JP3228245U - Connection structure of basket trolley in automatic guided vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a connecting structure of a basket trolley in an automatic guided vehicle in which a worker who handles the basket trolley can connect or disconnect the basket trolley to an automatic guided vehicle with one action. SOLUTION: A connecting structure of a basket trolley 3 is provided so as to swingably provide a frame 10 that sneaks under the chassis of the basket trolley 3 and the frame 10 and is in the first position when the basket trolley 3 is inserted and removed. On the other hand, the abutting lever 13 that is pressed by the basket cart 3 and set to the second position and the abutting lever 13 that is set to the second position are locked, and the abutting lever is operated by the operator. A lock mechanism that releases 13 from the second position is provided so as to be swingable with respect to the frame 10 and is connected to the abutting lever 13 via a conrod 15. At the first position of the abutting lever 13, it is on the frame 10. At the second position of the abutting lever 13 that has fallen down, a stopper member 14 that stands up on the frame 10 and sandwiches the basket carriage 3 with the abutting lever 13 is provided. [Selection diagram] Fig. 5

Description

The present invention relates to a structure for connecting a basket trolley loaded with various kinds of luggage to an automatic guided vehicle when it is towed and transported by an automatic guided vehicle, for example, in a distribution center or the like.

A basket trolley is a trolley for transportation that is surrounded by a grid-like structure called a basket, and since luggage can be stacked high in the basket and used, stable transportation operations can be performed. It is widely used in distribution sites. In addition, the cart can be loaded and unloaded as it is in the luggage compartment of a truck. For example, in the delivery business of goods to a store such as a convenience store or a drug store, the cart arrives at the store from the warehouse via a distribution center. In the entire process up to, the luggage can be carried while being loaded on the cart.

Multiple casters are attached to the bottom of the basket trolley, but in order to make it easy to handle the basket trolley in a narrow space such as a warehouse or the luggage compartment of a truck, these casters can be freely 360 degrees in the horizontal direction. Rotatable swivel casters are often used. As a result, the worker who handles the basket trolley can easily change the direction of the basket trolley and quickly perform the work such as wall gathering.

As described above, it is possible to stack a large amount of luggage in the basket of the basket trolley, and for example, when a luggage such as a PET bottle beverage is loaded, the total weight of the basket trolley increases remarkably. For this reason, at sites that handle a large number of carts, such as distribution centers, automatic guided vehicles (AGVs) are used to pull the carts in order to reduce the physical burden on workers who sort and move the carts. A mechanism for transporting has been conventionally proposed (Patent Documents 1 to 3).

These patent documents also disclose a trailer towed by the automatic guided vehicle. The trailer is composed of a frame provided with a recess for accommodating the basket carriage, a fixing means for restraining the basket carriage in the recess, and a plurality of casters held on the bottom surface of the frame. As described above, a turning caster is provided on the bottom surface of the basket trolley, and when the basket trolley is towed by an unmanned transport vehicle, the basket trolley tends to sway on a curve existing in the transport path. By restricting the movement of the cart with a trailer, it is intended to safely tow the cart along a certain route.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 63-130480 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2003-252263 Patent No. 6464304

However, in the trailer disclosed in Patent Document 1, the work of storing the basket trolley in the recess of the trailer is complicated, and the operator cannot attach / detach the basket trolley to the trailer or the automatic guided vehicle with one action. It was.

The present invention was made from such a viewpoint, and the purpose of the present invention is to allow an operator who handles a basket trolley to connect or disconnect the basket trolley to an automatic guided vehicle with one action. The purpose is to provide a vehicle connection structure.

That is, the present invention has a connecting structure for towing a basket carriage with an unmanned transport vehicle, and a frame that is connected to the unmanned transport vehicle and sneaks under the chassis of the basket carriage and swings with respect to the frame. It is movably provided and is set to the first position when the frame is inserted and removed from the cage trolley, while it is pressed by the cage trolley when the cage trolley reaches a fixed position on the frame. A locking mechanism that locks the abutting lever set in the second position and the abutting lever set in the second position and releases the abutting lever from the second position by the operation of an operator. It is provided swingably with respect to the frame and is connected to the abutting lever via a conrod. When the abutting lever is set to the first position, it falls on the frame and the abutting lever It is provided with a stopper member that stands up on the frame when is set from the first position to the second position and sandwiches the basket carriage with the abutting lever.

According to the connection structure of the unmanned transport vehicle of the present invention, when a worker who handles the basket carriage moves the basket carriage and inserts the frame under the chassis of the basket carriage, the abutting lever becomes the basket carriage. The basket trolley is sandwiched between the abutting lever and the stopper member standing on the frame, which are set from the first position to the second position due to interference. At this time, the basket carriage is fixed to the frame by locking the abutting lever whose stopper member is set to the second position at the position. On the other hand, if the lock mechanism is operated to release the abutting lever from the second position, the stopper member can be tilted onto the frame, and the basket carriage can be moved with respect to the frame. ..

That is, according to the present invention, a worker who handles a basket trolley can connect or disconnect the basket trolley to an automatic guided vehicle with one action, and even when handling a large number of basket trolleys, efficiency is achieved. It becomes possible to work well.

It is a perspective view which shows an example of embodiment of the connection structure of the automatic guided vehicle to which this invention is applied. It is an enlarged perspective view which shows the detail of the abutting member and the locking mechanism. It is an enlarged perspective view which shows the detail of a stopper member. It is a side view which shows the mode which attaches the basket carriage to the frame of the trailer in an embodiment. It is a side view which shows the state which fixed the basket carriage to the frame of the trailer in an embodiment.

Hereinafter, embodiments of a connecting structure of a basket carriage to which the present invention is applied will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of an embodiment of a trailer for an automatic guided vehicle to which the connecting structure of the present invention is applied. This trailer 1 is inserted under the chassis of the cart and integrated with the cart, connected to the automatic guided vehicle (trailer head), and towed by the automated guided vehicle in the direction of arrow A in the figure. To.

The trailer 1 has a frame 10 to which a plurality of casters are attached. The frame 10 is roughly divided into a front frame 10a, a rear frame 10b, and an intermediate frame 10c connecting the front frame 10a and the rear frame 10b. Each of the front frame 10a and the rear frame 10b is provided with a pair of casters 11a and 11b that roll on the floor surface at intervals on the left and right in the traction direction. The casters 11a provided on the front frame 10a are swivel casters that can rotate 360 degrees in the horizontal direction, while the casters 11b provided on the rear frame have a direction parallel to the towing direction (arrow line A direction) of the trailer. It is a fixed caster that rolls to. The heights of the front frame 10a, the rear frame 10b, and the intermediate frame 10c from the floor surface are set lower than the minimum ground clearance of the chassis of the basket carriage. Therefore, the frame 10 can be slipped under the chassis of the basket carriage.

On the other hand, a pair of guide plates 12 are provided at both left and right ends of the front frame 10a so that the corners of the chassis of the basket carriage abut against each other. The fixed positions of these guide plates 12 can be changed in the left-right direction (direction orthogonal to the arrow line A direction in the drawing) with respect to the front frame 10a, and the size of the basket trolley towed by the trailer 1 can be changed. At the same time, the distance from the center of the front frame 10a can be arbitrarily changed. As a result, when the left and right corners of the chassis of the basket carriage are in contact with the pair of guide plates, the basket carriage is prevented from swaying to the left and right with respect to the frame 10.

The abutting lever 13 is swingably held in the center of the front frame 10a, while the stopper member 14 is swingably held in the center of the rear frame 10b. Further, the abutting lever 13 and the stopper member 14 are connected to each other by a connecting rod 15 arranged on the lower side of the intermediate frame 10c. Therefore, when the abutting lever 13 swings with respect to the front frame 10a, the stopper member 14 swings with respect to the rear frame 10b in conjunction with this.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view showing the details of the abutting lever 13. The abutting lever 13 is axially supported by the front frame 10a near the center in the longitudinal direction thereof, and a curved pressing piece 16 that contacts the front surface of the basket carriage is provided at the upper end, while the connecting rod is provided at the lower end. One end of 15 is connected. Therefore, when the pressing piece 16 interferes with the front surface of the basket carriage and the upper end of the abutting lever 13 moves in the direction of arrow B in the drawing, the connecting rod 15 moves in the direction of arrow C in the drawing. become.

Further, the abutting lever 13 is provided with a U metal fitting 17, and the U metal fitting 17 is inserted into the rotary catch 18 when the abutting lever 13 swings in the arrow B direction. Further, an electromagnetic solenoid 19 is connected to the rotary catch 18, and when the U metal fitting 17 is inserted into the rotary catch 18, the electromagnetic solenoid 19 is operated to cause the rotary catch 18 to be the U metal fitting. It is configured to lock the 17. A micro switch 20 is connected to the electromagnetic solenoid 19, while a sensor tong 21 is provided adjacent to the U metal fitting 17 on the abutting lever 13, and the U metal fitting 17 is inserted into the rotary catch 18. When the abutting lever 13 swings in the arrow line B direction to such an extent, the sensor tongs 21 press the actuator of the microswitch 20 and the electromagnetic solenoid 19 is configured to operate. As a result, the U metal fitting 17 is engaged with the rotary catch 18.

Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, the position of the abutting lever 13 shown in FIG. 2, that is, the position of the abutting lever 13 when the pressing piece 16 does not interfere with the basket carriage is the first position, and the U metal fitting 17 is the rotary. The position of the abutting lever 13 when engaged with the catch 18 is set as the second position.

The rotary catch 18, the electromagnetic solenoid 19, and the micro switch 20 are provided on the chassis 2 of the automatic guided vehicle that pulls the trailer 1. In a state where the trailer 1 is connected to the automatic guided vehicle, a part of the front frame 10a covers the chassis 2 of the automatic guided vehicle, and the U metal fitting 17 penetrates the front frame 10a. It is inserted into the rotary catch 18 through the hole. Power is supplied to the electromagnetic solenoid 19 and the microswitch 20 from the secondary battery of the automatic guided vehicle, and the electromagnetic solenoid can be operated by operating the disconnection button provided on the automatic guided vehicle. The U metal fitting 17 can be returned to the origin position and released from the rotary catcher 18.

Therefore, in this embodiment, the locking mechanism of the present invention is realized by the U metal fitting 17, the rotary catch 18, the electromagnetic solenoid 19, and the micro switch 20.

On the other hand, FIG. 3 is an enlarged view showing the details of the stopper member 14. The stopper member 14 is a substantially T-shaped member having a bent portion near the center in the longitudinal direction, and the bent portion 14a is pivotally supported by the rear frame 10b. A locking piece 14b that comes into contact with the chassis of the basket carriage from behind is provided at the upper end of the stopper member 14, while one end of the connecting rod 15 is connected to the lower end. In a state where the abutting lever 13 does not interfere with the front surface of the basket carriage and is maintained at the position shown in FIG. 2, the stopper member 14 is tilted onto the rear frame 1b as shown in FIG. Further, when the abutting lever 13 swings in the direction of arrow B in FIG. 2 and the connecting rod 15 moves in the direction of arrow C from the position shown in FIG. 3, the stopper member 14 is placed on the rear frame 1b. Stand up.

FIG. 4 is a side view showing how the basket carriage 3 is mounted on the frame 10 of the trailer 1, and the basket carriage 3 is shown by a chain line. A plurality of swivel casters 30 that can rotate 360 degrees in the horizontal direction are provided on the bottom surface of the basket carriage 3. In these figures, the four casters 11a and 11b provided on the bottom surface of the frame 10 are omitted.

The basket carriage 3 is mounted on the frame 10 from the rear frame 10b side. The front frame 10a, the rear frame 10b, and the intermediate frame 10c are set to a height lower than the minimum ground clearance of the chassis of the basket carriage 3, and the stopper member 14 is tilted on the rear frame 10b. By moving the basket trolley 3 in the direction of the arrow line D in the drawing, the frame 10 can be inserted under the basket trolley 3. That is, when the frame 10 is inserted under the basket carriage C, the abutting lever 13 is set to the first position, whereby the stopper member 14 is tilted onto the rear frame 10b.

When the frame 10 is inserted under the basket trolley 3 and the basket trolley 3 is moved in the arrow D direction as it is, the basket trolley 3 is positioned so as to overlap the front frame 10a as shown in FIG. To reach. At this time, the front surface of the chassis of the basket carriage 3 presses the abutting lever 13 to set the abutting lever 13 from the first position to the second position. Further, when the abutting lever 13 is set from the first position to the second position, the movement is transmitted to the stopper member 14 via the connecting rod 15, and the stopper member 14 stands up on the rear frame 10b. It comes into contact with the rear part of the chassis of the connecting rod 3.

Then, when the abutting lever 13 is set from the first position to the second position, the U metal fitting 17 provided on the abutting lever 13 is locked to the rotary catch 18, so that the abutting lever 13 Is held in the second position in an upright state with respect to the front frame 10a, and the stopper member 14 is also held in an upright state with respect to the rear frame 10b. As a result, the basket carriage C is sandwiched between the abutting lever 13 and the stopper member 14 from the front and rear, and is fixed to the trailer 1.

When the trailer 1 is towed by an unmanned carrier in this state, the casters 11a provided on the front frame 10a are turning casters, and the casters 30 provided on the bottom surface of the basket carriage 3 are also turning casters. The basket carriage 3 can freely change the traveling direction while being towed by the unmanned transport vehicle even if the unmanned transport vehicle changes the traveling direction.

On the other hand, since the casters 11b provided on the rear frame 10b of the trailer 1 are fixed casters, for example, in a curve existing in the transport path, the movement of the rear frame 10b in the left-right direction is suppressed, and the rear frame 10b is said. It follows the front frame 10a and travels on a curve in the transport path. That is, the basket carriage 3 fixed to the trailer 1 does not bulge outward even if it receives a centrifugal force on a curve in the transport path, and the basket carriage 3 can be towed on a stable track.

On the other hand, when the electromagnetic solenoid is returned to the origin position by operating the connection release button provided on the automatic guided vehicle, the U metal fitting 17 is released from the rotary catcher 18, so that the abutting lever is in the second position. The restraint is released. When the automatic guided vehicle is advanced again from this state, the trailer 1 is towed by the automatic guided vehicle and advances in the direction of arrow D in FIG. 4, so that the stopper member 14 presses against the stopped basket carriage 3. Then, the trailer 1 is in a state of falling on the rear frame 10b, and the frame 10 of the trailer 1 is pulled out from under the basket carriage 3 in accordance with the progress of the automatic guided vehicle. That is, it is possible to separate the basket trolley 3 at an arbitrary position on the transport path and keep only the basket trolley at that position.

According to the connection structure of the basket carriage to which the present invention is applied, the worker who handles the basket carriage 3 moves the basket carriage 3 and inserts the frame 10 of the trailer 1 into the lower side of the chassis of the basket carriage 3. The basket trolley 3 can be fixed to the trailer 1 without any special operation, and the restraint of the basket trolley 3 to the trailer 1 can be released only by a simple switch operation. The frame 10 of the trailer 1 can be pulled out from the basket trolley 3, and even when a large amount of the basket trolley 3 is handled, the operator can efficiently perform the work and effectively utilize the unmanned transport vehicle. It becomes.

1 ... Trailer, 2 ... Automatic guided vehicle, 3 ... Basket trolley, 10 ... Frame, 13 ... Butting member, 14 ... Stopper member, 15 ... Connecting rod

Claims (2)

It is a connecting structure for towing a basket trolley with an automatic guided vehicle.
A frame that is connected to the automatic guided vehicle and sneaks under the chassis of the basket carriage,
It is provided swingably with respect to the frame and is set to the first position when the frame is inserted and removed from the basket carriage, while the cage carriage reaches a fixed position on the frame. The abutting lever that is pressed by the basket trolley and set to the second position,
A locking mechanism that locks the abutting lever set in the second position and releases the abutting lever from the second position by a user's operation.
It is provided swingably with respect to the frame and is connected to the abutting lever via a connecting rod. When the abutting lever is set to the first position, it falls on the frame and the abutting lever When is set from the first position to the second position, a stopper member that stands up on the frame and sandwiches the basket trolley between the abutting lever and the stopper member.
The connection structure of the basket trolley, which is characterized by being equipped with. The lock mechanism includes a U metal fitting provided on the abutting lever, a rotary catch that engages with the U metal fitting when the abutting lever is set to the second position, and the rotary catch according to a switch operation. The connecting structure of a basket carriage according to claim 1, further comprising an electromagnetic solenoid that sets the angle of engagement or disengagement with the U metal fitting.

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