JPH10101222A - Method of carrying article - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce cost of facilities by displaying loading work instruction based on article information on a work instruction displays means by an instruction from a sub carrier controlling means of an unmanned carrier vehicle and giving to a worker loading work instruction for a product to be loaded by this display. SOLUTION: A carrying AGV3 pulls trucks 2, 2,... to part supply stations 10, 10,... based on production control data related to a carrier route and instructs to a worker who performs loading work of parts 12, 12,... about the part 12, 12,... to be loaded. That is, a part display lamps of the respective part shelves in which the parts to be loaded 12, 12,... are stored is lighted and also storing frame display lumps of the storing frames to which parts of respective truck 2 are loaded is lighted and whereby, parts to be loaded 12, 12,... and the storing frames to which these parts 12, 12,... are loaded are accurately displayed to the worker who performs the loading work (loading work instruction process).

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to an automatic guided vehicle (Automatic guided vehicle).
More specifically, the present invention relates to a transport method for transporting a part by driving a part transport cart by an AGV in an assembly factory or the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an AGV that is self-propelled along a taxiway provided on a floor of a factory for transporting parts in an assembly factory has been used (for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 6-20 / 1990).
No. 8415). The transfer of parts by such an AGV is usually performed by connecting a plurality of transfer trolleys in a row and towing the leading trolley by the AGV, and connecting the AGV to an empty trolley at an empty trolley waiting station. Then, these empty trucks are towed to the parts supply station. After the parts are loaded on the empty trucks by the worker at the parts supply station, the mounted carriages on which these parts are mounted are transferred to the AG.
The V pulls it to the assembly line.
At this time, the connection operation of the empty trucks at the empty truck standby station is performed based on production management information transmitted from a higher-level control CPU for production management through communication wiring. The loading operation of the parts at the supply station is performed by the host
Based on the production management information transmitted from the PU to the parts supply station, the work management CP of this parts supply station
This is performed according to a work instruction given to the worker from U. In an assembly line where the loaded truck is pulled by the AGV, the loaded truck is separated from the AGV by an operator, and an empty truck waiting on the assembly line is connected to the AGV. I have.

[0003]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional method of transporting articles, it is necessary to provide auxiliary equipment such as a work management CPU at each of the empty car waiting station and the parts supply station, and furthermore, it is necessary to provide these facilities. It is also necessary to connect the auxiliary equipment and the higher-level control CPU with wiring for communication, and therefore, there is a disadvantage that the equipment cost must be increased. Furthermore, the arrangement of these communication wirings has a disadvantage that it is difficult to change the layout of an empty truck waiting place, a component supply station, and the like.

The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to transmit work management information to an empty trolley stand or a parts supply station without providing additional equipment. The present invention is intended to reduce the cost of equipment and to facilitate the layout change in the factory, and to reduce the number of steps in the parts transfer process by automating the connection of the bogies. .

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, an article is mounted on a transport trolley at an article supply station, and then the mounted trolley on which the article is mounted is unmanned. It is assumed that an article is transported by a transport vehicle and transported to a destination. In this, the main transport control means arranged at a fixed position,
Before loading the articles in the article supply station, the article information relating to the type or number of articles to be transported and its transport route are provided by using an unmanned transport vehicle on which the sub-transport control means is mounted and which is driven and controlled by the auxiliary transport control means. An information transfer step of preliminarily transferring management information including transport route information relating to the main transport control means to the sub-transport control means of the automatic guided vehicle via communication means; and A loading instruction based on the instruction from the sub-transport control means of the automatic guided vehicle on the operation instruction displaying means, and giving a loading instruction to the worker for the articles to be loaded by the display. Configuration.

In the above configuration, before the article is loaded in the article supply station, the transport route information is transferred from the main transport control means to the auxiliary transport control means of the automatic guided vehicle,
The automatic guided vehicle travels by driving an empty vehicle along the transport route to the article supply station. Then, at this article supply station, a loading work instruction based on the article information is displayed on the work instruction display means by a command from the sub-transport control means of the automatic guided vehicle, and the display indicates to the operator about the article to be loaded. A loading work instruction is provided. For this reason, management information such as the type and number of articles required for the loading operation at the article supply station is provided, and communication wiring is provided between these article supply stations and the main transport control means. It is possible to provide a work instruction based on such information to a worker without providing an auxiliary facility such as a work management CPU for each of the article supply stations. This makes it possible to significantly reduce equipment costs compared to the case where the above-mentioned auxiliary equipment and communication wiring are provided. In addition, since there is no need to re-install communication wiring, the factory It is easy to change the layout inside.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided the automatic guided vehicle according to the first aspect, further comprising a connecting mechanism for connecting and disconnecting the automatic guided vehicle to and from the bogie under the control of the sub-transport control means. In an empty truck waiting area set in front of the article supply station in the traveling route of the car, the empty cart waiting station is required based on the article information transferred from the empty carts in the empty car waiting station in the information transfer step. An empty truck connecting step of connecting the empty truck by operating the coupling mechanism by the sub-transport control means of the automatic guided vehicle.

In the above configuration, in addition to the operation according to the first aspect of the present invention, the sub-transport control means of the automatic guided vehicle, to which the management information is transmitted from the main transport control means, is provided with the article information at the empty truck standby place. The required empty vehicles are connected by the connecting mechanism based on the above, and these empty vehicles are transported to the article supply station. Therefore, it is necessary to arrange communication wiring between these empty truck waiting stations and the main transport control means, and to provide auxiliary equipment such as a work management CPU and display means for each of these empty truck waiting stations. In addition to being able to further reduce the equipment cost, the coupling mechanism is operated by the sub-transport control means of the automatic guided vehicle, and the required empty truck is automatically coupled based on the article information, This eliminates the need for the operator to select and connect an empty trolley, thereby making it possible to save labor and reduce the number of steps in the article transport process.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the article supply station according to the first aspect of the present invention, after the loading instruction step, the detection means provided on the carriage detects that the carriage is loaded with an article. Then, when an article is detected by the detecting means, the loading display means displays the loading on the worker, thereby providing a loading confirming step for allowing the worker to confirm the end of the loading operation. .

In the above configuration, in addition to the operation according to the first aspect of the present invention, in the loading operation at the article supply station, if the worker forgets to load the articles on the cart, the mounting display means performs the mounting display. This makes it easy for this worker to notice that he has forgotten to load the goods,
Thus, it is possible to reliably prevent the carriage from being unloaded from the article supply station without mounting necessary articles.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, a predetermined loaded truck is connected to a loaded truck waiting station where a loaded truck on which articles are loaded is parked, and is driven by an unmanned transport vehicle to be transferred to a destination. It is assumed that the article is conveyed to a different way. In this apparatus, a main transport control means and a sub-transport control means disposed at a fixed position are mounted, and are driven and controlled by the sub-transport control means, and are connected and connected to a bogie by being controlled by the sub-transport control means. Using an unmanned guided vehicle equipped with a coupling mechanism for releasing, before connecting the loaded truck at the loaded truck standby station, the article information on the type or number of articles to be transported and the transport route on the transport route An information transfer step of pre-transferring management information including information from the main transfer control means to the sub-transfer control means of the automatic guided vehicle via a communication means; and A configuration including a mounted bogie connecting step of connecting the mounted bogie required based on the article information by operating the connecting mechanism by the sub-transport control means of the automatic guided vehicle. Is shall.

In the above configuration, the transfer route information is transferred from the main transfer control means to the sub transfer control means of the automatic guided vehicle, and the automatic guided vehicle travels along the transfer route to the loaded trolley waiting station. . Then, at the loaded truck standby station, the sub-transport control means of the automatic guided vehicle operates the coupling mechanism to connect the loaded trucks on which the articles to be transported are loaded, and these loaded trucks are mounted on the loaded trucks. Remove from the waiting area. This eliminates the need for the operator to select and mount the mounted trolleys, thereby saving labor and reducing the number of steps in the article transport process. In addition, since the automatic guided vehicle carries out the loaded cart already loaded with the articles, it is possible to immediately start transporting the parts without waiting for the loading operation by the operator, It is possible to reduce the time required for transporting the articles.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, the communication means for transferring the management information from the main transport control means to the sub-transport control means in the information transmitting step according to the first or fourth aspect of the invention is a non-contact type. It is configured.

In the case of the above configuration, claim 1 or claim 4
In addition to the operation according to the invention described above, the transfer of the management information from the main transfer control means to the sub-transport means is performed by a non-contact communication means, so that the transfer of the management information is performed while the automatic guided vehicle is traveling. This makes it possible to reduce the transport time.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the first or fourth aspect of the present invention, the connecting mechanism is operated by the sub-transport control means of the automatic guided vehicle at the destination of the article to be transported by the automatic guided vehicle. The mounted carriage is separated, and then, the sub-transport control means operates the connecting mechanism again to connect the empty carriage waiting at the transfer destination.

In the case of the above configuration, claim 1 or claim 4
In addition to the operation according to the invention described above, the coupling mechanism is operated by the sub-transport control means of the automatic guided vehicle that has driven the loaded vehicle to the destination, and the mounted vehicle is separated from the automatic guided vehicle. An empty truck waiting ahead is connected to the automatic guided vehicle. For this reason, there is no need for the worker at the destination to separate the loaded trolley and to connect the empty trolley, thereby making it possible to save labor and reduce the number of steps in the article transport process.

[0017]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a picking zone 100 for parts provided in an automobile assembly factory to which the method for transporting articles according to the first embodiment of the present invention is applied.
, 2,..., A trolley on which these parts 12, 12,... Are mounted, 3, 3,. , An empty truck waiting place where empty trucks 4, 4,... On which parts 12, 12,.
Reference numeral denotes a higher-level control CPU as main transport control means for managing the transport of components in the factory. FIG. 2 shows an example of an assembly line 70 provided in the assembly factory, and reference numeral 7 denotes a work line on which assembly work is performed.

The parts shelves 1, 1,...
As shown in FIG. 1, there are provided a large number of storage frames 11, 11,...
Each of the parts 12, 12,... Is accommodated in a corresponding one of the carts 1, 11,. 2, ... are loaded. On the upper front surface of each of the storage frames 11, component indicator lamps 11a, 11a,... As work instruction display means for instructing a worker performing the loading operation with the components 12, 12,.
Are provided, and these component indicator lights 11a, 11
a,... are transported AGV3s by a lighting circuit (not shown).
Is turned on in response to a command by wireless communication from a control CPU 36a, which will be described later. The component shelves 1, 1,... Constitute component supply stations 10, 10 as article supply stations.

The carts 2, 2,... Are formed in a rectangular plate shape and are arranged horizontally as shown in FIG.
1, a mounting shelf 22 disposed on the upper surface of the base 21 so as to open to the left (front side in the figure);
The base 2 is disposed at four corners on the lower surface of the base 21 and
, Which are arranged so as to be pivotable about a vertical axis so as to be able to move back and forth and right and left, and are arranged on the front surface (the left side surface in the figure) of the base portion 21. A connecting ring 24 and a connecting hook 25 disposed on the rear surface (the right side surface in the figure), and a front bogie between a plurality of bogies 2, 2,. 2 is connected to the connecting ring 2 of the truck 2 on the rear side.
4, these trolleys 2, 2,
Are connected to each other. In addition, the AGV 3 for transport is provided substantially at the center of the bottom surface of the base 21.
A pair of uniting grooves 21a, 21a for uniting with 3,.
(See FIG. 9).

The mounting shelf 22 is provided with a large number of storage frames 22a, 22a,..., Which are partitioned in a nest box shape like the component shelf 1, and the inside of each of these storage frames 22a is, as shown in FIG. A felt 22c is laid from above a mechanical on / off switch 22b as a detection means disposed substantially at the center of the bottom surface so as to cover the entire bottom surface, and the on / off switch 22b houses the component 12 therein. While the part 12 is pressed by the part 12 and turned on, the part 1
2 is turned off when it is not stored. In addition, on the upper part of the front surface of each of the storage frames 22a,
The storage frame indicators 22d, 22d,... Are provided as operation instruction display means for instructing a worker who performs the loading operation the storage position of each component 12. Further, on the right side of the upper surface of the mounting shelf 22, a display unit 26 having a large display lamp 26a is provided. In the display unit 26, upon receiving a command from a later-described control CPU 36a of the AGV 3 for conveyance, The storage frame indicators 22d, 22d,...
A CPU (not shown) for controlling the lighting of “a” is provided.

As shown in FIG. 6, the transport AGV 3 includes a vehicle body 31 formed in a rectangular, relatively thick plate shape,
The vehicle body 31 includes a pair of uniting pins 32, 32 as a coupling mechanism disposed on an upper surface 31a of the vehicle body 31, and a driving unit 33 disposed on a lower surface 31b of the vehicle body 31 (see FIG. 7).
Also, guide sensors 34 and 3 for tracking the taxiway 4 and the like.
4 and address sensors 35, 3 such as magnetic sensors for detecting address plates 41, 42,... (See FIG. 2), for example, magnetic tape, etc. disposed on the floor along the guide path 4, etc.
5, and a controller 36 (see FIG. 8) as sub-transport control means for controlling the operation of the transport AGV 3 in accordance with inputs from these sensors 34 and 35, and the like.
The vehicle includes a communication circuit 37 for performing wireless communication with the host control CPU 6 and the like, and a bogie connecting mechanism 38 as a connecting mechanism for connecting a plurality of bogies 2 and 2 arranged before and after each other. The transport AGV 3 detects the address plates 41, 42,... Disposed on the floor along the guide path 4 while moving while being guided by the guide path 4, and reads the address data. The operation such as stop, rotation and the like set in the controller 36 in advance in association with the address data is performed.

The pair of uniting pins 32, 32 are rotated about a horizontal axis by an electric motor (not shown), and are united at positions where they protrude vertically upward from the upper surface 31a of the vehicle body 31 (positions indicated by solid lines in FIG. 6). And a storage position (position indicated by a phantom line in FIG. 6) stored inside the vehicle body 31. As shown in FIG. In the state of being sunk under the floor of the vehicle, the coalescing pins 32, 32 at the coalescing position are
The carriage 2 and the transport AGV 3 are united by being fitted inside the a and 21a, respectively. Further, as shown in FIG. 7, the drive unit 33 is rotatable around a vertical axis at a front end side (upper side in the figure) and a rear end side (lower side in the figure) of the lower surface 31b of the vehicle body 31, respectively. Driving wheels 33a, 33a disposed and driven wheels 33 supported on both left and right sides so as to be pivotable about a vertical axis.
b, 33b, and each of the drive wheels 33a is rotationally driven by a drive motor 33c, so that the vehicle body 31
And the drive wheels 33a are turned around a vertical axis by a steering motor 33d to cause the vehicle body 31 to travel in an arbitrary direction. At this time, the turning angle of each driving wheel 33a by each of the steering motors 33d is detected by an encoder 33e, and the detected value is input to a controller 36. By controlling the operation of the steering motor 33d, the drive wheels 3 are controlled.
By controlling the change of the turning angle of 3a, the transfer AG
V3 can travel in any direction.

As shown in FIG. 7, the guide sensor 34 is provided so as to turn integrally with each drive wheel 33a.
When the transport AGV 3 travels along the guideway 4 or an auxiliary guideway, which will be described later, the shift amount of the traveling direction from the guideway 4 or the like is detected, and the detected shift amount is input to the controller 36. And the address sensor 35 is
Address data read from address plates 41, 42,... Provided on the floor are input to the controller 36.

As shown in FIG. 8, the controller 36 controls a control CPU 36a, a memory 36b for transferring necessary data between the control CPU 36a, and a driving force and a driving direction of the driving wheels 33a, 33a. Drive circuits 36c and 36d, and are configured to operate by receiving power supply from a battery 36e.
Then, the control CPU 36a determines the drive circuit 36 based on the shift amount detection value input from the guide sensor 34.
d, the steering motors 33d, 33d are operated in such a direction as to reduce the deviation amount, thereby correcting the directions of the drive wheels 33a, 33a. An operation command corresponding to the address data is read from a correspondence map between the address data and the operation command stored in 36b, and the operation of the dedicated AGV 3 is controlled according to the operation command. Further, the controller 36 includes a communication circuit 37
Receives the transfer of the production management information from the upper control CPU 6 via the CPU, selects the trucks 2, 2,... To be connected in the empty truck standby station 5 based on the production management information, and, at the component supply station, A command is sent from the communication circuit 37 to the lighting circuits of 1,.
are turned on, and similarly, a command is sent to the lighting circuits of the carts 2, 2,.
, 22d,... are illuminated, thereby instructing a worker who performs the loading operation with the parts 12, 12,. Reference numeral 36f denotes an operation panel for receiving an operation input to the controller 36 by an operator.

As shown in FIG. 9, the bogie coupling mechanism 38 includes a cylindrical case 38a disposed in the vehicle body 31 of the AGV 3 for transport so as to extend in the front-rear direction (the left-right direction in FIG. 9). The end side (left side in the figure) is the cylindrical case 3
8a while being accommodated coaxially, on the tip side (right side in the figure)
A rod 38b protruding outward from the rear surface (the right side surface in the figure) of the vehicle body 31, and a lever 38c integrally fixed to the distal end of the rod 38b so as to be orthogonal to the rod 38b. The cylindrical case 38a and the rod 38 are rotated by a rotation operating motor (not shown).
and the lever 38c is rotated around the axis so that the lever 38c is rotated around the rod 38b. The rack gear thus formed is engaged with a pinion gear (not shown) provided on the rotation shaft of a telescopic operation motor (not shown), and the rod 38b expands and contracts in the axial direction by the rotation of the telescopic operation motor. It is configured to be able to.

A case in which the two trucks 2 and 2 connected to each other by the truck connecting mechanism 38 are separated from each other will be described below with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10.

First, the AGV 3 for transportation is sunk under the floor of the truck 2 on the front side and is combined with the truck 2 on the front side by the pins 32 for combining, and then the rod 3 is moved by the motor for expansion and contraction.
8b is pulled out of the cylindrical case 38a and protruded to the rear of the vehicle body 31 (indicated by a phantom line in the figure), and then the cylindrical case 38a and the rod 38b are integrally rotated by a rotation motor. As a result, the lever 38c protrudes upward, and the connecting hook 25 of the front bogie 2 is pushed upward and pulled out of the connecting ring 24 of the rear bogie 2 (shown by a solid line in the same drawing). In this state, the AGV 3 for transport moves the front bogie 2 forward, separates the bogies 2 and 2 from each other, stops, and operates the bogie connecting mechanism 38 in the reverse order of the above operation to move the rod 38b to the vehicle body 31.
Housed within. In this manner, the connection between the two trucks 2 and 2 can be automatically released, and the two trucks 2 and 2 can be automatically operated by operating the truck connecting mechanism 38 in the reverse order to the case of the above-described disconnection. The trolleys can be connected.

The taxiway 4 includes a picking zone 100
And is arranged in a loop around the assembly line 70,
The transport AGVs 3, 3, ... are guided between the picking zone 100 and the assembly line 70. In the picking zone 100, at the component supply stations 10, 10, a floor is provided along the front of the component shelves 1, 1,. , And transport AGVs 3, 3,... To these component shelves 1, 1,.
It is designed to guide along. On the other hand, the guide path 4 is disposed in parallel with the work line 7 at a predetermined interval in the assembly line 70, and an address plate 41 for giving an operation instruction to the transport AGV 3 along the path. ,
Are arranged, and the AGV 3 for conveyance detects that the AGV 3 has arrived at the destination of the component based on the address data read from these address plates 41, 42,.

In the empty bogie waiting station 5, different types of bogies 2, 2,... Depending on the type of parts to be mounted are made to stand by in an empty bogie having no components mounted thereon. That is, a plurality of sub taxiways (not shown) branching from the taxiway 4 are provided in the empty bogie waiting station 5, and the empty bogies 2 and 2 are provided along these sub taxiways.
2,... Are separated by type and are on standby. At the branch points where the plurality of sub taxiways branch off from the taxiway 4, respectively, there are address plates having address data corresponding to the types of the idle vehicles 2, 2,... Waiting along the respective sub taxiways. Is arranged, and the transport AGV 3 traveling along the taxiway 4 can read the address data from the address plate and select a required type of trolley. Further, the host control CPU 6 includes an assembly line 7.
0, the transfer order of the parts is determined based on the progress of the assembling work, etc., and the production management information including the type or number of these parts and the transfer route thereof is wirelessly communicated as a non-contact communication means. AGV3, which has entered the picking zone 100 by the machines 61, 61,.
3, ...

The work line 7 carries out an assembling operation of a car. Three loaded truck storage places 71, 7 are provided along the taxiway 4 laid in parallel with the work line 7.
2, 73 and three empty bogie storage places 74, 75, 76 are provided alternately with each other. And
Address plates 41, 42,... Are arranged along the taxiway 4 in association with the loaded trolley storage areas 71, 72, 73,
The transport AGV 3 traveling along the taxiway 4
Read the address data instructing stop and replacement of the bogies from each of the address plates 41, 42,..., And automatically disconnect one of the towed bogies, and read out the address plates 41, 42,.
Are arranged in each of the installed trolley storage areas 71, 72, 73, respectively, while the empty trolley storage areas 7 corresponding to this address plate are arranged.
The empty trucks 2, 2,... Located at 4, 75, 76 are automatically connected and collected.

Next, a specific method of transporting components in the first embodiment and the operation and effect thereof will be described.

First, the transport AGV 3 is mounted on the carts 2, 2,.
The vehicle travels along the taxiway 4 in a state where the vehicle is not towed, and enters the picking zone 100 when the host control CPU
The wireless communication device 61 receives the wireless communication from the wireless communication device 61 and receives the transfer of the production management information (information transfer step). At this time, since the transport AGV 3 receives the wireless communication in the traveling state, it is not necessary to stop for transmitting information, thereby shortening the transport time. The transport AGV 3 stores the production management information and heads for the empty truck waiting station 5 where the empty AGV 3 stores the production management information based on the production management information relating to the type or number of the parts 12, 12,... To be transported. , A sub taxiway in which an empty truck required to mount these parts 12, 12,... Is located. That is, the vehicle moves along the taxiway 4 until the address plate corresponding to the sub taxiway is detected, and moves away from the taxiway 4 along the sub taxiway when the address plate is detected. The bogies 2, 2,... Waiting along the road are connected by a bogie connecting mechanism 38 by a required number, and combined with the leading bogie 2 among them (empty bogie connecting step).

Subsequently, the transport AGV 3 pulls the carts 2, 2,... To the component supply stations 10, 10,.
In the part supply station 10, the parts 12, 1
.. Are instructed to the components 12, 12,... To be mounted. That is, the component indicator lights 11a, 11a,... Of each component shelf 1 in which the components 12, 12,.
The storage frames 22a, 22a,.
, Are turned on, so that the worker who performs the loading operation can store the components 12, 12,... To be loaded and the storage frame 22d for loading these components 12, 12,. , 22d,... Are clearly displayed (loading work instruction step).

At this time, the storage frames 22a, 22
a,... on / off switches 22b, 22
b,..., it is detected whether or not the parts 12 are loaded in each storage frame 22a. When all the parts 12, 12,. The indicator light 26a is turned on. In other words, the worker who performs the loading operation confirms that the large indicator lamp 26a is lit, thereby confirming that all the components 12, 12,... To be mounted have been mounted (a loading confirmation step). As a result, parts 1 to be mounted on the trolleys 2, 2,.
Can be reliably prevented from being forgotten to be stacked.

After confirming the completion of the loading, the operator inputs a start command to the transport AGV 3 through the operation panel 36f, starts the transport AGV 3, and starts the carriage 2,
Are pulled to the next parts supply station 10.

As described above, each component supply station 1
After completing the loading operation at 0, AGV3 for transport
Assembling line 7 for mounted trolleys 2, 2, ... loaded with parts
In this assembly line 70, address data for instructing to stop and replace the last truck is read from an address plate (not shown) at the position shown in FIG. Pre-mounted trolleys 2, 2,
Are sequentially replaced with empty carts 2, 2,... (Cart exchange process). That is, the transport AGV 3 first releases the union with the leading mounted truck 2 (the lower truck in FIG. 2), separates from the loaded truck 2, and moves the three loaded trucks 2,
2 and so on, the second mounted truck 2 (the second truck from the top in the same figure) dives beneath this mounted truck 2
The connection between the vehicle and the rear mounted vehicle 2 (the upper vehicle in the figure) is disconnected by the vehicle connecting mechanism 38. Next, move away from the second mounted trolley 2 from the last, and mount the last mounted trolley 2
, And is united with the loaded truck 2, tow the trailing loaded truck 2 and transport it to the loaded truck storage 71 at the top in FIG. 2, where it is separated. continue,
It dives under the empty truck 2 placed in the adjacent empty truck storage site 74 and merges with the empty truck 2, and conveys the empty truck 2 to the end of the row of the loaded trucks 2, 2,. Empty truck 2
Is disengaged, and the vehicle 2 dive under the second mounted truck 2 from the rear end, and the mounted truck 2 and the empty truck 2 are connected by the bogie connecting mechanism 38. In this way, the transport AGV
3 automatically replaces the carts 2, 2,..., So that the worker of the assembly line 70 does not have to disconnect the loaded carts 2, 2,. And the number of steps can be reduced.

According to the first embodiment, since the production management information such as the type and number of the parts 12, 12,... To be conveyed and the conveyance route thereof can be transmitted by the AGV 3 for conveyance, There is no need to arrange a wiring for communication between the bogie standby station 5 or the parts supply stations 10, 10,... And the upper control CPU 6, and the loading work instruction based on the production management information is transmitted to the transfer AGV.
Carts 2, 2, according to a command from the control CPU 36a
, Etc., are performed by lighting the storage frame indicators 22d, 22d,.
... need not be provided with ancillary equipment such as a work management CPU. As a result, the equipment cost can be significantly reduced as compared with the case where the above-mentioned auxiliary equipment and communication wiring are provided, and the communication wiring is re-arranged when the layout in the factory is changed. Since there is no need, the layout change can be facilitated. In addition, the AGV 3 for transportation is used by the empty truck 2
The automatic selection and connection of the vehicles 2, 2,... Eliminates the need for the operator to select the empty vehicles 2, 2,... And connect them to the AGV 3 for transportation, thereby saving labor and reducing the number of processes. Can be.

<Second Embodiment> FIG. 11 shows a picking station 110 for parts provided in an automobile assembly factory to which the article conveying method according to the second embodiment of the present invention is applied.
In the same figure, reference numeral 8 denotes an empty truck waiting place where the empty trucks 2, 2,... And the loaded trucks 2, 2,. The empty trucks 2, 2,... Are arranged at different positions for each type of the empty trucks, similarly to the empty truck standby station 5 in the first embodiment.
0, the mounted trolleys 2, 2,... Mounted with the parts 12, 12,.
12,... Are arranged separately at different positions.

Since other configurations of the second embodiment are the same as those of the first embodiment, the same members are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof will be omitted.

In the case of the second embodiment, the transport AGV 3 enters the picking zone 110, receives the production management information from the higher-level control CPU by wireless communication, and receives the empty vehicle standby station in the first embodiment. 5, the mounted trucks 2, 2,... Carrying the parts 12, 12,... To be conveyed are automatically determined on the basis of the production management information as in the case of the automatic connection of the empty trucks 2, 2,. Are connected, and the loaded carts 2, 2,... Are carried out from the collection and distribution station 8 and transported to the assembly line 70. That is, AGV for transportation
3 can pull these mounted carts 2, 2,... Immediately to the assembly line 70 without waiting for the worker to load the parts, thereby shortening the article transport time. Can be.

<Other Embodiments> The present invention relates to the first embodiment.
The present invention is not limited to the second embodiment, and includes various other embodiments. That is, in the above-described first and second embodiments, a low-floor type AGV that sunk under the trolley 2 and merged with the trolley 2 is used as the transport AGVs 3, 3,. For example, an AGV that pulls the trolley from the front or side may be used, or an AGV that drives the trolley from behind may be used.

In the first and second embodiments, the cart 2,
In order to turn on the storage frame indicators 22d, 22d,... Of the transport AGVs 3, a command is transmitted by wireless communication. However, the present invention is not limited to this.
May be connected by a coupler or the like, and a command may be sent through this lighting circuit.

In the first and second embodiments, the AGV 3 for transportation uses the empty truck waiting station 5 or the collection / delivery station 8 to carry out
The carts 2, 2, ... are automatically connected,
The present invention is not limited to this. For example, the worker may receive instructions from the transport AGV 3 and connect the transport AGV 3 to the carts 2, 2,.

In the first and second embodiments, each truck 2
The components 12, 12,... Mounted on the device are detected by mechanical on / off switches 22b, 22b,..., But the invention is not limited to this, and the components 12, 12,. You may make it detect.

In the first and second embodiments, the communication from the host control CPU 6 to the transport AGVs 3, 3,... Is performed by the wireless communication device 61. However, the present invention is not limited to this. A communication device or the like may be used.

In the first and second embodiments, the transport A
The plurality of carts 2, 2,... Are towed by the GV3, but the invention is not limited to this.
The two trolleys 2 may be towed.

[0048]

As described above, according to the article transport method of the present invention, the management information including the article information is transmitted to the article supply station via the automatic guided vehicle, and By providing the work instruction based on the article information to the worker by the work instruction display means of the transport vehicle, it is not necessary to provide an additional facility such as a work management CPU for each of these article supply stations. It is no longer necessary to arrange communication wiring between the article supply station and the main transport control means, thereby greatly reducing equipment costs and facilitating layout changes in the factory. Can be planned.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, in addition to the effect of the first aspect of the present invention, in the empty vehicle waiting place, the connecting mechanism is operated by the sub-transport control means of the automatic guided vehicle to move the empty vehicle. By linking, it is possible to further reduce the equipment cost by omitting the ancillary equipment at the above-mentioned empty bogie waiting place and to save labor in the article transport process by eliminating the work of selecting and connecting the empty bogie by the operator. And the number of steps can be reduced.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, in addition to the effect of the first aspect of the present invention, the operator can confirm the display on the mounting display means, so that the trolley does not mount necessary articles. It is possible to reliably prevent the article from being unloaded from the article supply station.

According to the article transport method of the present invention, the article information is transferred from the main transport control means to the sub-transport control means of the automatic guided vehicle, and the sub-transportation of the automatic guided vehicle is carried out at the loaded truck waiting place. By operating the connecting mechanism by the transfer control means and connecting the mounted trolleys on which the parts to be transferred are mounted, the work of selecting and connecting the mounted trolleys by the operator is not required, thereby saving labor in the article transfer process. The number of steps can be reduced. In addition, the already mounted trolley on which the articles are already loaded can be immediately carried out without waiting for the loading operation by the operator, thereby shortening the time required for transporting the articles.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the effects of the first or fourth aspect of the present invention, the transmission of management information from the main transport control means to the sub-transport control means is performed by a non-contact type. The transfer of the management information can be performed during the travel of the automatic guided vehicle by performing the communication by the communication means, thereby shortening the transfer time.

According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the effects of the first or fourth aspect of the present invention, the exchange of the mounted trolley and the empty trolley in the work line is performed by a coupling mechanism of the automatic guided vehicle. By operating this, labor saving and process reduction in the article transport process can be achieved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of a picking zone to which a first embodiment of the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is an overall configuration diagram of an assembly line.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a parts shelf.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a cart.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing an on / off switch provided in each storage frame of the cart.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a transport AGV.

FIG. 7 is a bottom view of the transport AGV.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a controller of the transport AGV.

FIG. 9 is a side view showing attachment and detachment of connection between the carts by the cart coupling mechanism.

FIG. 10 is a rear view showing attachment and detachment of the connection between the carts by the cart connecting mechanism.

FIG. 11 is a diagram corresponding to FIG. 1 showing a second embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

2 cart 3 AGV for transport (automated guided vehicle) 5 empty truck standby station 6 host control CPU (main transport control means) 8 collection and delivery station (empty truck standby station and mounted cart standby station) 10 parts supply station (article supply station) 11a Parts indicator light (work instruction display means) 12 Parts (article) 22b On / off switch (detection means) 22d Storage frame indicator light (work instruction display means) 26a Large indicator light (mount display means) 32 Pins for uniting AGV for transportation (Coupling mechanism) 36 Controller of transport AGV (sub-transport control means) 38 Bogie coupling mechanism (coupling mechanism) 61 Wireless communication device (communication means) 70 Assembly line (transportation destination of mounted truck)

──────────────────────────────────────────────────の Continuing on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ Identification code FI G05D 1/02 G05D 1/02 T (72) Inventor Koji Teramoto 3-1, Fuchu-cho, Shinchi, Aki-gun, Hiroshima Prefecture Mazda Motor Corporation ( 72) Inventor Hideharu Kikuchi 3-1, Shinchi, Fuchu-cho, Aki-gun, Hiroshima Mazda Co., Ltd.

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A method of transporting an article, wherein the article is mounted on a transport trolley at an article supply station, and the loaded trolley on which the article is mounted is driven by an unmanned transport vehicle and transported to a destination. A main transport control unit disposed at a fixed position and an unmanned transport vehicle on which a sub-transport control unit is mounted and which is driven and controlled by the sub-transport control unit. Information transfer in which management information including the article information on the type or number of articles and the transport route information on the transport route thereof is transferred in advance from the main transport control means to the auxiliary transport control means of the automatic guided vehicle via the communication means. A loading operation instruction based on the article information at the article supply station in accordance with a command from the sub-transport control means of the automatic guided vehicle. A loading instruction step of causing the worker to display a loading instruction on the article to be loaded by the display. 2. The article supply station in the conveyance route of the automatic guided vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising: a coupling mechanism for coupling and disconnecting the automatic guided vehicle with the truck controlled by the sub-transport control means. At the empty truck waiting area set in the area on the near side,
From the empty trucks in the empty truck standby station, the empty trucks required based on the article information transferred in the information transfer step are connected by operating the connection mechanism by the sub-transport control means of the automatic guided vehicle. A method of transporting articles, comprising an empty truck connecting step. 3. The article supply station according to claim 1, wherein, after the loading instruction step, the loading means detects the loading of the article on the cart by detecting means provided on the cart, and the detecting means detects the article. A method for transporting an article, comprising: a loading confirmation step of causing the worker to confirm the end of the loading operation by performing a loading display on the worker by the loading display means when detected. 4. A predetermined loaded truck is connected from a loaded truck waiting place where a loaded truck on which an article is loaded is made to stand by, driven by an unmanned transport vehicle, and transported to a destination. In the method of transporting articles, a main transport control unit disposed at a fixed position and a sub-transport control unit are mounted, and are driven and controlled by the sub-transport control unit, and connected to the bogie by being controlled by the sub-transport control unit. And using an unmanned guided vehicle having a connection mechanism for releasing the connection, before connecting the mounted truck at the loaded truck standby station, regarding the article information on the type or number of articles to be transported and the transport route thereof. An information transfer step in which management information including transfer route information is transferred in advance from the main transfer control means to the auxiliary transfer control means of the automatic guided vehicle via communication means; and And a loaded truck connecting step of connecting the loaded truck required based on the article information by operating the connection mechanism by the sub-transport control means of the automatic guided vehicle at the waiting place. A method of transporting a featured article. 5. The communication means according to claim 1, wherein the communication means for transferring the management information from the main transport control means to the sub-transport control means in the information transfer step is constituted in a non-contact manner. The method of transporting articles. 6. The unmanned transport vehicle according to claim 1, wherein at the destination of the article, the connecting mechanism is operated by the sub-transport control means of the unmanned transport vehicle, and the mounted truck transported by the unmanned transport vehicle is separated. And transporting an empty truck waiting at the destination by operating the coupling mechanism again by the sub-transport control means.