JPH0781532A - Automatic fuel feeder - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To set fuel feeding areas of a vehicle subjected to fuel feeding on both sides of a fuel feeding island, so as not to be affected by the position of a fuel feeding port provided on either one of the right and left sides of a vehicular body. CONSTITUTION:A fuel feeding nozzle 10 is movably provided along a guide arm 6 on the guide arm 6 parallely extended along a fuel feeding island 2, and capable of vertically moving, and also the guide arm is rotatably provided on a shaft, and a fuel feeding port discriminating means 15 for discriminating a fuel feeding port V1 of a vehicle V to stop in fuel feeding area 3A, 3B on both sides of the fuel feeding island 2 is so provided as to be integrally moved together with the fuel feeding nozzle 10. And a nozzle insertion control means 23 suitably controls a guide arm driving mechanism 8, a casing driving mechanism 12 and a fuel feeding nozzle turning mechanism 13, so that a nozzle tip 10b of the fuel feeding nozzle 10 may be inserted into the fuel feeding port V1.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a robot type automatic fueling apparatus for automatically refueling a fuel tank of a vehicle.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, various types of robot-type automatic fueling apparatuses have been proposed, and one example thereof is a refueling island arranged in accordance with a predetermined refueling area for stopping a vehicle on one side facing the refueling area. , A refueling section equipped with a refueling nozzle that is expandable and expandable in one direction,
The refueling nozzle is positioned at the refueling port, and the refueling nozzle is set so as to be movable in the front-rear direction and the vertical movement direction of the vehicle and receives data from the refueling port identification means such as a camera that identifies the opened refueling port. As described above, there is a device having a structure in which the refueling portion is appropriately moved, and then the refueling nozzle is extended and inserted into the refueling port, and the oil liquid is discharged from the refueling nozzle into the fuel tank.

[0003]

In the above automatic refueling device, the refueling area can be provided only on one side (one direction) of the refueling island to which the refueling nozzle is directed. In other words, one refueling device has only one location. The refueling area cannot be set. Generally, whether the refueling port is provided on the left or right side of the vehicle body is arbitrary depending on the vehicle type and is not unconditionally determined.Therefore, it is necessary to change the direction of the vehicle depending on the approach direction to the automatic refueling device, which is complicated. At the same time, it is essential to secure the space required for that, and this leads to deterioration of space efficiency.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and it is possible to set a refueling area of a refueling target vehicle on both sides of a refueling island, and thus, there is no influence of the position of a refueling port provided on either the left or right side of the vehicle body. It is intended to provide an automatic oiling device.

[0005]

The present invention has been made in order to achieve the above-mentioned object, and a support is installed on a refueling island which is arranged in proximity along a set refueling area. Extends substantially parallel to the refueling area,
A guide arm that is moved up and down by a guide arm drive mechanism is supported, and the guide arm is moved along the guide arm by the oil supply section drive mechanism and is rotated about the guide arm by the oil supply section rotation mechanism. Is provided with a refueling nozzle extending substantially orthogonal to the guide arm, and a refueling port identifying means for identifying a refueling port of a vehicle stopped in the refueling area. And a nozzle insertion control means for operating the guide arm drive mechanism, the oil supply section drive mechanism, and the oil supply section rotation mechanism based on the data from the mouth identification means to insert the oil supply nozzle into the oil supply port. It is characterized by having done.

[0006]

According to the present invention, the guide arm drive mechanism and the oil supply section drive mechanism controlled by the nozzle insertion control means move the guide arm up and down and move the oil supply section along the guide arm. The refueling port identification means identifies the refueling port opened in the vehicle stopped at
Based on the identification data, the nozzle insertion control means rotates the refueling section as necessary and inserts the refueling nozzle of the refueling section into the refueling port. By rotating the refueling nozzle, it is possible to set the refueling area where the vehicle is stopped on both sides of the refueling island, and even if there is a refueling port on either the left or right side of the vehicle body, the vehicle can be moved to the refueling island from the same direction. Can be adjacent.

[0007]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of an automatic oiling apparatus 1 according to an embodiment, FIGS. 2 and 3 are plan views and front views thereof, and FIG. 4 is a control block diagram for explaining its internal configuration and control operation. 5 is a flow chart of the control operation. The automatic refueling device 1 of the present embodiment is mainly installed in an unmanned refueling station, and a refueling customer (driving car or other occupant) performs the refueling procedure by himself / herself.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the automatic refueling device 1 is installed on a refueling island 2 formed in an elongated shape, and is set close to the refueling island 2 and parallel to both sides thereof. The vehicle V parked in one of the refueling areas 3A and 3B is refueled. Refueling island 2
At both ends of the rectangular parallelepiped, first and second rectangular parallelepiped stands (supports) 4 and 5 are respectively erected. Here, the approach to the refueling island areas 3A and 3B is basically performed from the first stand 4 side.
3B to the refueling area 3A on the right side as necessary,
It is referred to as the left refueling area 3B. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2, the vehicle V having the refueling port V1 on the left side of the vehicle body stops the vehicle in the refueling area 3A, and the vehicle V on the right side stops the vehicle in the refueling area 3B. In addition, each refueling area 3A,
Stop lines 3a and 3b of the vehicle V are drawn in front of 3B.

A refueling area 3 is provided between the stands 4 and 5.
A guide arm 6 is bridged in parallel with A and 3B.
The guide arm 6 is supported so as to be vertically movable while maintaining a horizontal state along a guide hole 7 formed in each of the stands 4 and 5 and extending in the vertical direction (vertical direction).
The operation is performed by the guide arm drive mechanism 8 provided in each of the stands 4 and 5.

On the guide arm 6, a refueling portion 11 composed of a pair of front and rear elliptical casings 9 and a refueling nozzle 10 arranged between the casings 9 is provided so as to be movable along the guide arm 6. Has been. The guide arm 6 penetrates the center of the pair of casings 9, and the casing 9 moves between the both ends of the guide arm 6 while keeping the major axis direction thereof horizontal, and along with the movement of these casings 9, the oil supply nozzle. 10 is also moving. The fueling nozzle 10 is composed of a box-shaped nozzle body 10a on the base end side and a nozzle tip portion 10b on the tip end side. The guide arm 6 penetrates the nozzle body 10a, and the entire guide arm 6 is used as an axis. It is rotatable.

The nozzle tip portion 10b, which is the free end side of the fueling nozzle 10, is constructed by connecting an elastic pipe of flexible rubber or the like to the tip of an expandable pipe, that is, it is expandable and contractible, and the vehicle body or The refueling nozzle itself is prevented from being damaged. Normally, the rotation range of the fueling nozzle 10 is, after the nozzle tip portion 10b is rotated upward from the parallel state toward the one fueling area 3A (3B),
The nozzle tip portion 10 is provided on the opposite side to the refueling area 3B (3A)
It is set until b becomes parallel. The movement of the casing 9 along the guide arm 6, the rotation of the refueling nozzle 10 and the expansion and contraction of the nozzle tip portion 10b are performed by a casing drive mechanism (refueling portion drive mechanism) 12 and a refueling nozzle rotation mechanism which are incorporated in the casing 9, respectively. (Lubricating part rotation mechanism) 13
And the nozzle expansion / contraction mechanism 14.

At both ends of each casing 9 of the refueling section 11, a vehicle V that stops in both the left and right refueling areas 3A and 3B.
The refueling port identification means 15 including a camera or the like for identifying the opened refueling port V1 is installed.

An unillustrated oil supply hose reaching an underground tank for storing oil liquid is connected to the nozzle body of the oil supply section 11. This refueling hose is configured so that refueling will not be hindered even if refueling nozzle 10 rotates. The refueling operation is performed by the refueling pump 1 that pumps the oil liquid from the underground tank.
7. Pump motor 18 for driving refueling pump 17, flow meter 19 for measuring refueling flow rate, flow rate pulse transmitter 2 attached to flow meter 19 for outputting flow rate pulse proportional to flow rate 2
0, operation panel 21 installed on the first stand 4, refueling control means 22 for comprehensively controlling each part, refueling nozzle 1
Nozzle insertion control means 23 for controlling the movement of 0, refueling indicator 24 set up on refueling island 2, and the like,
The refueling work procedure and operation of the automatic refueling device 1 including the details of these configurations will be described below with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5. In addition, in FIG. 1, reference numeral 30 is a refueling unit 1.
1 is a cable for sending a control signal.

[1. Operation of Refueling Customer] (1) The refueling customer places the front end of the vehicle V on one of the refueling areas 3A and 3B so that the refueling port V1 faces the refueling island 2. The vehicle is stopped at approximately the stop lines 3a and 3b. (2) Next, the refueling customer opens the refueling port V1 of the vehicle V, then causes the card reader 21a of the operation panel 21 to read the customer card C (FIG. 5: S1), and at the same time, uses the keyboard 21b of the operation panel 21 for a password. Enter the number (Figure 5:
S2). Here, the authentication device (not shown) attached to the operation panel 21 collates the personal identification number data of the customer card C with the input personal identification number (FIG. 5: S3), and if they match, supplies a refueling permission signal. It is sent to the control means 22 (FIG. 5: S4). At this time, the collation result is displayed on the display panel 21c on the operation panel 21, and the refueling control means 22 resets the refueling amount indicator 24 to zero. (3) Next, the refueling customer uses the keyboard 2 of the operation panel 21.
In 1b, the work settings in advance relating to the refueling work such as the settings of the refueling areas 3A and 3B and the setting of preset values (including full tank) are input. (4) After this, the refueling customer operates the refueling operation start key on the keyboard 21b of the operation panel 21.

[2. Operation of automatic fueling device] (5) From the operation panel 21, a refueling work start signal is output to the nozzle insertion control means 23. (6) The nozzle insertion control means 23 reads the left / right distinction between the refueling areas 3A and 3B set on the operation panel 21,
The R / L data indicating one of the left and right refueling areas 3A and 3B is supplied to the refueling port identification means 15 and the X coordinate data conversion means 25.
While supplying the oil supply nozzle rotation mechanism 13 and the oil supply nozzle rotation mechanism 13, the identification instruction signal is output to the oil supply port identification means 15, and the permission signal is output to the casing drive mechanism 12 and the guide arm drive mechanism 8. (7) Refueling port identification means 15 receives the identification instruction signal and starts the identification of refueling port V1 (FIG. 5: S5). That is,
Based on the R / L data, an image is sampled from the corresponding left or right fuel filler identification means 15, and the fuel filler position in the coordinates on the image is obtained from the collected image based on a predetermined identification rule. It is output to the position coordinate conversion means 26. The data supplied above includes the X coordinate data corresponding to the horizontal direction of the screen, that is, the length direction of the guide arm 6, and the vertical direction of the screen, that is, the height direction (the guide arm 6).
There are two types of Y coordinate data corresponding to (the moving direction of).

(8) The robot position coordinate conversion means 26 is
The fuel filler position data on the image supplied from the fuel filler identification means 15 is converted into the fuel filler position data on the robot coordinates, and as target X coordinate data and target Y coordinate data,
The data is output to the X coordinate data conversion means 25 and the guide arm drive mechanism 8. (9) When the R side is supplied as the R / L data, the X coordinate data converting means 25 uses the target X coordinate data supplied from the robot position coordinate converting means 26 as it is as the converted target X coordinate data to drive the casing. In contrast to the output to the mechanism 12, when the L side is supplied, the target X coordinate data supplied from the robot position coordinate conversion means 26 is mirror-converted on the robot X axis coordinate, and this is converted target X coordinate data. Is output to the casing drive mechanism 12. (10) Casing drive mechanism 1 to which the permission signal is input
No. 2 moves the casing 9 on the guide arm 6 with respect to the conversion target X coordinate data, and when the casing 9 has completed moving to the conversion target X coordinate data (FIG. 5: S6), a completion signal is sent to the nozzle insertion control means 23. Output to. (11) The guide arm drive mechanism 8 to which the permission signal is input moves the guide arm 6 up and down with respect to the target Y coordinate data, and when the guide arm 6 has moved to the target Y coordinate data, the completion signal is sent to the nozzle insertion control. It is output to the means 23. (12) The nozzle insertion control means 23 stops the permission signal output to the casing drive mechanism 12 and the guide arm drive mechanism 8 and outputs the permission signal to the oil supply nozzle rotation mechanism 13.

(13) The refueling nozzle rotating mechanism 13 rotates the refueling nozzle 10 around the guide arm 6 if necessary based on the R / L data by inputting the permission signal, and after rotating,
The completion signal is output to the nozzle insertion control means 23. (14) The nozzle insertion control means 23 stops the output of the permission signal to the refueling nozzle rotation mechanism 13 and outputs the permission signal to the nozzle tip end extension / contraction mechanism 14. (15) The nozzle tip extension mechanism 14 is the nozzle tip 10b.
Is extended and inserted into the oil supply port V1 (FIG. 5: S7), and after the insertion, a completion signal is output to the nozzle insertion control means 23 (FIG. 5: S8). (16) The nozzle insertion control means 23 stops the output of the permission signal to the nozzle tip end extension / contraction mechanism 14 and outputs an insertion completion signal to the oil supply control means 22. (17) The refueling control means 22 receives the insertion completion signal to drive the pump motor 18 (FIG. 5: S9), and based on the flow rate pulse output from the flow rate pulse transmitter 20,
Refueling amount and amount of refueling are calculated, and the calculated amount is displayed.
4 is displayed, while preset (full tank) refueling control is performed.

(18) Refueling is completed (FIG. 5: S10)
Then, the refueling control means 22 outputs the refueling information for this time (the refueling amount, the refueling amount, etc. corresponding to the customer identification data) for settlement to the external refueling management device (not shown).
A refueling completion signal is output to the nozzle insertion control means 23. (19) The nozzle insertion control means 23 first outputs a return signal only to the nozzle tip extension / contraction mechanism 14. (20) The nozzle tip extension / contraction mechanism 14 retracts the nozzle tip 10b from the oil supply port V1, and outputs a completion signal to the nozzle insertion control means 23 when returning to the initial position. (21) The nozzle insertion control means 23 stops the output of the return signal to the nozzle tip extension / contraction mechanism 14, and then outputs the return signal to the casing drive mechanism 12 and the guide arm drive mechanism 8. (22) The casing drive mechanism 12 and the guide arm drive mechanism 8 respectively include the casing 9 and the guide arm 6.
After returning to the initial position (FIG. 5: S11), a completion signal is output to the nozzle insertion control means 23. (23) The nozzle insertion control means 23 stops the output of the return signal to the casing drive mechanism 12 and the guide arm drive mechanism 8 and outputs a refueling work end signal to the operation panel 21. As a result, the display panel 21c of the operation panel 21 displays the end of the refueling operation, and after a predetermined time has elapsed since the customer card C was returned (FIG. 5: S12), the screen returns to the initial screen in preparation for the next refueling.

During the above operation, the operation panel 2
If the emergency stop switch provided in 1 is operated,
The output of the permission signal and the return signal from the nozzle insertion control means 23 is immediately stopped once.

According to the automatic lubrication apparatus 1 of the present embodiment having the above-mentioned structure, the lubrication areas 3A and 3B on both sides of the lubrication island 2 are provided.
Refueling can be automatically performed for the vehicle V stopped at, that is, one refueling device can provide refueling areas 3 at two locations.
Since A and 3B can be set, it is possible to reduce the number of refueling devices to be installed. Also, the fuel filler port V
Even if the vehicle 1 is located on either side of the vehicle body, the vehicle V can be entered from the same direction for refueling work, so that space saving of the refueling stand can be achieved.

[0021]

As described above, in the automatic oiling apparatus of the present invention, the support is installed on the oiling island which is arranged in the vicinity along the set oiling area, and the support is provided with the above-mentioned oiling area. A guide arm that extends substantially in parallel and is moved up and down by a guide arm drive mechanism is supported. The guide arm is moved along the guide arm by the oil supply section drive mechanism, and the guide arm is moved by the oil supply section rotation mechanism. A refueling portion that is rotated as an axis is provided, and the refueling portion identifies a refueling nozzle that extends substantially orthogonal to the guide arm and a refueling port of a fuel tank of a vehicle that stops in the refueling area. Means for operating the guide arm drive mechanism, the oil supply section drive mechanism, and the oil supply section rotation mechanism based on the data from the oil supply port identification means. On the other hand, it has a nozzle insertion control means for inserting the refueling nozzle, and refueling on both sides of the refueling island without being affected by the position of the refueling port on either the left or right side of the vehicle body. Since it is possible to automatically refuel a vehicle stopped in the area, it is possible to reduce the number of installed vehicles and to save space in the refueling station.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the same.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the same.

FIG. 4 is a control block diagram for explaining the configuration of an embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of one embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Automatic Refueling Device 2 Refueling Island 3A, 3B Refueling Area 4, 5 Stand (Support) 6 Guide Arm 8 Guide Arm Drive Mechanism 9 Casing 10 Refueling Nozzle 11 Refueling Section 12 Casing Drive Mechanism (Refueling Section Drive Mechanism) 13 Refueling Nozzle Rotation Moving mechanism (rotating mechanism for refueling unit) 15 Refueling port identification means 23 Nozzle insertion control means V Vehicle V1 Refueling port

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A support is installed on a refueling island that is disposed in proximity along a set refueling area, extends substantially parallel to the refueling area, and is vertically moved by a guide arm drive mechanism. A guide arm is supported, and the guide arm is provided with an oil supply section that is moved along the guide arm by the oil supply section drive mechanism and that is rotated about the guide arm by the oil supply section rotation mechanism. The portion is provided with a refueling nozzle extending substantially orthogonal to the guide arm, and a refueling port identifying means for identifying a refueling port of a vehicle stopped in the refueling area, and based on data from the refueling port identifying means. A nozzle insertion control means for operating the guide arm drive mechanism, the oil supply section drive mechanism, and the oil supply section rotation mechanism to insert the oil supply nozzle into the oil supply port. Automatic lubrication apparatus characterized by comprising Te.