips, and the above-mentioned welding is performed by resistance heat generated by the current Using a spot welding machine configured to be able to switch between a welding mode for welding a member and a charging mode for charging by supplying current from the pair of welding electrodes to the storage battery,
The spot welding machine is set to the charging mode, and the pair of welding electrodes are electrically connected to both terminals of a capacitor-type storage battery that is composed of a capacitor and forms the storage battery, and a current is supplied from the welding electrode. A method of charging a storage battery of a carrier, wherein the capacitor-type storage battery is charged.   In Claim 1, the output voltage of the pair of welding electrodes is alternating current, and the maximum value of the alternating voltage is lower than the maximum output voltage of the capacitor-type storage battery, and the alternating voltage is rectified by a rectifier. And the storage battery charging method for a transporting machine, wherein the capacitor-type storage battery is charged in a state of being boosted using a booster. In claim 1, the capacitor type storage battery has a plurality of capacitor cells, the output voltage between the pair of welding electrodes is lower than the voltage between the terminals of the capacitor type storage battery,
The plurality of capacitor cells are divided into a plurality of sets of cell units so that the voltage across the terminals of each cell unit is equal to or lower than the output voltage between the pair of welding electrodes. The pair of welding electrodes are respectively connected to the terminals, and the capacitor-type storage battery is charged by charging each of the cell units individually from the welding electrodes of the spot welder. A storage battery charging method for a carrier.   4. The capacitor-type storage battery according to claim 1, wherein the capacitor-type storage battery is used as a main storage battery of the transport device, and the transport device has a charge rate that is slower than the main storage battery and less chargeable / dischargeable. A storage battery, a drive unit that is driven by the power of the main storage battery or the auxiliary storage battery, a changeover switch that switches the drive unit to one of the main storage battery or the auxiliary storage battery, and a voltage between terminals of the main storage battery. The switching unit connects the driving unit to the main storage battery when higher than a predetermined threshold value, and connects the driving unit to the auxiliary storage battery when the inter-terminal voltage becomes lower than the threshold value. A switching control unit that controls the switch, and the capacitor-type storage battery used as the main storage battery is charged using the spot welding machine. Battery charging method of feeding machine.   5. The capacitor type according to claim 1, wherein the capacitor unit is electrically connected to the conductive plate, the input unit including an insulating substrate and a pair of conductive plates respectively formed on both main surfaces of the insulating substrate. And a pair of welds by preparing a connection tool including an output unit configured to be connectable to both terminals of the storage battery, and sandwiching the input unit in the plate thickness direction between the pair of welding electrodes. Charging the capacitor storage battery by bringing the electrode and the pair of conductive plates into contact with each other, connecting the output portion to the terminal of the capacitor storage battery, and supplying current from the welding electrode. A storage battery charging method for a transporting machine.   In any one of Claims 1-5, the said conveyance machine is an automatic guided vehicle comprised so that an unmanned automatic driving | running | working was possible along the driving | running route predetermined in the factory, It is characterized by the above-mentioned. A storage battery charging method for a transporting machine.   It is the said spot welder used for the storage battery charging method of the conveyance machine of any one of Claims 1-6, Comprising: Time to flow an electric current from the said electrode for welding in the said welding mode is the said charge. A spot welding machine, comprising: a time control unit that is set to be shorter than a time for flowing the current in the mode, and switches between the welding mode and the charging mode by switching the time for flowing the current.

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