JPH06110551A - Traveling speed controller for load carrier - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve operating efficiency and working efficiency or the like by enabling move without shifting load by highly setting target acceleration/ deceleration speed and normal target traveling speed based on the height information of mounted load when the height is low. CONSTITUTION:When the mounted load is moved, a load carrier A receives the address information of the next move target station S at the carrying destination and the detected information of a height detecting means H or the like through a communication equipment CM on the side of the station S and a communication equipment 8 on the side of the load carrier A. The more the height of the mounted load is low, the more the target acceleration/deceleration and the normal traveling speed is heighly set by a controller 9 of the load carrier A based on the detected information of the height detecting means H received from the station S. Then, the controller 9 controls the operation of a motor driving device 10 for traveling so that the detected results of a speed detecting means 15 and an acceleration/deceleration detecting means 16 can be coincident with the set target acceleration/deceleration and normal target traveling speed. Thus, the load carrier can be speedily moved to the destination without shifting the load.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a traveling speed control device for a cargo carrier equipped with control means for controlling the operation of a drive device for traveling so that the vehicle travels at a target acceleration / deceleration and a target steady traveling speed.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In such a traveling speed control device for a load carrier, for example, when a load is transferred between stations, the load carrier starts moving after the load is transferred from the stations. At this time, the vehicle does not accelerate to the preset target steady traveling speed at once, but gradually accelerates at the preset target acceleration and shifts to constant speed traveling at the target steady traveling speed. Also, even when the load carrier stops at the station where the load is unloaded, it does not slow down all at once when it reaches the station, but gradually when it approaches the station, it gradually increases to the creep speed at the preset target deceleration. Slow down and stop when you reach the station.
The target acceleration / deceleration and the target steady traveling speed are set in advance to a constant value at which the load does not collapse, and the traveling speed of the cargo carrier is controlled by the target acceleration / deceleration and the target steady traveling speed. Thus, it is possible to smoothly carry the load while preventing the load of the load carrying vehicle from collapsing.

[0003]

However, in the control of the traveling speed of the cargo transport vehicle according to the above configuration, the acceleration / deceleration based on the target acceleration / deceleration set to a constant value is set regardless of the state of the load on the cargo transport vehicle. And constant-speed traveling at a target steady-state traveling speed that is set to a fixed value in advance are combined to control, so even if there is no load and there is no risk of collapse, etc. Since the same traveling speed control as that of the vehicle is performed, improvement has been desired from the viewpoint of the operating efficiency of the cargo transport vehicle, the transport work efficiency, and the like. The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to improve the operation efficiency of a load carrier vehicle, the work efficiency of a load carrier, and the like.

[0004]

The traveling speed control device for a cargo carrier according to the present invention is provided with control means for controlling the operation of the driving device for traveling so that the vehicle travels at the target acceleration / deceleration and the target steady traveling speed. The first characteristic configuration is that the control means is based on information on the height of the loaded load,
The lower the height of the loaded load is, the higher the target acceleration / deceleration and the target steady traveling speed are set. A second characteristic configuration of the present invention is to limit the embodiment of the first characteristic configuration, and a height detecting means for detecting a height of a load at a station for loading a load on a load carrier,
A communication means for communicating the detection information to the control means is provided.

[0005]

According to the first characteristic configuration of the present invention, when the load carrier moves from a station or the like to a destination for receiving a load, and the control means operates the traveling drive device, the height of the loaded load is increased. The target steady running speed and the target acceleration / deceleration set based on the information are controlled. The target steady traveling speed and the target acceleration / deceleration are set such that the lower the height of the load, the higher the target steady traveling speed and the target acceleration / deceleration. In other words, the lower the load is, the faster it accelerates to a higher steady running speed, and the faster it decelerates when approaching the destination.The higher the load, the slower the steady running speed. Therefore, the acceleration and deceleration to the steady traveling speed are slowed down. With this control, the cargo carrier can move even if the height of the carried load is high without causing the collapse of the load, and furthermore, if the height of the carried load is low, it can quickly move to the destination.

According to the second characteristic configuration of the present invention, the detection information of the height detecting means for detecting the height of the load provided on the station side is transmitted to the load carrying vehicle side by the communication means. This makes it possible to suppress the increase in the number of height detecting means installed even if the number of load carriers is greater than the number of stations.

[0007]

According to the first characteristic configuration, as described above, the cargo carrier can move even if the height of the load is high without causing the load to collapse, and the height of the load is low. Since it is possible to quickly move to the destination, it is possible to improve the operation efficiency of the load carrier and the work efficiency of the load carrier.

According to the second characterizing structure, in addition to the effect of the first characterizing structure, the structure of the load carrying vehicle and the load carrying system as a whole can be simplified.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A traveling speed control device for a cargo carrier to which the present invention is applied will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIG. 1, a guide line L is provided in a loop along the traveling route of the cargo transport vehicle A, and the plurality of stations for stopping the cargo transport vehicle A and performing work such as loading and unloading of luggage. S is provided along the guide line L, so that a transport facility for automatically transporting the load transport vehicle A between the stations S to perform load transport work is configured.

As shown in FIG. 2, the guide line L has a rectangular cross section, a magnetic body magnetized to have an N pole on the front side and an S pole on the back side is embedded in the road surface, and the periphery is fixed with an epoxy resin to fix the road surface. It is configured to be flush.

At each station S, a roller conveyor R driven by a drive belt (not shown), a height detecting means H for detecting the height of the load, and a communication device CM for communicating with the load carrier A. A mark M for automatically stopping the carrier A and a storage medium T called an ID tag that stores stop control information are installed along the guide line L near each station S. .

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the height detecting means H is located near the end of the station S on the guide line L side.
It is composed of a light emitting side pole 20 and a light receiving side pole 21 that are provided so as to face each other with the roller conveyor R interposed therebetween. The light emitting side pole 20 has four light emitting elements 20a, 20b, 2
0c, 20d are provided, and the light receiving side pole 21 is provided with four light receiving elements 21a, 21b, 21c, 21d,
These are driven by a drive circuit (not shown).
These four light emitting elements 20a, 20b, 20c, 20
As shown in FIG. 5, d and the light receiving elements 21a, 21b, 21c, and 21d are arranged at four different heights in a paired state. Then, each light emitting element 20
Light emitted from a, 20b, 20c, and 20d is condensed to some extent so as to be incident only on the light receiving elements 21a, 21b, 21c, and 21d that are paired. When a load passes between the light-receiving side pole 20 and the light-emitting side pole 21, the light beam between the light-receiving side pole 20 and the light-emitting side pole 21 is blocked according to the height of the load, and the height is increased in four steps. Information is obtained.

The communication device CM is composed of a light emitting element, a light receiving element, and a drive circuit for these elements. For example, the height detecting means H from the station S side to the cargo carrier A side.
Detection information, address information of the next movement target station S, and the like, and exchanges signals for informing the start and end of load transfer work.

As shown in FIG. 2, the mark M is obtained by burying a magnet piece on the road surface so that the front side has the S pole and the back side has the N pole. The mark M includes a mark M2 indicating a stop position and a mark M1 indicating a reference point for starting deceleration control.

Although not shown, the ID tag T is a rewritable semiconductor memory, a controller having means for communicating with external equipment, and a battery, which are integrally casing. The communication means is a wireless two-way communication by electromagnetic induction, and it is possible to rewrite or read the stored information from the outside without contact. The stored information is retained by the battery. As described above, the storage information stored in the ID tag T is stop control information for automatically stopping the cargo transport vehicle A at each station S, and specifically, the following information. Before station S Address of station S. The distance from the mark M1 to the stop position, that is, the mark M2.

Although not shown, the information is written to the ID tag T by using a portable handy terminal equipped with an electromagnetic induction type communication device like the tag reader 7. Alternatively, the writing operation of the ID tag T may be performed while traveling along the guide line L using a programmed moving vehicle. When the position of the station S changes due to a layout change or the like, if the movement is a little, the stored information of the ID tags T installed at the respective front positions can be simply rewritten using the above-mentioned writing device. It is possible to deal with this without changing the installation positions of the mark M and the ID tag T.

As shown in the plan view of FIG. 4, the load carrying vehicle A is provided with a roller conveyor 30 driven by a drive belt (not shown) on the upper surface thereof, and FIGS. As shown in the drawing, the vehicle is driven by a traveling motor 1 on the front side of the vehicle body and a steering motor 2 is driven.
A traveling wheel 3 which is also used as a steering wheel and which is steered and driven is provided, and a pair of left and right driven wheels 4 is provided on the rear side of the vehicle body. Further, a magnetic sensor 5 for detecting the guide line L and obtaining information for steering control is provided on the front side of the traveling wheel 3 so as to be integrally turned with the traveling wheel 3. A mark sensor 6 for detecting the above-mentioned mark M is provided on the right front part of the vehicle body. The mark sensor 6 is also a kind of magnetic sensor and detects the mark M, which is a magnet piece, in the vicinity thereof.

A tag reader 7, which is a reading means for reading the information stored in the above-mentioned ID tag T, is provided at the front part on the left side of the vehicle body. As the tag reader 7 approaches the ID tag T, the tag reader 7 performs bidirectional communication by electromagnetic induction to read the stored information.

A communication device 8 having a light emitting element, a light receiving element, and a drive circuit for these elements is provided on both sides of the central portion of the vehicle body. The communication apparatus 8 is provided on the station S side with the cargo transport vehicle A stopped at the station S. It is arranged so that it can communicate with the existing communication device CM. Communication is performed between the station S and the carrier A via these. Alternatively, the station S is relayed, and communication is performed between the central control device C that manages the operation of the entire facility and the cargo transport vehicle A.

In addition to the cargo carrier A, a microcomputer for processing the information obtained through the above-mentioned sensors 5, 6, the tag reader 7, and the communication device 8 to control the traveling of the cargo carrier A. Is provided with the control device 9. The control device 9 further controls the traveling motor drive device 10, the steering motor drive device 11, and the electromagnetic brake 13 that brakes the traveling wheels 3 provided in the load-carrying vehicle A, and FIG. Although omitted, the operation of the roller conveyor 30 is controlled.

The traveling distance of the load-carrying vehicle A is a rotary encoder RE that generates a pulse as the traveling wheels 3 rotate.
Is measured by the traveling distance measuring means 14 from the output of.
The traveling speed and the acceleration / deceleration of the cargo transport vehicle A are detected by the speed detecting means 15 and the acceleration / deceleration detecting means 16 which have a timing function and calculate the traveling speed from the traveling distance per unit time. The travel distance information, the travel speed information, and the acceleration / deceleration information are input to the control device 9 and become information necessary for the travel speed control of the load carrier A described later.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the magnetic sensor 5 is composed of four magnetic sensing elements arranged in the lateral direction of the vehicle body. Then, in a state in which the position of the cargo transport vehicle A in the lateral width direction is at an appropriate position with respect to the guide line L, that is, the center of the magnetic sensor 5 in the lateral width direction is located at the center of the guide line L The inner two of the magnetic sensing light receiving elements sense the magnetism due to the guide line L, and
It is provided at a predetermined interval so that the outer two are in a state of being undetectable. Therefore, when the guided vehicle A is deviated to the left or right with respect to the guide line L, one of the two outer magnetic sensing elements is in a state of sensing the magnetism due to the guide line L. Based on the detection information, steering control is performed to return the vehicle body to the proper position with respect to the guide line L.

Although not shown, the tag reader 7 is composed of communication means for performing electromagnetic induction communication with the ID tag T and its controller, and information read by communication with the ID tag T. Is transmitted to the control device 9. Then, while the cargo transport vehicle A is traveling, the signal requesting the transmission of the stored information is transmitted to the ID tag T at regular intervals. On the other hand, the ID tag T is maintained in a state of being able to receive the transmission request signal from the tag reader 7. Therefore, when the carrier A approaches the installation location of the ID tag T and the distance between the ID tag T and the tag reader 7 approaches the communicable distance, the ID tag T receives the transmission request signal from the tag reader 7. , Return the response. Although the description of the communication protocol thereafter is omitted, the ID tag T and the tag reader 7 are provided here.
Communication is established, and the storage information of the ID tag T is transmitted to the tag reader 7. In this way, the cargo transport vehicle A can automatically read the storage information of the ID tag T installed at a predetermined position of the traveling route by the tag reader 7 during traveling.

Next, the control of the traveling speed of the truck A by the control means 9 will be described. The cargo carrier A accelerates at a constant acceleration after starting, and then shifts to traveling at a steady traveling speed. When stopped, the steady running speed is decelerated at a constant deceleration to shift to the creeping speed.
To brake and stop.

The above acceleration / deceleration and steady running speed are shown in FIG.
As shown in, the target acceleration / deceleration values G ₀ , G ₁ , G ₂ , G ₃
The target steady-state traveling speed values V ₀ , V ₁ , V ₂ , and V ₃ are preset in four stages and stored in the controller 9. The target acceleration / deceleration values G ₀ , G ₁ , G ₂ , G
_As is clear from FIG. 6, the magnitude relationship between ₃ and the target steady running speed values V ₀ , V ₁ , V ₂ , V ₃ is as follows: G ₀ > G ₁ > G ₂ > G ₃ , V ₀ > V ₁ > V and it has a _2> V _3.

These four-step target acceleration / deceleration values G ₀ , G ₁ ,
G _2, G ₃ and the target steady running speed value _{V 0, V 1, V 2} ,
V ₃ corresponds to the detection information of the height detecting means H for detecting the height of the loaded load provided in the station S, and when no light emitting / light receiving element pair is shielded from light, and a light emitting / light receiving element pair. When only 20d and 21d are shaded by the load, the target acceleration / deceleration value G ₀ and the target steady running speed value V ₀
When the light emitting / light receiving element pair 20c, 21c is shielded from the lower end, the light emitting / light receiving element pair 20b, 21 is set to the target acceleration / deceleration value G ₁ and the target steady running speed value V _1.
When light is blocked up to b, the target acceleration / deceleration value G ₂ and the target steady running speed value V ₂ are set to the light emitting / receiving element pair 2 from the lower end.
When 0a and 21a are shielded from light, they correspond to the target acceleration / deceleration value G ₃ and the target steady running speed value V ₃ , respectively.

When the control device 9 of the cargo carrier A receives the detection information of the height detecting means H via the communication device CM of the station S and the communication device 8 of the cargo carrier A, the detection information and the above-mentioned information are received. Based on the correspondence, the target acceleration / deceleration values G ₀ , G ₁ ,
G _2, G ₃ and the target steady running speed value _{V 0, V 1, V 2} ,
Either V ₃ is selected and set as the target acceleration / deceleration and the target steady running speed. That is, the lower the height of the loaded load detected by the height detecting means H, the higher the target acceleration / deceleration and the target steady traveling speed are set. The control device 9
The operation of the traveling motor drive device 10 is controlled so that the detection results of the speed detecting means 15 and the acceleration / deceleration detecting means 16 match the set target acceleration / deceleration and target steady traveling speed. Therefore, the control device 9 functions as the control means I for controlling the operation of the traveling motor 1 and the traveling motor driving device 10 as the traveling driving device D, and the station S.
The communication device CM provided in the unit functions as a communication unit J that communicates the detection information of the height detection unit H to the control unit I.

Hereinafter, the operation of the transfer facility having the above structure will be described. From the station S to the cargo carrier A while the cargo carrier A shown in FIG. 4 is stopped at the position of the station S,
The loaded load is transferred by the operation of the roller conveyor R on the station S side and the roller conveyor 30 on the side of the load carrying vehicle A. At this time, at the same time, the cargo transport vehicle A sends the address information of the next movement target station S, which is the transport destination of the loaded cargo, the detection information of the height detection means H, etc., to the communication device CM and the cargo transport vehicle on the station S side. It is received via the communication device 8 on the A side. The control device 9 of the carrier A is station S
Based on the detection information of the height detection means H received from
The target acceleration / deceleration and the target steady running speed are set as described above.

When the transfer operation of the loaded load is completed, the load carrying vehicle A starts, accelerates at the target acceleration by the control of the control device 9, and when the target steady running speed is reached, the constant speed at the target steady running speed is reached. Shift to running. When the tag reader 7 receives the information of the ID tag T and confirms that the station S is the target station S, after the mark sensor 6 detects the mark M1, the target acceleration / deceleration at that time, the target steady running speed, Also, when a predetermined time determined by the distance from the mark M1 to the mark M2 has elapsed, the vehicle decelerates to the creep speed at the target deceleration. And
When the mark sensor 6 detects the mark M2, the control device 9
Activates the electromagnetic brake 13, and the carrier A stops. Then, the loaded load is transferred from the load carrier A to the station S.

[Other Embodiments] Other embodiments will be listed below. In the above-described embodiment, the present invention is applied to the cargo carrier A traveling along the guide line L, but the present invention may be applied to an unmanned vehicle that is equipped with a laser gyro and travels autonomously.

In the above-described embodiment, the height detecting means H is provided in the station S and the detection information is transmitted to the load carrying vehicle A. However, the height detecting means H is provided in the load carrying vehicle A. Alternatively, the height detection means H may not be provided, and the height information of the loaded load may be directly input manually, or may be input wirelessly from the central control unit C.

In the above-described embodiment, the control of the load-carrying vehicle A at the time of starting, stopping and traveling at a constant speed during that time is explained. For example, the target acceleration / deceleration and the target steady-state speed when passing through a curve are described. The traveling speed may be set based on the height information of the loaded load.

In the above-described embodiment, the target acceleration / deceleration and the target steady running speed can be set in four stages, but the target acceleration / deceleration and the target steady-state running speed may be set higher or lower.

Incidentally, although reference numerals are given in the claims for convenience of comparison with the drawings, the present invention is not limited to the structures of the accompanying drawings by the entry.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing the layout of the entire transfer facility.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a signal flow of a cargo carrier and its surroundings.

FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the relationship between the schematic structure of the cargo carrier and the stop position and the like.

FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a state in which the load carrier is stopped at the station.

FIG. 5 is a side view of the station as seen from the guide line side.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing speed control of a cargo carrier.

[Explanation of symbols]

 D Drive device for traveling I Control means

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A traveling speed control device for a cargo carrier, comprising control means (I) for controlling the operation of a drive device (D) for traveling so as to travel at a target acceleration / deceleration and a target steady traveling speed. The control means (I) is configured to set the target acceleration / deceleration and the target steady traveling speed to be higher as the height of the loaded load is lower, based on the information on the height of the loaded load. A traveling speed control device for a carrier vehicle. 2. Height detection means (H) for detecting the height of a load at a station (S) for loading a load onto a carrier vehicle (A).
2. The traveling speed control device for a cargo carrier according to claim 1, further comprising: a communication means (J) for communicating the detection information to the control means (I).