JP7338446B2 - carriage - Google Patents

Description

An embodiment of the present invention relates to a carrier.

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, in automated warehouses and the like, self-propelled carriages have been used as means for transporting objects to be transported. The carriage is equipped with, for example, a conveyor unit, and the conveyor unit can automatically receive the object to be conveyed from the carry-out port of the stocker and transfer the object to be conveyed to the carry-in port of the stocker.

Such a carriage is equipped with a drive unit composed of various devices necessary for traveling. The drive unit includes, for example, a drive device for rotating the wheels, a control device for controlling the drive device, a battery for supplying power to the drive device and the control device, and the like. Such a drive unit is covered with a cover member in order to protect it from external shocks, dirt, etc., and to prevent an operator from accidentally touching it for the safety of the operator.

However, such a cover member is usually fixed to the truck body with screws or the like. For this reason, conventionally, when performing maintenance on a drive unit, for example, an operator removes a cover member covering the drive unit and exposes the drive unit by using a tool such as a screwdriver to remove the screw fixing the cover member. had to remove it. In this case, the operator needs to select and prepare an appropriate tool, and it takes time and effort to attach and detach the cover member. As a result, there is room for improvement in workability during maintenance.

JP 2019-99279 A

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to expose the drive unit in a state where maintenance can be performed without using tools when performing maintenance on the drive unit provided inside the cover member. To provide a carriage capable of

The carriage (10) according to claim 1 comprises a carriage body (20), a drive unit (40) having wheels (41) and provided on the carriage body for rotationally driving the wheels, and the carriage body. a cover member (50) which can be opened and closed by rotating around a shaft member (60) provided in the cover member (50), which covers the drive unit when closed and exposes the drive unit when opened; , provided.

In order to eliminate the need for tools when attaching and detaching the cover member, it is conceivable to fix the cover member to the carriage body by, for example, providing snap-fit structures at the four corners of the cover member. However, if the cover member is fixed to the carriage body by a snap-fit structure for the carriage body that moves while frequently changing the traveling direction, rattling or the like is likely to occur. Moreover, in such a configuration, the snap-fit structures at the four corners must be removed, which increases the trouble of attaching and detaching the cover member.

On the other hand, according to this configuration, the cover member is configured to open and close by rotating about the shaft member. Therefore, when performing maintenance on the drive unit, for example, the operator can open the cover member without using a tool such as a screwdriver to expose the drive unit in a state where maintenance can be performed. Similarly, for example, after maintenance of the drive unit is finished, the operator can close the cover member without using a tool such as a screwdriver to cover the drive unit with the cover member. Furthermore, since the cover member is rotatably fixed to the carriage body by the shaft member, rattling can be suppressed. As described above, according to this configuration, while suppressing rattling of the cover member when the carriage is traveling, a tool such as a screwdriver is not required for exposing the drive unit, thereby improving workability during maintenance of the drive unit. can be improved.

Furthermore, when the cover member is closed, a force acts on the cover member in the opposite direction to the opening direction, that is, in the closing direction due to its own weight. As a result, it is possible to prevent the cover member from being unintentionally opened due to vibration or the like caused by traveling of the carriage.

The perspective view which shows an example of the carrier by one Embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a configuration around a cover member and a drive unit of the carriage according to the embodiment, and showing a state in which the cover member is closed; Cross-sectional view of the carriage according to one embodiment, shown along line X3-X3 in FIG. Cross-sectional view of the carriage according to one embodiment, taken along line X4-X4 in FIG. Cross-sectional view of the carriage according to one embodiment, taken along line X5-X5 in FIG. Sectional view showing an enlarged portion indicated by X6 in FIG. 5 for the carriage according to one embodiment FIG. 4 shows the configuration around the cover member and the driving unit of the carriage according to the embodiment, and shows the state in which the cover member is open; FIG. 5 equivalent view showing a case where a shaft member and a cover member are removed from the carriage according to one embodiment

An embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.
For example, in an automated warehouse or the like, a carrier-equipped carriage 10 receives an object to be transported from an outlet of a stocker, and then travels on rails (not shown) to the inlet of the stocker and conveys the object to the inlet. It is a carriage that can deliver objects. In the following description, the carrier-equipped carrier 10 is simply referred to as the carrier 10 .

As shown in FIG. 1, the carrier 10 includes a carrier body 20, a conveyor unit 30, a drive unit 40, a cover member 50, a shaft member 60, and a holding mechanism . In this case, as indicated by the arrows in FIG. 1, the running direction of the carriage 10 and the width direction of the conveyor unit 30 match. In this case, the direction perpendicular to the traveling direction of the carriage 10 is defined as the width direction of the carriage 10 . The transfer direction of the conveyor unit 30 matches the width direction of the carriage 10 . That is, the conveyor unit 30 conveys the object to be conveyed in a direction perpendicular to the running direction of the carriage 10 .

The carriage body 20 is a base portion of the carriage 10 , and includes, for example, a plurality of, in this case, three rod-shaped frames 21 and a base plate 22 . The carriage body 20 as a whole is elongated in the traveling direction of the carriage 10 . As shown in FIG. 3 and the like, the frame 21 is composed of a member such as an aluminum channel whose cross section is formed in a U-shape or a U-shape with a downward opening. The base plate 22 is formed by bending a metal plate member, and serves as a base for installing the drive unit 40 . The base plate 22 is provided at a portion corresponding to the drive unit 40, specifically, at both end portions of the carriage body 20 in the traveling direction.

The conveyor unit 30 is located on the upper surface of the truck body 20 and is provided in the central portion of the truck body 20 in the longitudinal direction. The conveyor unit 30 is configured so that an object to be conveyed can be placed thereon, and has a function of transferring the object to be conveyed placed on the conveyor unit 30 in a direction perpendicular to the traveling direction of the carriage body 20. have. As shown in FIG. 1, the conveyor unit 30 includes a conveyor frame 31, a support member 32, a rotating shaft 33, a conveyor belt 34, a conveyor cover 35, and other pulleys, motors, etc. (not shown). .

The drive units 40 are provided at both ends of the carriage body 20 in the longitudinal direction. Each drive unit 40 includes two wheels 41, a drive device 42, a control device 43, a battery 44, etc., as shown in FIG. In one drive unit 40 , two wheels 41 are provided outside both ends of the carriage body 20 in the width direction. Each wheel 41 is mounted on a rail (not shown). As a result, the carriage 10 runs on rails (not shown). The driving device 42 is, for example, an electric motor or the like, and has a function of generating power for rotating each wheel 41 . In the case of this embodiment, the driving device 42 is configured to be able to transmit power to each wheel 41 via the shaft 411 .

The control device 43 controls the entire carriage 10 including the driving device 42 . The control device 43 may have a function of performing wireless communication with, for example, another carrier or a higher-level device. The battery 44 supplies power to each device in the carriage 10 that requires power, such as the drive device 42 , the control device 43 , and the conveyor unit 30 .

The control device 43 and the battery 44 may be installed separately in each of the two drive units 40 provided at both ends in the traveling direction of the carriage 10 and shared by the two drive units 40 . That is, one of the two drive units 40 may have a controller 43 and the controller 43 may control both of the two drive units 40 . Also, the other of the two drive units 40 may have a battery 44 that powers the control device 43 and the two drive devices 42 .

Moreover, in the case of this embodiment, at least one of the two drive units 40 has an emergency stop button 45 as shown in FIG. The emergency stop button 45 has a switch function that can open and close an electric circuit by mechanical operation, for example, and is electrically connected to the control device 43 . The emergency stop button 45 is exposed outside from the upper surface of the cover member 50 . The emergency stop button 45 has a function of stopping the driving device 42 to stop the travel of the carriage 10 in an emergency when it is pressed by an operator or the like.

The cover member 50 is made of resin, for example, and is configured to be openable and closable by rotating around a shaft member 60 provided on the carriage body. The cover member 50 covers at least part of the drive unit 40 in the closed state. In the case of this embodiment, the cover member 50 is configured in the shape of a container that opens downward. In the case of the present embodiment, the cover member 50 covers the components of the drive unit 40 other than the wheels 41 and the emergency stop button 45, that is, the drive device 42, the control device 43, and the battery 44 in the closed state. ing.

In this case, the cover member 50 has a wheel exposed portion 51 and a button exposed portion 52 . The wheel exposed portion 51 is formed in a notch shape in a portion of the cover member 50 corresponding to the wheel 41 . That is, the wheel exposed portions 51 are formed by notching both side surfaces of the cover member 50 in the width direction of the carriage 10 along the outer shape of the wheels 41 . As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 , when the cover member 50 is closed, the wheels 41 are exposed laterally from the wheel exposure portion 51 .

Further, the button exposure portion 52 is formed in a hole shape penetrating through a portion of the cover member 50 corresponding to the emergency stop button 45 . That is, the button exposed portion 52 is formed by penetrating the upper surface of the cover member 50 along the contour of the emergency stop button 45 . As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, when the cover member 50 is closed, the emergency stop button 45 is exposed to the upper outside through the button exposure portion 52 .

The shaft member 60 is a member that serves as a fulcrum for turning the cover member 50 . Two shaft members 60 are provided corresponding to one cover member 50 . The shaft member 60 is provided at the lower end portion of the cover member 50 and at the outer portion in the traveling direction of the carriage 10 . In this case, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 7, the cover member 50 is opened by rotating outward with respect to the center of the carriage body 20 in the traveling direction. Further, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 2, the cover member 50 is closed by rotating toward the center in the traveling direction of the carriage body 20 .

The shaft member 60 is inserted into the carriage body 20 from the outside of the cover member 50 through the cover member 50 , thereby rotatably fixing the cover member 50 to the carriage body 20 . That is, the shaft member 60 is passed through the shaft hole 53 formed in the cover member 50 and the hole 211 formed in the side surface of the frame 21 from the outside of the cover member 50, thereby rotating the cover member 50. It is movably attached to the carriage body 20 . In this case, the outer shape of at least one of the shaft hole portion 53 formed in the cover member 50 and the hole portion 211 formed in the side surface of the frame 21 should be such that rattling does not occur when the cover member 50 is rotated. , is set slightly larger than the outer shape of the shaft member 60 . Thereby, the cover member 50 is configured to be rotatable about the shaft member 60 passed through the shaft hole portion 53 as a fulcrum while suppressing rattling.

The shaft member 60 is configured to be attachable to and detachable from the trolley body 20 without the use of a tool such as a screwdriver by an operator. In the case of this embodiment, the shaft member 60 is made of resin, and is configured by a so-called canoe clip as shown in FIG. 6, for example. In this case, the shaft member 60 has an elastically deformable wedge 61 . When attaching the cover member 50 to the carriage body 20 , the worker passes the shaft member 60 through the shaft hole 53 formed in the cover member 50 and the hole 211 formed in the side surface of the frame 21 .

When the wedge portion 61 passes through the shaft hole portion 53 of the cover member 50 and the hole portion 211 of the frame 21 , the wedge portion 61 is elastically deformed in a direction in which the diameter of the shaft hole portion 53 of the cover member 50 and the hole portion of the frame 21 is reduced. It penetrates the part 211 . Then, when the wedge portion 61 passes through the hole portion 211 of the frame 21 , the wedge portion 61 expands, that is, is restored by the elastic force, and locks around the hole portion 211 . Thereby, the shaft member 60 is attached to the carriage body 20 so that the cover member 50 can be rotated. In this case, the operator can rotatably attach the cover member 50 to the carriage body 20 simply by inserting the shaft member 60 into the shaft hole portion 53 of the cover member 50 and the hole portion 211 of the frame 21 . , no tools required.

Further, when removing the shaft member 60, the operator pinches the wedge portion 61 with fingers to reduce the outer shape of the wedge portion 61. As shown in FIG. As a result, the engagement of the wedge portion 61 with the periphery of the shaft hole portion 53 of the cover member 50 is released. Then, as shown in FIG. 8, the wedge portion 61 passes through the shaft hole portion 53 of the cover member 50 and the hole portion 211 of the frame 21, and is pushed outward of the cover member 50. Removed from frame 21 . As a result, the cover member 50 can be removed from the carriage body 20 in a separated state.

Note that the specific configuration of the shaft member 60 is not limited to the canoe clip described above. For example, a so-called snap fit may be used. Moreover, the structure fixed with a bolt and a nut may be sufficient. Alternatively, for example, one of the cover member 50 and the frame 21 may be provided with a shaft portion corresponding to the shaft member 60, and the other of the cover member 50 or the frame 21 may be provided with a bearing portion for receiving the shaft portion.

The holding mechanism 70 has a function of holding the cover member 50 in a closed state in such a manner that, when the cover member 50 is closed, the operator can rotate and open the cover member 50 without using a tool. . The holding mechanism 70 is provided on at least one of both ends in the width direction, in this case, two on both ends. The holding mechanism 70 has, for example, a magnet catch 71 and a stay 72 . The magnet catch 71 includes, for example, a permanent magnet, and is provided on either the cover member 50 or the frame 21 . The stay 72 is a member that is attracted to the permanent magnet of the magnet catch 71 and is provided on the other of the cover member 50 and the frame 21 where the magnet catch 71 is not provided.

In the holding mechanism 70, the magnet catch 71 is attracted to the stay 72 when the cover member 50 is closed, thereby holding the cover member 50 in the closed state. In this case, the attracting force of the magnet catch 71 to the stay 72 can be appropriately set, but it is sufficient to hold the cover member 50 in a closed state without rotating when the carriage 10 normally travels. In addition, when the operator opens the cover member 50, the adsorption force is set to such an extent that the cover member 50 can be rotated and opened without requiring a large force.

It should be noted that the holding mechanism 70 is not limited to having a magnet catch as long as it has the same effects as those described above. For example, the holding mechanism 70 can be configured to have a so-called ball catch, roller catch, rotary catch, catch clip, or the like.

According to the embodiment described above, the carriage 10 includes the carriage body 20 , the drive unit 40 , and the cover member 50 . The drive unit 40 has wheels 41 and has a function of rotating the wheels 41 provided on the carriage body 20 . The cover member 50 is configured to be openable and closable by rotating about a shaft member 60 provided on the carriage body 20 as a fulcrum. The cover member 50 covers the drive unit 40 when closed, and exposes the drive unit 40 when opened.

Here, in order to achieve a configuration in which a tool is not required when attaching and detaching the cover member 50, a configuration is considered in which the cover member 50 is fixed to the carriage body 20 by, for example, providing snap-fit structures at the four corners of the cover member 50. be done. However, when the cover member 50 is fixed to the carriage body 20 by a snap-fit structure to the carriage body 20 which moves while frequently changing the traveling direction, rattling or the like is likely to occur. Moreover, in such a configuration, the snap-fit structures at the four corners must be removed, which increases the trouble of attaching and detaching the cover member 50 .

On the other hand, according to the present embodiment, the cover member 50 is configured to open and close by rotating about the shaft member 60 as a fulcrum. Therefore, when performing maintenance on the drive unit 40, for example, the operator can open the cover member 50 without using a tool such as a screwdriver to expose the drive unit 40 in a state in which maintenance can be performed. Similarly, for example, after maintenance of the drive unit 40 is finished, the operator can close the cover member 50 to cover the drive unit 40 with the cover member 50 without using a tool such as a screwdriver. Furthermore, since the cover member 50 is rotatably fixed to the carriage body 20 by the shaft member 60, rattling can be suppressed. As described above, according to the present embodiment, while suppressing rattling of the cover member 50 during traveling of the carriage 10, a tool such as a screwdriver is not required to expose the drive unit 40, and maintenance of the drive unit 40 is facilitated. It is possible to improve the workability at the time of.

Furthermore, when the cover member 50 is closed, a force acts on the cover member 50 by its own weight in the opposite direction to the opening direction, that is, in the closing direction. As a result, it is possible to prevent the cover member 50 from being unintentionally opened due to vibration or the like caused by traveling of the carriage 10 .

If the cover member 50 is not completely separated from the carriage main body 20 when the cover member 50 is opened to expose the drive unit 40, the cover member 50 presses the work space, and maintenance and other work is performed. may become difficult to remove. In contrast, in this embodiment, the drive unit 40 is provided on the end side of the carriage body 20 . The cover member 50 is opened by rotating outward with respect to the center of the carriage body 20 . That is, the cover member 50 is opened by rotating in a direction away from the center side of the carriage body 20 .

According to this, when the cover member 50 is opened, a large space can be secured in the central portion of the carriage body 20, so that a large space can be secured for maintenance. As a result, even if the cover member 50 is completely separated from the carriage main body 20 and cannot be removed, the cover member 50 hardly interferes with the maintenance work, and deterioration of workability can be suppressed.

Further, the shaft member 60 is configured to be attachable to and detachable from the carriage body 20 by an operator without using a tool. According to this, when the cover member 50 is to be removed from the truck main body 20, the operator can remove the cover member 50 from the truck main body 20 by removing the shaft member 60 from the truck main body 20 without using a tool. become able to. As a result, workability can be further improved.

Further, the shaft member 60 is inserted into the carriage body 20 through the cover member 50 from the outside of the cover member 50 , thereby rotatably attaching the cover member 50 to the carriage body 20 . According to this, the worker can attach the shaft member 60 from the outside of the cover member 50, which has a large space, so that workability is good.

In addition, the carriage 10 further includes a holding mechanism 70 . The holding mechanism 70 has a function of holding the cover member 50 in a closed state in such a manner that, when the cover member 50 is closed, the operator can rotate and open the cover member 50 without using a tool. . According to this, it is possible to more effectively suppress unintentional opening of the cover member 50 due to vibration or the like caused by traveling of the carriage 10 .

The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and illustrated in the drawings, and can be arbitrarily modified, combined, or expanded without departing from the scope of the invention.
The numerical values and the like shown in each of the above embodiments are examples, and are not limited to them.
Although the present disclosure has been described with reference to examples, it is understood that the present disclosure is not limited to such examples or structures. The present disclosure also includes various modifications and modifications within the equivalent range. In addition, various combinations and configurations, as well as other combinations and configurations, including single elements, more, or less, are within the scope and spirit of this disclosure.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10... Conveyance cart with a conveyor (conveyance cart), 20... Carriage main body, 40... Drive unit, 41... Wheel, 50... Cover member, 60... Shaft member, 70... Holding mechanism

Claims (5)

A carrier-equipped carriage capable of receiving an object to be conveyed from an outlet of a stocker, then traveling on a rail to the inlet of the stocker and delivering the object to the inlet,
a trolley body;
a drive unit provided on the bogie body having wheels, a drive device for rotating the wheels, and an emergency stop button for stopping the drive device upon receiving an operation;
a conveyor unit provided on the carriage body for transporting the object to be conveyed in a direction perpendicular to the traveling direction of the wheels;
It can be opened and closed in a direction perpendicular to the transfer of the object to be conveyed by the conveyor unit by rotating about a shaft member provided on the carriage body, and covers the drive unit when closed, a cover member that exposes the drive unit when opened;
with
The cover member has a button exposure portion that exposes the emergency stop button to the outside of the cover member when the cover member is closed.
transport trolley. The drive unit is provided on an end side of the bogie body,
the cover member is opened by rotating outward with respect to the center of the carriage body;
The carrier according to claim 1. The shaft member is configured to be detachable from the trolley body by a worker without using a tool,
The carrier according to claim 1 or 2. The shaft member rotatably attaches the cover member to the carriage body by being inserted into the carriage body through the cover member from the outside of the cover member,
The carriage according to any one of claims 1 to 3. The apparatus further comprises a holding mechanism having a function of holding the cover member in a closed state in such a manner that, when the cover member is closed, the cover member can be opened by rotating the cover member without using a tool by an operator. ing,
The carriage according to any one of claims 1 to 4.