JPH0641304U - Automatic charging device for automated guided vehicles - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Abstract] [Purpose] To provide an automatic charging device for controlling the energization from a power source to a contactor on which a current collector of an automatic guided vehicle slides without any adjustment. [Structure] Only the current collector on the left side of the automated guided vehicle is divided so that the front electron collector 8a is connected to the battery 11 via the diode 13 and the rear electron collector 8b is connected to the battery 11 via the resistor 14. The auxiliary contactor 6a is provided only in front of the right-side contactor 6 provided on the floor, and the power source 17
The voltage detection relay 15 for closing the normally open contact 18 between the contactors 6 is connected between the pair of contactors 6, and the normally closed contact 19 is connected.
A continuity detection relay 16 for opening is connected between the contactor 6 and the auxiliary contactor 6a.

Description

[Detailed description of the device]

[0001]

[Industrial applications]

 The present invention relates to an automatic charging device for an automated guided vehicle used to charge a battery mounted on the automated guided vehicle.

[0002]

[Prior art]

 Since the automated guided vehicle travels using the battery installed in it as an energy source, the battery must be charged every time the vehicle travels a certain distance. An automatic charger is used to charge the battery. There are two types of automatic charging devices for automated guided vehicles: one that charges when the automated guided vehicle is stopped and one that charges while the vehicle is running.

The latter type of automatic charging device for an automated guided vehicle is shown in FIGS. 3 (a) and 3 (b). In the figure, 1 is an automated guided vehicle, 10 is a guided vehicle main body, 2 is wheels, 11 is a battery, and 3 is an automatic charging device. The structure of the automatic charging device 3 is shown in FIGS. 4 (a) and 4 (b). As shown in the figure, a pair of parallel plate-shaped contactors 6 are mounted on a base 5 projecting from the floor surface 4, while the lower part of the automated guided vehicle 1 is in sliding contact with the upper surface of each contactor 6. A current collector 8 is attached via a base 7. Then, in order to prevent dust from intervening between the contactor 6 and the current collector 8 to cause improper conduction, brushes 9 are provided in front of and behind the current collector 8 in combination with the base 7.

In such an unmanned guided vehicle, when the photoelectric sensor or the like detects that the unmanned guided vehicle 1 has arrived at the charging zone in which the contactor 6 is buried, an open / close switch provided between the contactor 6 and the power source is opened. It is turned on and the battery is charged via the contactor 6 and the current collector 8. Since the contactor 6 is long, even if the automatic guided vehicle 1 is running, the current collector 8 makes sliding contact with the contactor 6 and the battery can be charged while running. When the photoelectric sensor or the like detects that the automated guided vehicle 1 has exited the charging zone, the open / close switch is turned off and the contactor 6 is de-energized.

[0005]

[Problems to be solved by the device]

 However, since the arrival and departure of the automated guided vehicle to and from the charging zone is detected by using a photoelectric sensor or the like, adjustment of the sensitivity of the photoelectric sensor or the mounting position is indispensable, which is troublesome.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an automatic charging device for an automatic guided vehicle that solves the above problems.

[0007]

[Means for Solving the Problems]

 In order to achieve such an object, the structure of the present invention is provided with a pair of left and right contactors which are connected to a power source and extend in the horizontal direction and fixed to the floor surface, while sliding to each contactor and connecting to a battery. In an automatic charging device for an automated guided vehicle, in which the collected current collectors are installed in an automated guided vehicle, the current collector is divided into the front and rear of the automated guided vehicle on one of the left and right sides, and the front collector is connected to a battery via a diode. At the same time as the connection, the rear collecting electron is connected to the battery via a resistor, and on the other side, an auxiliary contactor is fixed to the floor surface in front of the contactor in the traveling direction of the automated guided vehicle, and is interposed between the power supply and the contactor. A voltage detection relay for closing the open contact is connected between a pair of contactors, and a continuity detection relay for opening the normally closed contact interposed between the power supply and the contactor is connected to the contactor on the other side and the auxiliary contactor. Characterized in that connected between the data.

[0008]

[Action]

 When the rear collector on one side of the automated guided vehicle rides on the contactor, the voltage detection relay connected to the battery operates and closes the normally open contact. Therefore, the pair of contactors is energized from the power source, and the battery is charged via the current collector. When the unmanned transportation vehicle runs while charging and the current collector contacts the other side contactor and the auxiliary contactor, the continuity detection relay operates and opens the normally closed contact. Therefore, the energization of the pair of contactors from the power supply is stopped, and the charging of the battery via the current collector is also stopped.

[0009]

【Example】

 Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the embodiments shown in the drawings. Since the present embodiment is an improvement of a part of the conventional automatic charging device for the automatic guided vehicle, the same parts as those of the conventional parts are designated by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted. Only different parts will be described.

The structure of the automatic charging apparatus for the automatic guided vehicle according to the present invention is shown in FIGS. Fig. 1 shows the electrical configuration of the contactors on the floor and the automated guided vehicle in the automatic charging device. First, the configuration of the automated guided vehicle 1 will be described. When the running direction of the automatic guided vehicle 1 is indicated by an arrow, the current collector 8 on the right side is the same as the conventional one and is simply connected directly to the negative electrode of the battery 11. On the other hand, on the left side, a front collecting electron 8a and a rear collecting electron 8b are separately provided on the front and rear sides. The front collecting electron 8a is connected to the positive electrode of the battery 11 via the diode 13, and the rear collecting electron 8b is connected to the resistor 14. Is connected to the positive electrode of the battery 11 via. Next, the structure of the floor will be described. As in the conventional case, a pair of contactors 6 having the same length are provided substantially parallel to each other, and an auxiliary contactor 6 is located in front of the contactor 6 on the right side with respect to the traveling direction of the automated guided vehicle 1 and at a position slightly apart from the contactor 6. 6a is provided.

Means are provided for energizing the pair of contactors 6 when the current collectors 8 and 8a of the automated guided vehicle come into contact with the pair of contactors 6 and the charging of the battery 11 starts to be possible. That is, the contactor 6 is connected to the power source 17 through the normally open contact 18 and the normally closed contact 19, and the voltage detection relay 15 for closing the normally open contact 18 is connected between the pair of contactors 6. There is. Further, when the current collectors 8 and 8a are soon to separate from the pair of contactors 6, the conduction detection relay 16 for opening the normally closed contact 19 is provided on the right side as a means for cutting off the power supply to the pair of contactors 6. It is connected between the contactor 6 and the auxiliary contactor 6.

Next, a mechanical configuration for realizing the electrical configuration of FIG. 1 will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 2 (a), a protruding portion 17 a is formed on the lower portion of the insulating member 17 attached to the left base 7 of the automated guided vehicle 1, and a front collecting portion is formed on the front side of the protruding portion 17 a. The electrons 8a are attached to the rear side, and the rear collectors 8b are attached to the rear side. On the other hand, an auxiliary contactor 6a is provided on the floor surface 4 in front of the right-side contactor 6 in a state of being embedded in the base 5. The height of the upper surface of the auxiliary contactor 6a is set to be the same as the height of the contactor 6 on the right side. This is so that the contact with the current collector 8 can be performed smoothly.

Next, the operation of the automatic charging device for such an automated guided vehicle will be described. In FIG. 1, assuming that the automated guided vehicle 1 travels from left to right, when the rear collector 8b contacts the contactor 6 as shown by the solid line in FIG. 1, the collectors 8a, 8 also contact the contactor 6. Then, the battery 11 can be charged. At this time, since the diode 13 exists, no current flows from the battery 11 to the front collector electron 8a, but a current flows to the rear collector electron 8b via the resistor 14 and the battery 11 connects to the front collector electron 8a via the resistor 14. Conductive with the tactors 6 and 6. Therefore, at this time, the voltage detection relay 15 detects the voltage, which causes the normally-open contact 18 to close and a current to flow from the power supply 17 to the pair of contactors 6, thereby automatically charging the battery 11. To be done.

When the automatic guided vehicle 1 travels and the current collector reaches the position indicated by the chain double-dashed line, the current collectors 8 and 8a will soon separate from the contactor 6 and the battery 11 will not be charged. At this time, the contactor 6 on the right side and the auxiliary contactor 6a are connected via the current collector 8. Therefore, at this time, the continuity detection relay 16 detects continuity and opens the normally closed contact 19. As a result, the energization of the pair of contactors 6 from the power supply 17 is stopped, and the charging of the battery 11 is automatically stopped.

As described above, when the voltage detection relay 15 detects the voltage, the charging is started, and shortly after the continuity detection relay 16 detects the continuity, the charging is stopped. That is, the pair of contactors 6 is automatically connected to the power source and the battery 11 is charged only while the current collectors 8 and 8a are in contact with the pair of contactors 6.

In this embodiment, the current collector on the positive electrode side of the battery is divided into two and the auxiliary contactor is provided on the negative electrode side, but the positive electrode and the negative electrode may be reversed.

[0017]

[Effect of device]

 As can be seen from the above description, according to the automatic charging apparatus for an automated guided vehicle of the present invention, one of the current collectors of the automated guided vehicle is divided into a front collector and a rear collector, and the other collector slides. An auxiliary contactor is installed in front of the contactor, and a voltage detection relay and a continuity detection relay for controlling conduction between the power supply and a pair of contactors are provided to configure the automatic charging device. No deviation occurs and no adjustment is required. Therefore, the battery can be charged safely and reliably. However, the structure of the automatic charging device is extremely simple.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an automatic charging device for an automated guided vehicle according to the present invention.

2 is a front view and FIG. 2B is a right side view of an automatic charging device for an automated guided vehicle according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is related to a conventional automatic charging device for an automated guided vehicle.
FIG. 3A is a front view of the automatic guided vehicle, and FIG. 3B is a right side view.

FIG. 4 relates to a conventional automatic charging device for an automated guided vehicle.
FIG. 4A is a front view of the automatic charging device, and FIG. 4B is a right side view.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Unmanned guided vehicle 3 ... Automatic charging device 4 ... Floor 6 ... Contactor 6a ... Auxiliary contactor 8 ... Collector 8a ... Front collector 8b ... Rear collector 10 ... Carrier body 11 ... Battery 13 ... Diode 14 ... Resistor 15 ... Voltage detection relay 16 ... Continuity detection relay 17 ... Power supply 18 ... Normally open contact 19 ... Normally closed contact

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A pair of left and right contactors, which are connected to a power source and extend in a horizontal direction, are fixedly provided on the floor surface, while current collectors sliding on the respective contactors and connected to a battery are provided on an automated guided vehicle. In an automatic charging device for an automated guided vehicle, on one of the left and right sides, the current collector is divided into the front and the rear of the automated guided vehicle, and the front collector is connected to the battery via a diode and the rear collector is connected via a resistor. Connect to the battery,
On the other side, an auxiliary contactor is fixed on the floor in front of the contactor in the traveling direction of the automated guided vehicle, and a voltage detection relay for closing the normally open contact interposed between the power supply and the contactor is connected between the pair of contactors. An automatic charging device for an automated guided vehicle, characterized in that a continuity detection relay for opening a normally closed contact interposed between a power source and a contactor is connected between a contactor on the other side and an auxiliary contactor.