JP6632040B1 - Transport system - Google Patents

Abstract

An unmanned flight transfer device capable of receiving a work without gripping the work from above is provided. An unmanned flight carrier 1 includes a flyable flying object 2 having a plurality of rotors 23. Further, the unmanned flight transport device 1 is provided to fly with the flying object 2 and includes a fork 3 on which a work is placed. [Selection] Figure 2

Description

  The present invention relates to an unmanned flight transfer device used for transferring a work.

  An unmanned flight transfer device that grips a work releasably without human assistance and transfers the work by flight has been developed (for example, Patent Documents 1-3). This type of unmanned flight transfer device is used in a transfer system such as an automatic warehouse (for example, Patent Document 3).

  The unmanned flight carrier includes a flyable flying object having a plurality of rotary wings, and a gripper provided to be able to fly with the flying object. The unmanned flight transfer device flies to a position directly above a workpiece, grips the workpiece from above with a gripper, and lifts the workpiece.

  As described above, there is only an unmanned flight transfer device that grasps and receives a work from above by a grasping tool. In the unmanned flight transport device having such a configuration, it is very difficult to receive the work placed on the shelf mounting table.

JP 2018-114822 A JP 2018-47866 A JP 2018-509357 A

The present invention provides a transfer system including an unmanned flight transfer device that can receive a work without gripping the work from above.

According to the present invention, there is provided a transfer system that includes an unmanned flight transfer device and transfers a work by the unmanned flight transfer device flying ,
The unmanned flight carrier,
A flightable air vehicle having an airframe and a plurality of rotors;
Provided beneath the fuselage to fly with the aircraft, said comprising a fork which a workpiece is placed, and between the fork and the machine body, arrangement space for arranging the workpiece form Has been
After positioning the work in the storage space in which the work is stored, the unmanned flight carrier moves the work in the storage space between the machine body and the fork by flying in a horizontal direction toward the storage space. Then, by flying upward, the work is scooped up by the fork and placed on the fork.

Preferably, the transport system comprises:
Further comprising a shelf having a plurality of storage spaces, and a mark given to each of the storage spaces,
The unmanned flight carrier,
Further comprising a camera for detecting the mark,
Based on the mark detected by the camera, the mark is positioned with respect to the storage space corresponding to the mark.

Preferably, the work is placed on a pallet in the storage space,
The pallet has an insertion hole into which the fork is inserted,
The unmanned flight transport device positions the fork with respect to the storage space so as to be positioned at the height of the insertion hole, and flies the fork horizontally by flying toward the storage space. The work and the pallet are lifted up by the fork by being inserted into a hole and flying upward.

Preferably, the unmanned flight carrier,
The apparatus further includes a sensor attached to the fork and detecting that the fork has been inserted into the insertion hole.

  Preferably, the forks are a pair of forks arranged at a distance from each other in the first horizontal direction and extending in a second horizontal direction perpendicular to the first horizontal direction.

  Since the unmanned flight conveyance device includes a fork provided to fly with the flying object, the work can be picked up and received by the fork. Then, after that, the work can be transported by flying while being placed on the fork.

It is a front view of the unmanned flight conveyance device concerning one embodiment. It is a perspective view of the unmanned flight conveyance device of FIG. 3A and 3B are side views illustrating the operation of the reach mechanism. FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the unmanned flight transport device in FIG. 1. It is a figure which shows a conveyance system schematically. FIG. 6 is a front view showing a storage space of a shelf of the transport system in FIG. 5. It is a perspective view which shows the mounting table of FIG. 8A and 8B are diagrams illustrating an example of use of the unmanned flight transport device in FIG. 9A and 9B are diagrams illustrating an example of use of the unmanned flight transport device in FIG. FIG. 10A is a front view, and FIG. 10B is a side view, schematically illustrating an unmanned flight transport device according to another embodiment. 11A to 11C are diagrams illustrating an example of use of the unmanned flight transport device in FIG.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of an unmanned flight carrier according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

<First embodiment>
[Unmanned flight carrier]
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the unmanned flight carrier 1 includes a flying body 2 that can fly. The flying object 2 includes an airframe 20 at the center.

  The flying object 2 further includes a plurality of arms 21, a plurality of motors 22, and a plurality of rotors 23. The arms 21 extend in the horizontal direction from the body 20 and are arranged at equal angular intervals around the body 20. The motor 22 is arranged at the tip of each arm 21. The rotor 23 is connected to each motor 22. In this embodiment, four arms 21, four motors 22, and four rotors 23 are provided.

  The flying body 2 further includes a plurality of skids (legs) 24 provided on both sides of the body 20 and extending downward from the body 20. In this embodiment, two skids 24 are provided.

  The unmanned flight conveyance device 1 is provided so as to fly with the flying object 2, and is provided so as to fly with the flying object 2 and the fork 3 on which the work W (FIG. 5) is mounted. And a reach mechanism 4 for moving in a horizontal direction with respect to. In this embodiment, the fork 3 is a slide fork.

  A pair of supports 10 extend downward from both sides of the fuselage 20 of the flying body 2 with a horizontal space therebetween. The reach mechanism 4 is supported below the support 10 by a pair of supports 10, and the fork 3 is supported by the reach mechanism 4.

  3A and 3B show the fork 3 and the reach mechanism 4 in detail. The reach mechanism 4 includes a base 40 fixed to the support 10 (FIGS. 1 and 2), and a slider 41 slidably provided in the horizontal direction with respect to the base 40. The fork 3 is provided slidably in the horizontal direction with respect to the slider 41.

  The sprockets 42 and 43 are attached to the slider 41 at intervals from each other in the sliding direction of the slider 41. The chain 44 is engaged with the sprocket 42, one end of which is fixed to the base 40, and the other end of which is fixed to the fork 3. Further, another chain 45 is engaged with the sprocket 43, one end of which is fixed to the base 40, and the other end of which is fixed to the fork 3.

  A gear group 46 is provided on the base 40. The gear group 46 is composed of a plurality of gears arranged side by side, and adjacent gears mesh with each other. The gears at both ends of the gear group 46 are pinion gears 47. A rack 48 (shown clearly in FIG. 4B) is provided on the slider 41 throughout the sliding direction of the slider 41. The pinion gear 47 is arranged to be able to mesh with the rack 48.

  A drive device (not shown) including a motor and the like is connected to the gear group 46 to rotationally drive the gear group 46.

  According to the above configuration, when the gear group 46 is rotated by the driving device, the slider 41 moves in the horizontal direction with respect to the base 40, and the fork 3 moves in the moving direction of the slider 41 with respect to the slider 41. (See FIGS. 3A and 3B).

  With the above configuration, as shown in FIG. 2, the reach mechanism 4 moves the fork 3 between the first position (the position indicated by the solid line) where the fork 3 is located directly below the body 20 and the fork 3 in the horizontal direction from the first position. It is moved linearly in a horizontal direction between a completely separated second position (a position indicated by a dashed line). The fork 3 in the second position is completely separated from the fuselage 20 in the horizontal direction. Therefore, the fork 3 can be made to protrude more horizontally than the body 20.

  An arrangement space for arranging the work W is formed between the fork 3 at the first position and the body 20 of the flying body 2.

  As shown in the block diagram of FIG. 4, the unmanned flight transport device 1 further includes a control device 5 electrically connected to each motor 22 and the reach mechanism 4.

  The control device 5 includes a position detection unit 50 that detects the position of the unmanned flight carrier 1. The position detection unit 50 may include, for example, a GPS reception sensor. In addition, the position detection unit 50 may include a magnetic sensor or an optical sensor that detects a mark indicating position information provided in an area where the unmanned flight transport device 1 flies, in a non-contact manner, and furthermore, determines a flight height of the mark. It may have an ultrasonic sensor or an optical sensor for detecting.

  The control device 5 further includes a posture detection unit 51 that detects the posture of the unmanned flight carrier 1. The posture detection unit 51 may include a gyro sensor and an acceleration sensor.

  The control device 5 includes a work position detection unit 52 for positioning the unmanned flight carrier 1 with respect to the storage space 70 when the unmanned flight transfer device 1 receives or transfers the work W to or from the storage space 70 (FIG. 5). In addition. The work position detecting unit 52 is provided on the surface of the body 20 on the side where the fork 3 protrudes, and detects the mark 73 (FIG. 6) given to the storage space 70 by the wide-angle camera 520 (FIGS. 1 and 2). ). Note that the camera 520 may function as the above-described position detection unit 50.

  The control device 5 detects whether or not the work W is mounted on the fork 3 and further includes a work detection unit 53 that detects the weight of the work W. The work detector 53 may include a load sensor provided on the fork 3 or the reach mechanism 4.

  Control device 5 further includes a reach amount detector 54 that detects the reach amount of fork 3. The reach amount detection unit 54 may include, for example, an encoder that detects rotation of the sprockets 42 and 43 or rotation of the gears of the gear group 46 in FIG.

  The control device 5 further includes a transmission / reception unit 55 for communicating with a management server 6 described later. The transmission / reception unit 55 may include wireless communication means such as WiFi (registered trademark).

  The control device 5 further includes a storage unit 58. The storage unit 58 may include a storage medium such as a hard disk housed in the body 20. The work content of the cargo handling work performed by the unmanned flight transport device 1 is stored in the storage unit 58. The work content includes information on the flight path, information on the work W, and the like.

  Control device 5 further includes a flight control unit 56. The flight control unit 56 calculates the rotation speed of each motor 22 based on the detection information from each of the detection units 50-54, and drives each motor 22 at the calculated rotation speed. Thereby, the flight control unit 56 causes the flying object 2 to fly with the fork 3 and the reach mechanism 4 and controls the speed, direction, and altitude of the flight. The flight control unit 56 allows the unmanned flight transport device 1 to hover while maintaining its posture, to fly along the flight path stored in the storage unit 58, and Position.

  Control device 5 further includes a fork control unit 57. The fork control unit 57 controls the reach mechanism 4 based on the detection information from the work detection unit 53 and the reach amount detection unit 54, and thereby controls the reach operation of the fork 3. The flight control unit 56 and the fork control unit 57 are configured by a CPU and programs executed by the CPU.

  Hereinafter, a usage example of the unmanned flight transport device 1 will be described. The unmanned flight transport device 1 is used for a transport system.

[Transport system]
The transfer system includes a plurality of unmanned flight transfer devices 1 and a management server 6 (FIG. 4). Each of the unmanned flight transport devices 1 can communicate with the management server 6 via the transmission / reception unit 55. The management server 6 assigns the cargo handling work to each unmanned flight transport device 1 and transmits the contents of the cargo handling work assigned to the unmanned flight transport device 1 to the unmanned flight transport device 1. The unmanned flight carrier 1 stores the received work content in the storage unit 58.

  As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the transport system further includes a shelf 7. In the figure, X indicates the front-rear direction of the shelf 7, Y indicates the left-right direction of the shelf 7, and Z indicates the vertical direction of the shelf 7, which are orthogonal to each other. FIG. 6 partially shows the shelf 7 viewed from the front.

  As shown in FIG. 5, in the embodiment, a plurality of shelves 7 are provided. A passage 8 is formed between the shelves 7, and the unmanned flight carrier 1 can fly through the passage 8.

  The shelf 7 includes a plurality of storage spaces 70 for storing the work W. The storage space 70 is formed by a mounting table 71 and a frame 72 in a vertical direction Z and a horizontal direction Y.

  The mounting table 71 is provided for each of the storage spaces 70. As shown in FIG. 7, the mounting table 71 has its front end largely cut away, thereby forming a gap 710 for the fork 3 to pass through. The work W is mounted on the mounting table 71 so as to cross the gap 710.

  As shown in FIG. 6, a mark 73 is provided for each of the storage spaces 70, and is arranged at a predetermined position. The mark 73 is used for positioning between the unmanned flight carrier 1 and the storage space 70. The mark 73 is also unique to the storage space 70 and is used to identify the storage space 70, respectively. The mark 73 may have, for example, a two-dimensional code. The mark 73 is detected by the camera 520 of the work position detection unit 52.

  Hereinafter, the operation of the unmanned flight carrier 1 will be described. When receiving the work content from the management server 6, the unmanned flight transport device 1 flies to the front of the target storage space 70 along the flight path included in the work content.

  Next, the unmanned flight transport device 1 detects the mark 73 assigned to the target storage space 70 by the camera 520, positions the mark 73 on the storage space 70 based on the mark 73, and maintains the state by hovering. When the unmanned flight carrier 1 is positioned with respect to the storage space 70, as shown in FIG. 8A, the fork 3 is at a position lower than the mounting table 71 of the storage space 70.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 8B, the unmanned flight conveyance device 1 horizontally moves the fork 3 from the first position to the second position by the reach mechanism 4 while hovering, thereby causing the fork 3 to enter the storage space 70, It is located directly below the mounting table 71.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 9A, the unmanned flight carrier 1 flies upward, picks up the work W from the mounting table 71 with the fork 3, receives the work W, and mounts the work W on the fork 3. At this time, the fork 3 does not interfere with the mounting table 71 because it passes through the gap 710 of the mounting table 71.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 9B, the unmanned flight carrier 1 horizontally moves the fork 3 from the second position to the first position by the reach mechanism 4 while hovering, thereby taking out the work W from the storage space 70 and Move to the placement space just below 20. Thus, the reception of the work W is completed without human assistance.

  Next, the unmanned flight transport device 1 flies to the target transport location with the work W placed in the placement space. In a series of operations, the flight control unit 56 calculates the rotation speed of each motor 22 based on the detection information from the posture detection unit 51, the work detection unit 53, and the reach amount detection unit 54, and calculates the calculated rotation speed. By controlling the motors 22 by numbers, the unmanned flight carrier 1 is balanced.

  The unmanned flight carrier 1 can also transfer the work W to the mounting table 71 without human assistance. The unmanned flight carrier 1 is positioned with respect to the storage space 70 by the camera 520 and the mark 73, whereby the fork 3 on which the work W is placed is positioned higher than the mounting table 71 (FIG. 9B). Next, the unmanned flight carrier 1 horizontally moves the fork 3 from the first position to the second position by the reach mechanism 4, and positions the fork 3 and the work W directly above the mounting table 71 (FIG. 9A). Next, the unmanned flight carrier 1 flies downward and transfers the workpiece W from the fork 3 to the mounting table 71 (FIG. 8B). Next, the unmanned flight carrier 1 returns the fork 3 from the second position to the first position by the reach mechanism 4 (FIG. 8A).

<Second embodiment>
Hereinafter, the second embodiment will be described. The same or similar components as those of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted as much as possible.

[Unmanned flight carrier]
As shown in FIGS. 10A and 10B, the unmanned flight carrier 1 includes a pair of forks 3 instead of a slide fork as a fork. The pair of forks 3 are spaced apart from each other in the horizontal direction (first horizontal direction, left and right direction in FIG. 10A), and are arranged in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the first horizontal direction (second horizontal direction, left and right in FIG. 10B). Direction).

  A pair of supports 10 extend downward from one side of the body 20, and a bracket 11 is attached to a lower end of the support 10. A pair of forks 3 is attached to the bracket 11 and located directly below the body 20. Thereby, an arrangement space for arranging the work W is formed between the body 20 and the fork 3.

  As shown in FIG. 10A, the skid 24 of this embodiment is configured to be extendable and contractible so as to extend below the lower end of the fork 3.

[Transport system]
Referring to FIG. 11A, no space 710 (FIG. 7) is formed in mounting table 71 of storage space 70. The pallet 74 is mounted on the mounting table 71, and the work W is mounted on the pallet 74. An insertion hole 740 for inserting the fork 3 is formed in the pallet 74.

  Hereinafter, the operation of the unmanned flight carrier 1 will be described. As shown in FIG. 11A, when the unmanned flight carrier 1 is positioned with respect to the storage space 70, the fork 3 is located at the height of the insertion hole 740 of the pallet 74.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 11B, the unmanned flight carrier 1 flies in the horizontal direction toward the storage space 70, thereby inserting the fork 3 into the insertion hole 740 of the pallet 74. The insertion of the fork 3 into the insertion hole 740 may be detected by a sensor (not shown) attached to the fork 3.

  Next, as illustrated in FIG. 11C, the unmanned flight carrier 1 flies upward, picks up the workpiece W and the pallet 74 with the fork 3, receives the work W and the pallet 74 from the mounting table 71, and places the workpiece W on the fork 3. Thus, the reception of the work W is completed. The unmanned flight transfer device 1 flies to a target transfer location in a state where the work W is arranged in the arrangement space between the fork 3 and the body 20.

  Also in this embodiment, the unmanned flight carrier 1 can transfer the work W to the mounting table 71. In this case, the unmanned flight carrier 1 operates in the order of FIGS. 9C, 9B, and 9A.

  As described above, the unmanned flight carrier 1 of each embodiment is provided with the fork 3 so as to fly with the flying object 2. Therefore, the unmanned flight carrier 1 can pick up and receive the work W with the fork 3 instead of holding and receiving the work W from directly above.

  In the conventional unmanned flight transfer device that receives a work from directly above using a gripper, it is difficult to receive a work placed on a shelf mounting table, or a work is placed like a shelf disclosed in Patent Document 3. A drive mechanism for moving the mounting table (cell) out of the shelf is required for each mounting table. In the unmanned flight transport device 1 of the embodiment having the fork 3, the work W can be easily received from the shelf 7 as described above.

  Since the reach mechanism 4 is provided as in the first embodiment, the work W can be received and delivered without the flying object 2 entering the storage space 70 of the shelf 7, and the work W can be placed directly below the airframe 20. It is possible to fly in the arranged state, and the conveyance of the work W by the flight is stabilized.

  Even if the reach mechanism 4 is not provided as in the second embodiment, the work W can be received and delivered by the fork 3 by combining the horizontal flight and the vertical flight.

  According to the second embodiment, when the work W is placed on the fork 3, the work W is positioned directly below the body 20, so that the transport of the work W by flying is stable.

  The preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described above, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment.

  For example, the unmanned flight carrier 1 may move the pair of forks 3 shown in the second embodiment in the horizontal direction by a reach mechanism including a guide rail, a reach cylinder, and the like. The unmanned flight transport device 1 of the second embodiment may be used for receiving or delivering the work W to or from the mounting table 71 having the gap 710 as in the first embodiment.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Unmanned flight conveyance device 2 Aircraft 20 Body 23 Rotor wing 3 Fork 4 Reach mechanism 5 Control device 6 Management server 7 Shelf 70 Storage space 71 Mounting table 710 Air gap 74 Pallet 740 Insertion hole 8 Passage W Work X Shelf longitudinal direction Y Shelf horizontal direction Z Shelf vertical direction

Claims (5)

A transport system that includes an unmanned flight transport device and transports a workpiece by flying the unmanned flight transport device,
The unmanned flight carrier,
A flightable air vehicle having an airframe and a plurality of rotors;
Provided beneath the fuselage to fly with the aircraft, said comprising a fork which a workpiece is placed, and between the fork and the machine body, arrangement space for arranging the workpiece form Has been
After positioning the work in the storage space in which the work is stored, the unmanned flight carrier moves the work in the storage space between the machine body and the fork by flying in a horizontal direction toward the storage space. Is configured to be picked up by the fork and then mounted on the fork by flying upward,
A transport system characterized by the above.   Further comprising a shelf having a plurality of storage spaces, and a mark given to each of the storage spaces,
  The unmanned flight carrier,
  Further comprising a camera for detecting the mark,
  On the basis of the mark detected by the camera, is configured to be positioned with respect to the storage space corresponding to the mark,
  The transport system according to claim 1, wherein:   The work is placed on a pallet in the storage space,
  The pallet has an insertion hole into which the fork is inserted,
  The unmanned flight transport device positions the fork with respect to the storage space so as to be positioned at the height of the insertion hole, and flies the fork horizontally by flying toward the storage space. The work and the pallet are lifted by the fork by inserting into the hole and flying upward,
  The transport system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein   The unmanned flight carrier,
  A sensor attached to the fork and detecting that the fork has been inserted into the insertion hole;
  The transport system according to claim 3, wherein: The forks are a pair of forks arranged at a distance from each other in the first horizontal direction and extending in a second horizontal direction perpendicular to the first horizontal direction.
The transport system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein:

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