JPS606815B2 - Obstacle detection device for unmanned carrier vehicles - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a detection device for detecting obstacles that impede the running of a chariot and for detecting people for the purpose of human safety during running, and particularly for use in factories and the like. The present invention relates to an obstacle detection device that is optimal for use in unmanned carrier vehicles (hereinafter referred to as unmanned vehicles) used for cargo handling operations.

In the conventional obstacle detection device for an unmanned vehicle, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, rubber 2 equipped with a tape switch 1 is fixed at the front and rear of an unmanned vehicle 3, and when the vehicle collides with an obstacle, the rubber 2 By deforming, the tape switch 1 operates to detect an obstacle 6. Also, as shown in FIGS. The tip of the non-directional IJ mitt switch 5 is fixed to the arc-shaped thin iron plate 4, and the iron plate 4 is fixed in the event of a collision with an obstacle 6.
Due to the deformation, the limit switch 5 is activated and the obstacle 6 is removed.
There is a structure that detects

However, the former operates the tape switch by deforming the rubber, so the material cannot be used because the rubber is too soft, and the distance from the switch operation to absorb the coasting stroke of the unmanned vehicle is too long. It is impossible to make it large enough to remove it. For this reason, there are drawbacks such as a large shock when colliding with an obstacle or a person, resulting in damage to the obstacle and injury to the person. On the other hand, the latter method can absorb the coasting stroke of an unmanned vehicle, but has drawbacks such as the overall size of the safety device. Furthermore, in both the former and the latter, the switch is operated directly by the collision force of the obstacle, which is likely to cause malfunctions such as malfunction and damage to the switch. Most of the safety devices for unmanned vehicles that have been put into practical use so far are those that operate only in the direction of travel of the vehicle, similar to the conventional example described above. I can hardly find anything that covers the entire area around the car.

However, as an unmanned vehicle, there is no guarantee of absolute safety unless there is a safety device that covers the entire area around the wheels.

This is because, as is well known, when a wheel or the like travels on a curved road, the side surface of the wheel generally follows an innermost trajectory. For this reason, front and rear safety devices cannot completely detect obstacles or people on a curved road, which can cause problems such as damage to obstacles, harm to people, and even damage to the unmanned vehicle itself. Additionally, if an obstacle suddenly enters the side of an unmanned vehicle (for example, if a person falls and touches the side of an unmanned vehicle), the above-mentioned problem may occur. It is desirable to have a safety device that covers the entire wheel and is fully operable with less shock when it comes into contact with an obstacle or a person.However, providing a safety device that covers the entire wheel requires a complicated structure. It can also be economically expensive.An object of the present invention is to provide a retroreflective photoelectric switch or a transmission photoelectric switch (hereinafter simply referred to as a photoelectric switch), and a reflector or a floodlight that can reflect well the light emitted by the photoelectric switch. The object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems by using such a detected object.

The present invention provides, as a detection means of an obstacle detection device, a photoelectric switch mounted on a bumper provided at one end in the direction of movement of an unmanned vehicle and movable in a horizontal plane, or one of the detected objects detected by the photoelectric switch. By providing the optical haze switch or the other of the detected objects facing one of the photoelectric switches or the detected object through the side of the unmanned guided vehicle on the side of the unmanned guided vehicle or the bumper at the other end, it is possible to When the bumper is displaced by the obstacle, the optical path between the photoelectric switch and the object to be detected is displaced, and the obstacle is detected. The present invention is characterized in that an obstacle is detected by blocking the optical path between the photoelectric switch and the object to be detected by the obstacle.Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 5 to 7. I will explain.

FIG. 5 is a top view of an unmanned vehicle showing one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 6 is a side view thereof, and FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a bumper mechanism of the present invention.

Support members 10-a and 10-b are fixed to the front of the unmanned vehicle 3. Arms 111a, b are rotatably mounted in the horizontal direction by shafts 121a, b. The arm 1Q-
Shafts 131a and 131b are fixed to the ends of the ponds a and b, and two loaf turtles 4-a and 4-b are rotatably attached above and below the shafts 131a and 13b. 1a and b, a sliding guide fixed to the bumper F15 is also installed so that it can move horizontally while rotating and sliding inside the bumper F15.On the other hand, one end of the tension spring turtle 7-a and b is attached to the bumper F15. The other ends of the tension spring turtles -a and b are attached to the arms 111a and b by fixed punches 18.In addition, at the rear of the unmanned vehicle 3, there is a mechanism similar to that described above. The bumper BI9 is attached by the tension springs 1?-a, b', so that the balance is adjusted so that the bumper F15 and the bumper B turtle 9 are always perpendicular to the traveling direction of the unmanned vehicle 3. On the other hand, “Bumper F
At both ends of 15 there are retroreflective photoelectric switches 20-a and 20-b (
(hereinafter referred to as a photoelectric switch) is fixed, and the photoelectric switch 201a? The reflective bands 21-a and 21-b facing each other through the side of the unmanned vehicle 3 in the direction of the light emitted by the bumper BI
It is fixed at 9. The reflective bands 21-a and 21-b reflect well the light emitted from the photoelectric switches 20-1a and 20-b. As mentioned above, when the unmanned vehicle 3 is in a normal state, the bumper F15 and the bumper BI9 are kept parallel by the tension springs 171a and 17b, so the photoelectric switches 201a and 201b are always connected to the reflective band 21. 1a and b are detected. On the other hand, if the obstacle 22 comes into contact with the bumper F15, the arm 111a can slide inward within the sliding guide 16 via the roller 41a as the unmanned vehicle 3 moves, so the shaft 121a On the other hand, the bumper F15 rotates counterclockwise about the roller 4-b as an axis. Therefore, the optical paths of the photoelectric switch 201a and the photoelectric switch 20-b are displaced, and the reflection band 21
1a and reflection band 21b cannot be detected, and the obstacle 22 can be detected. Note that when the obstacle 22 is removed, the tension springs 17-a and 17-b return to the original state.

Furthermore, even if an obstacle comes into contact with the bumper BI9, the positions of the reflective bands 21-a and 21-b may shift and the photoelectric switch 20-a
, b can no longer detect the reflective bands 21-a and 21-b, and can detect obstacles. On the other hand, if an obstacle like the obstacle 23 enters the side of the unmanned vehicle 3, the photoelectric switch 20
Since the optical path -a is blocked, the photoelectric switch 201a is no longer able to detect the reflective band 21-a and is able to detect the obstacle 23. According to one embodiment of the present invention, obstacle detection is performed even for obstacles in the running direction and side of the unmanned vehicle, and it can be a safety device that covers the entire periphery of the unmanned vehicle.

In addition, since a photoelectric switch is used as the detection object, it is a non-contact detection method.The reliability of the detection object is high and failures are unlikely to occur.Also, since the bumper has a sliding mechanism, it can be On the other hand, it has many advantages such as being able to absorb the coasting distance when the unmanned vehicle is stopped, having a simple structure, and being economically inexpensive. 8 and 9, photoelectric switches 24-a, b, c, and d are fixed to the side of the unmanned vehicle 3, and reflective bands 25-a, b, c, and d are attached to both ends of the bumper F15 and the bumper BI9. This is an example of a fixed case.

This embodiment also has the same effect as described above, and furthermore, since the photoelectric switches 24-a, b, c'd are fixed to the fixed part of the unmanned vehicle 3, "wiring of the photoelectric switches etc. is simplified. This embodiment also has the effect of improving reliability.Also, this embodiment is particularly suitable for a forward type in which the unmanned vehicle 3 does not move forward or backward, since the number of photoelectric switches may be small.In the above embodiment, the regression Although a reflection type photoelectric switch and a reflection band are used, it goes without saying that similar effects can be obtained by using a transmission type photoelectric switch having a light projector and a light receiver.

According to the present invention, since a photoelectric switch is used that can cover the entire surrounding area of the vehicle and indirectly detects contact with an obstacle, it is highly reliable and safe. A sensing device can be provided.

In addition, the optical path between the photoelectric switch for detecting obstacles by bumper displacement and the detected object is routed through the space along the side of the unmanned guided vehicle, so a dedicated sensor for detecting obstacles on the side can be used. This has the effect of providing an obstacle detection device for an unmanned carrier that does not require a mechanism, has a simple structure, and is economically inexpensive.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4 are a top view, a side view, and a side view of an unmanned vehicle equipped with a conventional obstacle detection device.
The figure is an enlarged view of main parts of another conventional example, Figure 5 is a top view of an unmanned vehicle showing an embodiment of the device of the present invention, Figure 6 is a side view thereof, and Figure 7 is a bumper in Figures 5 and 6. An enlarged cross-sectional view showing the slide mechanism, and FIGS. 8 and 9 are a top view and a side view of an unmanned vehicle in another embodiment of the device of the present invention. 3...Unmanned car, 15...Bumper, 20.
...Photoelectric switch, 21...Reflection band. Tsutomu Zu Kiyoshi 2 Figure Hair 3 Figure Hair 4 Figure 5 Colorful Figure Scales Figure 8 Illustration? figure

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A bumper supported movably in a horizontal plane on at least one of the front end and rear end of the unmanned carrier in the direction of travel;
One of the photoelectric switch provided on the bumper or the detected object detected by the photoelectric switch, and one of the photoelectric switch or the detected object in the front and rear direction through a space along the side surface of the unmanned guided vehicle. The photoelectric switch or the other of the detected object is provided so as to face apart from each other, and the photoelectric switch and the detected object no longer face each other due to displacement of the bumper due to an obstacle, or the side surface of the automated guided vehicle If an obstacle intervenes in the space along the path and blocks the optical path, the state of light transmission between the two is changed, and the photoelectric switch detects obstacles in the front, rear, and side directions of the automated guided vehicle. An obstacle detection device for an unmanned carrier vehicle, characterized in that: