JP7706360B2 - Automated guided vehicle recovery mechanism - Google Patents

Description

This disclosure relates to a recovery mechanism for an automated guided vehicle that has stopped abnormally.

In factories, when an automated guided vehicle transports workpieces across walkways, the vehicle can travel on a path above pedestrians, allowing the workpieces to be transported efficiently. If the automated guided vehicle makes an abnormal stop while traveling on the overhead path, a mechanism is required to retrieve the automated guided vehicle, as it is high up and cannot be reached directly.

Patent document 1 proposes a method of transporting a cart by hooking feed protrusions provided at equal intervals on a chain onto the cart's locking portion.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 5-069939

In the case of the carriage drive mechanism shown in Patent Document 1, in the case of an autonomous vehicle in which the carriage can travel autonomously, there is a problem in that the feed protrusion interferes with the autonomous vehicle while it is traveling on its own, hindering its travel.

The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above, and aims to provide an automatic guided vehicle recovery mechanism that can efficiently recover an automatic guided vehicle that has stopped abnormally without interfering with its travel.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the object, the recovery mechanism for an automatic guided vehicle in the present disclosure comprises an overhead conveyance path that is installed above a walkway and has a running path, and an automatic guided vehicle that has drive wheels on a first portion, which is one of the front and rear portions of the vehicle body, and driven wheels on a second portion, which is the other of the front and rear portions of the vehicle body, and that runs on the running path of the overhead conveyance path with a workpiece loaded, and recovers an automatic guided vehicle that has stopped abnormally on the running path. The overhead conveyance path comprises a belt mechanism that comprises an endless belt having a protrusion. The automatic guided vehicle has a first engagement portion that engages with the protrusion on the first portion, and a second engagement portion that engages with the protrusion on the second portion. The protrusion of the belt mechanism is normally retreated to a position where the automatic guided vehicle can run on the running path, and when the automatic guided vehicle stops abnormally, it engages with the first engagement portion or the second engagement portion and enters the running path so that the automatic guided vehicle can be transported.

The automated guided vehicle recovery mechanism disclosed herein has the advantage of being able to efficiently recover an automated guided vehicle that has stopped abnormally without interfering with its travel.

FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of a manufacturing line system to which a recovery mechanism for an automatic guided vehicle according to a first embodiment is applied; FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a conceptual configuration of an automatic guided vehicle according to a first embodiment; FIG. 1 is a front view showing a conceptual configuration of a recovery mechanism of an automatic guided vehicle according to a first embodiment in a normal state; FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a conceptual configuration of a recovery mechanism of the automatic guided vehicle according to the first embodiment in a normal state; FIG. 1 is a side view showing a conceptual configuration of a recovery mechanism of an automatic guided vehicle according to a first embodiment in a normal state; FIG. 1 is a front view showing a conceptual configuration of a recovery mechanism of an automatic guided vehicle according to a first embodiment in a recovery operation state; FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a conceptual configuration of a recovery mechanism of an automatic guided vehicle according to a first embodiment in a recovery operation state; FIG. 1 is a side view showing a conceptual configuration of a recovery mechanism of an automatic guided vehicle according to a first embodiment in a recovery operation state; FIG. 1 is a conceptual cross-sectional view showing a state in which the automatic guided vehicle is collected using a drive wheel side engagement portion in a collection mechanism according to the first embodiment; FIG. 1 is a conceptual cross-sectional view showing a state in which the automatic guided vehicle is collected using a driven wheel side engagement portion in a collection mechanism according to the first embodiment; FIG. 13 is a conceptual plan view showing a first stage of a recovery operation in the recovery mechanism of the automatic guided vehicle according to the second embodiment; FIG. 13 is a conceptual plan view showing a second stage of a retrieval operation in the retrieval mechanism of the automated guided vehicle according to the second embodiment; FIG. 13 is a conceptual plan view showing a third stage of a recovery operation in the recovery mechanism of the automatic guided vehicle according to the second embodiment; FIG. 13 is a conceptual plan view showing a fourth stage of a recovery operation in the recovery mechanism of the automatic guided vehicle according to the second embodiment; FIG. 13 is a conceptual plan view showing a fifth stage of a recovery operation in the recovery mechanism of the automatic guided vehicle according to the second embodiment; FIG. 13 is a conceptual cross-sectional view showing a state in which the automatic guided vehicle is collected from the drive wheel side in the collection mechanism according to the third embodiment; FIG. 13 is a conceptual cross-sectional view showing a state in which the automatic guided vehicle is collected from the driven wheel side in the collection mechanism according to the third embodiment; FIG. 13 is a conceptual plan view showing a first stage of a recovery operation in the recovery mechanism of the automated guided vehicle according to the third embodiment; FIG. 13 is a conceptual plan view showing a second stage of a recovery operation in the recovery mechanism of the automated guided vehicle according to the third embodiment; FIG. 13 is a conceptual plan view showing a third stage of a recovery operation in the recovery mechanism of the automated guided vehicle according to the third embodiment; FIG. 13 is a conceptual plan view showing a fourth stage of a recovery operation in the recovery mechanism of the automated guided vehicle according to the third embodiment; FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view showing a conceptual configuration of a recovery mechanism of an automatic guided vehicle according to a fourth embodiment in a normal state; FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view showing a conceptual configuration of a recovery mechanism of an automatic guided vehicle according to a fourth embodiment in a recovery operation state. FIG. 13 is a plan view showing a conceptual configuration of a recovery mechanism of an automatic guided vehicle according to a fourth embodiment.

The recovery mechanism of the automated guided vehicle according to the embodiment is explained in detail below with reference to the drawings.

Embodiment 1.
FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of a manufacturing line system to which a recovery mechanism of an automatic guided vehicle according to the first embodiment is applied. The manufacturing line system 90 includes a plurality of manufacturing apparatus groups 91a, 91b, .... The manufacturing apparatus group 91a includes a plurality of manufacturing apparatuses 92a arranged in parallel and an inter-apparatus conveying path 81a connecting each of the manufacturing apparatuses 92a. The inter-apparatus conveying path 81a is provided in front of each of the manufacturing apparatuses 92a. The manufacturing apparatus group 91b includes a plurality of manufacturing apparatuses 92b arranged in parallel and an inter-apparatus conveying path 81b connecting each of the manufacturing apparatuses 92b. The inter-apparatus conveying path 81b is provided in front of each of the manufacturing apparatuses 92b.

The manufacturing line system 90 includes an overhead conveyance path 82, elevators 83a and 83b, a signal tower 84, a walkway 94, a control controller 96, and multiple automated guided vehicles 10. The automated guided vehicles 10 carry workpieces 100 and travel along inter-machine conveyance paths 81a and 81b, and assemble products by supplying and removing the workpieces 100 to and from manufacturing equipment 92a and 92b. Multiple automated guided vehicles 10 are installed according to the manufacturing takt time or the number of manufacturing equipment 92a and 92b. The automated guided vehicles 10 communicate wirelessly with the control controller 96, and receive commands such as destination commands from the control controller 96.

The inter-equipment transport paths 81a and 81b are installed at a height of, for example, 900 mm from the ground so that the worker 95 can easily reach them. A walkway 94 is provided between the manufacturing equipment groups 91a and 91b. The worker 95 performs maintenance on the manufacturing equipment 92a and 92b, the automated guided vehicle 10, etc. on the walkway 94.

The elevators 83a and 83b and the overhead conveyance path 82 are arranged so that the automated guided vehicle 10 can move between the manufacturing equipment group 91a and the manufacturing equipment group 91b. The overhead conveyance path 82 is installed, for example, at a height of 2500 mm from the ground so that the worker 95 can walk underneath it. The elevator 83a connects the inter-equipment conveyance path 81a and the overhead conveyance path 82, and raises and lowers the automated guided vehicle 10. The elevator 83b connects the inter-equipment conveyance path 81b and the overhead conveyance path 82, and raises and lowers the automated guided vehicle 10. A signal tower 84 is installed above the overhead conveyance path 82 and each manufacturing equipment 92a and 92b, and the status of the elevators 83a and 83b, the overhead conveyance path 82, and the automated guided vehicle 10 are displayed on the signal tower 84.

If manufacturing equipment group 91a and manufacturing equipment group 91b were connected at the same height as inter-equipment transport paths 81a and 81b, the walkway 94 would be blocked, increasing the walking time of workers 95 and reducing work efficiency. In embodiment 1, an overhead transport path 82 is placed above the heads of workers 95 to prevent a decrease in work efficiency.

The control controller 96 comprehensively controls the manufacturing devices 92a, 92b, the elevators 83a, 83b, and the multiple automated guided vehicles 10, which are the components of the manufacturing line system 90. When the control controller 96 detects an abnormal stop of the automated guided vehicle 10 on the overhead conveyor 82, it sets the signal tower 84 installed on the overhead conveyor 82 to an abnormal display state indicating the abnormal stop state of the automated guided vehicle 10. Methods for detecting an abnormal stop of the automated guided vehicle 10 include (a) the automated guided vehicle 10 wirelessly notifying the control controller 96 of the abnormal stop, (b) providing a dedicated sensor on the overhead conveyor 82 for detecting the abnormal stop of the automated guided vehicle 10, and (c) detecting the abnormal stop of the automated guided vehicle 10 using vehicle detection sensors 28a, 28b on the elevator stages 26a, 26b described later, and any one or more methods may be adopted.

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a conceptual configuration of an automatic guided vehicle 10 according to the first embodiment. The automatic guided vehicle 10 is composed of a vehicle body 11, a control circuit 12, drive wheels 13, driven wheels 14, a drive wheel side engagement part 15 as a first engagement part, a driven wheel side engagement part 16 as a second engagement part, and a battery 17. The automatic guided vehicle 10 is capable of independent running. The automatic guided vehicle 10 has drive wheels 13 at a first part, which is one of the front and rear parts of the vehicle body 11, and has driven wheels 14 at a second part, which is the other of the front and rear parts of the vehicle body 11. The running direction of the automatic guided vehicle 10 on the overhead conveying path 82 is the X-axis direction, the direction perpendicular to the ground is the Z-axis direction, and the direction perpendicular to the X-axis and Z-axis is the Y-axis direction.

The workpiece 100 to be transported is mounted on the upper part of the vehicle body 11. The control circuit 12 is supplied with power from the battery 17 and communicates with the control controller 96, and drives and controls the drive wheels 13 based on the acquired transport destination command. The drive wheels 13 are provided on the front or rear side of the vehicle body 11. A pair of the drive wheels 13 are provided on the same Y axis, and each can be controlled independently for forward or reverse rotation. Therefore, the automated guided vehicle 10 can move forward, backward, and perform a spin turn. A spin turn is a rotation about an axis at a point in the plane of the vehicle body 11. The driven wheels 14 are provided on the opposite side of the drive wheels 13 to prevent the vehicle body 11 from falling over due to inertial force during acceleration and deceleration. The driven wheels 14 are provided on the same Y axis as a pair. The driven wheels 14 are not powered and are driven by the drive wheels 13.

The driving wheel side engagement portion 15 is attached to one of the front and rear faces of the vehicle body 11 where the driving wheels 13 are located. The driven wheel side engagement portion 16 is attached to the other of the front and rear faces of the vehicle body 11 where the driven wheels 14 are located. The driving wheel side engagement portion 15 and the driven wheel side engagement portion 16 are wedge-shaped. The shapes of the driving wheel side engagement portion 15 and the driven wheel side engagement portion 16 will be described in detail later.

Figure 3 is a front view showing the conceptual configuration of the recovery mechanism of the automated guided vehicle 10 in the first embodiment in the normal state. Figure 4 is a plan view showing the conceptual configuration of the recovery mechanism of the automated guided vehicle 10 in the first embodiment in the normal state. Figure 5 is a side view showing the conceptual configuration of the recovery mechanism of the automated guided vehicle 10 in the first embodiment in the normal state. The overhead transport path 82 and the elevator paths 83a, 83b are covered with a cover 29 to prevent the automated guided vehicle 10 from falling even in the event of an earthquake or the like.

The overhead transport path 82 includes a pair of rails 21 as a path along which the automated guided vehicle 10 travels, an endless belt 22, a pair of pulleys 24a, a pulley 24b, an intermediate pulley 31, and a chain 25. The endless belt 22 has a protrusion 23 for recovering an automated guided vehicle 10 that has stopped abnormally. The pair of pulleys 24a drive the endless belt 22. The pulley 24a and the intermediate pulley 31 are rotated by an operator 95 pulling the chain 25.

The pair of pulleys 24a are provided at the same height as the automated guided vehicle 10, next to both ends of the rail 21. The pair of pulleys 24a are arranged to rotate around the Z axis. The intermediate pulley 31 is arranged to rotate around the X axis, and the pulley 24b is arranged to rotate around the Y axis. The chain 25 is provided to span one of the pulleys 24a, the intermediate pulley 31, and the pulley 24b. The chain 25 hangs down to a height that can be reached by the worker 95. When the worker 95 pulls the chain 25, the pulley 24a, the intermediate pulley 31, and one of the pulleys 24a rotate, and the endless belt 22 spanned between the pair of pulleys 24a moves. As shown in FIG. 3, two chains 25 hang down, and when one of the two is pulled, the pair of pulleys 24a rotates forward, and when the other is pulled, the pair of pulleys 24a rotates backward.

Protrusions 23 are attached to two opposing points of the endless belt 22. The protrusions 23 are rod-shaped bodies that protrude perpendicularly to the belt surface of the endless belt 22. The protrusions 23 are provided at approximately the same height as the driving wheel side engagement portion 15 and the driven wheel side engagement portion 16 of the automated guided vehicle 10. Normally, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, the endless belt 22 stops at a position where the extension direction of the rail 21 and the extension direction of the protrusions 23 are parallel. Therefore, the automated guided vehicle 10 can normally run without coming into contact with the protrusions 23.

Elevator shafts 83a and 83b are arranged on both sides of the rail 21. The elevator shaft 83a arranged on the manufacturing equipment group 91a side includes an elevator stage 26a, an elevator 27a, and a vehicle detection sensor 28a. The elevator shaft 83b arranged on the manufacturing equipment group 91b side includes an elevator stage 26b, an elevator 27b, and a vehicle detection sensor 28b. The elevator shafts 83a and 83b carry an automated guided vehicle 10 and move it up and down. The elevators 27a and 27b drive the elevator stages 26a and 26b. The vehicle detection sensors 28a and 28b detect the automated guided vehicle 10.

The elevators 83a and 83b are installed at both ends of the overhead conveyor 82. The inter-device conveyor 81a and the overhead conveyor 82 are connected at right angles via the elevator 83a. The inter-device conveyor 81b and the overhead conveyor 82 are connected at right angles via the elevator 83b. The elevator stages 26a and 26b are planar, allowing the automated guided vehicle 10 to make spin turns. The elevator stages 26a and 26b are provided with vehicle detection sensors 28a and 28b that detect when the automated guided vehicle 10 is mounted on the elevator stages 26a and 26b. The vehicle detection sensors 28a and 28b are, for example, optical sensors such as laser sensors having an optical transmitter and an optical receiver. The detection signals of the vehicle detection sensors 28a and 28b are transmitted to the control controller 96. The control controller 96 controls the elevation of the elevators 83a and 83b based on the detection signals of the vehicle detection sensors 28a and 28b.

The vehicle detection sensors 28a, 28b can be used not only to detect the presence or absence of the automated guided vehicle 10 on the lifting stages 26a, 26b, but also to detect an abnormal stop of the automated guided vehicle 10 on the overhead conveying path 82, as described above. For example, when one vehicle detection sensor 28a detects the automated guided vehicle 10 on the lifting stage 26a, and then the other vehicle detection sensor 28b fails to detect the automated guided vehicle 10 on the lifting stage 26b even after a preset time has elapsed after the automated guided vehicle 10 departs and the other vehicle detection sensor 28b fails to detect the automated guided vehicle 10 on the lifting stage 26b, the controller 96 can determine that the automated guided vehicle 10 has stopped abnormally on the overhead conveying path 82.

When the automated guided vehicle 10 transports the workpiece 100 from the manufacturing equipment group 91a to the manufacturing equipment group 91b, the control controller 96 first makes the automated guided vehicle 10 travel on the inter-equipment transport path 81a to the lift stage 26a of the elevator 83a. The control controller 96 detects that the automated guided vehicle 10 has been placed on the lift stage 26a of the elevator 83a by a detection signal from the vehicle detection sensor 28a. By this detection, the control controller 96 makes the automated guided vehicle 10 spin turn on the lift stage 26a and raises the lift stage 26a. Next, the control controller 96 makes the automated guided vehicle 10 travel from the lift stage 26a to the lift stage 26b of the elevator 83b on the opposite side via the rail 21 of the overhead transport path 82. The control controller 96 detects that the automated guided vehicle 10 has been placed on the lift stage 26b of the elevator 83b by a detection signal from the vehicle detection sensor 28b. Upon detection of this, the control controller 96 causes the automated guided vehicle 10 to make a spin turn on the lift stage 26b and lower the lift stage 26b. Next, the control controller 96 causes the automated guided vehicle 10 to travel on the inter-equipment transport path 81b from the lift stage 26b to the destination manufacturing equipment 92b.

Next, a case where the automatic guided vehicle 10 stops abnormally will be described. FIG. 6 is a front view showing a conceptual configuration of the recovery mechanism of the automatic guided vehicle 10 in the recovery operation state according to the first embodiment. FIG. 7 is a plan view showing a conceptual configuration of the recovery mechanism of the automatic guided vehicle 10 in the recovery operation state according to the first embodiment. FIG. 8 is a side view showing a conceptual configuration of the recovery mechanism of the automatic guided vehicle 10 in the recovery operation state according to the first embodiment. If the automatic guided vehicle 10 stops abnormally due to discharge, damage, or failure of the battery 17, the automatic guided vehicle 10 must be recovered manually. If the automatic guided vehicle 10 stops abnormally while traveling on the inter-device transport paths 81a and 81b, there is no problem because the operator 95 can reach it. However, if the automatic guided vehicle 10 stops abnormally while traveling on the overhead transport path 82, the operator 95 cannot reach it, so a recovery mechanism is required.

When the automated guided vehicle 10 makes an abnormal stop on the overhead transport path 82, the control controller 96 detects this. The control controller 96 sets the signal tower 84 to an abnormality display state indicating that the automated guided vehicle 10 has made an abnormal stop on the overhead transport path 82, and notifies the operator 95 of this. The operator 95, who notices this notification, pulls the chain 25 to drive the pulley 24a, the intermediate pulley 31, and the pulley 24a, and moves the endless belt 22 stretched between the pair of pulleys 24a. That is, as shown in Fig. 6, the worker 95 pulls one of the two hanging chains 25 to move the protrusion 23 fixed to the endless belt 22 in the direction in which the automatic guided vehicle 10 that has stopped due to an abnormality is to be recovered (toward one of the lifting stages 26a, 26b), and engages one of the two protrusions 23 with the driving wheel side engaging portion 15 or the driven wheel side engaging portion 16 as shown in Figs. 7 and 8. Furthermore, the worker 95 further pulls the chain 25 to press the automatic guided vehicle 10 with which the protrusion 23 is engaged, and moves the automatic guided vehicle 10 from the abnormal stop position to one of the lifting stages 26a, 26b. In the case of Fig. 7, the protrusion 23 is engaged with the driving wheel side engaging portion 15, and the automatic guided vehicle 10 is pressed by the protrusion 23 and moved toward the lifting stage 26a. When the vehicle detection sensor 28a of the lifting stage 26a detects the automated guided vehicle 10, the controller 96 lowers the lifting stage 26a. When the lifting stage 26a lowers and the automated guided vehicle 10 is lowered to the position of the inter-device transport path 81a, the automated guided vehicle 10 is retrieved by the worker 95. After retrieval, the worker 95 pulls the chain 25 to return the protrusion 23 to parallel with the rail 21 so that another automated guided vehicle 10 can travel on the overhead transport path 82.

The recovery operation of the automated guided vehicle 10 will be described in detail with reference to Figures 9 and 10. Figure 9 is a conceptual cross-sectional view showing how the automated guided vehicle 10 is recovered using the drive wheel side engagement portion 15 in the recovery mechanism of the automated guided vehicle 10 according to the first embodiment. Figure 10 is a conceptual cross-sectional view showing how the automated guided vehicle 10 is recovered using the driven wheel side engagement portion 16 in the recovery mechanism of the automated guided vehicle 10 according to the first embodiment. If the automated guided vehicle 10 abnormally stops, the drive wheel 13 may become locked, and if an attempt is made to forcibly push it forward, it may fall over or be damaged.

9, the drive wheel side engagement part 15 has a wedge shape and has an inclined surface 15a whose lower surface becomes higher from the base end to the tip end. In addition, the contact surface 23a of the protrusion 23 with the inclined surface 15a is an inclined surface with an inclination corresponding to the inclined surface 15a so that it can easily enter the lower surface side of the drive wheel side engagement part 15. Therefore, when the protrusion 23 moves in the direction of the arrow F1 due to the movement of the endless belt 22, the protrusion 23 enters the lower side of the drive wheel side engagement part 15, and the contact surface 23a of the protrusion 23 slides on the inclined surface 15a of the drive wheel side engagement part 15, and a force is applied to push the drive wheel side engagement part 15 upward. In addition, when the protrusion 23 comes into contact with the vehicle body 11 of the automatic guided vehicle 10, it presses the automatic guided vehicle 10 in the direction of the arrow F1. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 9, the automated guided vehicle 10 moves in the direction of arrow F1 by the rotation of the driven wheel 14 with the drive wheel 13 separated from the rail 21. Note that the engagement structure of the protrusion 23 and the drive wheel side engagement part 15 may be any other structure as long as it is a structure that can separate the drive wheel 13 from the rail 21 and push and move the automated guided vehicle 10. Also, the protrusion 23 may be a round or any polygonal rod-shaped body without an inclined surface.

10, the driven wheel side engagement part 16 has a wedge shape and has an inclined surface 16a whose upper surface becomes lower from the base end to the tip end. In addition, the contact surface 23b of the protrusion 23 with the inclined surface 16a is an inclined surface with an inclination corresponding to the inclined surface 16a so that the protrusion 23 can easily enter the upper side of the driven wheel side engagement part 16. Therefore, when the protrusion 23 moves in the direction of the arrow F2 by the movement of the endless belt 22, the protrusion 23 enters the upper side of the driven wheel side engagement part 16, and the contact surface 23b of the protrusion 23 slides on the inclined surface 16a of the driven wheel side engagement part 16, and a force is applied to push the driven wheel side engagement part 16 down. Due to this pushing force, the automatic guided vehicle 10 rotates with the driven wheel 14 as a fulcrum, and the drive wheel 13 is separated from the rail 21. Thereafter, when the protrusion 23 comes into contact with the vehicle body 11 of the automated guided vehicle 10, it presses the automated guided vehicle 10 in the direction of arrow F2. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 10, the automated guided vehicle 10 moves in the direction of arrow F2 by the rotation of the driven wheels 14 with the drive wheels 13 separated from the rails 21. Note that the engagement structure of the protrusion 23 and the driven wheel side engagement part 16 may be any other structure as long as it is a structure that can press the driven wheel side engagement part 16 downward and press and move the automated guided vehicle 10.

In this way, the protrusions 23 of the endless belt 22 normally retreat to a position where the automated guided vehicle 10 can travel on the rail 21, which is the travel path, and when the automated guided vehicle 10 makes an abnormal stop, they engage with the drive wheel side engagement portion 15 or the driven wheel side engagement portion 16 and advance into the rail 21 so that the automated guided vehicle 10 can be transported. Note that, although the above explanation is configured so that the endless belt 22 is driven by human power, a motor and an operating switch, etc. may be provided so that the endless belt 22 is driven by the motor.

According to the first embodiment, the protrusion 23 is normally retracted to a position that does not interfere with the movement of the automated guided vehicle 10, and in the event of an abnormal stop, the protrusion 23 is engaged with the automated guided vehicle 10 so that the automated guided vehicle 10 can be pushed and moved. This allows the automated guided vehicle 10 that has stopped abnormally to be recovered efficiently and quickly. In addition, when recovering the automated guided vehicle 10, the drive wheels 13 are lifted to move the automated guided vehicle 10, preventing the automated guided vehicle 10 from tipping over or being damaged.

Embodiment 2.
Fig. 11 is a conceptual plan view showing a first stage during a recovery operation in the recovery mechanism of the automatic guided vehicle 10 according to the second embodiment. Fig. 12 is a conceptual plan view showing a second stage during a recovery operation in the recovery mechanism of the automatic guided vehicle 10 according to the second embodiment. Fig. 13 is a conceptual plan view showing a third stage during a recovery operation in the recovery mechanism of the automatic guided vehicle 10 according to the second embodiment. Fig. 14 is a conceptual plan view showing a fourth stage during a recovery operation in the recovery mechanism of the automatic guided vehicle 10 according to the second embodiment. Fig. 15 is a conceptual plan view showing a fifth stage during a recovery operation in the recovery mechanism of the automatic guided vehicle 10 according to the second embodiment.

In the first embodiment, an example is shown in which only one automated guided vehicle 10 is traveling on the overhead transport path 82. In the first embodiment, if the automated guided vehicle 10 makes an abnormal stop on the overhead transport path 82 and there is a following vehicle on the overhead transport path 82, the following vehicle gets in the way and the vehicle to be collected cannot be collected. In the second embodiment, even if multiple automated guided vehicles 10 are traveling on the overhead transport path 82, the configuration is such that only the vehicle to be collected can be collected.

The recovery mechanism of the automated guided vehicle 10 in the second embodiment will be described. In the second embodiment, the protrusion 23 in the first embodiment is replaced with foldable protrusions 50a, 50b. The other configurations are the same as in the first embodiment, and redundant explanations will be omitted. The foldable protrusions 50a, 50b are attached to two opposing locations on the endless belt 22. The folding directions of the foldable protrusions 50a, 50b are reversed.

The foldable protrusion 50a has a protrusion 51a, a support 52a that rotatably supports one end of the protrusion 51a, and a spring (not shown) as an elastic body that urges the protrusion 51a in the counterclockwise direction as shown. The foldable protrusion 50b has a protrusion 51b, a support 52b that rotatably supports one end of the protrusion 51b, and a spring (not shown) as an elastic body that urges the protrusion 51b in the clockwise direction as shown. The shape of the protrusions 51a and 51b is the same as that of the protrusion 23 of the first embodiment shown in Figures 9 and 10. In the foldable protrusion 50a, the protrusion 51a can be folded only in the clockwise direction, which is the first direction. In the foldable protrusion 50b, the protrusion 51b can be folded only in the counterclockwise direction, which is the second direction. In the foldable protrusion 50a, the rotation of the protrusion 51a, which is biased in the counterclockwise direction by a spring, is restricted by the wall surface of the L-shaped support 52a, so that under normal circumstances, as shown in FIG. 11, the protrusion 51a is maintained in a state of protruding perpendicularly from the belt surface of the endless belt 22. In the foldable protrusion 50b, the rotation of the protrusion 51b, which is biased in the clockwise direction by a spring, is restricted by the wall surface of the L-shaped support 52b, so that under normal circumstances, as shown in FIG. 11, the protrusion 51b is maintained in a state of protruding perpendicularly from the belt surface of the endless belt 22.

In Fig. 11 to Fig. 15, the automated guided vehicle 10 on the right side is the recovery target vehicle 10a that has stopped abnormally, and the automated guided vehicle 10 on the left side is the following vehicle 10b. The recovery operation will be described in order using Fig. 11 to Fig. 15. The state shown in Fig. 11 shows the state immediately after the recovery target vehicle 10a has stopped abnormally, and the endless belt 22 is stopped in a position where the foldable protrusions 50a, 50b do not interfere with the travel of the automated guided vehicle 10. The worker 95, who recognizes the abnormal stop, moves the endless belt 22 as shown by the arrow S1 in Fig. 12 by pulling the chain 25 in order to move the recovery target vehicle 10a to the lifting stage 26b, and moves the foldable protrusions 50a toward the recovery target vehicle 10a. When the foldable protrusion 50a comes into contact with the collection target vehicle 10a, the protrusion 51a folds as shown by the arrow S2, and while in contact with the collection target vehicle 10a, the protrusion 51a moves toward the lift stage 26a without moving the collection target vehicle 10a.

When the contact between the protrusion 51a and the collection target vehicle 10a ends, the protrusion 51a is rotated back to a perpendicular state with respect to the endless belt 22 by the spring as shown in FIG. 13. When this state is reached, the worker 95 pulls the chain 25 in the opposite direction, and moves the endless belt 22 in the opposite direction as shown by the arrow S3 in FIG. 14, and the protrusion 51a engages with the driven wheel side engagement part 16 of the collection target vehicle 10a as shown in FIG. 10, and pushes and moves the collection target vehicle 10a toward the lifting stage 26b. During this movement, the drive wheel 13 of the collection target vehicle 10a is separated from the rail 21. After that, as shown in FIG. 15, when the movement of the collection target vehicle 10a to the lifting stage 26b is completed, the worker 95 pulls the chain 25 to move the endless belt 22 to a position where the foldable protrusions 50a, 50b do not interfere with the movement of the automatic guided vehicle 10.

When the vehicle 10a to be collected is moved toward the lift stage 26a, the foldable protrusions 50b are used to perform a similar collection operation. The folding structure of the foldable protrusions 50a, 50b may be any other structure that can achieve the same folding function as described above.

In this way, according to the second embodiment, even if a following vehicle is following an automated guided vehicle 10 that has stopped abnormally on the overhead conveyor 82, it is possible to retrieve only the target automated guided vehicle 10. Furthermore, under normal circumstances, the foldable protrusions 50a and 50b do not impede the travel of the automated guided vehicle 10.

Embodiment 3.
FIG. 16 is a conceptual cross-sectional view showing a state where the automatic guided vehicle 10 according to the third embodiment is collected from the drive wheel side in the collection mechanism of the automatic guided vehicle 10 according to the third embodiment. FIG. 17 is a conceptual cross-sectional view showing a state where the automatic guided vehicle 10 according to the third embodiment is collected from the driven wheel side. FIG. 18 is a conceptual plan view showing a first stage during the collection operation in the collection mechanism of the automatic guided vehicle 10 according to the third embodiment. FIG. 19 is a conceptual plan view showing a second stage during the collection operation in the collection mechanism of the automatic guided vehicle 10 according to the third embodiment. FIG. 20 is a conceptual plan view showing a third stage during the collection operation in the collection mechanism of the automatic guided vehicle 10 according to the third embodiment. FIG. 21 is a conceptual plan view showing a fourth stage during the collection operation in the collection mechanism of the automatic guided vehicle 10 according to the third embodiment.

In the third embodiment, the protrusion 23 of the first embodiment is replaced with a protrusion 70 with a magnet. Also, the driving wheel side engagement portion 15 of the first embodiment is replaced with a driving wheel side engagement portion 60, and the driven wheel side engagement portion 16 is replaced with a driven wheel side engagement portion 65. The rest of the configuration is the same as in the first embodiment, and redundant explanations will be omitted. With the protrusion 70 with a magnet, the driving wheel side engagement portion 60, and the driven wheel side engagement portion 65, the automatic guided vehicle 10 that has stopped abnormally can be moved not only by pushing but also by pulling.

The recovery mechanism of the automated guided vehicle 10 of the third embodiment will be described. As shown in FIG. 18 and other figures, the magnetized protrusions 70 are attached to two opposing locations on the endless belt 22. As shown in FIG. 16 and FIG. 17, the magnetized protrusions 70 have a magnetized portion 72 at the center in the X-axis direction sandwiched between the protrusion tips 71. The magnetized portion 72 is, for example, a magnet. The magnetized protrusions 70 may be entirely made of a magnet. The shape of the magnetized protrusions 70 is the same as the protrusions 23 of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 9 and FIG. 10.

The driving wheel side engagement part 60 is composed of a base end part 61 and an engagement tip part 62. The driven wheel side engagement part 65 is composed of a base end part 66 and an engagement tip part 67. The engagement tips 62, 67 are composed of a ferromagnetic material, such as iron, and are attracted to the magnetized part 72 of the magnetized protrusion part 70. The driving wheel side engagement part 60 and the driven wheel side engagement part 65 may be composed entirely of a ferromagnetic material. The shapes of the driving wheel side engagement part 60 and the driven wheel side engagement part 65 are the same as those of the driving wheel side engagement part 15 and the driven wheel side engagement part 16 of the first embodiment. In the third embodiment, as shown in Figures 16 and 17, the automated guided vehicle 10 can be pulled or pushed while lifting the driving wheel 13 in the same manner as in the first embodiment.

The recovery operation of the automated guided vehicle 10 will be described in order using Figures 18 to 21. The state shown in Figure 18 shows the state immediately after the recovery target vehicle 10a has stopped abnormally, and the endless belt 22 is stopped at a position where the magnetized protrusion 70 does not interfere with the travel of the automated guided vehicle 10. The worker 95, who recognizes the abnormal stop, moves the endless belt 22 by pulling the chain 25 in order to move the recovery target vehicle 10a to the lifting stage 26b, and as shown in Figure 19, the magnetized protrusion 70 is magnetically engaged with the drive wheel side engagement part 60 of the recovery target vehicle 10a, and the drive wheel 13 is lifted. When this state is reached, the worker 95 pulls the chain 25 in the opposite direction, and as shown in Figure 20, moves the endless belt 22 in the opposite direction to pull and move the recovery target vehicle 10a toward the lifting stage 26b. Then, as shown in FIG. 21, when the movement of the collection target vehicle 10a to the lift stage 26b is completed, the worker 95 pulls the chain 25 to move the endless belt 22 to a position where the magnetic protrusion 70 does not interfere with the movement of the automated guided vehicle 10.

When moving the vehicle 10a to be collected toward the lift stage 26b, the same collection operation may be performed using the other magnetized protrusion 70. Also, when there is no following vehicle 10b, the magnetized protrusion 70 may be used to push and move the vehicle 10a to be collected.

As described above, according to the third embodiment, even if a following vehicle is following an automated guided vehicle 10 that has stopped abnormally on the overhead conveyor 82, only the target automated guided vehicle 10 can be retrieved using towing movement. In addition, under normal circumstances, the magnet-equipped protrusion 70 does not impede the movement of the automated guided vehicle 10.

In addition, in the first to third embodiments, it is preferable to provide the protrusions 23, 51a, 51b and the protrusions with magnets 70 at two opposing locations on the endless belt 22, but the protrusions 23, 51a, 51b and the protrusions with magnets 70 may be provided at one location on the endless belt 22.

Embodiment 4.
Fig. 22 is a cross-sectional view showing a conceptual configuration of a recovery mechanism of the automatic guided vehicle 10 according to the fourth embodiment in a normal state. Fig. 23 is a cross-sectional view showing a conceptual configuration of the recovery mechanism of the automatic guided vehicle 10 according to the fourth embodiment in a recovery operation state. Fig. 24 is a plan view showing a conceptual configuration of the recovery mechanism of the automatic guided vehicle 10 according to the fourth embodiment.

In the fourth embodiment, as shown in FIG. 24, the endless belt 22 is disposed between the rails 21 as a travel path and below the automatic guided vehicle 10. In addition, as shown in FIG. 22 and FIG. 23, the protrusions 44 are formed at a height that does not contact the vehicle body 11, and a plurality of protrusions are attached to the endless belt 22 at regular intervals. In addition, the automatic guided vehicle 10 is provided with a retractable engagement portion 86 that engages with the protrusions 44. As shown in FIG. 22, the retractable engagement portion 86 is normally stored in the vehicle body 11, but as shown in FIG. 23, when the automatic guided vehicle 10 stops abnormally, it protrudes below the vehicle body 11 and engages with the protrusions 44. The retractable engagement portion 86 is held by a leaf spring 85. The leaf spring 85 is driven and controlled by the engagement portion control circuit 40. The engagement portion control circuit 40 has a battery 41, a switch 42, and an electromagnet 43. The other configurations are the same as those in the first embodiment, and overlapping descriptions will be omitted. The switch 42 is designed to be wirelessly and remotely controlled by the controller 96.

22, when the switch 42 is on, the battery 41 is charged, and the electromagnet 43 is energized, the leaf spring 85 is attracted to the electromagnet 43, and the retractable engagement part 86 is retracted into the vehicle body 11. When the battery 41 is discharged or when the switch 42 is turned off as shown in FIG. 23, the magnetic force of the electromagnet 43 is lost, and the retractable engagement part 86 protrudes downward from the vehicle body 11 due to the spring force of the leaf spring 85. The protruding retractable engagement part 86 engages with the protrusion 44. The protruding height of the retractable engagement part 86 from the vehicle body 11 is set so that the drive wheel 13 is lifted. Therefore, the drive wheel 13 is lifted. When the drive wheel 13 is lifted, the worker 95 pulls the chain 25 to drive the endless belt 22 to transport the automated guided vehicle 10 to the lifting stage 26a or the lifting stage 26b.

When the control controller 96 detects an abnormal stop of the automated guided vehicle 10, it turns off the switch 42. This stops the flow of electricity to the electromagnet 43, and the retractable engagement part 86 protrudes below the vehicle body 11. Similarly, when the flow of electricity to the electromagnet 43 is lost due to the discharge of the battery 41, the retractable engagement part 86 protrudes below the vehicle body 11 in the same manner.

According to the fourth embodiment, even if a following vehicle is following an automated guided vehicle 10 that has stopped abnormally on the overhead conveyor 82, only the target automated guided vehicle 10 can be retrieved. In addition, under normal circumstances, the retractable engagement portion 86 does not impede the travel of the automated guided vehicle 10.

The configurations shown in the above embodiments are merely examples of the contents of this disclosure, and may be combined with other known technologies. Parts of the configurations may be omitted or modified without departing from the spirit of this disclosure.

10 automated guided vehicle, 10a vehicle to be collected, 10b following vehicle, 11 vehicle body, 12 control circuit, 13 driving wheel, 14 driven wheel, 15, 60 driving wheel side engagement portion, 15a, 16a inclined surface, 16, 65 driven wheel side engagement portion, 17 battery, 21 rail, 22 endless belt, 23, 44, 51a, 51b protrusion portion, 23a, 23b abutment surface, 24a, 24b pulley, 25 chain, 26a, 26b lift stage, 27a, 27b lift, 28a, 28b vehicle detection sensor, 29 cover, 31 intermediate pulley, 40 engagement portion control circuit, 41 battery, 42 switch, 43 electromagnet, 50a, 50b foldable protrusion portion, 52a, 52b Support body, 61, 66 base end, 62, 67 engagement tip, 70 magnetized protrusion, 71 protrusion tip, 72 magnetized part, 81a, 81b inter-device transport path, 82 overhead transport path, 83a, 83b elevator, 84 signal tower, 85 leaf spring, 86 retractable engagement part, 90 production line system, 91a, 91b manufacturing device group, 92a, 92b manufacturing device, 94 walkway, 95 worker, 96 controller, 100 work.

Claims (8)

an overhead conveyance path installed above the walkway and having a running path;
an automated guided vehicle having drive wheels at a first portion, which is one of a front portion and a rear portion of a vehicle body, and having driven wheels at a second portion, which is the other of the front portion and the rear portion of the vehicle body, and which travels along the travel path of the overhead transport path while carrying a workpiece;
A recovery mechanism for the automated guided vehicle that recovers the automated guided vehicle that has stopped abnormally on the travel path, comprising:
The overhead conveyance path includes:
A belt mechanism including an endless belt having protrusions,
The automated guided vehicle includes:
a first engaging portion on the first portion that engages with the protrusion, and a second engaging portion on the second portion that engages with the protrusion;
the protrusion of the belt mechanism is normally retracted to a position where the automatic guided vehicle can travel along the running path, and when the automatic guided vehicle abnormally stops, the protrusion engages with the first engagement portion or the second engagement portion to enter the running path so that the automatic guided vehicle can be transported. The lower surface of the first engagement portion has an inclined surface whose height from the running path increases from the base end to the tip end, and when the protrusion is engaged with the first engagement portion, the first portion is lifted and the drive wheel is separated from the running path;
The recovery mechanism for an automatic guided vehicle as described in claim 1, characterized in that the upper surface of the second engagement portion has an inclined surface whose height from the running path decreases from the base end to the tip end, and when the protrusion engages with the second portion, the second portion is pushed down and the drive wheel moves away from the running path. The recovery mechanism for the automated guided vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the protrusion is folded by contact with the vehicle body. The protrusion includes a magnet.
3. The automatic guided vehicle recovery mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the first engagement portion and the second engagement portion are made of a ferromagnetic material. 5. The automatic guided vehicle recovery mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the endless belt has the protrusions at two opposing positions. the endless belt has the protrusions at two opposing positions,
One of the two protrusions is folded in a first direction by contact with the vehicle body,
The recovery mechanism for the automated guided vehicle according to claim 3 , wherein the other of the two protrusions is folded in a second direction opposite to the first direction upon contact with the vehicle body. an overhead conveyance path installed above the walkway and having a running path;
an automated guided vehicle having a vehicle body provided with driving wheels and driven wheels, the automated guided vehicle carrying a workpiece and traveling on the travel path of the overhead transport path;
A recovery mechanism for an automated guided vehicle that recovers an automated guided vehicle that has stopped abnormally on the travel path, comprising:
The overhead conveyance path includes:
a belt mechanism including an endless belt having a plurality of protrusions;
the endless belt is provided in the travel path below the automatic guided vehicle,
The automated guided vehicle includes:
A recovery mechanism for an automated guided vehicle, characterized in that it is normally stored in the vehicle body, and has an engagement portion that protrudes downward from the vehicle body and engages with the protrusion so that the automated guided vehicle can be transported in the event of an abnormal stop. The recovery mechanism for the automated guided vehicle according to claim 7 , wherein the engagement portion moves the drive wheels away from the travel path when the engagement portion protrudes downward from the vehicle body.

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