JP2694015B2 - Work vehicle guidance device - Google Patents

Description

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a work vehicle guide device for automatically traveling a work vehicle along a spiral traveling path.

[Conventional technology]

For example, when the work vehicle is configured as a cleaning work vehicle that cleans a passage in a building, if a guide line is fixedly provided in the passage that is the traveling route of the work vehicle, There is a risk that the aesthetic appearance may be impaired due to the guide line.

Therefore, conventionally, a work vehicle is provided with line detection means for detecting a guidance line and steering control means for controlling the steering so that the vehicle automatically travels along the guidance line based on the detection information of the line detection means. While forming the guide line with the liquid or the like that evaporates when time elapses on the traveling surface corresponding to the center side of the spiral traveling route than the line detection means as the vehicle travels, the previously formed guiding line A technique has been proposed in which a work vehicle is automatically driven on the basis of line detection information so that a guide line does not remain in the running trace of the work vehicle (see, for example, Japanese Patent Publication No. 63-501664).

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

According to the above-mentioned conventional technology, since the forming material of the guide line is evaporated and the guide line is to be erased, it is necessary to follow a predetermined work before the guide line disappears. There is a restriction on work time because it must be done, and even if an attempt is made to form a guide line that can be easily detected by the line detecting means, the molding material of the guide line must be selected so that it evaporates over time. However, there is a drawback that it is difficult to reliably travel along the guide line of the work vehicle.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, while being able to automatically drive a work vehicle without fixedly providing a guide line, it is less susceptible to time constraints in performing work, Moreover, it is an object of the present invention to ensure that the work vehicle can be automatically driven along the guide line.

[Means for solving the problem]

A characteristic configuration of the present invention for achieving the above object is a guide device for a work vehicle that automatically runs the work vehicle along a spiral traveling path, wherein line detection is performed on the work vehicle to detect a guide line. Means, steering control means for controlling the steering so that the vehicle travels along the guiding line based on the detection information of the line detecting means, and the spiral traveling path than the line detecting means in association with traveling. The line forming means for supplying the line forming material to the running surface corresponding to the center side of the guide line to form the guide line, and the line forming material located on the rear side of the line detecting means along with the traveling are collected. Line erasing means for erasing the guiding line is provided, the line detecting means and the line forming means are provided in a state of being separated from each other in the lateral direction of the vehicle body, and the line erasing means is provided for the line erasing means. It is provided on the rear side of the sensor detection means.

(Operation)

Basically, by controlling the steering based on the detection information of the line detection means, while being configured to automatically travel along the guidance line, while utilizing the travel of the work vehicle,
The guide line in the traveling route to be traveled next is formed in a spiral with the guide line currently being detected by the line detecting means by the line forming means provided in a state of being separated from the line detecting means in the lateral direction of the vehicle body. It can be formed as a thing with running. Further, the line erasing means located on the rear side of the line detecting means which is a running trace erases the guide line after being detected by the line detecting means. The guide line is supplied to form the guide line, and the line forming material is collected to erase the guide line. Therefore, while the guide line which is easy to detect by the line detecting means is contact formed, The guidance line can be deleted.

〔The invention's effect〕

Therefore, the work vehicle can be automatically run along the spiral travel route without fixedly providing the guide line, but is less subject to time constraints in performing work, and the work vehicle is It is easy to drive automatically along the guide line.

〔Example〕

An embodiment in the case where the present invention is applied to a guide device for a cleaning work vehicle will be described below with reference to the drawings.

As shown in FIG. 3, a cleaning work vehicle (V) is provided with a pair of left and right propulsion wheels (1) at a front portion of a vehicle body and faces a single-wheel steering wheel (2) provided at a rear portion of the vehicle body. It is configured to steer by changing.

A rotary brush (3) for cleaning and a sprinkler (4) for spraying the cleaning liquid on the running surface, which is the cleaning action point of the rotary brush (3), are provided on the front side of the propulsion wheel (1). On the rear side of the propulsion wheel (1), a water absorption roller (5) for coming into contact with the traveling surface to absorb and collect the cleaning liquid on the traveling surface is rotated around an axis along the lateral direction of the vehicle body as the vehicle travels. It is provided to do.

Although not described in detail, the water absorbing roller (5) has a water absorbing property by winding a member formed by foaming PVA (polyvinyl alcohol) or the like into a sponge shape on the outer peripheral portion of a cylindrical roller body. I am allowed to do it. Then, the absorbed cleaning liquid is squeezed out by the sewage recovery device (A) which comes into contact with the outer peripheral portion of the water absorption roller (5) and is recovered on the vehicle body side.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the traveling route of the working vehicle (V) is formed in a spiral shape, and the lateral side portion of the working vehicle (V) is on the outer peripheral side of the spiral traveling path. Down,
A pair of operation control sensors (6) as line detection means for detecting a guide line (L) formed along the traveling route are provided so as to be spaced apart in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body. By automatically operating the steering wheels (5) based on the detection information of the pair of steering control sensors (6) to perform steering control, the work vehicle (V) is guided to the guide line (L). ), The spiral traveling path is automatically traveled from the outer peripheral direction toward the inner peripheral direction, so that the traveling surface in the set range can be automatically cleaned.

In the rear part of the vehicle body on the same side as the steering control sensor (6), a used guidance line (L) located behind the steering control sensor (6) is erased as the vehicle travels. A line erasing unit (7) as a line erasing means is provided, and the lateral direction of the vehicle body opposite to the steering control sensor (6) is accompanied by the steering control sensor ( A line forming portion (8) as a line forming means for forming the guide line (L) is provided on the traveling surface corresponding to the center side of the spiral steering path rather than 6).

That is, the work vehicle (V) forms a guide line (L) to be traveled next as the work vehicle (V) travels inside the spiral traveling path, and is located at a travel mark ( It is configured to automatically run along the guide line (L) formed in the work while erasing L).

However, the guide line (L), which is the first outer circumference of the spiral traveling route, is formed by artificially driving the work vehicle (V) to run, or artificially formed in advance. I will leave it.

Although not described in detail, when the vehicle travels along the spiral travel path to the innermost circumference, the guide line (L) is lost, so that the steering control sensor (6) is operated by the guide line. When (L) is no longer detected, it is determined that the work is completed and the traveling is stopped.

Explaining the guide line (L), by applying or dropping a water-based paint or the like having a light reflectance and a color different from the traveling surface on which the work vehicle (V) travels on the traveling surface in a set width. To form.

Therefore, the line forming unit (8) is configured as a roller type so as to apply or drip the water-based paint on the running surface as it runs, or has a dropping nozzle or the like. (7) is configured as a roller type having the same configuration as the water absorbing roller (5) so as to absorb the paint applied to the traveling surface as the vehicle travels. The steering control sensor (6) is of an optical type so that it can detect the displacement of the vehicle body position in the lateral direction of the guiding line (L) based on the difference in light reflectance and the difference in color. Will be done.

Next, a control configuration for automatically traveling the work vehicle (V) along the guidance line (L) will be described.

As shown in FIG. 2, the steering for controlling the operation of the steering motor (9) for operating the steering wheel (5) based on the detection information of the pair of front and rear steering control sensors (6). A control device (10) as a control means (100) is provided.
In the figure, (11) is a drive motor for the propulsion wheels (4).

That is, in the vehicle lateral direction with respect to the guidance line (L), the state of deviation in the vehicle lateral direction with respect to the guidance line (L) in each of the vehicle front and rear directions detected by the pair of front and rear steering control sensors (6) causes Is obtained, and the inclination with respect to the traveling direction is obtained from the difference between the front and rear deviation states. Based on the information on the position in the lateral width direction and the inclination with respect to the traveling direction, the steering motor (9) performs the steering operation. The steering wheel (2) is steered to operate the work vehicle (V).
Will be controlled to automatically run along the guide line (L).

(Another embodiment)

In the above-mentioned embodiment, the case where the guide line (L) is formed by the water-based paint is exemplified, but for example,
It may be formed of powder or the like. In addition to the continuous formation, the guide lines (L) may be formed so as to be positioned at intervals along the traveling direction.
Various changes can be made.

Further, in the above embodiment, the case where the pair of front and rear steering control sensors (6) as the line detecting means is provided is illustrated, but the steering control sensor (6) is operated based on the detection information of one steering control sensor (6). The direction may be controlled.

In the above embodiment, the line erasing section (7) as the line erasing means is provided at the rear part of the vehicle body. However, for example, the rotary brush (3) and the water absorbing roller (5) are used. The guiding line (L) may be erased, and the specific configurations of the respective parts such as the specific configurations of the guiding line (L) forming means and the erasing means can be variously changed.

In the claims, reference numerals are provided for convenience of comparison with the drawings, but the present invention is not limited to the structure shown in the attached drawings.

[Brief description of the drawings]

The drawings show an embodiment of a guide device for a work vehicle according to the present invention,
FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of a travel route, FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a control configuration, and FIG. 3 is a schematic side view of a work vehicle. (L) ... Guide line, (V) ... Work vehicle, (6) ...
... Line detecting means (7) ... Line erasing means (8)
...... Line forming means (100) …… Steering control means.

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A guide device for a work vehicle that automatically travels the work vehicle (V) along a spiral traveling path, wherein line detection is performed to detect a guide line (L) on the work vehicle (V). A means (6), a steering control means (100) for controlling the steering so that the vehicle travels along the guiding line (L) based on the detection information of the line detection means (6); Line forming means (8) for forming the guide line (L) by supplying a line forming material onto a traveling surface corresponding to the center side of the spiral traveling path with respect to the line detecting means (6); Line erasing means (7) for collecting the line forming material located on the rear side of the line detecting means (6) and erasing the guide line (L) as the vehicle travels is provided, and the line detecting means ( 6) and the line forming means (8) in the lateral direction of the vehicle body Provided in a state that between, and, work vehicle guidance system which is provided on the rear side of the line erase means (7) is the line detecting means (6).