JPS62293322A - Projecting value variable bumper for unmanned carrier - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve the driving safety of an unmanned carrier and also the workability of the carrier in a narrow place by using a collision sensor to detect a contact between an obstacle and a bumper attached to the carrier in its traveling direction and controlling the length of the bumper projected from the carrier body in response to a low-speed or high-speed drive mode. CONSTITUTION:A traveling driver 8 is set to an unmanned carrier 1 and a bumper 13 is attached to the carrier 1 at its driving direction. A collision sensor 11 detects a contact between the bumper 13 and an obstacle. While a controller 7 of the carrier 1 is connected with the sensor 11 and a stop signal of the carrier 1 is applied to the driver 8 from the controller 7 when the bumper 13 has a contact with an obstacle. Furthermore, a projected length controller 12 is provided to the carrier 1 to set the minimum and maximum length of the bumper 13 in the low-speed and high-speed drive modes of the carrier 1, respectively in response to the speed signal received from the controller 7. Thus it is possible to improve the driving safety of the carrier 1 and also to improve the workability of the carrier 1 in a narrow place.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention 3. Detailed Description of the Invention [Object of the Invention] (Industrial Application Field) The present invention provides a protrusion for an automatic guided vehicle that is arranged on an automatic guided vehicle that automatically transports articles. Regarding a variable amount bumper.

(Prior art) In general, automatic guided vehicles that transport goods are at risk of collision if a problem occurs in the travel control system, or if an obstacle or worker is located on the transport path. There is a risk of damaging these obstacles or injuring workers.

Therefore, for safety reasons, many automatic guided vehicles are equipped with a bumper that is provided to protrude in the direction of travel and has a collision sensor that not only alleviates the impact in the event of a collision but also detects this impact and stops the automatic guided vehicle.

(Problem to be solved by the invention) However, in such automatic guided vehicles, it is necessary to increase the protrusion length of the bumper for safety. There is a problem in that it is difficult to move, load and unload between a large number of large manufacturing equipment, such as in a clean room for high quality semiconductor manufacturing. Such problems are particularly important for automatic guided vehicles that carry out transportation in dust-free rooms, etc., where construction costs per floor area are high.

The present invention was made in response to such conventional circumstances, and aims to improve safety and workability in narrow spaces (high speed, etc.).
The object of the present invention is to provide a variable protrusion type bumper for an automatic guided vehicle that can simultaneously improve the performance of the vehicle.

[Structure of the Invention] (Means for Solving the Problems) That is, the variable protrusion height type bumper for an automatic guided vehicle of the present invention has the following features:
a bumper disposed on the traveling direction side of an automatic guided vehicle body having a driving drive device; a collision sensor for detecting contact between the bumper and an obstacle; The vehicle is equipped with a protrusion length adjustment device that changes the protrusion length according to the speed, such that the protrusion length is short when traveling at low speeds and longer when traveling at high speeds.

(Function) In the variable protrusion amount bumper for an automatic guided vehicle of the present invention, the protrusion length adjustment device allows the protrusion length of the bumper from the automatic guided vehicle body to be short at low speeds where the stopping distance is short, and at high speeds where the stopping distance is long. It is adjusted longer when driving.

(Example) Hereinafter, an example of a variable protrusion type bumper for an automatic guided vehicle according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows an automatic guided vehicle that is equipped with a variable protrusion amount bumper for automatic guided vehicles according to an embodiment of the present invention and that transports semiconductor wafers in a dust-free room. The vehicle body 1 uses an extendable workpiece loading/unloading arm 2 to load a semiconductor wafer storage carrier 3 into a transportable goods storage section 6 filled with air purified by a fan 4 and a HEPA filter 5 provided on the top. The vehicle is housed therein and travels in the direction of the arrow shown in the figure by a travel drive device 8 controlled by a control device 7. In addition, at the bottom of the automatic guided vehicle body 1,
An exhaust fan 10 is provided to exhaust air to the outside via a HEPA filter 9, and is configured to prevent dust generated within the automatic guided vehicle body 1 from being exhausted to the outside.

In the direction of movement of the automatic guided vehicle body 1, a control device 7 is provided.
A bumper 13 is provided with a collision sensor 11 connected to the bumper 13 and a protrusion length adjustment device 12.

In the variable protrusion type bumper for an automatic guided vehicle of this embodiment having the above configuration, when the bumper 13 comes into contact with an obstacle, the collision sensor 11 detects this and causes the control device 7 to stop the traveling drive device 8, and the automatic guided vehicle Stop the main body 1.

Further, the protrusion length adjusting device 12 adjusts the protrusion length of the bumper 13 to the shortest length when the automatic guided vehicle body 1 is stopped, as shown in FIG. As shown in Figure 2(b), when driving at high speed,
Adjust the protrusion length.

This protrusion length is controlled to be approximately proportional to the square of the traveling speed, and is the distance required for the automatic guided vehicle body 1 to stop after the collision sensor 11 detects contact with an obstacle at each traveling speed. is set slightly longer than the actual value.

In addition, when the bumper 13 comes into contact with an obstacle, the bumper 13 is designed to instantly minimize its protrusion length or to be pushed by the obstacle and freely contract, thereby reducing the impact of the collision with the obstacle. Controlled to prevent participation.

In this embodiment described above, the protruding length of the bumper 13 is made variable depending on the required stopping distance at the traveling speed, so for example, when turning at a low-speed intersection, etc. In this case, the protruding length of the bumper 13 is shortened, making it possible to turn in a narrow space and improving work efficiency.

In addition, the protrusion length is always controlled to be longer than the required stopping distance, and when it comes into contact with an obstacle, the protrusion length is instantly reduced to the shortest length or is pushed by the obstacle and freely retracts. The risk of damaging property or injuring workers is reduced, and safety can be ensured.

In addition, the protrusion length of the bumper is expressed as the vertical axis is the protrusion length of the bumper,
As shown by the solid lines C and d in the graphs of Figure 3 and Figure 4, respectively, where the horizontal axis is the running speed, the control can be controlled depending on the application, such as by changing continuously or in steps. You can choose the method. Moreover, these controls can be realized by controlling the drive amount of an actuator that controls the protrusion length of the bumper, etc., using a speed signal.

FIG. 5 shows the main parts of another embodiment, and the automatic guided vehicle of this embodiment has rod-shaped bumpers 13a at both ends of the automatic guided vehicle main body 1 in the direction of movement, and this bumper 13a is rotated. A protrusion length adjusting device 12a1 that changes the protrusion length by changing the protrusion length, and a collision sensor 11a that detects pressure applied from the front direction to the bumper 13a are provided.

In this embodiment with the above configuration, the protrusion length adjusting device 12a is configured to slide and rotate in response to a rotational force exceeding a certain value generated by pressure applied from the front to the bumper 13a, and is configured to rotate due to the impact of contact. absorb.

In addition, the protrusion length of the bumper 13a is determined by the actually measured distance J required for the automatic guided vehicle body 1 to stop after the collision sensor 11a detects contact between the bumper 13a and an obstacle. : The length can be adjusted to be glossy and long, and the same effect as the above-mentioned embodiment can be obtained.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, with the variable protrusion amount bumper for an automatic guided vehicle of the present invention, it is possible to simultaneously improve safety and improve workability in a narrow space.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing an automatic guided vehicle equipped with a variable protrusion amount bumper for an automatic guided vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a top view of FIG. 1, and FIGS. The figure is a graph showing an example of controlling the amount of bumper protrusion, and FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing an automatic guided vehicle according to another embodiment. 1... Automated guided vehicle body, 7... Control device, 8... Traveling drive device, 11...
Collision sensor, 12... Protrusion length adjustment device, 13
・・・・・・・・・Bumper. Applicant Tokyo Electron Co., Ltd. Agent Patent Attorney Sasa Suyama - Figure 1 (a) (b) Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) A bumper disposed on the traveling direction side of the automatic guided vehicle main body having a driving drive device, a collision sensor that detects contact between the bumper and an obstacle, and a collision sensor for detecting contact between the bumper and the automatic guided vehicle main body. A variable protrusion amount bumper for an automatic guided vehicle, comprising a protrusion length adjustment device that changes the protrusion length in the traveling direction to be shorter when traveling at low speeds and longer when traveling at high speeds depending on the speed.