JPH0338464A - Unmanned carrier - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To simplify the structure of a station to reduce cost and size of the station by a method wherein a lifter which can lift objects is provided while a self-travelling lifter which runs between it and the station is provided. CONSTITUTION:When an object is to be transferred from an unmanned carrier 10 to a station 20, the unmanned carrier 10 is stopped at a position where a self-travelling lifter 30 can move to the station 20, and then with the object lifted by the lifter 32, the self-travelling lifter 30 is moved along a rail 21 of the station 20 toward the station 20. Then after the self-travelling lifter 30 discharged the object, the object is supported by the rail 21 and transferred to the station. Then the self-travelling lifter 30 again runs to return to the unmanned carrier. When an object is to be transferred from the station, opposite operation is performed to transfer the objects from the rail 21 of the station 20 onto a rail 11 of the unmanned carrier 10.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Industrial Application Field) The present invention relates to an automatic guided vehicle that delivers and delivers articles to and from a station in a warehouse or factory.

(Prior Art) FIGS. 5 to 7 are front views showing conventional automatic guided vehicles, respectively.

The automatic guided vehicle AI shown in FIG. 5 is of a lifter type, and has a lifter 2 on the top of the guided vehicle main body 1, which can lift an article B.

This type of automatic guided vehicle A1 can deliver the article B to and from the station S1 by entering the travel path 3 of the station St and moving the lifter 2 up and down.

The automatic guided vehicle A2 shown in FIGS. 6(a) and 6(b) is of a push-pull type, and has two rows of rollers 4a provided on the guided vehicle body 1.

4b, and a slide fork 5 that can protrude to the side of the carrier body l and can move up and down. Furthermore, two rows of rollers 6a and 6b are also provided at station S2.

This type of automatic guided vehicle A2 stops on the side of station S2, and transfers the article to and from station S2 by hooking the article with the claw 5a of the fork by moving the slide fork 5 forward and backward and up and down. I can do it.

The automatic guided vehicle A3 shown in FIG. 7 is of a conveyor type and has a roller conveyor 7 on the upper part of the guided vehicle body l.

This type of automatic guided vehicle A3 stops on the side of the station S3, and can deliver articles to and from the station S3 by driving the conveyor 7 and the conveyor 8 of the station.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) The conventional automatic guided vehicle described above has the following problems.

That is, in the lifter-type automatic guided vehicle Al shown in FIG. 5, since the traveling path 3 is required within the station Sl, there is a problem that the station becomes larger.

The push-pull type automatic guided vehicle A2 shown in Fig. 6 requires rollers at all stations, and also requires stoppers to restrict the movement of articles placed on the roller soil, which reduces costs. There are problems in that it is expensive and the structure is complicated. Furthermore, since a slide fork is used as a means for transferring articles, there is a problem in that it is difficult to level the station when it is installed due to deflection of the fork.

In the conveyor type automatic guided vehicle A3 shown in Fig. 7,
Since the roller conveyor 8 and its drive motor 8a must be provided in every station S3, there is a problem in that the cost is high. Further, a means for synchronizing the conveyor 7 of the automatic guided vehicle and the conveyor 8 of the station is required, which results in a problem that the structure becomes complicated and the cost increases.

An object of the present invention is to provide an automatic guided vehicle that can solve the problems of conventional automatic guided vehicles as described above, simplify the structure of the station, reduce costs, and make the station more compact. There is a particular thing.

(Means for Solving the Problems) In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides an automatic guided vehicle that transfers goods to and from a station, which is equipped with a lifter capable of lifting the goods, and which travels between the stations. The structure is equipped with a self-propelled lifter.

(Operations and Effects) Since the automatic guided vehicle of the present invention has the above-mentioned configuration, it exhibits the following operations and effects.

That is, when transferring an article from an automatic guided vehicle to a station, the automatic guided vehicle is first stopped at a position where its self-propelled lifter can travel toward the station.

Next, the self-propelled lifter is run with the article lifted by the self-propelled lifter, and the self-propelled lifter is moved toward the station. Here, the station is provided with a loading section that allows the self-propelled lifter to travel and is capable of receiving articles.

After the self-propelled lifter moves to the station, when the self-propelled lifter unloads the article, the article is supported by the loading section of the station and transferred to the station. After that, the self-propelled lifter is made to travel (reverse) again and is returned to the automatic guided vehicle.

Conversely, when transferring articles from a station to an automatic guided vehicle, the automatic guided vehicle is first stopped at a position where its self-propelled lifter can travel toward the station.

Next, the self-propelled lifter is moved toward the station. After that, with the item lifted by the self-propelled lifter,
The self-propelled lifter travels (reverses) and returns to the automatic guided vehicle. Thereafter, the self-propelled lifter lowers the article and transfers the article to the automatic guided vehicle.

As described above, according to the automatic guided vehicle of the present invention, the station only needs to be provided with a loading section that allows the self-propelled lifter to travel and can receive articles, thereby simplifying the structure of the station and reducing costs. This has the effect of reducing the amount of noise and making the station more compact.

(Example) The illustrated embodiment will be described below.

1- is a perspective view showing one embodiment of an automatic guided vehicle and station according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a front view showing a self-propelled lifter, FIGS. 3(a), (b), (c), and 4. (a) (b)
) and (c) are operation explanatory diagrams.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the automatic guided vehicle of this embodiment is provided with a self-propelled lifter 30 that travels between the guided vehicle body 10 and the station 20. As shown in FIGS. The automatic guided vehicle of this embodiment travels between stations 20 using a known optical guidance method or electromagnetic induction method.

The self-propelled lifter 30 is composed of a traveling body 31 and a lifter 32 provided on the traveling body 31, and the article B can be lifted by the lifter 32. The traveling body 31 has four wheels 33, and the traveling body 31 is guided by rolling on the rails 1111 provided on the carrier body 1O and the rails 21.21 provided on the station 20. It has become so.

The rails 11 provided on the carrier body 10 and the rails 21 provided on the station 20 are both channel-shaped rails with a U-shaped cross section, and the self-propelled lifter 30
6, the self-propelled lifter 30 supports the article B when it is lowered.

Note that power is supplied to the self-propelled lifter 30 from a battery mounted on the carrier body 10 via a cable or the like.

The automatic guided vehicle described above operates as follows.

That is, when transferring an article from an automatic guided vehicle to the station 20, first, as shown in FIG. 3(a), the automatic guided vehicle is stopped at a position where its self-propelled lifter 30 can move to the station 20. let Next, the self-propelled lifter 30 is moved with the article B lifted by the lifter 32 as shown by the imaginary line in FIG. 2, and the self-propelled lifter 30 is moved onto the rail 21 of the station 20 as shown in FIG. 3(b). along the line to station 20. Thereafter, when the self-propelled lifter 30 unloads the article B, the article B is supported by the rail 21 and transferred to the station 20. Then the third
As shown in Figure (c), the self-propelled lifter 30 is made to run (reverse) again and return to the automatic guided vehicle.

Conversely, when transferring the article B from the station 20 to the automatic guided vehicle, first, as shown in FIG. Stop at the position. Next, the same figure (b)
The self-propelled lifter 30 is moved into the station 20 along the rail 21 of the station 20 as shown in FIG. Thereafter, the article B is lifted up by the lifter 32 (
As shown in C), the self-propelled lifter 30 is moved (backward) and returned to the automatic guided vehicle. Thereafter, the article B is lowered by the 4° lifter 32 and transferred onto the rail 11 of the automatic guided vehicle.

As described above, according to the automatic guided vehicle of this embodiment, the station 20 only needs to be provided with the loading section 21 that allows the self-propelled lifter 30 to travel and can receive the articles, so the structure of the station can be changed. It is possible to simplify, reduce costs, and make the station more compact.

Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and can be modified as appropriate within the scope of the gist of the present invention.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of an automatic guided vehicle and station according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a front view showing a self-propelled lifter, FIGS. 3(a), (b), (c), and 4. (a) (b)
)(c) is an explanatory diagram of the operation, and FIGS. 5, 6(a), (b), and 7 are explanatory diagrams of conventional automatic guided vehicles, respectively. 10 ・Automated guided vehicle, 2o・・Stay shore, 30...Self-propelled lifter.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An article storage, characterized in that an automatic guided vehicle that delivers articles to and from a station is equipped with a lifter capable of lifting articles and a self-propelled lifter that travels between the station and the station.