JP2021160432A - Drive mechanism and vehicle transport device provided with the same - Google Patents

Abstract

To reduce the size and cost of a drive mechanism for steering, controlling torque of a pair of drive wheels individually.SOLUTION: A drive mechanism (drive wheel unit 3) comprises: a base portion (frame 14); a steering shaft 9 rotatably attached to the frame 14; a pair of drive wheels 10 that is attached onto both sides of the steering shaft 9 in a horizontal direction and that can be rotated integrally with the steering shaft 9; a drive motor 11 that can individually control torque of each drive wheel 10; an auxiliary rotation shaft 21 that is rotatably attached to the frame 14; speed increasing means (steering shaft gear 16 and auxiliary gear 23) that accelerates rotation of the steering shaft 9 and transmits the rotation to the auxiliary rotation shaft 21; and components (rotary damper 24, angle sensor 25) that are attached to the auxiliary rotation shaft 21 and exhibit functions, utilizing the rotation of the auxiliary rotation shaft 21.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

The present invention relates to a drive mechanism and a vehicle transport device including the drive mechanism.

Vehicles manufactured at the factory are usually transported to the vehicle waiting area using a trailer capable of carrying a plurality of vehicles. In this case, a worker who drives the trailer is required, which causes an increase in cost. Therefore, Patent Document 1 below discloses a self-propelled vehicle transport device that automatically transports a vehicle. If such a vehicle transport device is used, an operator who drives a trailer is not required, so that the cost can be reduced.

The self-propelled vehicle transport device as described above needs to be provided with a drive mechanism for steering the wheels. For example, the drive mechanism shown in Patent Document 2 below is attached to a steering shaft having a rotating plate, a steering motor for rotating the rotating plate (a steering shaft driving motor), and a rotating plate. It is equipped with a traveling motor (driving wheel shaft drive motor) that drives the drive wheels.

JP-A-2019-78099 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2001-199356

However, if the drive mechanism is provided with a steering motor and a traveling motor, the drive mechanism becomes large and costly. In particular, in a vehicle transport device, since it is necessary to steer the wheels while a heavy vehicle is mounted, a steering motor having a large output is required, which leads to a further increase in size and cost of the drive mechanism.

For example, if a pair of drive wheels that can rotate integrally around the steering shaft are provided and the torque of each drive wheel can be controlled independently, the torque of each drive wheel can be made different to change the steering shaft. It can be rotated to steer the drive wheels. In this case, since the steering motor can be omitted, the drive mechanism can be downsized and the cost can be reduced.

If one of the pair of drive wheels floats or slips from the floor surface while the drive mechanism as described above is running, the steering shaft may rotate suddenly. For example, if a rotary damper is provided on the steering shaft to provide rotational resistance, sudden rotation of the steering shaft can be suppressed. However, in order to suppress the sudden rotation of the steering shaft, a relatively large rotary damper is required, which leads to an increase in the size of the drive mechanism.

Further, the drive mechanism is often provided with an angle sensor for detecting the rotation angle of the steering shaft. However, in order to accurately set the traveling direction of the drive wheels, it is necessary to detect the rotation angle of the steering shaft with high accuracy, so an expensive angle sensor with high detection ability is required and the drive mechanism is high. It leads to cost increase.

The above problems occur not only in the drive mechanism of the vehicle transport device but also in the entire drive mechanism that controls the torque of the pair of drive wheels individually to steer.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to reduce the size and cost of a drive mechanism that controls the torque of a pair of drive wheels individually to steer.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention is provided with a base portion, a steering shaft rotatably attached to the base portion, and both sides of the steering shaft in the horizontal direction, and is integrally with the steering shaft. A pair of rotatable drive wheels, a drive means capable of individually controlling the torque of each drive wheel, an auxiliary rotation shaft attached to the base in a rotatable state, and a steering shaft are accelerated. Provided is a drive mechanism having a speed increasing means transmitted to the auxiliary rotation shaft and a component attached to the auxiliary rotation shaft and exerting a function by utilizing the rotation of the auxiliary rotation shaft.

In this way, by accelerating the rotation of the steering shaft and transmitting it to the auxiliary rotation shaft, the torque of the auxiliary rotation shaft becomes smaller than the torque of the steering shaft. If a rotary damper is attached to the auxiliary rotary shaft, the torque absorbed by the rotary damper is smaller than that when the rotary damper is attached to the steering shaft, so that a small rotary damper can be used.

Further, by accelerating the rotation of the steering shaft and transmitting it to the auxiliary rotation shaft, the rotation angle of the steering shaft is amplified and appears in the rotation angle of the auxiliary rotation shaft. By detecting the rotation angle of the auxiliary rotation shaft amplified in this way with the angle sensor, the rotation angle of the steering shaft can be detected with high accuracy even when an inexpensive angle sensor having a relatively low detection accuracy is used. ..

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the size and cost of the drive mechanism that controls the torque of the pair of drive wheels individually to steer.

It is a top view which shows the automatic transport system which automatically transports a vehicle by a vehicle transport device. It is a side view of the said vehicle transport device. It is a front view of the said vehicle transport device. It is a top view of the vehicle transport device. It is sectional drawing of the drive wheel unit (the drive mechanism which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention) of the said vehicle transport device. It is an enlarged sectional view of the steering shaft of the drive wheel unit. It is a top view which shows the state which the said vehicle transporting apparatus travels while making a curve. It is a top view of the vehicle arranged in a container yard and the vehicle transport device. It is a top view of the vehicle arranged in a container yard and the vehicle transport device.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

The vehicle transport device 1 shown in FIG. 1 transports the vehicle C completed at the factory F to the container yard Y, which is a vehicle waiting area. The vehicle transport device 1 reciprocates between the factory F and the container yard Y in accordance with a radio command (dotted line arrow) from the system control unit S. In the present embodiment, the vehicle C is a front-wheel drive vehicle, the left and right front wheels of the vehicle C are mounted on the vehicle transport device 1, and the vehicle C is transported with the left and right front wheels of the vehicle grounded.

As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the vehicle transport device 1 includes a main body 2 on which the left and right front wheels W1 of the vehicle C are mounted, a drive wheel unit 3 as a drive mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention, and a main body 2. It has an auxiliary wheel 4 provided in the vehicle and a transmitter / receiver 8 for transmitting / receiving a radio command between the system control unit S and the system control unit S. In the following description of each part of the vehicle transport device 1, the vehicle width direction (horizontal direction of FIGS. 3 and 4) of the vehicle C is set to the "width direction" with the vehicle C mounted on the vehicle transport device 1. The front (left side of FIG. 2, lower side of FIG. 4) and rear (right side of FIG. 2, upper side of FIG. 4) of the vehicle C are referred to as "front" and "rear", respectively.

The main body 2 is equipped with a wheel chock 5 for preventing the front wheels W1 of the vehicle C from rolling, a battery 6 for supplying electric power to the drive wheel unit 3, and a control unit 7 for controlling the drive wheel unit 3.

The drive wheel unit 3 is provided near both ends in the width direction of the main body 2. As shown in FIG. 5, each drive wheel unit 3 includes a steering shaft 9, a pair of drive wheels 10 attached to the steering shaft 9 (hereinafter, referred to as "drive wheel pair 10'"), and each drive. A driving means for rotationally driving the wheels 10 and a casing 13 for accommodating the wheels 10 are provided.

The steering shaft 9 is rotatably attached to a frame 14 as a base fixed to the main body 2 via a bearing 15. In the illustrated example, the steering shaft 9 extends in the vertical direction. The bearing 15 that supports the steering shaft 9 preferably supports loads in the radial direction and the thrust direction, and for example, tapered roller bearings are used (see FIG. 6).

The pair of drive wheels 10 constituting each drive wheel pair 10'are arranged side by side on the same axis (see FIG. 5). The outer diameters of the pair of drive wheels 10 are the same, and in the illustrated example, the same drive wheels 10 are used facing each other in the axial direction.

The drive means is composed of, for example, a drive motor 11 provided for each drive wheel 10. The drive motor 11 of the present embodiment is a so-called in-wheel motor arranged on the inner circumference of each drive wheel 10. Drive motors 11 are provided on both sides of the steering shaft 9 in the horizontal direction. In the illustrated example, the main body 11b of both drive motors 11 is fixed on both sides in the radial direction of the steering shaft 9, and the rotating shafts 11a of both drive motors 11 are arranged coaxially with the steering shaft 9 in the radial direction. The rotation shaft 11a of each drive motor 11 is fixed to the axis of the drive wheel 10. Each drive motor 11 is connected to the battery 6 and the control unit 7 (see FIG. 4), and is rotationally driven based on a command from the control unit 7. As described above, each drive wheel pair 10'consisting of the pair of drive wheels 10 can rotate integrally with the main body 2 about the steering shaft 9. In the present embodiment, the drive wheel pair 10'can rotate 360 ° around the steering shaft 9.

The drive wheel unit 3 is provided with an auxiliary rotating shaft 21 and speed increasing means, which are characteristic configurations of the present invention. Hereinafter, the auxiliary rotating shaft 21 and the mechanism around the auxiliary rotating shaft 21 will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

The auxiliary rotating shaft 21 is attached to the frame 14 in a rotatable state via the bearing 22. The auxiliary rotating shaft 21 is provided parallel to the steering shaft 9. The rotation of the steering shaft 9 is accelerated by the speed increasing means and transmitted to the auxiliary rotating shaft 21. In the present embodiment, the speed increasing means is composed of the steering shaft gear 16 fixed to the steering shaft 9 and the auxiliary gear 23 fixed to the auxiliary rotating shaft 21. The auxiliary gear 23 has a smaller diameter than the steering shaft gear 16 (the number of teeth is smaller). The speed increasing means is not limited to this, and for example, a chain or a belt may be used.

A rotary damper 24 is attached to the auxiliary rotating shaft 21. The rotary damper 24 contains a rotor 24a fixed to the auxiliary rotary shaft 21, a housing 24b fixed to the frame 14, and a viscous fluid (for example, oil) sealed in a closed space between the rotor 24a and the housing 24b. Have. Since the rotation of the steering shaft 12 is accelerated and transmitted to the auxiliary rotating shaft 21, the torque of the auxiliary rotating shaft 21 is smaller than the torque of the steering shaft 9. By providing the rotary damper 24 on the auxiliary rotary shaft 21 having a small torque in this way, the rotary damper 24 can be downsized as compared with the case where the rotary damper 24 is provided on the steering shaft 9.

An angle sensor 25 is attached to the auxiliary rotating shaft 21. As the angle sensor 25, for example, a potentiometer that converts the rotation angle into a voltage and detects it is used. The angle sensor 25 has a main body 25a fixed to the frame 14 and a rotation shaft 25b protruding from the main body 25a. The rotation shaft 25a of the angle sensor 25 is fixed to the auxiliary rotation shaft 21 so that it can rotate integrally. In the illustrated example, the rotation shaft 25a of the angle sensor 25 is coaxially arranged on the extension line of the auxiliary rotation shaft 21 and fixed to the upper end of the auxiliary rotation shaft 21. Since the rotation of the steering shaft 9 is accelerated and transmitted to the auxiliary rotation shaft 21, the rotation angle of the auxiliary rotation shaft 21 is larger than the rotation angle of the steering shaft 9. By detecting the rotation angle of the auxiliary rotation shaft 21 amplified in this way with the angle sensor 25, the detection accuracy of the rotation angle of the steering shaft 9 is improved. In other words, even when an inexpensive angle sensor 25 having a relatively low detection accuracy is used, the detection accuracy of the rotation angle of the steering shaft 9 can be maintained.

Further, while the vehicle transport device 1 is traveling, the impact from the road surface is transmitted to the steering shaft 9 via the drive wheels 10. Therefore, when the rotary damper 24 and the angle sensor 25 are directly attached to the steering shaft 9, an impact from the road surface is applied to these parts, so that these parts are liable to break down. In the present embodiment, as described above, by attaching the rotary damper 24 and the angle sensor 25 to the auxiliary rotating shaft 21 that interlocks with the drive shaft 9 via the speed increasing means, it is difficult for the impact from the road surface to be transmitted to these parts. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the failure of these parts. In particular, the speed increasing means has a configuration that allows the drive shaft 9 and the auxiliary rotation shaft 21 to move relative to each other in the vertical direction, such as the steering shaft gear 16 and the auxiliary gear 23, so that the drive shaft 9 can move in the vertical direction. Since the vibration of the auxiliary rotating shaft 21 can be absorbed by the speed change means, the vibration of the auxiliary rotating shaft 21 can be suppressed, and the failure of the rotary damper 24 and the angle sensor 25 can be prevented more reliably.

By the way, in the present embodiment, the steering shaft 9 has a hollow cylindrical shape, and the wiring 17 extending from each drive motor 11 passes through the inner circumference of the steering shaft 9 (see FIG. 5). As a result, when the drive motor 11 is steered together with the drive wheel pair 10', interference between the wiring 17 extending from each drive motor 11 and the frame 14 can be avoided. In particular, in the present embodiment, in order to convey a heavy vehicle, it is necessary to supply a large amount of electric power to the drive motor 11, and the wiring 17 becomes thick. If such a thick wiring 17 is arranged around the steering shaft 12, it is difficult to bend the wiring 17 to avoid interference with the frame 14. In particular, in the present embodiment, since the drive motor 11 can rotate 360 ° together with the drive wheel pair 10', the wiring 17 and the frame 14 are likely to interfere with each other. Therefore, as described above, it is preferable to pass the wiring 17 through the inner circumference of the steering shaft 9.

When the wiring 17 is passed through the inner circumference of the steering shaft 9 in this way, the wiring 17 protrudes from the upper end opening of the steering shaft 9, so that the angle sensor 25 cannot be attached to the upper end of the steering shaft 9. Therefore, as described above, by providing the auxiliary rotation shaft 21 that rotates in conjunction with the steering shaft 9, the angle sensor 25 can be attached to the end of the auxiliary rotation shaft 21.

The training wheels 4 are provided in front of, behind, or both of the axes of the drive wheels 10, and in the present embodiment, are provided in front of the axes of the drive wheels 10. The number of training wheels 4 is not particularly limited, and is provided at two locations separated in the width direction, for example. Each auxiliary wheel 4 is composed of wheels having an outer diameter smaller than that of the drive wheels 10. Each training wheel 4 is attached to the main body 2 in a state where it can rotate around its own axis and around a vertical rotation axis.

The transmitter / receiver 8 is provided at a position where radio waves from the system control unit S (see FIG. 1) can be transmitted / received, and is connected to the control unit 7. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the transmitter / receiver 8 is provided at substantially the same height as the upper surface of the vehicle C to be mounted. In the illustrated example, the transmitter / receiver 8 is attached to the upper end of the support column 18 extending upward from the casing 13 of the drive wheel unit 3. One transmitter / receiver 8 is provided above each drive wheel unit 3, for example.

Hereinafter, a procedure for transporting the vehicle C by the vehicle transport device 1 described above will be described.

First, in the factory F (see FIG. 1), the front part of the vehicle C is raised by a lift means (not shown), and in this state, the main body 2 of the vehicle transport device 1 is made to slip below the front part of the vehicle C. Then, the front portion of the vehicle C is lowered by the lifting means, and the left and right front wheels W1 are mounted on the main body 2 of the vehicle transport device 1. At this time, by fitting the front wheel W1 between the wheel chocks 5, the front-rear movement of the front wheel W1 is restricted (see FIG. 2).

In this way, the front wheels W1 (driving wheels) of the vehicle C are mounted on the vehicle transport device 1, and the vehicle transport device 1 is driven to transport the vehicle C with the rear wheels W2 (driven wheels) grounded (FIG. 1). See arrow P1). Specifically, the transmitter / receiver 8 (see FIGS. 2 and 3) of the vehicle transport device 1 receives a command from the system control unit S, the command is transmitted to the control unit 7, and the control unit 7 responds to this command. The drive motor 11 of each drive wheel 10 is driven.

Here, the control of the drive wheels 10 when the vehicle transport device 1 is driven will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 7. Note that FIG. 7 shows the vehicle transport device 1 in a simplified manner. Further, here, the left drive wheel of each drive wheel pair 10'is referred to as "10L", and the right drive wheel is referred to as "10R". Further, in FIG. 7, the numbers surrounded by squares represent the magnitude of the torque of each drive wheel 10L and 10R.

When the vehicle transport device 1 travels straight, as shown in FIG. 7A, each drive motor 11 is controlled so that all the drive wheels 10L and 10R are driven with the same torque. In the illustrated example, the torques of all the drive wheels 10L and 10R are set to "8".

Then, as shown in FIG. 7B, when the vehicle transport device 1 approaches the entrance of the curve, the torque of the drive wheel 10R on the right side of each drive wheel pair 10'becomes larger than the torque of the drive wheel 10L on the left side. As described above, each drive motor 11 is controlled. In the illustrated example, the torque of the right drive wheel 10R of each drive wheel pair 10'is set to "8", and the torque of the left drive wheel 10L is set to "7". As a result, as shown by the arrows in FIG. 7B, each drive wheel pair 10'rotates with respect to the main body 2 about the steering shaft 9 (see FIG. 5) and is steered to the left from the straight direction. (See dotted line).

Then, in the middle of the curve, as shown in FIG. 7C, the torque of the right drive wheel pair 10'is made larger than the torque of the left drive wheel pair 10', so that the vehicle transport device 1 is moved to the left side. It runs smoothly while curving. At this time, the steering angle of each drive wheel pair 10'is fixed by making the torques of both drive wheels 10L and 10R of each drive wheel pair 10' substantially equal. In the illustrated example, the torque of the drive wheels 10L and 10R of the left drive wheel pair 10'is set to "7", and the torque of the drive wheels 10L and 10R of the right drive wheel pair 10'is set to "8". When the vehicle transport device 1 curves, the training wheels 4 rotate around the rotation axis in the vertical direction due to friction with the ground, and follow the traveling direction of the vehicle transport device 1.

Then, when approaching the exit of the curve, as shown in FIG. 7D, each drive is such that the torque of the left drive wheel 10L of each drive wheel pair 10'is larger than the torque of the right drive wheel 10R. The torque of the motor 11 is controlled. In the illustrated example, the torque of the left drive wheel 10L of each drive wheel pair 10'is set to "8", and the torque of the right drive wheel 10R is set to "7". As a result, as shown by the arrows in FIG. 7D, each drive wheel pair 10'is steered to the right and returns to the straight direction (see the dotted line).

After that, as shown in FIG. 7 (E), the vehicle transport device 1 travels straight by equalizing the torques of all the drive wheels 10L and 10R. In the illustrated example, the torques of all the drive wheels 10L and 10R are set to "8".

As described above, a pair of drive wheels 10 are attached to each steering shaft 9, and the torque of each drive wheel 10 is individually controlled by the drive motor 11, thereby providing a dedicated motor for steering the drive wheels 10. Since there is no need for it, the drive mechanism can be miniaturized and the cost can be reduced. Further, since the drive wheels 10 are strongly pressed against the ground by the weight of the vehicle C, a large driving force is required to steer the drive wheels 10, but as described above, a pair of drive wheels 11 are used. By steering the drive wheels 10 with different torques, the load on the motor is reduced as compared with the case where the steering shaft 9 is directly rotationally driven by the motor, for example.

In the vehicle transport device 1 described above, since the steering shaft 9 is supported by the main body 2 only by the bearing 15, each steering shaft is caused by friction between each drive wheel 10 and the ground while the vehicle transport device 1 is traveling. 9 is maintained at a predetermined position (rotational angle). For example, when the vehicle transport device 1 is traveling straight (see FIGS. 7A and 7E), the torque applied to the steering shaft 9 due to friction between the drive wheels 10L on the left side of each drive wheel pair 10'and the ground. And the torque applied to the steering shaft 9 due to the friction between the driving wheels 10R on the right side of each driving wheel pair 10'and the ground cancels each other, and as a result, each steering shaft 9 is held in the straight-ahead position.

For example, when one drive wheel 10 (for example, the drive wheel 10L on the left side) of the drive wheel pair 10'flies from the ground or slides against the ground, the torque due to friction between the drive wheel 10L and the ground becomes zero. , Only the torque due to the friction between the other drive wheel 10 (for example, the right drive wheel 10R) and the ground is applied to the steering shaft 9. The torque of the steering shaft 9 is transmitted to the auxiliary rotating shaft 21 via the speed increasing means (steering shaft gear 16 and auxiliary gear 23). By absorbing the torque of the auxiliary rotary shaft 21 by the rotary damper 24 provided on the auxiliary rotary shaft 21, it is possible to prevent the auxiliary rotary shaft 21 and the steering shaft 9 interlocked with the auxiliary rotary shaft 21 from suddenly rotating.

Further, while the vehicle transport device 1 is traveling, the angle sensor 25 detects the rotation angle of the auxiliary rotation shaft 21 to detect the rotation angle of the steering shaft 9, that is, the traveling direction of the drive wheels 10. .. In the illustrated example, since the rotation of the steering shaft 9 is accelerated by the speed increasing means and transmitted to the auxiliary rotation shaft 21, the rotation angle of the auxiliary rotation shaft 21 is larger than the rotation angle of the steering shaft 9. The auxiliary rotation shaft 21 amplified in this way is detected by the angle sensor 25, and the rotation is performed from the rotation angle and the speed increase ratio of the speed increasing means (that is, the gear ratio of the steering shaft gear 16 and the auxiliary gear 23). The rotation angle of the steering shaft 9 is detected. Based on the rotation angle of the steering shaft 9, whether or not the vehicle transport device 1 is traveling in a predetermined direction is monitored.

Then, the vehicle transport device 1 is driven along a predetermined route according to a command from the system control unit S, and the vehicle C is transported to a predetermined position in the container yard Y (see arrow Q1 in FIG. 8). Then, the front portion of the vehicle C is raised by a lift means (not shown), and in this state, the vehicle transport device 1 is moved forward and retracted from below the vehicle C (see arrow Q2 in FIG. 8). After that, the front part of the vehicle C is lowered by the lifting means, and the front wheel W1 is brought into contact with the ground.

The vehicle transport device 1 thus separated from the vehicle C is arranged between a large number of vehicles C arranged in the container yard Y in the front-rear direction. In the present embodiment, since the vehicle transport device 1 is equipped with only the front wheels W1 of the vehicle C, the front-rear dimension D1 of the vehicle transport device 1 can be shorter than the wheelbase of the vehicle C, for example, the vehicle C. It can be 1/2 or less of the wheelbase. Therefore, the distance D2 in the front-rear direction of the vehicle C in the container yard Y can be reduced, and the vehicle C can be densely arranged in the container yard Y.

After that, with the vehicle transport device 1 stopped in place, the drive motor 11 rotationally drives the pair of drive wheels 10 of each drive wheel pair 10'in opposite directions with the same torque, thereby causing each drive wheel pair. Steer 10'on the spot by 90 ° (see Figure 9). After that, by rotating each drive wheel 10 in the same direction with the same torque, the vehicle transport device 1 is driven in the width direction (left-right direction in FIG. 9). When the vehicle transport device 1 starts traveling in the width direction, the training wheels 4 rotate 90 ° around the rotation axis in the vertical direction due to friction with the ground, and the traveling direction becomes the width direction. As a result, the vehicle transport device 1 is retracted from the front-rear direction of the vehicle C (see arrows P2 in FIGS. 1 and 9).

When the vehicle transport device 1 escapes from between the vehicles C, each drive wheel pair 10'is steered 90 ° to the front-rear direction, and then rotationally driven in the opposite directions to drive the vehicle transport device 1 to 90 on the spot. Rotate ° (see dotted line in Figure 1). After that, each drive wheel pair 10'is steered by 90 ° to be in the width direction, and then each drive wheel 10 is driven to drive the vehicle transport device 1 in the width direction and returned to the factory F (FIG. 1). See arrow P3). Then, a new vehicle C is mounted on the vehicle transport device 1 that has returned to the factory F, and the vehicle is transported to the container yard Y. By repeating the above, the vehicle C can be automatically transported from the factory F to the container yard Y.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. Hereinafter, other embodiments of the present invention will be described, but duplicate description will be omitted with respect to the same points as those of the above embodiments.

In the above embodiment, the case where both the rotary damper 24 and the angle sensor 25 are attached to the auxiliary rotating shaft 21 is shown, but one of them may be omitted if there is no particular need.

Further, in the above embodiment, the case where only the front wheels of the front-wheel drive vehicle are mounted on the vehicle transport device 1 and transported is shown, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, when transporting a rear-wheel drive vehicle, the vehicle may be transported with only the rear wheels of the vehicle mounted on the vehicle transport device 1 and the front wheels grounded. When transporting a four-wheel drive vehicle, two vehicle transport devices 1 may be used to mount the front wheels on one vehicle transport device 1 and mount the rear wheels on the other vehicle transport device 1. ..

Further, in the above embodiment, the vehicle transport device 1 provided with two sets of drive wheel pairs 10'and two auxiliary wheels 4 is shown, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, only one training wheel 4 may be provided in the center of the main body 2 in the width direction, or training wheels 4 may be provided in front of and behind the drive wheel pair 10'. Alternatively, two sets of drive wheel pairs 10'and further drive wheels 10 may be provided in front of or behind it. Alternatively, one set of drive wheel pairs 10'may be provided. For example, one set of drive wheel pairs 10'is provided in the center of the main body 2 in the width direction, and a pair of training wheels 4 are provided in the vicinity of both ends in the width direction behind the pair of drive wheels 10'. May be good.

Further, the vehicle transported by the vehicle transport device is not limited to the completed vehicle, but includes, for example, a truck or the like before mounting the loading platform (so-called vehicle before mounting). Further, the present invention is not limited to the vehicle transport device, but can be applied to an automatic transport device that transports other transported objects (for example, automobile parts, etc.) and other self-propelled vehicles.

1 Vehicle transport device 2 Main body 3 Drive wheel unit (drive mechanism)
9 Steering shaft 10 Drive wheel 10'Drive wheel pair 11 Drive motor 12 Steering shaft 14 Frame (base)
16 Steering shaft gear (speed increasing means)
21 Auxiliary rotary shaft 23 Auxiliary gear (speed increasing means)
24 Rotary damper 25 Angle sensor C Vehicle W1 Front wheel W2 Rear wheel S System control unit F Factory Y Container yard

Claims (3)

A base, a steering shaft rotatably attached to the base, a pair of drive wheels provided on both sides of the steering shaft in the horizontal direction and rotatable integrally with the steering shaft, and each drive wheel. A driving means capable of individually controlling the torque of the above, an auxiliary rotating shaft attached to the base in a rotatable state, and a speed increasing means for accelerating the rotation of the steering shaft and transmitting it to the auxiliary rotating shaft. , A drive mechanism having a component attached to the auxiliary rotating shaft and exerting a function by utilizing the rotation of the auxiliary rotating shaft. The drive mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the component is a rotary damper or an angle sensor. A vehicle transport device including the drive mechanism according to claim 1 or 2 and a main body on which the vehicle is mounted.

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