JPH0872707A - Unmanned transportation vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To enhance the assembling workability of an unmanned transportation vehicle, and also to increase its performance in the driving torque or the like by reducing the number of parts, by always enabling the oscillation in the rolling direction along the steering direction of driving wheels, and also by reducing the weight of the vehicle body. CONSTITUTION: A self-aligning bearing 122 is interposed between a cylindrical member 116 and the circular hole 126 of a base block 124, so that the oscillation of the cylindrical member 116 and the base block 124 can be enabled. Oscillation restricting plates 144 to each end of which a roller 146 being in contact with a movable base plate 110 has been provided are fitted to the front and rear side surfaces of the base block 124, so that even if the base block 124 is directed in whichever direction by the driving of tires 104, only the oscillation in the right and left directions or in the rolling direction at that time can be enabled.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention provides a vehicle body on which cargo is loaded with left and right drive wheels which can be rotated forward and backward at desired rotational speeds by a driving force of a drive means and index positions provided on a road surface. An automatic driving device equipped with a sensor for detecting is mounted, and the rotational speeds of the left and right driving wheels are controlled so as to correct the deviation from the index by the detection of the sensor,
The present invention relates to an automatic guided vehicle that steers and travels along a predetermined route according to the index.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an automated guided vehicle is provided with a lift mechanism on its upper surface, and a bar member for actually lifting the cargo in the lift mechanism section is lowered, and the automated guided vehicle is run under the cargo. Support the cargo by letting it in and then raising the bar members. Then, the cargo can be transported to the destination by restarting the traveling.

By the way, in an automatic guided vehicle, the left and right drive wheels can be independently rotated normally and reversely, and steering can be performed by the speed difference.

For example, a reflective tape is attached to the road surface,
In response to this, a photoelectric sensor is attached to the automatic guided vehicle. The photoelectric sensor detects the deviation from the reflection tape by receiving the light emitted by itself and reflected by the reflection tape, and corrects the steering angle. As a result, the automatic guided vehicle can travel while automatically steering along the reflective tape even if the reflective tape has a curved portion.

Here, if the automatic guided vehicle has a laterally inclined surface or unevenness while traveling on the road surface, a step is generated between the left and right driving wheels. If the positions of the drive wheels are fixed, one of the inclined surfaces and the uneven portions floats from the road surface, and the driving force cannot be transmitted to the road surface, resulting in unstable traveling.

Therefore, in the prior art, an automatic traveling drive device is provided through a first member rotatable in a yawing direction with respect to a vehicle body and a second member rotatable in a rolling direction with respect to the first member. It has a structure that allows it to be attached and rotated along the axial direction of the drive wheel, which always changes its direction depending on the steering direction.

As a result, even if the road surface has an inclined surface or unevenness, the left and right driving wheels can be provided with steps corresponding to the inclined surface or unevenness, and stable running can be performed.

[0008]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional structure, it is necessary to provide the first member and the second member between the vehicle body and the automatic drive device, so that the number of parts is large and the assembling work is performed. The sex is bad. Moreover, the weight of the unmanned vehicle itself is increased, which adversely affects the driving performance such as the driving torque of the driving wheels.

In consideration of the above facts, the present invention reduces the number of parts, enables swinging in the direction along the axis of the drive wheel that constantly changes along the steering direction of the drive wheel, and reduces the vehicle body weight. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to obtain an automatic guided vehicle which can improve the workability of assembling and can improve the performance such as the driving torque.

[0010]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, a vehicle body on which cargo is loaded can be rotated forward and backward at desired rotational speeds by the driving force of the driving means. An automatic drive device equipped with a sensor for detecting the index position provided in is mounted, and by controlling the rotational speed of the left and right drive wheels so as to correct the deviation from the index by the detection of the sensor, An unmanned guided vehicle that steers and travels along a predetermined route according to an index, and has a columnar member provided on one of the vehicle body or the automatic drive device and the other of the vehicle body or the automatic drive device. A circular groove for accommodating the cylindrical member, provided between the cylindrical member and the circular groove, the cylindrical member is fitted to the inner peripheral surface and the circular groove is fitted to the outer peripheral surface, Holds a cylindrical member and a circular groove so that they can swing. Has a Dochokokoro bearing, the.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, an index position provided on the road surface and the left and right drive wheels capable of normal rotation and reverse rotation at a desired rotation speed by the driving force of the drive means on the vehicle body on which cargo is loaded. An automatic traveling drive device equipped with a sensor for detecting is controlled, and the rotation speed of the left and right drive wheels is controlled so as to correct the deviation from the index by the detection of the sensor, and the predetermined route is determined by the index An unmanned guided vehicle that steers and travels along a columnar member provided on one of the vehicle body and the automatic drive device, and the cylindrical member provided on the other of the vehicle body and the automatic drive device. Is provided between the columnar member and the columnar member, and the columnar member is fitted to the inner peripheral surface and the circular groove is fitted to the outer peripheral surface so that the columnar member is swingable. A self-aligning bearing that holds the member and the circular groove, The swing by serial self-aligning bearing, in accordance with the steering direction of the drive wheels of the automatic travel drive device, always a, a swing limiting means for limiting only in the direction along the axis of the drive wheels.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, the index positions provided on the road surface and the left and right drive wheels capable of normal rotation and reverse rotation at desired rotational speeds by the driving force of the drive means on the vehicle body carrying the cargo. An automatic traveling drive device equipped with a sensor for detecting is controlled, and the rotation speed of the left and right drive wheels is controlled so as to correct the deviation from the index by the detection of the sensor, and the predetermined route is determined by the index An unmanned guided vehicle that steers and travels along a columnar member provided on one of the vehicle body and the automatic drive device, and the cylindrical member provided on the other of the vehicle body and the automatic drive device. Is provided between the cylindrical groove for accommodating and the cylindrical member and the circular groove, and a part of the cylindrical member is fitted to the inner peripheral surface and the circular groove is fitted to the outer peripheral surface so that it can swing. Self-aligning shaft that holds the cylindrical member and the circular groove in the And is rotatable around the columnar member so as to follow the steering direction of the drive wheels of the automatic traveling drive device, and accommodates another part of the columnar member, and only the front and rear positions on the outer periphery thereof. Was tightly housed,
In addition to the above, there is provided a long hole-shaped through hole, and there is provided a swing limiting block which always limits swing by the self-aligning bearing only in a direction along the axis of the drive wheel. ing.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the invention according to any one of the first to third aspects, the swing limiting block and the vehicle body or the automatic traveling drive device in the cylindrical member are provided. A brake shoe that applies a predetermined frictional force to the rotation of the columnar member is disposed on the peripheral surface between them.

[0014]

According to the invention described in claim 1, since the vehicle body and the automatic drive device are connected through the self-aligning bearing, the automatic vehicle travels with respect to the vehicle body without combining a plurality of parts. The drive device for the vehicle can be swingable. Therefore, the number of assembling steps can be reduced and the weight of the vehicle body can be reduced.
It also leads to improved driving force performance.

According to the second aspect of the invention, the self-aligning bearing is swung in any direction of 360 ° with respect to the center of rotation, so that unnecessary swing is included.

Therefore, the rocking restricting means always restricts the rocking along the axis of the drive wheel regardless of the steering direction of the drive wheel. That is, this direction is the rolling direction of the vehicle body. Therefore, even if there is an inclined surface or unevenness on the road surface, the left and right driving wheels can be provided with steps, and the driving force is always applied to the road surface. be able to.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the rocking limiting block is provided with a long through hole, and only the front and rear positions in the traveling direction of the drive wheel are tightly provided in the outer periphery of the cylindrical member. Since it is housed, it can be freely swung to the left and right in the direction of travel of the drive wheels, and even if there are slopes and irregularities on the road surface, the left and right drive wheels can be stepped and always drive against the road surface. Power can be applied. It should be noted that, for example, a bearing or the like is attached to the columnar member, and the outer periphery of this bearing is brought into close contact with the inner periphery of the elongated hole-like through hole so that the axial rotation of the columnar member is not affected at all. Steering of the drive wheels is performed smoothly.

According to the invention described in claim 4, when the axial rotation torque of the columnar member is low, the steering direction of the driving wheels is not stable during traveling, which causes meandering. Therefore, by disposing a brake shoe on a part of the peripheral surface of the cylindrical member, a predetermined rotational frictional force is applied and the axial rotational torque is increased, whereby traveling stability can be ensured. With the structure described in claim 3, a space for disposing the brake shoe can be secured, and the assembling work can be facilitated.

[0019]

【Example】

First Embodiment (Overall Structure) FIGS. 1 to 3 show an automated guided vehicle 10 according to the first embodiment.

The automated guided vehicle 10 has a function of loading unillustrated cargo (luggage) on the ceiling 14 of the rectangular casing 12 and transporting the cargo to a designated place.

The housing 12 includes four casters 16 (the housing 1
It is adapted to be supported on the road surface by two casters 16) respectively provided at both ends in the longitudinal direction.
In the caster 16, a disc-shaped support portion 20 is fixed to a rectangular plate material 18 attached to the lower surface side of the ceiling portion 14,
A rotating portion 22 provided with a pair of leg plates 22A is connected to the supporting portion 20 via a bearing (not shown). Circular holes 22B that are coaxial with each other are provided at the tips of the leg plates 22A of the rotating portion 22, and the circular holes 22B include:
A rotating shaft 26 of the wheel 24 is pivotally supported.

The unmanned guided vehicle 10 is supported by the casters 16 in a manual traveling mode described later and can travel by being pushed by an operator, and has a so-called trolley function.

A ceiling base plate 102, which constitutes a part of the automatic drive system 100, is disposed between the plate member 18 supporting the casters 16 in the center of the housing 12 in the front-rear direction. The ceiling base plate 102 is the ceiling portion 14
It is stuck to.

Two automatic driving devices 100 are provided.
It has individual tires 104. Normally, that is, in the automatic driving mode (described later), in the automatic guided vehicle 10, the tires 104 (four in total) are also grounded on the road surface, and the driving force of the tires 104 is transmitted to the road surface by this ground pressure so that the vehicle can run. There is. Even when the tire 104 is grounded on the road surface, the load of the automatic guided vehicle 10 is instructed by the wheels 24 of the casters 16 and also serves as an auxiliary wheel during unmanned traveling.

Lifting mechanism portions 300 are arranged at both longitudinal ends of the ceiling portion 14. This lift mechanism section 30
Reference numeral 0 denotes a bar 302 that extends along the short side direction of the ceiling part 14 and supports the cargo, and an elevating part 304 that is connected to the bar 302 and moves the bar 302 up and down.

Brackets 306 are attached to both side surfaces of the bar 302 at both ends in the longitudinal direction, and a bearing 310 is attached to a shaft 308 spanned between the pair of brackets 306.

On the other hand, the ceiling portion 14 is formed with a rectangular accommodation groove 28 capable of accommodating the bar 302, and the bar 302 is normally accommodated in the accommodation groove 28. Storage groove 28
A rectangular small hole 32 is formed by the partition wall 30 at both ends of the bracket, and the bracket 306 and the bearing 310 are accommodated therein.

By this accommodation, the outer circumferences of the bracket 306 and the bearing 310 are in close contact with the inner circumference of the small hole 32, the axial movement and the lateral movement of the bearing 310 are prevented, and the bar 302 moves up and down. Only allowed.

One end of a pair of links 312 forming a part of the elevating part 304 is connected to the bar 302, and is structured to be vertically moved and supported by bending and stretching of the links 312. Although the details will be described later, the pair of links 312 have a structure in which they are bent in directions opposite to each other, and the moments due to the loads are canceled and supported by each other. (Automatic Driving Device) FIGS. 4 to 7 show an automatic driving device 100.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the automatic traveling drive device 100 has the housing 1 in a state of being opposed to each other.
2 units are accommodated in 2. Hereinafter, the configuration of one automatic traveling drive device 100 will be described, and description of the other one will be omitted.

A pair of blocks 106 are attached to the ceiling base plate 102, and a shaft 108 is stretched around them. A pair of blocks 112 fixed to a movable base plate 110 are pivotally supported on the shaft 108, and therefore the movable base plate 110 is rotatable about the shaft 108 with respect to the ceiling base plate 102. It

A circular hole 1 is formed in the middle of the movable base plate 110.
14 is provided and the cylindrical member 116 is penetrated. The outer peripheral portion of the cylindrical member 116 and the inner peripheral surface of the circular hole 114 are fixed to each other by welding or the like.
The degree is projected toward the ceiling base plate 102.

The lower part of the cylindrical member 116 has a reduced diameter on both the outer circumference and the inner circumference, and the compression coil spring 11 is located inside.
8 are accommodated. The lower end of the compression coil spring 118 is supported by the stepped portion on the inner peripheral surface formed by the diameter reduction.

On the other hand, the upper end of the compression coil spring 118 is
It is exposed from the upper opening of the cylindrical member 116 and is in contact with the boss 120 attached to the ceiling base plate 102. The dimension between the contact surface of the boss 120 and the stepped portion of the inner peripheral surface is shorter than the free length of the compression coil spring 118. Therefore, the cylindrical member 116 and the movable base plate 110 have the compression coil spring 118. By axis 108
5 and FIG. 6 in the direction of arrow A (ceiling base plate 10
It is adapted to receive a biasing force so as to rotate in a direction away from 2.

A self-aligning bearing 122 is fitted to the reduced diameter portion 116A formed in the lower portion of the cylindrical member 116. The self-aligning bearing 122 is a bearing that is swingable between a member fitted to the inner peripheral surface and a member fitted to the outer peripheral surface.

The outer circumference of the self-aligning bearing 122 is
It is fitted to the inner peripheral surface of a circular hole 126 provided on the upper surface of the base block 124. The diameter of the lower part of the circular hole 126 is reduced, and the self-aligning bearing 1
22 is supported.

As a result, it is possible to swing between the cylindrical member 116 and the base block 124.

Circular holes 128 are provided on both left and right side surfaces of the base block 124. This circular hole 1
The axis 28 is formed at a position where the axis passes through the swing center of the self-aligning bearing 122.

The base block 124 is attached to a cover member 130 that covers the base block 124. The cover member 130 is bent in a substantially U-shape to form a pair of leg plates 130A. This cover member 13
No. 0 leg plate 130A is also provided with a circular hole 130B and is coaxial with the circular hole 128. These circular holes 128,
The rotating shaft 132 of the tire 104 is fitted into 130B.

A bearing (not shown) is interposed between the rotary shaft 132 and the tire 104, and the tire 1
Reference numeral 04 is freely rotatable with respect to the rotation shaft 132.

Motors 134 and 136 are attached to the base block 124 housed in the cover member 130 in the front-rear direction so as to be opposite to each other in the left-right direction. The rotating shafts 134A and 136A of the motors 134 and 136 (see the rotating shaft of the motor 136, see FIG. 7) respectively penetrate the leg plate 130A, and a sprocket (or gear) 138 is provided at the tip thereof.
Is installed.

On the other hand, the rotating shaft 132 of the tire 104 is
A sprocket (or gear) 140 rotatable with the tire 104 is attached.

An endless belt (chain) 142 is wound around these sprockets 138 and 140. Therefore, when the sprocket 138 is rotated by the driving force of the motors 134 and 136, the belt 142 is rotated.
This driving force is transmitted to the sprocket 140 by
The tire 104 can be rotated.

Since the two tires 104 can be driven by the respective motors 134 and 136, they can rotate not only in the same direction but also with different speeds, and further in the opposite directions. ing. Here two tires 1
If 04 is rotating at the same speed in the same direction, tire 1
It is possible to travel straight along the rotational direction of 04. When rotating in the same direction with different speeds, the tire with the faster speed becomes the outer ring and the cylindrical member 11
The base block 124 rotates around 6 and can make a turn. Furthermore, two tires 104
When the two rotate in opposite directions, the base block 124 can be rotated in place around the cylindrical member 116.

A swing limiting plate 144 is attached to each of the side faces of the base block 124 in the front-rear direction. The swing limiting plate 144 projects in the direction of the movable base plate 110 beyond the base block 124, and a roller 146 is attached to the tip of the swing limiting plate 144. This roller 14
6 is in contact with the movable base plate 110, and restricts the swing of the cylindrical member 116 and the base block 124 by the self-aligning bearing 122 only in the axial direction of the roller 146. That is, the rocking restricting plate 144 causes the cylindrical member 116 and the base block 124 to freely rotate around the axis of the cylindrical member 116, and the base block 124 is oriented in any direction by driving the tire 104. Also, only the left-right direction (rolling direction) at that time is possible. This is to follow the unevenness of the road surface, which prevents a problem that one tire 104 floats.

A cam ring 148 is attached to the outer periphery of the cylindrical member 116 near the opening of the circular hole 128 of the base block 124. This cam ring 148 is
The outer diameter is different by 180 ° and the stepped portion 148
A is the front and rear direction of the base block 124 (the unmanned vehicle 10
Straight direction).

Corresponding to the cam ring 148, the circular hole 1
A limit switch 150 is attached to the peripheral portion of 28. The contact of the limit switch 150 is in contact with the outer circumference of the cam ring 148, and the contact is switched when the large diameter corresponds to the small diameter. Therefore, by recognizing the switching state and switching timing of the contacts of the limit switch 150,
The steering direction of the base block 124 can be determined.

In front of the cover member 130, a support plate 152 fixed to a frame for constructing the housing 12 is arranged similarly to the ceiling base plate 102. The support plate 152 may be integrated with the ceiling base plate 102.

The support plate 152 has a motor 15 on its front surface.
4 is fixed, and the rotary shaft 154A penetrates the back surface. The rotating shaft 154A thus penetrated is attached to an eccentric position of a disc-shaped cam plate 156. This cam plate 1
On the rotational movement locus of the outermost periphery of 56, the movable base plate 11
A roller 160 attached via a reinforcing member 158 is located at the front end of the roller 0.

The motor 154, the cam plate 156, and the roller 160 constitute a mechanism for switching between the manual traveling mode and the automatic traveling mode described above.

That is, in the automatic traveling mode, the cam plate 1
Since the 56 and the roller 160 are not in contact with each other, the tire 104 is grounded on the road surface and receives the biasing force of the compression coil spring 118. However, when the cam plate 156 is rotated by the driving force of the motor 154, the cam plate 156 comes into contact with the roller 160, and the movable base plate 110 is resisted by the roller 160 against the biasing force of the compression coil spring 118, and the arrows in FIGS. It can be rotated in the B direction (the direction opposite to the arrow A direction).

By this rotation, the tire 104 is separated from the road surface, and the casing 12 is supported only by the casters 16, so that the manual traveling mode can be set.

Here, in the first embodiment, the control is performed after the tire 104 is oriented straight when the automatic traveling mode is switched to the manual traveling mode.

That is, it is possible to determine whether the tire 104 is facing left or right by the contact of the limit switch 150. As a result of this determination, the tire 104 is steered in the opposite direction (the cylindrical member 1 of the base block 124 is
If the limit switch 150 is switched at the time when the contact of the limit switch 150 is switched, the tire 104 is stopped in a state where it is oriented straight.

In this state, if the cam plate 156 is rotated and the tire 104 is floated, the next automatic running mode will be performed.
Inevitably, the tire 104 will be grounded with the tire 104 facing straight.

In the first embodiment, the cover member 130
And a magnetic body 16 on the lower surface of the movable base plate 110.
2, 164 are attached (one is a magnet and the other is an iron block, etc.) so that the tire 104 is held in a straight state with a relatively light magnetic force, so that the steering of the tire 104 is not affected and the tire 104 is not affected. When 104 is in a floating state, it is possible to maintain a straight traveling state by magnetic force.

Here, in the automatic traveling mode of the automatic guided vehicle 10, as shown in FIG. 12 (A), straight traveling and backward traveling can be performed, and as shown in FIG. 12 (B).
Can be turned.

Further, in the unmanned vehicle 10 of the first embodiment,
As described above, the automatic driving device 100 is installed in the housing 12.
Since the tires 104 are arranged in the same direction when both are steered in the same direction, if the tires 104 are rotated at the same speed in the same direction, the direction of the housing 12 is not changed as shown in FIG. 12C. In addition, it can be translated (run). (Lift Mechanism Unit 300) FIGS. 8 to 10 show one of the pair of lift mechanism units 300 attached to the unmanned vehicle 10 of the first embodiment.

The elevating part 304 has a large-diameter gear 31 at its center.
4 is provided, and its rotation shaft 314A is pivotally supported by a vertical wall portion 316 provided on the housing 12. This large diameter gear 3
A small-diameter gear 318 meshes with the gear 14, and the small-diameter gear 318 is attached to the output shaft 320A of the connecting portion 320.

The connecting portion 320 has a function of changing the rotation axis of the input shaft 320B rotated by the driving force of the motor 322 to a right angle.

One end of an arm 324 is pivotally supported via a shaft 326 at two eccentric positions on one end surface of the large diameter gear 314. The arms 324 are extended in the left-right direction so as to be separated from each other, and the shaft 3 is placed at an eccentric position of a disc-shaped rotating plate 328.
It is pivotally supported via 30. A rotary shaft 328A of each rotary plate 328 is axially supported by the vertical wall portion 316.

Here, when the large-diameter gear 314 rotates, a force in the compression direction or the tension direction is applied to both arms 324, so that the respective rotary plates 328 can rotate in mutually opposite directions.

A fixed member 332 which constitutes a part of the link 312 is fixed to the rotary shaft 328A of each rotary plate 328 with the vertical wall portion 316 as a boundary. This fixing member 332
Are adapted to rotate with the rotating shaft 328A.
A circular hole is provided at the tip of the fixing member 332.
4 is pivotally supported. Both ends of the shaft 334 are projected from the circular hole, and the circular hole 336 is provided at one end of the movable member 336 that constitutes the link 312 together with the fixed member 332.
It is pivotally supported by A. As a result, the fixed member 332 and the movable member 336 are connected to each other in a relatively rotatable state, and when a compressive force is applied to the arm 324 by the forward rotation and the reverse rotation of the large diameter gear 314, as shown by the solid line in FIG. When the arm 324 is bent into a dogleg shape and a tensile force is applied to the arm 324, the arm 324 can be deformed into a straight line as shown by an imaginary line in FIG.

Circular holes 336B are provided at the tips of the pair of movable members 336, and are pivotally supported by a shaft 302A provided on the side surface of the bar 302.

Here, the bar 302 is accommodated in the accommodation groove 28 in a state where the fixed member 332 and the movable member 336 are bent in a substantially V shape, and the fixed member 332 and the movable member 336 are accommodated.
When and become straight, they will be projected from the receiving groove 28 to lift the cargo.

As described above, the brackets 306 and the bearings 3 attached to both ends of the bar 302 in the longitudinal direction.
Since No. 10 is accommodated in the small hole 32, the bar 302 can be moved only in the vertical direction. However, the load of the cargo is transferred via the bar 302 while the link 312 is shifting from the substantially doglegged state to the straight state. If you join link 312, link 31
In the case of 2, the force is applied in the bending direction. At this time, if the bending directions are the same on the left and right, this force is applied to the rotating plate 32.
In some cases, the load may not be able to withstand a load due to a moment that rotates 8 in the same rotation direction. However, in the first embodiment,
Since the links 312 are reversed in the bending direction, it is possible to generate moments in directions canceling each other. That is, the structure can withstand a relatively large load. (Running Control) FIG. 11 shows a block diagram for running control of the unmanned vehicle 10.

Each automatic driving device 1 of the unmanned vehicle 10
00 is a sensor unit 1 whose detection surface is directed toward the road surface.
66 is attached. This sensor unit 166
Is provided at an end portion of the automatic traveling drive device 100 on the side closer to both ends in the longitudinal direction of the housing 12, and one of the sensor units (front side in the traveling direction) 16 depending on the traveling direction.
6 is selected and information is read from the index provided on the road surface.

Sensor unit 1 applied to the first embodiment
66 is the three photoelectric sensors 166A, 166B, 166.
It is composed of C and includes a light projecting portion and a light receiving portion, respectively. On the other hand, the index is a reflective tape 168 having a predetermined width.
It has a role of reflecting the light emitted from the light projecting portion and guiding it to the light receiving portion.

Each photoelectric sensor 166A, 166B, 166
The Cs are arranged in order from the left side in the traveling direction along the width direction of the reflective tape 168, and are arranged so as to be within the predetermined width dimension.

Each photoelectric sensor 166A, 166B, 166
C is connected to the control device 170.

The control device 170 is adapted to be driven by being supplied with power from the power supply circuit 172. A battery 174 is connected to the power supply circuit 172. Since the power supply circuit 172 also supplies power to each drive device arranged in the automatic guided vehicle 10, the battery 174 is rapidly consumed. Therefore, in the first embodiment, the charging terminal unit 1 is provided on the side surface of the automatic guided vehicle 10.
76 is exposed and is connected to a terminal on the charging device side provided at a base in the factory at the start of work or at the end of work, for charging.

The control device 170 comprises a microcomputer 178. The microcomputer 178 has a CPU 180, a RAM 182, and a ROM 18.
4, an input / output port 186 and a bus 188 such as a data bus or a control bus connecting these ports.

The signal lines of the photoelectric sensors 166A, 166B, 166C are connected to the input / output port 186. Further, the driver 19 is connected to the input / output port 186.
A motor 134 for driving each of the four tires 104 provided in the two automatic traveling drive devices 100 via 0, 192, 194, 196, 198, 200.
136 and the movable base plate 110 are lifted, the tire 104
A motor 154 for floating the vehicle from the road surface is connected. In addition, the drivers 202, 204, 206, 208
Motor 322 for raising and lowering the lift 302 via the
Is also connected.

Here, when the work is performed using a plurality of unmanned guided vehicles 10, it is necessary to store the traveling route in each unmanned guided vehicle 10. For example, an address is provided at a plurality of predetermined positions of the reflective tape stuck in the factory, and the order of passing through this address is stored. This makes the reflective tape 1
Even if there is a branch road at 68, the automated guided vehicle 10 can be transported by a predetermined route.

A data input terminal unit 210 is provided on the side surface of the automatic guided vehicle 10 for inputting the traveling route. The data input terminal unit 210 is connected to the input / output port 186 of the microcomputer 178, and data is input at the factory base.
It is supposed to be remembered.

A signal line from the operation / display panel 212 is connected to the input / output port 186. This operation / display panel 212 is used to manually operate each drive device,
This is for confirming the charge state of the battery 174.

Here, in the control device 170, for example, the photoelectric sensor 16 on the left side in the traveling direction while the automatic guided vehicle 10 is traveling.
When 6A deviates from the reflection tape 168, it means that the automatic guided vehicle 10 is displaced to the left with respect to the reflection tape 168, and delays the rotation speed of the right tire 104 to command a right turn.

Furthermore, the left and center photoelectric sensors 166 are provided.
When A and 166B deviate from the reflection tape 168, it means that they are largely displaced to the left, and the instruction to stop the rotation of the right tire 104 and make a sharp turn to the right is given.

In the unmanned vehicle 10 of the first embodiment,
Since the two automatic driving devices 100 are provided, by steering these tires 104 in the same direction, the direction of the automated guided vehicle 10 itself is not changed and the lateral direction (actually, diagonal direction) is maintained. Can be driven to.

As shown in FIG. 12C, two reflective tapes 168 are provided in parallel, and two reflective tapes 168 are provided between them at an interval equal to the distance between the ground contact positions of the tires 104 of the two automatic drive devices 100. The unmanned vehicle 10 is connected by the branch roads 168A and 168B, and the left reflective tape 1 passes through the branch roads 168A and 168B according to an intended instruction.
In the case of shifting from 68 (L) to the right reflection tape 168 (R), the following control is executed.

That is, when the automatic traveling drive device 100 on the leading side in the traveling direction travels along the right end of the reflection tape 168 to reach the branch road 168A, the two automatic traveling drive devices 100. The steered angle of the tires 104 are simultaneously changed, and thereafter, the tires 104 are rotated at a constant speed, so that the automated guided vehicle 10 moves in parallel (transverses) to reach the right reflection tape 168 (R). You can

The operation of the first embodiment will be described below. First, the traveling control of the automatic guided vehicle 10 in the automatic traveling mode will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

At step 400, it is judged whether or not the charging of the battery 174 is completed, and if an affirmative judgment is made,
The process proceeds to step 402 and data reading is started. The automatic guided vehicle 10 can recognize the traveling route by reading this data.

When the reading of the data in step 402 is completed, the process proceeds to step 404 to start traveling.
That is, the motors 134 and 136 are driven. At the present time, since the vehicle is in the automatic traveling mode, the housing 12 is supported by the wheels 24 of the four casters 16, and the four tires 104 are grounded on the road surface at a predetermined ground pressure by the biasing force of the compression coil spring 118. ing. Therefore, the automated guided vehicle 10 starts traveling by driving the tires 104. During this traveling, the automatic guided vehicle 10 may tilt due to the large unevenness of the road surface or the inclined surface, but since the wheels 24 of the casters 16 have a function as auxiliary wheels, the tilt amount is limited, and the vehicle should tilt. There is no.

If the road surface has small unevenness, a step is formed on the left and right tires 104, and if the shafts of the left and right tires are fixed to the main body, one tire may float. . However, in the first embodiment, the tire 1
Since the base block 124 supporting 04 and the cylindrical member 116 fixed to the movable base plate 110 are connected via the self-aligning bearing 122, the base block 124 is inclined to follow the unevenness of the road surface. That is, the tilt is absorbed by the self-aligning bearing 122 and is not transmitted to the cylindrical member 116 and thereafter. As a result, even if the road surface has irregularities, the automated guided vehicle 10 can travel while keeping the loading platform horizontal, and the tire 1
The 04 does not float.

Since the compression coil spring 118 is housed in the cylindrical member 116, its urging force is always applied to the steering center, and stable traveling can be performed without biasing the urging direction. Further, by accommodating the compression coil spring 118 in the cylindrical member 116, the compression coil spring 11
The mounting space of 8 can be reduced.

As described above, by using the cylindrical member 116 as the support for supporting the base block 124 and as the holding means for holding the compression coil spring 118, the number of parts can be reduced, and the assembling workability can be improved. You can

Here, in the first embodiment, the swing limiting plate 144 is projected from the base block 124, and the roller 146 is projected.
It is brought into contact with the movable base plate 110 via. Thereby, the cylindrical member 1 by the self-aligning bearing 122 is provided.
The swing of 16 and the base block 124 can be limited only in the direction around the axis of the roller 146. That is, the rocking restricting plate 144 causes the cylindrical member 116 and the base block 124 to freely rotate around the axis of the cylindrical member 116, and the base block 124 is oriented in any direction by driving the tire 104. Also, only the left-right direction (rolling direction) at that time is possible.

As a result, unnecessary rocking of the tire 104 (base block 124) is prevented, and the left and right tires 1 are
The function can be exerted only for following the unevenness of 04.

Next, when the traveling is started in step 404 as described above, the process proceeds to step 406, the current direction is read, the traveling direction (or work content) after that is grasped, and the process proceeds to step 408.

At step 408, it is judged whether or not the loading or unloading work is to be carried out, and if an affirmative judgment is made,
The process proceeds to step 410, the traveling is stopped at the reading point in step 406, and then, in step 412, the bar 302 of the lift mechanism unit 300 is controlled to move up and down.

When the cargo is to be loaded from now on, the bar 302
Are housed in a housing groove 28 provided in the ceiling portion 14, and the automated guided vehicle 10 enters under a cargo that is placed in advance. At this time, since there is a slight gap between the bar 302 and the cargo, the unmanned vehicle 10 can easily enter.

When the motor 322 is driven in this state, the large diameter gear 314 rotates in the clockwise direction of FIG. 9 (direction of arrow C in FIG. 9) in response to the rotation of the small diameter gear 318. By this rotation, a tensile force is applied to the arm 324, and the left and right rotating plates 328 are in opposite directions (the rotating plate 328 located on the left side in FIG. 9 is counterclockwise, and the rotating plate 328 located on the right side is clockwise). Rotate to.

By the rotation of the rotary plate 328, each fixing member 332 also rotates in the same direction. Here, the movable member 3 hung between the fixed member 332 and the bar 302.
36 is bent in a substantially V shape between itself and the fixing member 332, but since the bracket 306 and the bearing 310 of the bar 302 are accommodated in the small hole 32 and are limited to only vertical movement, the fixing member 332 is provided. The fixed member 332 and the movable member 336 gradually shift to the linear connection state in accordance with the rotation of the. As a result, the bar 302 rises while being supported by the movable member 336, comes into contact with the cargo, and is further lifted.

Here, when the cargo is lifted, this load is applied to the movable member 336 and the fixed member 332, but in the first embodiment, since the bending directions of the fixed member 332 and the movable member are opposite to each other, they are applied to each other. The loads will cancel each other out. That is, for example, when a bending force acts in FIG. 9, the load vector in the left-right direction of the link mechanism 312 is in the opposite direction (opposite directions). Therefore, the loads are canceled out in the left-right direction.

By supporting the load in this way,
It is possible to easily lift a relatively heavy cargo. When the bar 302 reaches the uppermost position, the fixing member 3
Since 32 and the movable member 336 are linear and on the rotary shaft 328A, the load can be reliably supported.

Next, when unloading the cargo, the motor 322
By reversing, the compressive force is applied to the arm 324, the left rotary plate 328 in FIG. 9 rotates clockwise, the right rotary plate 328 rotates counterclockwise,
The cargo can be unloaded. Even during this descent, the loads applied to the left and right are canceled out in the same manner as described above, so the descent can be done slowly. When the raising / lowering control of the bar 302 is completed, the process proceeds from step 412 to step 414, the traveling is restarted toward the next destination, and the process returns to step 406.

Next, when it is determined in step 408 whether or not the loading or unloading work is to be performed, when a negative determination is made, the process proceeds to step 416 to determine the traveling direction and the traveling type.

That is, whether there is a branch point and moves to the left (go to step 418), or there is a branch point and moves to the right (go to step 420), or there is no branch point and goes straight along the reflection tape 168. Alternatively, it is determined whether to move the curve (shift to step 422).

If it is determined at step 416 that the vehicle is going straight or a curve and the routine proceeds to step 422, the guide traveling control shown in FIG. 14 is executed.

That is, in step 450, the photoelectric sensor 1
It is determined whether 66A, 166B, and 166C deviate from the reflection tape 168.

If an affirmative decision is made here, step 45
Go to 2 and check the departure direction. That is, when it is determined that the photoelectric sensor 166A on the left side has deviated,
Moving to step 454, the photoelectric sensor 1 in the center is further moved.
It is determined whether 66B deviates. As a result, if the affirmative determination is made, it is determined that the unmanned traveling vehicle 10 is largely deviated to the left, the process proceeds to step 456, and a sharp turn is made to the right. This sharp right turn can be performed by stopping the rotation of the tire 104 on the right side in the traveling direction.

If the determination in step 454 is negative, it is determined that the unmanned vehicle 10 is slightly displaced to the left, and step 4
Go to 58 and turn right. This right turn can be performed by making the rotation speed of the left tire 104 slower than the rotation speed of the right tire 104.

At step 452, the right photoelectric sensor 166
If it is determined that C deviates, step 460.
Then, it is determined whether or not the photoelectric sensor 166B at the center further deviates. As a result, if the affirmative determination is made, it is determined that the unmanned traveling vehicle 10 is largely deviated to the right, the process proceeds to step 462, and a sharp turn is made to the left. This sharp left turn can be executed by stopping the rotation of the tire 104 on the left side in the traveling direction.

If a negative determination is made in step 460, it is determined that the unmanned vehicle 10 is slightly displaced to the right, and step 4
Go to 64 and turn left. This left turn can be executed by making the rotation speed of the right tire 104 slower than the rotation speed of the left tire 104.

In the flow chart of FIG. 13, when it is determined in step 416 that the movement is to the left and the process proceeds to step 418, it is determined in step 418 whether the vehicle is turning left or traversing left, and in step 416 it is determined that it is moving to the right. If the process shifts to, it is determined in step 420 whether the vehicle is turning right or traversing right.

That is, there are two types of traveling modes of the automated guided vehicle 10 at the branch point. In the first mode, only the tire 104 of the automatic traveling drive device 100 on the leading side in the traveling direction is steered to change the traveling direction. The second form is a case where the tires 104 of the automatic traveling drive device 100 are steered to change the traveling direction (left traverse or right traverse).

The first mode is the photoelectric sensors 166A, 16A.
6B and 166C are similar to the turning executed when the vehicle deviates from above the reflection tape 168 (guide running control in FIG. 14), the front side and the rear side in the traveling direction are independently controlled, and the left and right tires 104 are provided. Is provided with a speed difference, and travels while changing the direction of the entire automated guided vehicle 10 along the reflecting tape 168 that bends (step 424 or step 42).
6).

The second mode is equivalent to so-called lane change, and as shown in FIG. 12C, two parallel reflecting tapes 168 (L) and 168 (R) are moved from one side to the other side. It can be changed without changing the direction of the entire unmanned vehicle 10.

That is, two modified reflective tapes 168
Two branch paths 168A and 168B that are inclined at a predetermined angle and are parallel to each other are provided between the branch paths 168.
The intervals A and 168B are two automatic drive devices 10
The distance between the tires 104 is 0.

Drive device 10 for automatic traveling on the leading side in the traveling direction
When the tire 104 of 0 reaches the front branch road 168A, the direction of the tire 104 is changed according to the branch road 168A. At the same time, the tire 104 of the automatic traveling drive device 100 on the rear side in the traveling direction reaches the rear branch road 168B, and the tire 104 is aligned with the branch road 168B.
Change the orientation of.

Thereafter, by rotating all the tires 104 at a constant speed, the automated guided vehicle 10 itself can move in parallel (transverse) without changing its direction (step 4).
28 or step 430). Note that this step 428
Alternatively, the guide traveling control shown in FIG. 14 is executed also during the traverse in step 430.

By changing the course as in the second embodiment, the traveling position can be changed in a relatively narrow space, and in particular, since the unmanned traveling vehicle 10 itself does not change its direction,
This is effective when a long member (freight) protruding from the automatic guided vehicle 10 is loaded.

The above is the traveling control of the automatic guided vehicle 10 in the automatic traveling mode. However, the unmanned traveling vehicle 10 of the first embodiment has a manual traveling mode, that is, a function as a truck. In the manual traveling mode, the casters are supported by the four casters 16, so that the operator can push and move them with a comparatively light force, and especially when arranging a plurality of unmanned vehicles 10 at the initial position at the start of work. Good sex.

The procedure for switching from the automatic drive mode to the manual drive mode and from the manual drive mode to the automatic drive mode will be described below with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

First, in step 500, the instructed traveling mode is identified. If it is determined in step 500 that the manual traveling mode is instructed, it is determined in step 502 whether or not the flag F is set (1). If the determination is negative, the manual traveling has already been performed. It is judged that the mode is set and the process returns. Step 502
If the affirmative determination is made in step 5, it is determined that the automatic driving mode is currently set, and the step 5
Move to 04.

At step 504, the limit switch 1
The switching state of the contact point of 50 is confirmed, and then in step 506, the direction of the tire 104 is recognized based on the state of this contact point.

That is, the direction of the tire 104 can be discriminated by the fact that the small diameter portion or the large diameter portion of the cam ring 148 corresponds to the limit switch 150.

In the next step 508, the steering of the tire 104 is started by controlling the motors 134 and 136 so that the tire 104 faces straight.

Here, in step 510, it is judged whether or not the contacts of the limit switch 150 are switched, and if the judgment is affirmative, the step 148 between the large diameter portion and the small diameter portion is formed.
A corresponds to the limit switch 150, it is determined that the tire 104 is directed straight ahead, the process proceeds to step 512 and the steering is stopped.

In the next step 514, the motor 154 is driven. The drive of the motor 154 causes the cam plate 156 to eccentrically rotate, contact the roller 160 attached to the movable base plate 110, and further rotate to move the movable base plate 110 to the shaft 108 with respect to the ceiling base plate 102. Rotate to the center. Thereby, the tire 10
4 can be separated from the road surface. This tire 10
The wheel 24 of the caster 16 comes into contact with the road surface due to the separation of the vehicle 4 from the road surface, and the automated guided vehicle 10 is supported by the wheel 24.

When the predetermined time has passed in step 516,
Moving to step 518, the driving of the motor 154 is stopped and the tire 104 is held in a floating state.

In the next step 520, the flag F indicating the manual traveling mode is reset (0) and the process returns.

Next, when it is determined in step 500 that the automatic driving mode is instructed, it is determined in step 522 whether or not the flag F is reset (0), and in the case of negative determination Is determined to be already in the automatic driving mode, and the process returns. If an affirmative decision is made in step 522, it is decided that the present mode is the manual traveling mode,
In order to switch to the automatic traveling mode, the process proceeds to step 524.

At step 524, the motor 154 is driven. By driving this motor 154, the cam plate 15
6 rotates eccentrically, the supporting state of the roller 160 is gradually released, and accordingly, the movable base plate 110 rotates about the shaft 108 with respect to the ceiling base plate 102 and descends. When the cam plate 156 is completely separated from the roller 160, the tire 104 is grounded on the road surface, and a predetermined load is applied by the compression coil spring 118.

When the predetermined time has passed in step 526,
In step 528, the driving of the motor 154 is stopped and the tire 104 is held in the grounded state.

By the way, since the tire 104 is separated from the road surface while being directed in the straight traveling direction at the time of switching to the manual traveling mode, the tire 104 always faces the straight traveling direction at the end of the switching to the automatic traveling mode. Will be. As a result, there is no problem of meandering (turning to the left or right) from the beginning at the time of starting automatic traveling thereafter, and stable traveling can be started.

At the next step 530, the flag F indicating the automatic traveling mode is set (1), and the routine returns. [Second Embodiment] A second embodiment of the present invention will be described below. In the second embodiment, the same components as those in the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals, and the description of the configuration will be omitted.

The feature of the second embodiment is that the function described in the first embodiment (see FIGS. 5 to 7), that is, the swing limiting plate 1 is used.
Self-aligning bearing 12 using 44 and roller 146
2 and the cylindrical member 116 and the base block 124.
The function of restricting the rocking of (and rocking only to the left and right in the traveling direction) is achieved by another structure. Below, Figure 1
6 to 18, the swing limiting structure according to the second embodiment will be described.

On the upper surface of the base block 124, a long hole 600 having a long side in the axial direction is provided. The depth of the slot 600 is about half the height of the base block 124, and thereafter, a circular hole having a diameter smaller than the short side of the slot 600 is formed. A self-aligning bearing 122 is fitted as in the first embodiment.

Above the reduced diameter portion 116A of the cylindrical member 116, the reduced diameter portion 1 is continuous with the reduced diameter portion 116A.
A reduced diameter portion 116B having a diameter slightly larger than 16A is formed. Therefore, the cylindrical member 16 has a structure in which the diameter dimension is divided into three stages.

The reduced diameter portion 116B includes a bearing 60.
2 is inserted. The outer diameter of the bearing 602 is
The dimensions of the short side of the long hole 600 are substantially the same,
As a result, it is tightly accommodated on the inner peripheral surface on the short side.

By the way, the bearing 602 and the long hole 600
There will be a predetermined gap with the long side of the. Therefore, the cylindrical member 116 can be tilted (rotated) only in the long side direction about the self-aligning bearing 122. On the contrary, the inclination of the short side is limited by the bearing 602.

Here, since the long side of the long hole 600 is provided along the axis of the axle, it always swings in the left-right direction with respect to the traveling direction.

As shown in FIG. 17, the cam ring 148
A brake unit 604 is disposed on the peripheral surface of the cylindrical member 116 that is further above.

The brake unit 604 includes a pair of semi-circular brake shoes 606 and the brake shoes 60.
6 and the circular arc portion 608A that holds the outer circumference of the circular arc portion 6
8A, and a pair of brackets 608 formed of arm portions 608B extended from both ends.

The brake shoes 606 are arranged so as to wrap around the cylindrical member 116 from the front and rear sides in the traveling direction of the cylindrical member 116, and by connecting the brackets 608 to each other, the brake shoe 606 is moved to the cylindrical member 116 at a predetermined pressure. It is held in contact with the peripheral surface.

In the coupled state of the bracket 608, a predetermined gap is formed between the arm portions 608B, and the guide rod 610 mounted on the upper surface of the base block 124 is housed in this gap. This guide rod 61
0 causes the brake unit 604 to move to the cylindrical member 11
6 is prevented from rotating around the axis, and the arm portion 608B
The relative movement between the guide rod 610 and the guide rod 610 does not hinder swinging (rotation in the left-right direction) about the self-aligning bearing 122.

By attaching this brake shoe 606, a predetermined frictional force is applied to the axial rotation of the cylindrical member 116, so that the cylindrical member 116 rotates with a predetermined axial torque. Therefore, the tire 104 does not behave in an unstable manner during traveling, particularly during steering,
It is possible to improve running stability.

Since the brake unit 604 prevents the wobbling as described above, the tire 10
The magnetic bodies 162, 164 (see the first embodiment) for holding the tire 104 in a straight running state in a state where the tire 4 is floating are unnecessary.

According to the second embodiment described above, as the rocking restricting means, the elongated hole 600 is formed in the base block 124, and the bearing 602 which is housed in close contact with the short side of the elongated hole 600 is inserted into the cylindrical member 116. Since it has a simple structure attached to, a relatively wide space can be obtained around the upper portion of the cylindrical member 116.

Due to the formation of this space, the cylindrical member 11
A mechanism (brake unit 604) for applying a predetermined axial torque to 6 can be easily attached. Further, since the brake shoe 606 is a consumable item, its replacement work is regularly performed, but since a wide space is secured, the replacement workability is good and the maintenance workability is also improved.

[0143]

As described above, the unmanned vehicle according to the present invention has a small number of parts and is capable of swinging in the direction along the axis of the drive wheel which constantly changes along the steering direction of the drive wheel. By reducing the weight of the vehicle body, there is an excellent effect that the assembling workability can be improved and the performance such as the driving torque can be improved.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an automated guided vehicle according to a first embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the automatic guided vehicle according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the automatic guided vehicle according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an automatic traveling drive device mounted on the automatic guided vehicle according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the automatic traveling drive device according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a side view of the automatic traveling drive device according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a front view of the automatic traveling drive device according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of a lift mechanism portion according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a front view of the lift mechanism section according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a plan view of a lift mechanism section according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a control block diagram of the automatic guided vehicle according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 12 is a top view showing a traveling state of the automatic guided vehicle according to the first embodiment, (A) is a straight traveling state, (B) is a normal turn, and (C) is a traveling state when moving in parallel.

FIG. 13 is a control flowchart showing a traveling control routine in the automatic traveling mode of the automatic guided vehicle according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 14 is a control flowchart showing a guide traveling control routine according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 15 is a control flowchart showing a routine for switching a traveling mode according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 16 is an exploded perspective view of an automatic traveling drive device according to a second embodiment.

FIG. 17 is a side view of the automatic traveling drive device according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 18 is a front view of the automatic traveling drive device according to the second embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Automated guided vehicle 12 Housing (vehicle body) 16 Caster 100 Automatic drive device 104 Tire (driving wheel) 110 Movable base plate 116 Cylindrical member (cylindrical member) 118 Compression coil spring 122 Self-aligning bearing 124 Base block 126 Yen Hole (circular groove) 134, 136 Motor 144 Swing limiting plate (swing limiting means) 146 Roller (swing limiting means) 148 Cam ring 150 Limit switch 154 Motor 160 Roller 162, 164 Magnetic body 166 Sensor unit 168 Reflective tape 300 Lift Mechanical part 302 Bar 304 Elevating part 312 Link 322 Motor 324 Arm 328 Rotating plate (hereinafter, second embodiment) 600 Long hole 602 Bearing 604 Brake unit 606 Brake shoe 608 Bracket 608A Arc part 08B arm portion 610 guide rod

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A vehicle body on which cargo is loaded is equipped with left and right drive wheels capable of forward and reverse rotations at desired rotational speeds by a driving force of a drive means and sensors for detecting index positions provided on a road surface. An unmanned vehicle equipped with an automatic traveling drive device, controlling the rotational speeds of the left and right drive wheels so as to correct the deviation from the index by the detection of the sensor, and steering and traveling along a predetermined route according to the index. A carrier vehicle, a columnar member provided on one of the vehicle body or the automatic drive device, and a circular groove provided on the other of the vehicle body or the automatic drive device to accommodate the cylindrical member, Provided between the cylindrical member and the circular groove, the cylindrical member is fitted to the inner peripheral surface and the circular groove is fitted to the outer peripheral surface, and the cylindrical member and the circular groove are swingably held. An automated guided vehicle that has a self-aligning bearing that 2. A vehicle body on which cargo is loaded is provided with left and right drive wheels capable of forward and reverse rotations at desired rotational speeds by a driving force of a drive means and sensors for detecting index positions provided on a road surface. An unmanned vehicle equipped with an automatic traveling drive device, controlling the rotational speeds of the left and right drive wheels so as to correct the deviation from the index by the detection of the sensor, and steering and traveling along a predetermined route according to the index. A carrier vehicle, a columnar member provided on one of the vehicle body or the automatic drive device, and a circular groove provided on the other of the vehicle body or the automatic drive device to accommodate the cylindrical member, Provided between the cylindrical member and the circular groove, the cylindrical member is fitted to the inner peripheral surface and the circular groove is fitted to the outer peripheral surface, and the cylindrical member and the circular groove are swingably held. And a self-aligning bearing The swing, according to the steering direction of the drive wheels of the automatic travel drive device, always AGV having a swing limiting means for limiting only in the direction along the axis of the drive wheels. 3. A vehicle body on which cargo is loaded is equipped with left and right drive wheels capable of forward and reverse rotations at desired rotational speeds by a driving force of a drive means and sensors for detecting index positions provided on a road surface. An unmanned vehicle equipped with an automatic traveling drive device, controlling the rotational speeds of the left and right drive wheels so as to correct the deviation from the index by the detection of the sensor, and steering and traveling along a predetermined route according to the index. A carrier vehicle, a columnar member provided on one of the vehicle body or the automatic drive device, and a circular groove provided on the other of the vehicle body or the automatic drive device to accommodate the cylindrical member, The cylindrical member and the circular groove are provided between the cylindrical member and the circular groove, and a part of the cylindrical member is fitted to the inner peripheral surface and the circular groove is fitted to the outer peripheral surface so as to be swingable. And a self-aligning bearing that holds the The device is rotatable around the columnar member, following the steering direction of the drive wheels of the device, and the other part of the columnar member is housed, and only the front-rear position on the outer periphery thereof is housed tightly, An unmanned unmanned vehicle having a long hole-shaped through-hole that creates a gap in addition to the above, and a rocking restriction block that always restricts the rocking of the self-aligning bearing only in the direction along the axis of the drive wheel. Carrier. 4. A brake shoe, which applies a predetermined frictional force to the rotation of the columnar member, is arranged on a peripheral surface of the columnar member between the swing limiting block and the vehicle body or the automatic traveling drive device. The automated guided vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the automated guided vehicle is provided.