JPS61110210A - Guiding path and running system of unmanned carrier car - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To run an unmanned carrier car in a curved section entirely similarly to a straight section, by running the carrier car in such a way that the carrier car runs in a straight section of its guided route by detecting a buried guide line and in a section, such as crossing point, etc., where no guide line is available under autonominous control by means of a micro computer. CONSTITUTION:Running conditions of an unmanned carrier car are stored in a storage device 410 and a guide current is read as signals of two electromagnetic pickups 30. Steering of the car is operated so as to minimize the difference between the signals. When the signals become equal to each other, it is detected that the car enters a non-detecting section and the receiving times of a position detector 100 are counted, and then, it is discriminated by means of a program that at which non-detecting section the car must change its advancing direction. When the car reaches an advancing direction changing point, a set command is discriminated and the car advances in the direction set in the program. A driving wheel 111 is driven in a previously fixed rotating number by means of a controller 40 and a steering wheel 210 is driven to a fixed steering angle by a steering motor 220. By counting the rotating number of the driving wheel 111 by means of a rotary encoder 170, the running distance of the car is known. Therefore, the car can be run in a curved section entirely similarly to a straight section.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention (a) Industrial Application Field The present invention provides a guideway for an automated guided vehicle that detects an induced magnetic field from a guide wire buried in the floor and guides the vehicle, and a device using this guideway. Regarding the driving system.

(B) Prior art As a conventional electromagnetic induction type automatic guided vehicle taxi path and its running system, electromagnetic guidance wires are arranged on the floor throughout the entire travel section, but the guidance path becomes complicated. When this route has a plurality of intersections and branch points, there are the following difficulties.

In other words, ■A plurality of guide lines that gather at intersections and branch points are separated for each route of the automatic guided vehicle to form independent loops;
A current with a different frequency is passed through each loop, and when the automatic guided vehicle reaches the intersection or branch point, the reception frequency of the pickup coil is switched to the frequency of the route the automatic guided vehicle is traveling on, and the automatic guided vehicle is on the route. A system in which the train travels along the road has been put into practical use, but this system has the problem that the structure of the guide lines at intersections and branch points is complicated, and the central control device is also complicated.

Another method is to use a central control panel to energize only the guide lines along which the unmanned general transportation vehicle should travel, but this is almost the same as the above method in terms of complexity.

(2) There is a problem in the work of burying guide wires at intersections and branch points of the guide route that the work is time-consuming because a plurality of straight lines and curves intersect with each other.

Furthermore, when changing the travel plan of the automatic guided vehicle, there is a problem in that it is not easy to bury guide lines.

(c) Purpose The present invention has been made with the above points in mind, and one is to provide a guideway that allows easy burying of guide wires for guiding automatic guided vehicles even on complex routes. One of the points is that the automatic guided vehicle travels in straight sections of the guidance route by detecting the buried guide wire, and in the designated sections of intersections, branching points, and transition points of the route, and in the designated sections of the automatic guided vehicle. An automated guided vehicle that autonomously travels in sections unrelated to guidance using a microcomputer mounted on the automated guided vehicle without detecting the guidance line, so that the automated guided vehicle can travel in exactly the same way as straight and curved route sections. The aim is to provide a driving system for

Note that autonomous driving refers to an automatic guided vehicle traveling based only on its own information, without relying on external information.

(d) Configuration The present invention provides a self-propelled automatic guided vehicle equipped with a control device, a guidance detector, and a drive/steering mechanism, and a guide line buried in the route floor at intersections, branch points, and turning points. and a traveling route in which each predetermined section unrelated to the guidance of the automatic guided vehicle is defined as a non-guidance section or a non-detection section, and a position detector is disposed on the entrance side of the section.

(E) Example FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an automatic guided vehicle used in this example, where 10 is an automatic guided vehicle, 100 is a drive mechanism, 111.
112 is a driving wheel, 210 is a steering wheel, and 30 is a guidance detector. The induction detector 30 is composed of a pair of left and right electromagnetic pink amplifiers.

Reference numeral 60 denotes an electromagnetic induction wire made of an electric conductor that forms a running path and is buried under the running floor surface. Furthermore, automatic guided vehicle I
O is equipped with a steering mechanism, a steering motor, a control device, a guidance detector, and a power source (not shown).

Further, the drive mechanism 100 is composed of a differential gear, a drive motor, a brake, and an inverter, and is configured to reversely rotate the forward and backward drive wheels 111 and 112 on both sides to perform a spin turn. . Furthermore, the steering mechanism 200 is configured to be able to change the direction of a steered wheel 210, which is a driven wheel, using a steering motor.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the buried state of the guide wires constituting the guide path.

In the figure, 610 is an intersection, 620 is a branch point, and 630 is a turning point, and the section indicated by a broken line is a non-guidance section or a non-detection section. In the section, as shown in FIG. 3, the guide wire 60 is shielded with a magnetic shield 61 to block the influence of the generated magnetic field on the outside, or as shown in FIG.
The guide wire 60 in the section is buried deeply or otherwise arranged so that the guide wire 60 is not detected by the guide detector 30. Or, even if the guide wire 60 is buried in the section like other places,
The guidance detector 30 is prevented from detecting it on the automatic guided vehicle 10 side.

Reference numeral 70 denotes a position detector, which is disposed on the entrance side of the non-guided section or non-detection section (hereinafter simply referred to as non-detection section) and near the guide line 60, and is arranged to detect the traveling route of the automatic guided vehicle 10 and the non-detection section. Detect the section. In the embodiment, the position detector 70 is a magnetic body such as a piece of iron that detects and activates a control device provided in the automatic guided vehicle 10, but is not limited thereto, and may be a proximity switch using a photoelectric switch or the like.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating the control of the unmanned general transportation vehicle 10, and the storage device 410 included in the control device 40 stores the steering angle of the steering wheel 210 at the location of the position sensor 70 and the driving wheels 111, 112. Running conditions such as the rotation speed and stop position are stored and controlled via the central processing unit 400.

Immediately, the induction detection signal from the induction wire 60 detected by the induction detectors 30 (electromagnetic pickups) arranged on the left and right sides is input to the central processing unit 400 via the addition circuit 420 and the A/D converter 421, and is processed. The signal is outputted as a steering signal, which drives the steering motor 220 that constitutes the steering mechanism 200 via a synchronization circuit 430, a D/A converter 431, and a control circuit 433 to steer the steering wheel 210. on the other hand,
A drive signal to the drive mechanism 100 is sent from the central processing unit 400 to a synchronization circuit 440, a D/A converter 441, and a control circuit 4.
42, the drive motor 14 via the switching circuit 443
0 is applied, and the automatic guided vehicle 10 starts traveling. 17
0.230 is a rotary encoder, and these output signals are inputted to the central processing unit 400 by measuring the respective rotational speeds via pulse counters 444 and 434.

50 is a sensor that detects the signal from the position detector 70, and this output is sent to the central processing unit 4 via an input circuit 480.
00, and after being judged, it is output as a spin turn signal and sent to the switching circuit 443.450.460.
and 470, the input to the drive motor 140 is cut off, the brake 150 is energized, and the drive motor 140, pinion 141, ring gear 131, and casing 130 are locked via the brake disc 142.

Furthermore, the solenoid 180 is energized, and the clutch gear 183 engages with the clutch boob IJ 163 via the iron 181 and the bell crank 182.

Also, the spin turn motor 160 is driven, and the pulley 16
1. Since the clutch pulley 163 is rotated via the belt 162, the clutch, drive wheel 111, and drive shaft 1
Rotate 21.

However, the drive shaft 121 is connected to the differential gear by the ring gear 132, and since the casing is locked as described above, the ring gear 13 is connected to the differential gear by the known differential gear theory.
3 rotates in the opposite direction to the above, and the drive wheel 112 rotates in the opposite direction to the drive wheel 111 via the drive shaft 122, causing the automatic guided vehicle 10 to spin turn.

Next, the operation of the present invention will be explained.

First, as described above, the running conditions are stored in the storage device 410, and if there is an instruction to start, the running is started, and the induced current from the guiding wire 60 is detected as the signal S of the induction detection 30 (electromagnetic pickup).
Read it as L and SR, compare the two, and if it is SL#SR, it is traveling along the route, so continue traveling as it is, and if SL≠SR, go to the smaller signal so that 5L=SR. Drive by steering.

Next, when entering the non-detection zone, 5L=O1SR=0,
If the signal from the position detector 7o installed on the entrance side of the automatic guided vehicle 10 in the direction of movement of the undetected zone is received, it is detected that the automatic guided vehicle 10 has entered the undetected zone, and the guidance detector 30 stops its function. , the number of receptions received by the position detector 70 on the travel route is counted, and the number of non-detection intervals in which the vehicle is to be shifted is determined by a predetermined program. It recognizes commands and moves in the direction set by the program.

In the case where the shift location is a curved branch, when the signal from the position detector 70 is read, the drive wheel 111 is driven at a predetermined rotation speed by the operation of the control device 40, and the steering wheel The steering motor 220 is driven so that the steering angle 210 also becomes a predetermined angle. Since the traveling distance is determined by counting the number of revolutions of the drive shaft 111 using the rotary encoder 170, the radius of curvature (turning radius around the drive shaft) is R1, and if the steering angle is α, then R=Lcotα. Rotation speed of wheel 111 and steering wheel 21O
By controlling the steering angle with a microcomputer, a predetermined turning radius and turning angle can be obtained. Therefore, the driving wheel 111
Various turning radii and turning angles can be obtained by changing the combination of rotational speed and steering angle. In addition,
Various calculation programs for the radius of curvature and angle are stored in the storage device 410 as subroutines.

After that, the vehicle travels a set distance, and when it reaches the end of the non-detection section, the guidance detector 30 detects the guide line 60 again and continues traveling, until it is instructed to stop as described above. That is, in the non-detection section, the automatic guided vehicle 10
The guidance function of the automatic guided vehicle 10 is stopped, the automatic guided vehicle 10 measures and calculates its own travel distance and steering angle, and switches to independent travel in which the automatic guided vehicle 10 travels according to a pre-stored program. In other words, when the vehicle reaches the non-detection zone, the guidance function is stopped and the vehicle sleeps while driving, and when the vehicle passes through the zone, it is activated so that the vehicle wakes up from its sleep.

The above explanation has been about the method of automatically switching from autonomous driving to guided driving based on a program at the end of the non-detection section. 70 may be provided, and the autonomous running mode may be switched to the guidance mode based on a detection signal thereof. Note that even if the change location is a straight line branch, the vehicle will autonomously travel in the same manner as described above.

Therefore, in the case of autonomous turning, the magnitude of the load,
Changes in the rotational speed of each motor due to floor conditions etc. may cause problems in accuracy of the turning radius and turning angle, but by controlling the frequency of each motor with an inverter, changes in rotational speed due to load fluctuations can be minimized.

The above description has been made regarding the travel in the non-guidance section or the non-detection section of the guide route. Next, the guide route in the section unrelated to the guidance of the automatic guided vehicle will be explained based on FIG. 6.

The automatic guided vehicle 10 starts from point A, passes through non-detection zones B and C1D, and on the route from point E to point F, reaches point 0.
A normal buried guide wire 60 is laid between the DEs. Between the crossover wire EF, it is necessary to energize the end of the guide wire FG, which is the next route, but the DE wire (hereinafter, the guide wire between DE is abbreviated as short).

This applies to other routes as well. ) and the EF wire together, the currents in both induction wires will be in opposite directions, so the generated magnetic fields will cancel each other out. Therefore, this EF line is an irrelevant section for guiding the automatic guided vehicle 10.
The EF wire can be obtained by shielding the inductive wire 60 with a magnetic shield 61 as shown in FIG. 3, or by shielding the inductive detector 30 (
The automatic guided vehicle can be guided by a single guide wire 60 by burying the wire to a depth where it cannot be detected (electromagnetic pickup) or by laying it in a position unrelated to the guiding route of the automatic guided vehicle 10. can.

That is, if the preset program in the non-detection section is set to the DE line via the FG line, the automatic guided vehicle 10 will autonomously travel as described above, and when it reaches outside the non-detection section, it will be guided by the guide line DE line. The vehicle then turns or runs in the opposite direction at point E, reaches the non-detection zone again, and is guided along the FC line. Although the description has been made for convenience of explanation and a simple route, it is also applicable to complex routes that combine these.

As is clear from the above explanation, the guide wire 60 in the non-detection section may be arranged in any shape as long as it is energized. The work becomes extremely easy.

(f) Effects According to the present invention, unguided sections or non-detection sections of a predetermined length are provided at intersections, branch points, and transition points of the guided route of the automated guided vehicle, and the automated guided vehicle travels by electromagnetic guidance using the guide wire. When the vehicle reaches the above section, the guidance function is stopped and switched to the autonomous driving function, and the vehicle runs autonomously according to a predetermined program stored in advance. The line is a single frequency 1
A single line is sufficient, and the guidance device of the automatic guided vehicle only needs to have the function of always detecting a single line, so there is no need for a detection control device that covers multiple frequencies, and the unguided or undetected section is where autonomous driving is possible. This has the advantage that burying the guide wire is extremely easy.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is an explanatory diagram of the external appearance of the automatic guided vehicle, Fig. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the route showing an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view explaining the buried state of the guide wire, and Fig. 4 is an explanatory diagram of the guide wire and other parts. FIG. 5 is a plot diagram, and FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of the guide path. 10...Automated guided vehicle, 30...Guidance detector, 40...
...Control device, 60...Guide line, 70...Position detector, 100...Drive mechanism, 200...Steering mechanism.

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) A guideway for an automated guided vehicle that runs on a guide line buried in the floor as a guide route, which is used for intersections, branch points, turning points of the automated guided vehicle, and guidance of the automated guided vehicle on the guided route. A guideway for an automated guided vehicle, characterized in that the automated guided vehicle is guided by a single guide line so that predetermined lengths of unrelated sections are not guided. (2) A traveling system for an automatic guided vehicle that runs on a guide line buried in the floor as a guidance route, which is used for intersections, branch points, turning points of the automatic guided vehicle, and guidance of the automatic guided vehicle on the guidance route. A predetermined length of each unrelated section is defined as a non-guidance section or a non-detection section, and a position detector is provided at the entrance of the automatic guided vehicle in the section, and the automatic guided vehicle is equipped with a guidance detector and a non-detection section. It is equipped with a control device and a drive/steering mechanism, and in the section of the guidance route where guidance is detected, travel is based on the signal from the guidance detector, and in the non-guidance section or non-detection section, the travel is based on the signal from the position detector. What is claimed is: 1. A driving system for an automatic guided vehicle, characterized in that the automatic guided vehicle is configured to switch to autonomous driving based on the above information, and to change and travel in the non-guidance section or the non-detection section according to a program stored in advance in the control device.