KR102558588B1 - Automated guided vehicle with emergency casters - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an automatic guided transport vehicle, which is a movable body that mounts and moves a product being assembled instead of a conveyor so that the product being assembled can become a finished product through each manufacturing process. An automatic guided transport vehicle of the present invention includes a body portion composed of a stage, casters installed on the bottom surface of the stage, and connectors installed on the side surface of the stage, a drive mechanism for transmitting power to at least one of the casters, and a drive portion composed of a control panel for operating the drive mechanism. A means for manually moving the stage when the drive unit is not operated is provided on the bottom surface of the stage in a foldable manner, so that a means for manually towing it easily in a situation where the driving wheels are not operated is provided, and the automatic driving caster and the manual driving caster have an installation structure in which they do not interfere with each other.

Description

Automatic guided vehicle with emergency casters {Automated guided vehicle with emergency casters}

The present invention relates to an automatic guided transport vehicle, and more particularly, to an automatic guided transport vehicle, which is a mobile body that mounts and moves a product under assembly instead of a conveyor so that the product under assembly can become a finished product through each manufacturing process.

An automatic guided vehicle (AGV) is a device that tows a mobile platform that is in the form of a vehicle and is capable of loading products under assembly so that the process movement path can be changed as needed, unlike conveyors that can only be transported through an installed designated path instead of conveying the product that the conveyor conventionally did in the assembly line.

Automated guide trucks have already been developed 30 years ago, but recently they are attracting new attention due to rising labor costs. According to the Korea Transport Institute, the use of automated guide trucks reduces labor costs by 70-80% per hour and increases productivity by 7-15%. In particular, it is suitable for simple transportation work of transporting the same product to a designated area, and has the advantage of being able to operate at full capacity without rest due to the nature of the robot.

Automated guide trucks also have an excellent effect on improving labor productivity by assigning existing simple task workers to more complex and high-level tasks. In other words, product damage can be reduced by up to 90% through battery replacement.

However, the automatic guided transport vehicle has a problem in that it is difficult to move when maintenance is required at a maintenance facility due to breakdown or other reasons, especially when a large moving platform for assembling large-volume products such as vehicles is formed. In addition, even if the moving platform on which the product is mounted is designed to be towed to the driven part because the driven part is separately separable, if a problem occurs in the driving mechanism, it cannot be manually turned off unless the driving wheel is rotated.

1. Korea Patent Registration No. 10-2210063 (Announcement date: 2021. 02. 01)

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an automatic guided transport vehicle provided with a means that can be easily towed manually in a situation where the driving wheels are not operated.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an automatically guided transport vehicle having an installation structure in which autonomous driving casters and manually driving casters do not interfere with each other.

In addition, another object of the present invention is to provide an automatic guided transport vehicle equipped with a means capable of easily and quickly switching to a structure that can be manually towed in a situation where driving wheels are not operated.

An automatic guided transport vehicle according to the present invention for achieving this object includes a body part and a driving part. The main body includes a stage having a certain area, a caster installed on a bottom surface of the stage, and a connector installed on a side surface of the stage. The driving unit includes a driving mechanism for transmitting power to at least one of the casters and a control panel for operating the driving mechanism. A means for manually towing the stage is provided on the lower surface of the stage when the driving unit is not operated.

Preferably, the caster may include a power driving wheel driven to rotate directly by the driving unit, a driven caster supporting the stage together with the power driving wheel, and an emergency caster provided to manually pull the stage when the driving unit is not operated. The means for manually pulling may be the emergency caster.

The emergency caster is preferably provided with an elevating unit for adjusting the height of the emergency caster, and the elevating unit maintains the height of the lower end of the emergency caster higher than the height of the lower end of the power drive wheel and the driven caster when the drive unit is operated, and lowers the emergency caster when the drive unit is not operated.

The emergency caster is preferably connected to the bottom surface of the stage by a variable hinge, the emergency caster and the variable hinge are connected to a variable arm integrally coupled to the emergency caster, a plate-shaped bracket panel is installed on the variable arm, and the elevating unit may include a cam wheel that pushes up or lowers the bottom surface of the bracket panel.

Preferably, a plurality of emergency casters are installed on the lower surface of the stage, each emergency caster is provided with one cam wheel, and the elevating unit may include a variable interlocking frame for simultaneously transmitting power to all of the cam wheels, a manual control lever for manually changing the variable interlocking frame, and a changeover switch box for changing the position of the variable interlocking frame by an operation of the manual control lever.

The changeover switch box preferably includes a piston installed on a moving stick moving on a circumference having a constant radius according to the operation of the manual control lever, a cylinder installed on a fixed stick whose position is fixed at a point away from the circumference, and a compression spring built into the cylinder, and both the moving stick and the fixed stick are rotatably installed in place. Due to the elastic expansion of the compression spring, the piston is withdrawn from the cylinder, and the moving stick can move along the circumference from the approaching point.

Preferably, both the manual control lever and the moving stick are connected to different points of a working wheel installed to passively rotate according to the operation of the manual operating lever, and as the working wheel is rotated by the manual operating lever, the moving stick installed on the working wheel may have a straight line connecting the center of the moving stick and the working wheel as a radius.

A stopper for stopping the operation of the moving stick is installed in the changeover switch box, and preferably, the operation wheel is provided with two seating points spaced apart from each other on which the stopper is seated, and the rotation of the operation wheel can be stopped as one of the two seating points meets the stopper according to the operating direction of the manual control lever.

Alternatively, a stopper for stopping the operation of the moving stick is installed in the changeover switch box, and preferably, a stop control wheel installed on the same rotation axis as the operating wheel is installed on the upper or lower portion of the operating wheel, and the stop control wheel is cut at a predetermined angle. A stopper is formed in two places, and in one of the cut portions, a moving stick seating point is provided at a point facing each other and the stopper is seated at a point facing each other in the other cut portion. A fur seating point is provided, and among the two incised parts, the one having the stopper seating point may have a smaller incision angle.

The automatic guided transport vehicle according to the present invention has the following effects. First, it can be easily towed manually in situations where the driving wheels are not actuated. Second, the automatic driving caster and the manual driving caster do not interfere with each other. Thirdly, it can be simply and quickly converted into a structure that can be manually towed in a situation where the driving wheels are not operated.

1 is a photograph of an automatic guided transport vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2A is a perspective view of an automatic guided transport vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2B is a perspective view in which the moving platform is separated from the automatic guided transport vehicle shown in FIG. 2A.
FIG. 3A is a plan view of the automated guided transport vehicle shown in FIG. 2A.
FIG. 3B is an enlarged view of a part of the automatic guided transport vehicle shown in FIG. 2A.
FIG. 4 is a side view of the automated guided transport vehicle shown in FIG. 3B.
5a and 5b are operational state diagrams of emergency casters shown in FIG. 4 .
6 is a perspective view of a lifting unit in an automatic guided transport vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention.
7A to 7C are planar perspective views sequentially illustrating the operation of the changeover switch box shown in FIG. 6 .

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 2B , the automatic guided transport vehicle 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention is a self-moving body that pulls a moving platform 200 on which an assembled product is mounted. Of the two parts separated from each other in FIG. 2B, the part separated in the front is the automatic guided vehicle 100 according to the present embodiment, and the part in the rear is the moving platform 200. The automatic guided transport vehicle 100 includes a main body and a driving unit.

As shown in FIG. 2B, the main body includes a stage 11 having a certain area, casters 12, 13, and 14 installed on the bottom of the stage 11, and connectors 112 installed on the side of the stage 11. As shown in FIG. 2A , a bumper 111 may be installed on the front of the stage 11 to protect the stage 11 from a collision with an object colliding in front.

There is no particular limitation on the shape of the stage 11, and as shown in the embodiments of FIGS. 1 to 2B, the stage 11 may be combined with the moving platform 200 in a form forming a part of the moving platform 200. However, the shape of the stage 11 is not necessarily limited to the shape of FIGS. 1 to 2B.

The drive unit includes drive mechanisms 22 , 23 , and 24 for transmitting power to at least one of the casters 12 , 13 , and 14 , and a control panel 21 for manipulating the drive mechanism.

More specifically, as shown in FIG. 3B, the drive unit may include a control panel 21, an inverter 22, a power unit 23 including a battery, a PLC control unit 24 responsible for route guidance, and a motor (not shown).

The control panel 21 may be manufactured high in a tower shape as shown in FIGS. 2A and 4, but an embodiment in which it is installed in a low form close to the floor is also possible, and an embodiment in which it is separated from the stay 11 and connected to the stage 11 by cable or wirelessly is also possible.

The casters 12, 13 and 14 are installed on the bottom of the stage 11. In particular, a means for manually moving the stage 11 is provided on the lower surface of the stage 11 when the driving unit is not operated.

More specifically, as in the embodiment of FIG. 3A, the casters 12, 13, and 14 may include a power drive wheel 12 directly rotationally driven by a drive unit, a driven caster 13 supporting the stage 11 together with the power drive wheel 12, and an emergency caster 14 provided to manually move the stage 11 when the drive unit 20 is not operated. The means that can be towed manually corresponds to the emergency caster 14.

Referring to the layout shown in the form of a plan view of FIG. 3A, the power drive wheel 12 is installed at a lower position of the control panel 21, and the driven casters 13 passively interlocked when the power drive wheel 12 is operated are installed symmetrically on both left and right sides. In addition, according to the embodiment of FIG. 3A , emergency casters 14 are installed symmetrically on both sides of the power drive wheel 12, and one is installed behind the power drive wheel 12.

According to the embodiment of FIG. 3A, when the power drive wheel 12 is operated, a total of three wheels are composed of the power drive wheel 12 and the remaining two driven casters 13, and the power drive wheel 12 is broken. There are also three emergency casters 14 used when they do not operate for other reasons. Therefore, in the embodiment of FIG. 3A, it can be seen that each is arranged in a three-point support form, and the main body is installed in a minimum number that can be moved while maintaining balance. However, the number and arrangement of the casters are not necessarily limited to the arrangement of FIG. 3A, and there is no particular limitation on the installation form, number and installation position as long as the main body can move while maintaining balance.

As shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B , the emergency caster 14 may include a lifting unit ( 15 in FIG. 6 ) for adjusting the height of the emergency caster 14 . In particular, the lifting unit 15 maintains the height of the lower end of the emergency caster 14 higher than the height of the lower end of the power drive wheel 12 and the driven caster 13 when the driving unit is operated, and lowers the emergency caster 14 when the drive unit is not operating.

The difference between the height of the emergency caster 14 and the height of the power drive wheel 12 and the driven caster 13 is represented in the embodiment according to FIG. 4 . Here, when the power driving wheel 12 is operated, the emergency caster 14 is lifted slightly. At this time, the height difference from the ground at which the lower ends of the power driving wheels 12 and the driven casters 13 are in contact to the height at which the lower ends of the emergency casters 14 float is represented by “A” in FIG. 4 .

The height difference A between the emergency caster 14 and the rest of the casters 12 and 13 does not necessarily need to be significantly large, and if the emergency caster 14 can be stably maintained in a lifted state as shown in FIG. 4, the height difference A may be a fine size.

5A and 5B, the emergency caster 14 is connected to the bottom of the stage 11 by a variable hinge 145, and the emergency caster 14 and the variable hinge 145 are connected by a variable arm 144 integrally coupled to the emergency caster 14.

The principle that the height of the emergency caster 14 can be adjusted is that the variable arm 144 connected to the variable hinge 145 raises or lowers the height of the emergency caster 14. Here, since the variable hinge 145 is centered on an imaginary horizontal axis, the variable arm 144 is vertically variable with the variable hinge 145 as the center, so that the height of the emergency caster 14 can be adjusted.

A plate-shaped bracket panel 143 is installed on the variable arm 144, and a rotation support arm 142 may be connected between the rotation support shaft 141 of the emergency caster 14 and the bracket panel 143. At this time, the rotation support arm 142 and the variable arm 144 are connected by a hinge shaft in a vertical direction (not shown) so that they can rotate relative to each other in a horizontal direction.

As shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B , the lifting unit 15 may include a cam wheel 151 that pushes up the bottom surface of the bracket panel 143 or separates contact with the bracket panel 143 .

The cam wheel 151 is the same as a cam wheel widely used as a mechanical part, and the type is not particularly limited as long as a protruding shape capable of pushing up the bracket panel 143 is formed.

When the power drive wheel 12 is normally operated, the cam wheel 151 maintains the protruding portion of the cam wheel 151 with the bottom surface of the bracket panel 143 pushed up, as shown in FIG. 43) away from it.

In FIG. 5B, the vertical length to which the emergency caster 14 is lowered is greater than A in FIGS. 4 and 5A. This is because, when referring to FIG. 4 , the power drive wheel 12 and the driven caster 13 can be lifted only when the emergency caster 14 descends deeper than A.

Although not shown in the variable hinge 145, when the contact between the cam wheel 151 and the bracket panel 143 is released to the state of FIG. 5B, the variable hinge 145 due to the weight of the upper portion. A tension spring (not shown) may be installed so that it does not fold back to the state of FIG. 5A. Alternatively, between the upper surface of the bracket panel 143 and the lower surface of the stage 11, when there is no cam wheel 151, the variable hinge 145 and the variable arm 144 can be installed so that the emergency caster 14 can be automatically erected with strong force. Compression springs (not shown) for leveling may be installed around the arm 144.

A plurality of emergency casters 14 are installed on the lower surface of the stage 11, and each emergency caster 14 is provided with one cam wheel 151 as shown in FIG. At this time, as described above, the number of emergency casters 14 may be installed in an appropriate number at a symmetrical position so that the main body can move while maintaining a three-point support or leveling.

As shown in the embodiment of FIG. 6 , the lifting unit 15 may include a variable interlocking frame 153 that simultaneously transmits power to all cam wheels 151, a manual control lever 542 that manually changes the variable interlocking frame 153, and a changeover switch box 154 that changes the position of the variable interlocking frame 153 by the operation of the manual control lever 542.

The variable interlocking frame 153 is eventually changed horizontally or vertically by the operation of the manual control lever 542, and as shown in FIG. 6, the linear motion of the variable interlocking frame 153 may be provided with one cam wheel gearbox 152 that converts the rotational motion of the cam wheel 151 into every cam wheel 151.

As in the embodiments of FIGS. 7A to 7C , the changeover switch box 154 includes a moving stick 544 that moves on a circumference having a constant radius according to the operation of the manual control lever 542, a piston 5471 installed on the moving stick 544, a cylinder 5472 installed on a fixed stick 5476 whose position is fixed at a point spaced apart from the circumference, and a compression spring 5475 built in the cylinder 5472. It may include a manual actuator 547 made of.

Both the moving stick 544 and the stationary stick 5476 are rotatably installed in place. More specifically, as shown in FIGS. 7A to 7C, a cylindrical piston-side rotating sleeve 5473 is coupled to the moving stick 544, and a bearing is installed between the outer circumferential surface of the moving stick 544 and the inner circumferential surface of the piston-side rotating sleeve 5473, so that the piston 5471 is variable along the circumferential direction together with the moving stick 544, and can also rotate with the center of the moving stick 544 as the center of rotation.

In the case of the fixed stick 5476, like the moving stick 544, since a cylinder-side rotating sleeve 5474 similar to the piston-side rotating sleeve 5473 is coupled to the fixed stick 5476, the cylinder 5472 can be rotated based on the center of the fixed stick 5476. Therefore, even if the moving stick 544 is changed along the circumferential direction, the cylinder 5472 and the piston 5471 can be extended and contracted while maintaining a coupled state with each other.

Looking at the states of FIGS. 7A to 7C in order, when the moving stick 544 is moved along the circumference in conjunction with the operation of the manual control lever 542, the piston 5471 is withdrawn from the cylinder 5472 due to the elastic expansion of the compression spring 5475 from the moment the moving stick 544 passes the point where the circumference and the fixed stick 5476 are closest, and the moving stick 544 moves along the circumference from the approaching point. move along

As shown in FIGS. 7A to 7C , the manual control lever 542 and the moving stick 544 are both connected to two different points of the drive wheel 543 that passively rotates according to the operation of the manual control lever 54. At this time, for reference, a gear blade 5432 is formed on the rim of the operating wheel 543 as shown in FIG. 7A, and as shown in FIG. The control transmission gear box 155 converts the rotational motion of the working wheel 543 into the linear motion of the variable interlocking frame 153 shown in FIG. 6 .

As the operation wheel 543 is rotated by the manual control lever 542, the movement stick 544 installed on the operation wheel 543 moves along a circumference having a radius of a straight line connecting the centers of the movement stick 544 and the operation wheel 543. Therefore, when the manual control lever 542 is operated in the order of FIGS. 7A to 7C, the operating wheel 543 moves from the point where the compression spring 5475 built in the cylinder 5472 is maximally compressed as shown in FIG. 7B to the situation in FIG. 7C.

The operation of the piston 5471 interlocked with the rotation of the working wheel 543 must be accurately stopped at the starting point and the ending point. Therefore, the stopper 545 is provided so that the process from FIG. 7a to FIG. 7c and the process from FIG. 7c to FIG. 7a can be accurately ended.

There may be two embodiments in which the operation of the operation wheel 543 is stopped by the stopper 545 . The first embodiment is an embodiment in which the stop control wheel 546 is installed and the stopper 545 stops the stop control wheel 546, as shown in FIGS.

In the first embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 7A to 7C , a stopper 545 for stopping an operation of a moving stick 544 is installed in the changeover switch box 154 . That is, the stopper 545 is fixedly installed inside the case 541 of the changeover switch box 154.

Above or below the working wheel 543, a stop control wheel 546 sharing the same axis of rotation as the working wheel 543 is installed. Here, in the stop control wheel 546, portions cut at a certain angle similar to a fan shape are formed in two places, so that the shape resembles a bat at first glance. At this time, one of the incised parts is provided with a moving stick seating point 5461 where the moving stick 544 is seated at points facing each other.

Stopper seating points 5462 on which the stoppers 545 are seated are provided in the remaining one of the incised portions at opposite points. At this time, among the two incisions, the incision angle of the incision where the stopper seating point 5462 is provided is smaller than the incision angle of the incision where the moving stick seating point 5461 is formed.

Due to the difference in the incision angle, the angle between the stopper seating points 5462 is much smaller than the total angle at which the working wheel 543 rotates during the process from FIG. 7A to FIG. 7C, so the stopper 545 or the working wheel 543 durability can be guaranteed.

Both the stopper seating point 5462 and the moving stick seating point 5461 have a concave shape as shown in FIGS. 7A to 7C .

A second embodiment in which the operation of the driving wheel 543 is stopped by the stopper 545 is an embodiment in which a stopper seating point is formed on the upper or lower surface of the driving wheel 543, although not shown. More specifically, the operating wheel 543 is provided with two seating points spaced apart from each other where the stopper 545 is seated, and either one of the two seating points meets the stopper 545 according to the operating direction of the manual control lever 542, thereby stopping the rotation of the operating wheel 543 (not shown).

Although the first embodiment in which the stop control wheel 546 is installed among the two embodiments is a form in which more parts are added, in terms of stability of the device, the embodiment of FIGS. 7A to 7C in which the stop control wheel 546 is installed can further improve the durability of the device.

The present invention described above is not limited by the above-described embodiments and the accompanying drawings, and various substitutions, modifications, and changes are possible within the scope of the technical spirit of the present invention. It will be clear to those skilled in the art.

11: stage 12: power drive wheel
13: driven caster 14: emergency caster
15: lifting unit 21: control panel
22: inverter 23: power unit
24: PLC control unit 100: automatic guided transport vehicle
111: bumper 112: connector
141: rotation support shaft 142: rotation support arm
143: bracket panel 144: variable arm
145: variable hinge 151: cam wheel
152: cam wheel gearbox 153: variable linkage frame
154: changeover switch box 155: control transmission gearbox
156: frame guide 200: moving platform
541 case 542 manual operation lever
543: operation wheel 544: movement stick
545: stopper 546: stop control wheel
547 Manual actuator 1551 Transmission gear
5431: wheel rotation axis 5432: gear blade
5461: moving stick seating point 5462: stopper seating point
5471: Piston 5472: Cylinder
5473: piston side rotating sleeve 5474: cylinder side rotating sleeve
5475: compression spring 5476: fixed stick

Claims (9)

Including a body part and a driving part,
The main body includes a stage having a constant area and a caster installed on a bottom surface of the stage,
The driving unit includes a driving mechanism for transmitting power to at least one of the casters, and a control panel for manipulating the driving mechanism,
The caster includes a power drive wheel driven directly to rotate by the drive unit, a driven caster supporting the stage together with the power drive wheel, and an emergency caster configured to manually pull the stage when the drive unit is not operated,
The emergency caster has a lifting unit for adjusting the height of the emergency caster,
The emergency caster is connected to the lower surface of the stage by a variable hinge,
The emergency caster has a variable arm to be connected to the variable hinge,
A plate-shaped bracket panel is installed on the variable arm,
The lifting unit has a cam wheel that pushes up or lowers the bottom surface of the bracket panel,
The lifting unit maintains the height of the lower end of the emergency caster higher than the height of the lower end of the power drive wheel and the driven caster when the drive unit is operated, and lowers the emergency caster when the drive unit is not operated. delete delete delete According to claim 1,
A plurality of emergency casters are installed on the lower surface of the stage,
One cam wheel is provided for each emergency caster,
The lifting unit includes a variable linkage frame for simultaneously transmitting power to all of the cam wheels, a manual control lever for manually changing the variable linkage frame, and a changeover switch box for changing the position of the variable linkage frame by an operation of the manual control lever. According to claim 5,
The changeover switch box includes a piston installed on a moving stick that moves on a circumference having a constant radius according to the operation of the manual control lever, a cylinder installed on a fixed stick whose position is fixed at a point spaced apart from the circumference, and a compression spring built into the cylinder,
Both the moving stick and the fixed stick are rotatably installed in place,
When the movement stick is moved along the circumference in conjunction with the operation of the manual control lever, the piston is withdrawn from the cylinder due to elastic expansion of the compression spring from the moment the movement stick passes the point where the circumference and the fixed stick are closest, and the movement stick moves along the circumference from the point of proximity. According to claim 6,
Both the manual operation lever and the moving stick are connected to different points of the operation wheel installed to passively rotate according to the operation of the manual operation lever,
As the operating wheel is rotated by the manual operating lever, the moving stick installed on the operating wheel moves along a circumference having a radius of a straight line connecting the center of the operating wheel and the moving stick. According to claim 7,
A stopper for stopping the operation of the moving stick is installed in the changeover switch box,
The operating wheel is provided with two seating points spaced apart from each other on which the stopper is seated,
An automatic guided transport vehicle in which rotation of the operation wheel is stopped while one of the two seating points meets the stopper according to the direction of operation of the manual operation lever. According to claim 7,
A stopper for stopping the operation of the moving stick is installed in the changeover switch box,
A stop control wheel installed on the same rotation axis as the operating wheel is installed above or below the operating wheel,
The stop control wheel is formed with two parts cut at a predetermined angle, and one of the cut parts is provided with a moving stick seating point at which the moving stick is seated at a point facing each other,
The other one of the incised parts is provided with a stopper seating point at a point facing each other, respectively, at which the stopper is seated,
Of the two incisions, the one with the stopper seating point has a smaller incision angle.