JP6995556B2 - Automated guided vehicle - Google Patents

Description

This disclosure relates to automatic guided vehicles.

Conventionally, automated guided vehicles (AGVs) used for transporting heavy objects in factories and distribution warehouses that manufacture industrial products are known.

For example, in Patent Document 1, two wheels, two motors provided corresponding to each wheel and driving each wheel separately, a motor support member to which each motor is attached, and a motor support member There is disclosed an automatic guided vehicle having a first support member that swingably supports the first support member and a second support member that is supported by the main body and supports the first support member so as to be movable up and down.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2015-11148

By the way, even in the agricultural field where farms and facility horticultural farms (hereinafter referred to as farms, etc.) are the work stages, support by automatic guided vehicles is desired because there are many opportunities to transport heavy objects, but farms, etc. are the above factories, warehouses, etc. Since the undulations and unevenness of the road surface (floor surface or ground) are larger than those of the above, it cannot be said that automatic guided vehicles are still sufficiently widespread due to problems such as running on rough roads. For example, even in advanced farms, the track of automatic guided vehicles is often just the exposed ground or a weed-proof sheet laid on it. Further, in a farm or the like, a large number of cultivation benches are arranged side by side in order to increase the yield per unit area, so that a sufficiently wide passage may not always be secured.
Regarding these points, the automatic guided vehicle disclosed in Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration in which each wheel is supported so as to be vertically movable while being grounded, but basically runs on a flat floor surface made of concrete or the like. Since it is manufactured on the premise of this, there is a problem in running performance and turning performance when it is used in the above farms, and there is a problem that it cannot always be said to be a simple configuration with a reduced number of parts.

In view of the above problems, at least one embodiment of the present invention is an object of the present invention to provide an automatic guided vehicle that can travel on a road surface including undulations and irregularities with a simple configuration with a reduced number of parts and is easy to turn.

(1) The automatic guided vehicle according to at least one embodiment of the present invention is
At least a pair of left and right wheels
At least one drive unit that applies a rotational force to the pair of wheels,
With a base supporting at least one of the driving parts,
The vehicle body supported by the base and
A connecting portion for swingably connecting the base and the vehicle body at least around an axis along the front-rear direction is provided.
The connecting portion is arranged above the center of gravity of the base including the pair of wheels and at least one driving portion.

According to the configuration of (1) above, the base and the vehicle body can swing around an axis along the front-rear direction of the vehicle body, so that the width direction (horizontal direction) of the vehicle body is on the traveling road surface of the unmanned transport vehicle. Even if there are uneven undulations, etc. (for example, undulations, irregularities, obstacles, etc.), the tilt of the vehicle body is suppressed at least within the movable range of the base with respect to the vehicle body, and each of them depends on the shape of the undulations, etc. The wheels can be made to follow. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the idling of the wheels and improve the ground contact property of each wheel.
Further, when the connecting portion, that is, the fulcrum of the structure is arranged above the center of gravity of the structure including the base, the pair of wheels and at least one driving portion, one of the left and right wheels passes through the unevenness. Since the moment acts in the direction of returning both wheels to the horizontal and touching the ground, the restoring force of the base to the vehicle body can be increased and the grounding property of each wheel can be improved. Therefore, it is possible to secure the traction of each wheel and further improve the running performance of the traveling road surface by the automatic guided vehicle.
Therefore, it is possible to realize an automatic guided vehicle that can travel on a road surface including undulations and can make a small turn while having a simple configuration with a reduced number of parts.

(2) In some embodiments, in the configuration of (1) above, the automatic guided vehicle is
An urging portion for urging the vehicle body with respect to the base may be further provided so that the relative posture of the vehicle body with respect to the base returns to the neutral state.

According to the configuration (2) above, one of the left and right wheels passes through the unevenness by urging the base with respect to the vehicle body so that the relative posture of the vehicle body with respect to the base returns to the neutral state. Then, when the base rotates (swings) around the above axis, the urging portion urges the base to return to the neutral position, so that the pair of left and right wheels quickly return to the horizontal position after passing through the unevenness. Can be made to. Therefore, since the ground contact property of each wheel can be further improved to secure traction, the running performance of the traveling road surface by the automatic guided vehicle can be further improved.

(3) In some embodiments, in the configuration of (2) above,
The connecting part is
A cylindrical bearing outer shell fixed to either the vehicle body or the base,
A cylindrical bearing inner shell fixed to either the vehicle body or the base and inserted into the bearing outer shell, and a cylindrical bearing inner shell.
An elastic member as the urging portion provided between the outer circumference of the bearing inner shell and the inner circumference of the bearing outer shell may be included.

According to the configuration of (3) above, when the vehicle body and the base rotate (swing) relative to the axis along the front-rear direction via the bearing inner shell and the bearing outer shell, the bearing inner shell A drag force acts elastically by the elastic member provided between the bearing outer shell, and an urging force can be applied so as to return the vehicle body and the base to the neutral positions of each other. That is, since the connecting portion and the urging portion can be integrally configured and arranged around the axis along the front-rear direction, the above-mentioned automatic guided vehicle can be realized with a simple and compact configuration.

(4) In some embodiments, in the configuration of (2) above,
The urging portion may include an elastic member having one end connected to the vehicle body and the other end connected to the base.

According to the configuration of (4) above, when the vehicle body and the base rotate (swing) relatively around the axis along the front-rear direction, a drag force acts elastically by the elastic member, and the vehicle body and the base Dragging forces can be applied to return the bases to each other's neutral position.

(5) In some embodiments, in the configuration according to any one of (1) to (4) above,
The driving unit may be configured to independently apply a driving force to the pair of left and right wheels.

According to the configuration (5) above, in the unmanned carrier, a pair of left and right wheels are independently subjected to rotational force, so that both wheels can be rotated in the same direction to move forward or backward, and each wheel has a rotational speed. Left and right turning motions that rotate in the same direction with a difference, shinji turning that stops one wheel and rotates the other, and super shinji turning that rotates both wheels in opposite directions are performed freely in combination. be able to. Therefore, it is possible to realize an automatic guided vehicle that can make small turns.

(6) In some embodiments, the automatic guided vehicle has the configuration according to any one of (1) to (5) above.
The vehicle body is further provided with casters as driven wheels that are rotatably supported.
The at least pair of wheels may include driving wheels having a diameter larger than that of the casters.

According to the configuration of (6) above, by adopting a drive wheel having a larger diameter than the caster which is a driven wheel, for example, while ensuring running performance on the road surface such as unevenness and obstacles with the large diameter drive wheel. It is possible to realize an automatic guided vehicle with improved design freedom by adopting casters (driven wheels) having a diameter smaller than that of the drive wheels to secure a space inside the vehicle body.

(7) In some embodiments, in the configuration according to any one of (1) to (6) above,
The at least pair of wheels may be arranged in the front portion of the vehicle body in the traveling direction.

According to the configuration (7) above, the automatic guided vehicle is configured by a front wheel drive system in which at least a pair of wheels as drive wheels to which rotational force is applied from the drive unit are arranged in the front portion in the traveling direction of the vehicle body. The wheel. Therefore, for example, it is possible to obtain an automatic guided vehicle which is lighter in weight, simplified in configuration, and lower in cost than the all-wheel drive system, and has higher rough road running performance than the rear-wheel drive system. Further, by adopting a front wheel having a diameter larger than that of the rear wheel, there are irregularities and obstacles in the front in the traveling direction as compared with the case of adopting a front wheel having the same diameter as the rear wheel or a diameter smaller than that of the rear wheel, for example. It is possible to obtain an automatic guided vehicle with further improved running performance on the traveling road surface.

(8) In some embodiments, in the configuration according to any one of (1) to (7) above,
The drive unit includes a motor for driving the wheels.
The rotation shaft of the motor may be provided below the swing center of the connecting portion.

According to the configuration of (8) above, since the center of gravity of the structure including the base, the drive unit and the wheels can be set at a lower position, the connecting portion between the vehicle body and the base with respect to the center of gravity of the structure. The swing center of the wheel can be arranged higher, the restoring force of the base with respect to the vehicle body can be further increased, and the ground contact property of each wheel can be improved. Therefore, it is possible to secure the traction of each wheel and further improve the running performance of the traveling road surface by the automatic guided vehicle.

(9) In some embodiments, in the configuration according to any one of (1) to (8) above, the automatic guided vehicle may include an automatic guided vehicle for agriculture.

According to the configuration of (9) above, it is possible to obtain an automatic guided vehicle for agriculture that can travel in the house of a farm or a facility horticultural farm. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the burden on workers and improve production efficiency by using automatic guided vehicles for agriculture.

According to some embodiments of the present invention, it is possible to provide an automatic guided vehicle that can travel on a road surface including undulations and the like with a simple configuration that suppresses the number of parts and is easy to turn.

It is a schematic perspective view which shows the appearance of the automatic guided vehicle which concerns on one Embodiment. It is a schematic diagram which shows the connection state of the vehicle body and the base in one Embodiment, (a) shows the state which the traveling road surface is flat, (b) shows the state which one wheel rides on the unevenness of the traveling road surface. It is a schematic diagram which shows the connection part in one Embodiment. It is a schematic perspective view which shows the structure of the connection part in one Embodiment, (a) shows a neutral state, (b) shows an urging state. It is a schematic diagram which shows the urging part in another embodiment, (a) shows the structure which used the coil spring as the urging part, and (b) shows the structure which used the torsion spring as the urging part. It is a schematic plan view which shows the automatic guided vehicle in one Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the schematic structure of the unmanned transfer system which can use the automatic guided vehicle which concerns on one Embodiment.

Hereinafter, some embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the dimensions, materials, shapes, relative arrangements, etc. of the components described as embodiments or shown in the drawings are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention to this, but are merely explanatory examples. do not have.
For example, expressions that represent relative or absolute arrangements such as "in a certain direction", "along a certain direction", "parallel", "orthogonal", "center", "concentric" or "coaxial" are exact. Not only does it represent such an arrangement, but it also represents a tolerance or a state of relative displacement at an angle or distance to the extent that the same function can be obtained.
For example, expressions such as "same", "equal", and "homogeneous" that indicate that things are in the same state not only represent exactly the same state, but also have tolerances or differences to the extent that the same function can be obtained. It shall also represent the existing state.
For example, the expression representing a shape such as a quadrangular shape or a cylindrical shape not only represents a shape such as a quadrangular shape or a cylindrical shape in a geometrically strict sense, but also an uneven portion or a chamfer within the range where the same effect can be obtained. It shall also represent the shape including the part and the like.
On the other hand, the expressions "equipped", "equipped", "equipped", "included", or "have" one component are not exclusive expressions excluding the existence of other components.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an external example of an automatic guided vehicle according to an embodiment. 2A and 2B are schematic views showing a connection state between the vehicle body and the base in one embodiment. FIG. 2A is a state where the traveling road surface is flat, and FIG. 2B is a state where one wheel rides on the unevenness of the traveling road surface. Is shown.

The automatic guided vehicle 10 disclosed in the present specification can be used, for example, on a flat maintenance surface such as concrete, asphalt, or wood, as well as an irregular road surface including undulations and irregularities.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the automatic guided vehicle 10 according to at least one embodiment of the present invention has at least a pair of left and right wheels 20 and at least one drive unit 24 that applies a rotational force to the pair of wheels 20. The base 16 that supports at least one drive unit 24, the vehicle body 12 supported by the base 16, and the base 16 and the vehicle body 12 swing around an axis (swing center 32) at least along the front-rear direction. It is provided with a connecting portion 18 that is freely connected. The connecting portion 18 is arranged above the center of gravity G of the base 16 including the pair of wheels 20, 20 and at least one driving portion 24 (see FIG. 2).

The wheels 20 may adopt the diameter, width, presence / absence of tread, tread pattern, and the like, depending on the road surface condition of the traveling road surface 4 on which the automatic guided vehicle 10 travels.
The drive unit 24 may be any as long as it can apply a rotational force to the wheel 20, and various power sources such as an electric motor or an internal combustion engine may be adopted as the drive unit 24.
In some embodiments, the base 16 may be configured to directly support the wheels 20 and the drive unit 24, respectively. Alternatively, the base 16 may be configured to support the drive unit 24 connected to the hub of the wheel 20 or the rotating shaft.
The vehicle body 12 may be a box-shaped (rectangular) housing, and the wheels 20 are arranged at the lower portion via the base 16. In some embodiments, in addition to the wheels 20 located at the bottom via the base 16, the wheels may be directly rotatably attached to the vehicle body 12 (see FIG. 1). For example, the fuel or the battery of the drive unit 24 may be housed inside the vehicle body 12. For example, a mounting table 14 on which an object to be transported may be mounted may be arranged on the upper portion of the vehicle body 12. The mounting table 14 may have a shape such as a flat plate, a bowl, a tray, or a box that can appropriately transport the object to be transported according to the type and shape of the object to be transported.
As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, for example, the connecting portion 18 is centered on an axis (swing center 32) along at least the front-rear direction with the traveling direction of the automatic guided vehicle 10 as the front. The base 16 and the vehicle body 12 are swingably connected.

According to the above configuration, for example, as shown in FIG. 2, the base 16 and the vehicle body 12 are swingable around the swing center 32 as an axis along the front-rear direction of the vehicle body 12, so that the vehicle body 12 is unmanned. Even if there are uneven undulations (for example, undulations, unevenness, obstacles, etc.) in the width direction (left-right direction) of the vehicle body 12 on the traveling road surface 4 of the transport vehicle 10, at least the base 16 can move with respect to the vehicle body 12. Each wheel 20 can be made to follow according to the shape such as the undulations while suppressing the inclination of the vehicle body 12 within the range. Therefore, it is possible to suppress idling of the wheels 20 and improve the ground contact property of each wheel 20.
Further, by arranging the connecting portion 18 as a fulcrum of the structure above the center of gravity G of the structure including the base 16, the pair of wheels 20, and at least one driving unit 24, either the left or right side is arranged. When the wheels 20 pass through the unevenness of the traveling road surface 4, a moment acts in the direction of returning the wheels 20 and 20 to the horizontal position and touching the ground, so that the restoring force of the base 16 with respect to the vehicle body 12 increases and each wheel 20 and 20 The ground contact property of 20 can be improved. In this way, the traction of the wheels 20 and 20 can be secured, and the running performance of the traveling road surface 4 by the automatic guided vehicle 10 can be further improved.
Therefore, it is possible to realize an automatic guided vehicle 10 that can travel on the traveling road surface 4 including undulations and can make a small turn while having a simple configuration with a reduced number of parts.

FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing a connecting portion in one embodiment. 4A and 4B are schematic perspective views showing the configuration of a connecting portion in one embodiment, in which FIG. 4A shows a neutral state and FIG. 4B shows an urging state.
In some embodiments, the automatic guided vehicle 10 has an urging portion 30 for urging the vehicle body 12 with respect to the base 16 so that the relative posture of the vehicle body 12 with respect to the base 16 returns to the neutral state. Further may be provided (see, for example, FIGS. 3, 4 and 5).

The neutral state may be set so that the vehicle body 12 and the base 16 are arranged at a predetermined angle around the swing center 32. For example, the automatic guided vehicle 10 may be arranged on a flat traveling road surface 4, and the relative arrangement between the vehicle body 12 and the base 16 in a state where all the wheels 20 are in contact with the ground may be set to the neutral state. Further, the state in which the central axis (axle) B of each wheel 20 is perpendicular to the virtual vertical center line A of the vehicle body 12 may be set to the neutral state, or the horizontal portion of the vehicle body 12 (for example,). , The lower surface of the vehicle body 12 and the like) may be set as a neutral state in which the axle B of each wheel 20 is parallel to the horizontal portion. The urging force by the urging portion 30 may be configured such that a compressive force or a tensile force in opposite directions acts in both directions with the neutral position around the swing center 32 as a boundary.

If the configuration is provided with the urging portion 30 as described above, the base 16 is urged to the vehicle body 12 so that the relative posture of the vehicle body 12 to the base 16 returns to the neutral state. When one of the left and right wheels 20 passes through the unevenness and the base 16 rotates (swings) around an axis along the front-rear direction, the urging portion 30 urges the base 16 to return to the neutral position. do. Therefore, since the pair of left and right wheels 20 can be quickly returned to the horizontal after passing through the unevenness, the ground contact property of each wheel 20 can be further improved to secure traction, and the traveling road surface 4 by the automatic guided vehicle 10 can be secured. It is possible to further improve the running performance of the wheel.

In some embodiments, the connecting portion 18 includes, for example, a cylindrical bearing outer shell 36 fixed to either the vehicle body 12 or the base 16 and the vehicle body, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. A cylindrical bearing inner shell 34 fixed to either the 12 and the base 16 and inserted into the bearing outer shell 36, and provided between the outer circumference of the bearing inner shell 34 and the inner circumference of the bearing outer shell 36. The elastic member 38 as the urging portion 30 may be included.

According to the configuration in which the connecting portion 18 includes the bearing outer shell 36, the bearing inner shell 34, and the elastic member 38, the vehicle body 12 and the base 16 are connected to each other via the bearing inner shell 34 and the bearing outer shell 36 in the front-rear direction. When the bearing is relatively rotated (swinged) around an axis along the axis, an elastic member 38 provided between the bearing inner shell 34 and the bearing outer shell 36 exerts an elastic resistance force, and the vehicle body 12 and the base The urging force can be applied to return the 16s to each other's neutral position. That is, since the connecting portion 18 and the urging portion 30 can be integrally configured and arranged around the axis along the front-rear direction, the above-mentioned automatic guided vehicle 10 can be realized with a simple and compact configuration. ..

5A and 5B are schematic views showing an urging portion in another embodiment, in which FIG. 5A shows a configuration in which a coil spring is used as the urging portion and FIG. 5B shows a configuration in which a torsion spring is used as the urging portion.
As shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, in some embodiments, the urging portion 30 comprises an elastic member 38 having one end connected to the vehicle body 12 and the other end connected to the base 16. It may be included.
For example, when a coil spring is adopted as the elastic member 38 as illustrated in FIG. 5A, the elastic member 38 may be provided on either the left or right side of the vertical center line A of the vehicle body 12, or at least. It may be configured to be provided on either the left or right side.

According to the configuration including the elastic member 38 as the urging portion 30, when the vehicle body 12 and the base 16 are relatively rotated (swinged) around an axis along the front-rear direction, the elastic member 38 is elastic. A drag force acts on the vehicle body 12 and the base 16 so as to return the vehicle body 12 and the base 16 to the neutral positions of each other.

In some embodiments, the drive unit 24 may be configured to independently apply driving force to the pair of left and right wheels 20. In this case, the drive unit 24 may be provided in a number corresponding to the number of wheels 20 serving as drive wheels so that power can be individually applied to each wheel 20 (FIGS. 2, 3 and 6). (See), one drive unit 24 may be configured to individually power a plurality of wheels 20 via various transmission mechanisms.

According to the configuration in which the driving force is independently applied to each wheel 20 in this way, in the unmanned carrier 10, the rotational force is independently applied to the pair of left and right wheels 20, so that both wheels 20 and 20 are the same. In addition to being able to rotate in a direction to move forward or backward, left and right turning operations in which wheels 20 and 20 are rotated in the same direction with a difference in rotation speed, and turning in which one wheel 20 is stopped and the other is rotated. In addition, the wheels 20 and 20 can be freely combined and run by rotating the wheels 20 and 20 in opposite directions. Therefore, it is possible to realize an automatic guided vehicle 10 that can make small turns.

In some embodiments, the drive unit 24 may include a motor 24A for driving the wheels 20. As the motor 24A, various general-purpose motors such as a direct current (DC) motor, an alternating current (AC) motor, a motor with an encoder, and a geared motor can be applied.
Then, in some embodiments, the motor 24A may be arranged so that the rotation shaft (output shaft) of the motor 24A is provided below the swing center 32 of the connecting portion 18 (see FIG. 3). ..

According to the configuration in which the rotation shaft of the motor 24A is located below the swing center 32 of the connecting portion 18 as described above, the center of gravity G of the structure including the base 16, the driving portion 24, and the wheels 20 is set. Since it can be set at a lower position, the connecting portion 18 which is the swing center of the vehicle body 12 and the base 16 can be arranged relatively higher with respect to the center of gravity G of the structure, and the base with respect to the vehicle body 12 can be arranged. The restoring force of 16 can be further increased to improve the ground contact property of each wheel 20. Therefore, it is possible to secure the traction of each wheel 20 and further improve the running performance of the traveling road surface 4 by the automatic guided vehicle 10.

According to the above configuration, the center of gravity G of the structure including the base 16, the drive unit 24, and the wheels 20 can be set at a lower position, so that the vehicle body 12 and the base 16 can be set with respect to the center of gravity G of the structure. The connecting portion 18 which is the center of oscillation with the vehicle can be arranged higher, and the restoring force of the base 16 with respect to the vehicle body 12 can be increased to improve the ground contact property of each wheel 20. Therefore, it is possible to secure the traction of each wheel 20 and further improve the running performance of the traveling road surface 4 by the automatic guided vehicle 10.

In some embodiments, the automated guided vehicle 10 may further include casters 26 as driven wheels rotatably supported by the vehicle body 12. The at least pair of wheels 20 may include drive wheels having a diameter larger than that of the caster 26 (see FIGS. 1 and 6).
In some embodiments, one caster 26 may be attached to each of the left and right sides of the vehicle body 12 as a pair of left and right driven wheels. The caster 26 is attached to the lower part of the vehicle body 12 in a state where the direction can be changed in an arbitrary horizontal direction, and supports the vehicle body 12 together with the wheels 20.
The ratio of the diameter D1 of the wheel 20 as the driving wheel to the diameter D2 of the caster 26 as the driven wheel is arbitrary in consideration of the roughness of the traveling road surface 4 and the size of unevenness and the like that can be included in the traveling road surface 4. It may be set (D1> D2).

As described above, according to the configuration in which the drive wheel having a diameter larger than that of the caster 26 which is the driven wheel is adopted, the drive wheel (wheel 20) having a large diameter can improve the running performance on the traveling road surface 4 such as unevenness and obstacles. It is possible to realize an automatic guided vehicle 10 with an improved degree of freedom in design by adopting a driven wheel (caster 26) having a diameter smaller than that of the driving wheel to secure a space in the vehicle body 12 while securing the driving wheel. ..

In some embodiments, at least a pair of wheels 20 may be located in the front portion of the vehicle body 12 in the direction of travel (see FIGS. 1 and 6). That is, the automatic guided vehicle 10 may be configured to travel mainly with the side to which the wheels 20 are attached to the vehicle body 12 as the front.
It should be noted that the rotation of the wheels 20 in the forward direction or the reverse direction does not limit the configuration of the automatic guided vehicle 10 so that it can move forward and backward. It may be located at the rear part of twelve.

In this way, the automatic guided vehicle 10 is configured by a front wheel drive system in which at least a pair of wheels 20 as drive wheels to which rotational force is applied from the drive unit 24 are arranged in the front portion of the vehicle body 12 in the traveling direction. The wheel. Therefore, for example, it is possible to obtain an automatic guided vehicle 10 which is lighter in weight, simplified in configuration, and lower in cost as compared with the all-wheel drive system, and has higher rough road running performance than the rear-wheel drive system. .. Further, when the diameter of the front wheel is larger than that of the rear wheel, for example, as compared with the case where the front wheel having the same diameter as the rear wheel or a smaller diameter than the rear wheel is adopted, the traveling road surface having irregularities and obstacles in the front in the traveling direction. It is possible to obtain an automatic guided vehicle 10 having further improved running performance of 4.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of an automatic guided vehicle in which an automatic guided vehicle according to an embodiment can be used.
As shown in FIG. 7, in some embodiments, the automatic guided vehicle 10 may include an automatic guided vehicle for agriculture. That is, the automatic guided vehicle 10 in some embodiments can be used for an unmanned transport system 1 having a farm, a facility horticultural farm, or the like (hereinafter referred to as a farm or the like) as a work stage, and can be used outdoors in the farm or the like. It can be configured as an autonomous vehicle that can move inside a house or a house. The automatic guided vehicle 10 moves, for example, a traveling road surface 4 in which a large number of cultivation benches 6 are arranged side by side at predetermined intervals along a guidance line 8 installed on the traveling road surface 4, and is a collection place. It may be configured so that the object to be transported (the object to be transported) can be transported between the 5 and the cultivation bench 6.

According to the above configuration, it is possible to obtain an automatic guided vehicle 10 for agriculture that can travel in a house of a farm or a facility horticultural farm. Therefore, the automatic guided vehicle 10 can be used for agriculture to reduce the burden on workers and improve production efficiency. Further, for example, by setting the size of the vehicle body 12 according to the width of the aisle or the like, the burden on the operator is greatly reduced by appropriately assisting the picking work performed in a relatively narrow aisle and the transportation work associated with harvesting. can do.

According to the above-described configuration, it is possible to provide an automatic guided vehicle that can travel on a road surface including undulations and the like with a simple configuration that suppresses the number of parts and that is easy to turn.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and includes a modified form of the above-mentioned embodiment and a combination of these embodiments.

1 Automated guided vehicle 4 Traveling road surface 5 Collection site 6 Cultivation bench 8 Guidance line 10 Automated guided vehicle 12 Vehicle body 14 Mounting platform 16 Base 18 Connecting part 20 Wheels (front wheels / drive wheels)
24 Drive unit 24A Motor 26 Caster (rear wheel / driven wheel)
30 Erasing part 32 Rotating shaft (swing center)
34 Bearing inner shell 36 Bearing outer shell 38 Elastic member A Vertical center line B Wheel center axis (axle)
D1 Wheel diameter D2 Castor diameter G Center of gravity

Claims (9)

At least a pair of left and right wheels
At least one drive unit that applies a rotational force to the pair of wheels,
With a base supporting at least one of the driving parts,
The vehicle body, which is supported by the base and has a mounting table on which the object to be transported is placed,
A connecting portion that swingably connects the base and the vehicle body around an axis along at least the front-rear direction.
Equipped with
Each of the wheels has a diameter larger than the height of the bottom surface of the vehicle body and partially faces the left and right sides of the vehicle body.
The unmanned connecting portion is arranged above the center of gravity of the base including the pair of wheels and at least one driving portion , and at a height position overlapping with each of the wheels. Transport vehicle. The unmanned vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising an urging portion for urging the base with respect to the vehicle body so that the relative posture of the vehicle body with respect to the base returns to the neutral state. Transport vehicle. At least a pair of left and right wheels
At least one drive unit that applies a rotational force to the pair of wheels,
With a base supporting at least one of the driving parts,
The vehicle body, which is supported by the base and has a mounting table on which the object to be transported is placed,
A connecting portion for swingably connecting the base and the vehicle body at least around an axis along the front-rear direction is provided.
The connecting portion is arranged above the center of gravity of the base including the pair of wheels and the at least one driving portion.
Further, an urging portion for urging the base with respect to the vehicle body is further provided so that the relative posture of the vehicle body with respect to the base returns to the neutral state.
The connecting part is
A cylindrical bearing outer shell fixed to either the vehicle body or the base,
A cylindrical bearing inner shell fixed to either the vehicle body or the base and inserted into the bearing outer shell, and a cylindrical bearing inner shell.
An automatic guided vehicle comprising: an elastic member as an urging portion provided between the outer periphery of the bearing inner shell and the inner circumference of the bearing outer shell. The automatic guided vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the automatic guided vehicle includes an elastic member having one end connected to the vehicle body and the other end connected to the base. The automatic guided vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the driving unit is configured to independently apply a driving force to the pair of left and right wheels. The vehicle body is further provided with casters as driven wheels that are rotatably supported.
The automatic guided vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the at least pair of wheels includes a drive wheel having a diameter larger than that of the caster. The automatic guided vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the at least a pair of wheels are arranged in a front portion of the vehicle body in the traveling direction. The drive unit includes a motor for driving the wheels.
The automatic guided vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the rotating shaft of the motor is provided below the swing center of the connecting portion. The automatic guided vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the automatic guided vehicle is an automatic guided vehicle for agriculture.

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