JPH05221516A - Unmanned truck and attachment replacing system therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To cope with various work by means of one unit of unmanned truck. CONSTITUTION:A lift motor for lifting a bed 3 is provided in an unmanned truck 1, and projections 5 are projectedly formed near the 4 corners on the bed 3. In the holes of the projections 5, a connector jointed to a power source through a cord for transferring power. In addition, an attachment area 9 is formed at a corner of a factory, at which an electromagnetic induction cable 2 branches into plural wires, and a plurality of stations 10 are provided so as to crossing over each head part. On the upper plate 12 of each station 10, various types of transfer equipment 15 through 17 having a recessed part opposing to the projection 5 on the bottom face and a hopper 18 (attachment) is placed so as to be held between a pair of positioning jigs 14. The bed 3 is lifted by a station 10 on which objective attachments 15 through 18 are placed to engage the projection 5 with the recessed part, mounting the attachments.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an automated guided vehicle and an attachment replacement system for the automated guided vehicle.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in an unmanned guided vehicle system of this type, as shown in FIG. 4, a transfer for transferring a work is carried on an upper surface of an unmanned guided vehicle 32 traveling on an electromagnetic induction wire 31. The device 33 is fixed. This automated guided vehicle 32
Is equipped with a lifter mechanism for moving the transfer device 33 up and down, and the height of the transfer device 33 can be adjusted. Further, the transfer device 33 is provided with a plurality of rollers 34 extending in the vehicle front-rear direction (the left-right direction in the figure) in the vehicle width direction. The work can be transferred to and from the station (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 62-116350, etc.).

[0003]

However, the transfer device 33 is fixed on the automatic guided vehicle 32 by bolting or the like. Therefore, the automated guided vehicle 32
The work can be carried out only within the working limit of the transfer device 33 fixed to it, and when the transfer work different from that can be performed, an automatic guided vehicle with the transfer device fixed to operate differently is used. I had to. That is, one unmanned guided vehicle can perform only one type of work, and many unmanned guided vehicles are required when performing different kinds of work.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to provide an automated guided vehicle and an attachment replacement system for the automated guided vehicle capable of handling a variety of operations with a single unit. To provide.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, the first invention of the present invention is to provide a base for mounting an attachment mounted on a station in a traveling route,
Elevating means for moving the base up and down, and an engaging portion provided on the base and engaged with an engaged portion formed on the attachment, the attachment being engaged on the station. The gist is an unmanned guided vehicle that can be attached and detached via a section.

In the second invention, the engaging portion is a tapered projection, and the engaged portion is a tapered concave portion facing the engaging portion. The automatic guided vehicle in the invention of 1) is the gist of the invention.

Further, in the third invention, the station is
The gist of the automated guided vehicle in the first invention is a pair of support stands that are erected so as to support the attachment at both sides.

A fourth invention has as its gist the automatic guided vehicle according to the first invention, in which the attachment is a transfer device capable of transferring a work. A fifth aspect of the invention is provided with a transmission means for transmitting a drive source for driving the attachment or data to the attachment when the engaging portion and the engaged portion of the attachment are engaged with each other. The unmanned guided vehicle in paragraph 1 is the gist.

A sixth invention has as its gist the automatic guided vehicle according to the fifth invention, wherein the transmission means is provided inside the engaging portion. The gist of a seventh invention is the automatic guided vehicle according to the fifth invention, wherein the transmission means is a power transfer connector or a data transfer connector.

In an eighth aspect of the present invention, a base on which the attachment is placed, an elevating means for moving the base up and down, and a base provided on the base and engaged with an engaged portion formed on the attachment. An attachment exchanging system for an automated guided vehicle, which is configured to exchange an attachment between an unmanned guided vehicle having an engaging portion and a plurality of stations on which the attachments are mounted, respectively. ..

A ninth aspect of the present invention has as its gist an attachment replacement system for an automated guided vehicle according to the eighth aspect, wherein the elevating means is driven by a motor.

[0012]

According to the above construction, in the first invention,
The base is moved up and down by the lifting means. Then, when the base is raised, the engaging part provided on the base is engaged with the engaged part formed on the attachment mounted on the station, and the attachment is attached to the automatic guided vehicle. Be done.

Further, when the base is lowered, the engaging portion is disengaged from the engaged portion, and the attachment is detached from the automatic guided vehicle. In the second aspect of the invention, the engaging portion is a projection formed in a tapered shape, and the engaged portion is a concave portion formed in a tapered shape facing the engaging portion. Even if the positions of the engaging portion and the engaged portion are slightly deviated with the rise, the engaging portion is easily engaged with the engaged portion.

In the third invention, the station is
Since it is a pair of support stands that are erected so as to support the attachment on both sides, the attachment can be attached and detached without affecting the elevation of the base.

According to the fourth aspect of the invention, since the attachment is a transfer device capable of transferring the work, the transfer work for transferring the work is performed when the attachment is mounted on the automatic guided vehicle. ..

In the fifth aspect of the invention, since the transmission means is provided, when the engaging portion and the engaged portion of the attachment are engaged with each other, the drive source or data for driving the attachment is attached. Be transmitted to.

According to the sixth aspect of the invention, since the transmission means is provided inside the engaging portion, the drive source or the data is transmitted to the engaged portion when the engaging portion is engaged with the engaged portion. Be transmitted directly.

In the seventh invention, since the transmitting means is the power source transferring connector or the data transferring connector, when the engaging portion is engaged with the engaged portion, electric power or data is transmitted to the attachment. To be done.

In the eighth invention, the attachments are exchanged between the automatic guided vehicle and a plurality of stations on which the attachments are respectively mounted, so that an attachment required for one automatic guided vehicle can be provided. Mounted.

In the ninth invention, the elevating means is driven by a motor.

[0021]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of an automated guided vehicle and an attachment replacement system for an automated guided vehicle according to the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing an attachment replacement system for an automated guided vehicle in this embodiment. In the figure, an automated guided vehicle 1 travels on an electromagnetic induction wire 2 as a travel route laid on a floor surface in a factory based on a command from a host computer of a ground station. This automated guided vehicle 1 is provided with a base 3 for mounting an attachment, which will be described later, on the upper part thereof. Inside the automated guided vehicle 1,
A lift motor 4 (see FIG. 2) as an elevating means is provided so that the base 3 can be moved up and down.

On the base 3, projections 5 are formed as engaging portions at almost four corners thereof. As shown in FIG. 3, these protrusions 5 are formed in a cylindrical shape at the upper part thereof, and at the lower part thereof are formed in a tapered shape in which the diameter is expanded downward. Further, a hole 6 is formed in the center of the protrusion 5, and a power transfer connector 7 as a transmission means is provided in the hole 6. A power source (not shown) provided in the automatic guided vehicle 1 is connected to the power source transfer connector 7 via a cord 8.

Further, as shown in FIG. 1, an attachment area 9 is provided in one corner of the factory. In the attachment area 9, the electromagnetic induction wire 2 is branched into a plurality of pieces (four pieces in this embodiment), and a station 10 is provided so as to straddle each tip portion thereof. The station 10 is formed of a pair of side plates 11 standing upright from both sides of the electromagnetic induction wire 2 and a pair of upper plates 12 extending inward from an upper portion of the side plate 11, and between the pair of upper plates 12. A gap 13 wider than the width of the base 3 is formed. Further, the pair of upper plates 12 are provided with a pair of positioning jigs 14 in which inner corners are obliquely cut so as to be orthogonal to the upper plate 12.

On the upper plate 12 of each station 10, transfer devices 15 to 17 and hoppers 18 as different types of attachments are placed so as to fit between the pair of positioning jigs 14. Has been done. On the lower surface of each of the transfer devices 15 to 17 and the hopper 18, a recess 19 as an engaged portion is formed corresponding to the protrusion 5. These recesses 19 are formed so as to face the projections 5, and are formed in a cylindrical shape in the upper part thereof and in a taper shape in which the diameter is expanded downward in the lower part. That is, each of the protrusions 5 is formed in the recess 1.
9 can be engaged. A power receiving connector 20 that can be connected to the power transfer connector 7 is provided in the recess 19. The power receiving connector 20 is connected to the transfer devices 15 to 17 and the hopper 1 via the cord 21.
8 is connected to an actuator (not shown).

A controller (not shown) is provided inside the automatic guided vehicle 1. The command signal from the host computer is input through the communication device, and the automatic guided vehicle is based on the input signal. The running and stopping of No. 1 are appropriately controlled.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described.
In a state where no attachment is mounted on the automatic guided vehicle 1, for example, when the transfer device 15 is to perform a transfer operation, a command from the host computer causes the controller in the automatic guided vehicle 1 to communicate with the communication device. Input via. The automatic guided vehicle 1 is controlled to run by the controller and runs along the electromagnetic guide line 2 to the attachment area 9. And the automated guided vehicle 1
Moves into the station 10 on which the transfer device 15 is placed, and stops at the station 10.

Next, the lift motor 4 is driven and the base 3
Is moved up. Then, the protrusion 5 on the base 3 is engaged with the recess 19 on the lower surface of the transfer device 15. At this time, the protrusion 5
Since the lower portion of the concave portion 19 is formed so as to have a larger diameter than the upper portion thereof, it is easily engaged when the base 3 is raised. Along with this, the power transfer connector 7 in the projection 5 and the power receiving connector 20 in the recess 19 are connected, and the automatic guided vehicle 1 and the transfer device 15 are electrically connected to each other. Then, when the base 3 is moved up to a predetermined height, the drive of the lift motor 4 is stopped and the upper movement of the base 3 is stopped.

After that, the automatic guided vehicle 1 equipped with the transfer device 15 travels outside the station 10 as it is. Then, when the automatic guided vehicle 1 comes out of the station 10, the lift motor 4 is driven and the base 3 is lowered. As a result, the transfer device 15 is stably mounted on the base 3 of the automatic guided vehicle 1.

Then, the transfer device 15 is driven by using the power source in the automatic guided vehicle 1 as a drive source, and the desired transfer operation is performed. Further, when performing a transfer operation that cannot be performed by the transfer apparatus 15 or a transfer operation of powder or the like, the currently installed transfer apparatus 15 is replaced by the original procedure in the reverse order. Return to position. Next, another transfer device 1
Station 10 on which 6, 17 or hopper 18 is placed
Then, the target transfer device 16 or 17 or the hopper 18 is mounted in the same manner as described above, and the originally intended work is executed.

As described above, according to this embodiment, the attachments (transfer devices 15 to 17,
A hopper 18) is installed in each station 10 so that it can be mounted on the automatic guided vehicle 1 according to the purpose. Therefore,
One unmanned guided vehicle 1 can be used for various operations, which leads to cost reduction and space saving of the production line.

Further, in this embodiment, the base 3 having the projections 5 can be moved up and down, and the recesses 19 corresponding to the projections 5 are formed on the lower surface of the transfer devices 15 to 17 or the hopper 18. Therefore, it is possible to mount the transfer devices 15 to 17 or the hopper 18 by a simple operation of moving the base 3 upward to move the automatic guided vehicle 1 to the outside of the station 10 and then lowering the base 3. I chose Therefore, the desired attachment can be easily attached, and conversely, the attachment can be easily removed.

Further, in this embodiment, when the transfer devices 15 to 17 or the hopper 18 are mounted on the automatic guided vehicle 1, the power transfer connector 7 and the power receiving connector 20 are connected. Therefore, it is possible to save the labor of manually connecting the wiring when each attachment is replaced.

In addition, in this embodiment, the lower part of the projection 5 is formed in a tapered shape, and when the base 3 is raised, the projection 5 is formed.
Is easily engaged with the recess 19. Therefore, even if there is a slight positional deviation between the protrusion 5 and the concave portion 19, it is possible to avoid the influence thereof.

In addition, in this embodiment, station 1
A pair of positioning jigs 14 was provided on the upper plate 12 of 0. Therefore, the transfer devices 15 to 17 and the hopper 18 can be reliably placed at a predetermined position on the station 10 according to their length.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, but may be implemented as follows with a part of the configuration appropriately changed without departing from the spirit of the invention. (1) In the above-described embodiment, the transfer devices 15 to 17 and the hopper 18 are used as the attachments, but any other device such as a robot or a measuring instrument can be used as long as it can perform some function on the automatic guided vehicle. It may be.

(2) In the above embodiment, the protrusion 5 on the base 3
The attachments 15 to 18 are attached by engaging with the recesses 19 on the lower surface of the attachments 15 to 18, but the attachments 15 to 18 are fixed to the automatic guided vehicle 1 in the projections 5 or the recesses 19. A clamp mechanism as described above may be provided, and the clamp mechanism may be driven after the attachment is completed to securely fix the transfer devices 15 to 17 or the hopper 18.

(3) In the above embodiment, the power transfer connector 7 is provided in the projection 5, and the power receiving connector 20 is provided in the recess 19 so that they are electrically connected to each other. However, instead of the connectors 7 and 20, the automated guided vehicle 1
It may be a connector for data transfer or a connector for data reception for transmitting and receiving data between the controller of (1) and the controllers of the attachments 15 to 18. In addition, by providing pipes connected to each other, liquid such as hydraulic oil used in hydraulic equipment or gas such as air for operating an air cylinder is used between the automatic guided vehicle 1 and the attachments 15 to 18. It may be configured so that delivery can be performed.

Further, in the plurality of projections 5 or recesses 19,
The above means may be combined and arranged. (4) Although the positioning jig 14 is provided on the station 10 in the above embodiment, the positioning jig 14 may be omitted.

(5) In the above embodiment, the protrusion 5 and the recess 1
It is configured such that four 9s are provided at each of the four corners, but the number and the arrangement state are not particularly limited. For example, one protrusion 5 is arranged at the center of the base 3, and the number is three.
The number may be five or less, or five or more.

[0041]

As described in detail above, according to the automatic guided vehicle and the attachment exchanging system for the automatic guided vehicle of the present invention, it is possible to easily attach and detach the attachment to and from the automatic guided vehicle. It has an excellent effect that various operations can be performed by one unmanned guided vehicle.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an attachment area of an automated guided vehicle in an embodiment embodying the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a partially cutaway side view showing an attachment exchanging system for an automated guided vehicle in one embodiment.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged partial sectional view showing an engaged state of the automatic guided vehicle and the attachment in one embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a side view showing an automatic guided vehicle according to a conventional technique.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... Automated guided vehicle, 2 ... Electromagnetic induction wire as a traveling route, 3
... base, 4 ... lift motor as elevating means, 5 ... projection as engaging part, 7 ... power transfer connector as transmitting means, 10 ... station, 15, 16, 17 ... transfer device as attachment, 18 ... A hopper as an attachment, 19 ... A recess as an engaged portion.

Claims (9)

[Claims] 1. A base for mounting an attachment mounted on a station on a travel route, an elevating means for moving the base up and down, and a base provided on the base and formed on the attachment. An automatic guided vehicle, comprising: an engaging portion to be engaged with an engaged portion, wherein the attachment can be attached and detached on the station via the engaging portion. 2. The engagement part is a projection formed in a taper shape, and the engaged part is a recessed part formed in a taper shape facing the engagement part. Automated guided vehicle. 3. The automatic guided vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the station is a pair of support stands that are erected so as to support the attachment at both sides. 4. The automatic guided vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the attachment is a transfer device capable of transferring a work. 5. A transmission means for transmitting a drive source for driving the attachment or data to the attachment when the engagement portion and the engaged portion of the attachment are engaged with each other. The automatic guided vehicle according to claim 1. 6. The automatic guided vehicle according to claim 5, wherein the transmission means is provided inside the engagement portion. 7. The automatic guided vehicle according to claim 5, wherein the transmission means is a power transfer connector or a data transfer connector. 8. A base on which the attachment is mounted, an elevating means for elevating and lowering the base, and an engaging portion provided on the base and engaged with an engaged portion formed on the attachment. An automated guided vehicle attachment replacement system that allows an automated guided vehicle equipped with and an attachment to be replaced between a plurality of stations each having an attachment mounted thereon. 9. The attachment replacement system for an automated guided vehicle according to claim 8, wherein the elevating means is driven by a motor.