JPS62242206A - Unmanned carrying car - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To detect an obstacle existing on the side of a main body by providing on each side of an unmanned carrying car a pair of movable transmitter and receiver that receives signals from the transmitter movably. CONSTITUTION:Light projectors 10 that become transmitters and light receivers 11 that become receivers are attached to the lower corners of the sides 2c of a main body through springs 12, 12 respectively. When an obstacle approaches the side 2c closer than the projected end of a bumper 5, the light receivers 11 do not detect light 13 from the light projectors 10, and thereby, presence of an obstacle is detected. When the obstacle comes into contact with one of light projectors and receivers 10, 11, one of light projectors and receivers 10, 11 moves resisting the force of springs 12, and optical axes of the projectors and receivers 10, 11 become discordant. In this case too, light receiving in the light receiving sections 11 is intercepted and the obstacle is detected. Driving of the unmanned carrying car 1 is stopped by this detecting action. Thus, the safety can be secured.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to an automatic guided vehicle, and more particularly to an automatic guided vehicle capable of detecting obstacles on the sides of its main body.

[Conventional technology]

A conventional device of this kind will be explained based on FIGS. 4 to 6. FIG. 4 is a plan view of a conventional automated guided vehicle, FIG. 5 is a side view thereof, and FIG. 6 is a plan view showing a state in which there is an obstacle on the side. The automatic guided vehicle (1) is equipped with a pair of driving wheels (3), (3) and two driven wheels (4), (4) on the lower surface of its main body (2).
) is equipped with driving wheels (3) on both sides of the center of the lower surface and driven wheels (4) on the lower surface.

By driving these drive wheels (3), (3), the vehicle travels forward and backward and changes the direction of travel. Furthermore, the front surface (2a) and the rear surface (2
b) are each loaded with a bumper (5). This bumper (5) is formed in a size that slightly protrudes from both sides of the main body (2), and in the middle thereof, the bumper (5) extends slightly from both sides of the main body (2).
) with a pair of support rods (θ), (6) and springs (7), (7'
), and is configured to resiliently retract when the bumper (5) comes into contact with an obstacle (not shown). When it moved backward, the protrusion (8) protruding inward from the main body (2) of one support rod (8) moved inward and contacted the limit switch (9), causing the automatic guided vehicle (1) to come into contact with an obstacle. Automated guided vehicle (1)
Trying to stop the progress.

Therefore, if an obstacle exists in the direction of movement of the automatic guided vehicle (1), the automatic guided vehicle (1) will collide with the obstacle. Then, when the bumper (5) retreats toward the main body (2) and moves its support rod (6) and protrusion (8), the protrusion (8) touches the limit switch (9) and the automatic guided vehicle (
1) Automatically stop.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) However, in the conventional automatic guided vehicle (1), no means was taken to detect obstacles present on the sides of the main body (2). , even if a worker approaches the automated guided vehicle (1) while it is stopped, as shown in Figure 6, this cannot be detected, and the automated guided vehicle (1) continues to move forward. Then, there was a risk that the worker might be caught by the bumper (5).

Furthermore, although many automatic guided vehicles (1) are capable of turning, these vehicles interfere with obstacles on the sides of the main body (2) when turning, causing problems similar to those described above.

The present invention has been made in order to solve the problems with vehicles, and proposes an automatic guided vehicle (1) that can detect obstacles on the sides of the main body (2).

[Means for solving problems]

The present invention provides movable pairs of transmitters and receivers for receiving signals from the transmitters on each side of the automatic guided vehicle, and blocks obstacles present on the sides of the vehicle by blocking reception at the receivers. It is designed to be detected.

[Effect]

According to the present invention, if there is an obstacle on the side of the automatic guided vehicle main body, signal reception by the receiver is interrupted and the obstacle can be detected. In addition, if an obstacle comes into contact with either of the transmitters and receivers, the signal from the transmitter will deviate from the normal direction, so the signal will not be received by the receiver, and even in this case, the contacting obstacle will be detected. be able to.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, based on the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 3,
The same reference numerals are given to the same or equivalent parts as in the conventional art, and the explanation thereof will be omitted, and the description will focus on the features of the present invention. Figures 1 and 2 show diagrams corresponding to Figures 4 and 5, respectively;
Figure 3 shows an enlarged view of the main parts of this embodiment.
In this embodiment, an example in which light is used as a signal will be explained. As is clear from FIGS. 1 and 2, the emitter (lO) serves as a transmitter and the receiver (11) serves as a receiver.
) have springs (1
2) and (12). The light (13) from the projector (lO) is installed with the optical axes aligned so that the light (13) is received by the light receiver (11). FIG. 3 shows an enlarged view of this attached state.

The projecting positions of the light emitters and receivers (10) and (11) from the side surface (2C) are arranged to approximately coincide with the projecting end of the bumper (5). This will cause the bumper (5
) is designed to detect an obstacle (not shown) located inside the projecting end. In other words, when an obstacle approaches the side of the bumper (5) beyond the protruding end, closer to the surface (2C), the light receiver (11) receives the light (1) from the projector (10).
3) is not detected, but the presence of an obstacle is detected. Furthermore, when an obstacle comes into contact with either the light emitter/receiver (IQ), (11), either of the light emitter/receiver (lo), m) is displaced against the spring force of the spring (12), causing both of them to move. The optical axes of (10) and (11) no longer match, and in this case as well, light reception at the light receiver (11) is blocked and an obstacle is detected.

Therefore, if an obstacle approaches the side surface (2C) of the main body by a certain distance or more, the light emitter/receiver (10), (it) will surely operate to detect it, no matter from which direction it approaches. Safety can be ensured by stopping the drive of the automatic guided vehicle (+) by this detection operation.

Furthermore, the light emitter and receiver (10) and (11) are small and lightweight, so they can be easily installed.

Although the above embodiments have been described using light as a signal, it is clear that the same effect can be obtained even if the signal is an ultrasonic wave or the like.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to reliably detect an obstacle approaching the side of the automatic guided vehicle, and further ensure operational safety.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an embodiment of an automatic guided vehicle according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a side view thereof, FIG. ff13 is an enlarged view of the main part of FIG. 2, and FIG. FIG. 5 is a view corresponding to FIG. 1 showing the conventional device, FIG. 5 is a view corresponding to FIG. 2, and FIG. 6 is a plan view showing a state in which there is an obstacle on the side of the main body. In the figure, (1) is an automatic guided vehicle, (2) is the main body, (l
O) is the emitter (transmitter), (11) is the receiver (receiver), (12) is the spring,
(13) is light (signal). In each figure, the same reference numerals indicate the same or corresponding parts. Agent Masuo Oiwa Figure 3 Figure 6

Claims (5)

[Claims] (1) In an automatic guided vehicle that detects obstacles in the front and rear of the traveling direction and stops, a transmitter and a receiver that receives signals from the transmitter are provided on each side of the vehicle body, and An automatic guided vehicle characterized in that an obstacle present on the side of the guided vehicle body is detected by blocking reception. (2) The automatic guided vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the signal is light. (3) The automatic guided vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the signal is a sound wave. (4) The automatic guided vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the transmitter and receiver are movably attached by contact with the obstacle. (5) The automated guided vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the transmitter and receiver are respectively attached to lower corners of the guided vehicle body.