JPS6220566B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a guidance device for an automatic guided vehicle that is suitably used in an automatic ball collecting machine system at a golf driving range.

Conventionally, as an unmanned automatic guidance system that does not require operation by a driver, as shown in Figure 1, a low frequency current is passed through an induction loop R (guidance wire) buried in a taxiway, and the magnetic field generated by this is suppressed. Detection is performed by two detection coils a and b installed on the left and right at equal intervals from the center line of the vehicle, and the induced electromotive force generated in each detection coil is transmitted to a deviation detector 2 via amplifiers 1 and 1.
In comparison, a system has been proposed in which the servo motor 3 is driven forward or backward depending on the difference in the induced electromotive force to change the direction of the guided vehicle, and the vehicle is guided to travel along the guided loop R.

When the above-mentioned guidance device is used in a ball collecting machine system at a golf driving range, as shown in Fig. 2, the guiding loops R are arranged in parallel in accordance with the ball collecting width of the guided traveling unmanned ball collecting machine 4 over a relatively wide area. This has the disadvantage that a large number of them must be buried in the same manner, the total length of the induction loop R becomes long, and the construction cost is extremely high. In addition, in Figure 2,
5 is a batting box, 6 is a ball protection net, 7 is an induction loop oscillator, 8 is a ball landing pit, and 9 is a stopping station.

Further, as a prior art, there is Japanese Patent Publication No. 50-38477, but this requires a receiver to be installed in the guide vehicle, but requires vehicles to be equipped with radio transmitting devices at opposite ends of the movement area, which increases the equipment cost.

This invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned drawbacks, and only involves embedding guide loops for direction change on opposite sides of the guided area, without embedding any guide loops between the opposing guide loops. , the vehicle is allowed to run freely from one induction loop to the other, and when the vehicle approaches the induction loop, it transfers to the induction loop and guides the vehicle along the induction loop, thus eliminating the need for additional equipment. Moreover, the purpose is to reduce the amount of buried induction loops.

In order to achieve the above objective, it is essential that the guided vehicle be able to transfer smoothly from a point away from the guided loop to that loop, and the conventional guided vehicle shown in FIG. However, when transferring from free running to the guidance loop, there was a risk that the vehicle would steer significantly or cross the guidance loop and run out of control, making it impossible to automatically enter the guidance loop reliably and smoothly. . On the other hand, the present applicant had previously applied for the
In the invention of No. 5085, as shown in FIG. l ₁ and l ₂ are detection coil a′,
By attaching the guide vehicle at an angle θ so as to intersect with the vehicle body center line _l3 in front of the attachment point b', a guide vehicle is provided that can smoothly transfer from free running to a guide loop.

Therefore, the present invention uses the above-mentioned guide car, and installs a guide loop buried underground outside a predetermined area at at least two positions separated from the area.
A direction changing section, which includes a curved section that changes the direction of the guided vehicle by transferring the guided vehicle from the free running state to the guided loop, and a bending section that changes the direction of the guided vehicle from the guided running state to the free running state, are arranged to face each other. The direction changing section between the two positions is arranged such that the bending section of one direction changing section faces the curved section of the other direction changing section, and the direction changing section of the induction loop facing the above-mentioned induction vehicle The vehicle is characterized by being able to run freely in a predetermined area between the two.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be explained in detail with reference to embodiments shown in the drawings.

The embodiment shown in FIG. 4 is designed to run in the area between two opposing sides A and B.
Induction loops 12 and 13 connected to induction loop oscillators 10 and 11 are buried underground on each side of A and B. The opposing parts of the guide loops 12 and 13 are, as shown in the figure, a straight part E-LOH, a curved part HARNY, and a bent part KNEW bent at an acute angle β.
The direction changing portions 15 and 16 are formed in a continuous manner, and the direction changing portions 15 and 16 in the guide loops 12 and 13 are set in opposite shapes when viewed from the top and bottom in the figure. The guided vehicle 14 that travels between the regions A and B has the same structure as the guided vehicle shown in FIG. 3, and the explanation thereof will be omitted.
In addition, the bending angle β of the above induction loop is 90° - θ
It is set to .

In the above guidance device, as shown by the dotted line in the figure,
The guided vehicle 14, which has been freely traveling straight toward the straight section E-LOHA on the side of the guiding loop 13, transfers to the guiding loop 13 at the direction change section 16 at the part B, as shown in FIG. , Lo-Har-Nie-Ho are guided as shown by the solid lines in the figure. The vehicle 14
When comes to the part E, the detection coil a′ at the front of the vehicle
b' exceeds the induction loop 13, and the detection coil
Since the axis _l1 of a' is located parallel to the Hohe line, both detection coils a' and b' of the guiding vehicle 14 do not detect the magnetic field, making it impossible for the steering wheel operation to follow the Hohe side. The vehicle 14 moves along the straight line N-ho to the induction loop 1.
3, the train derailed, became unguided, and ran freely.
At this time, the guided vehicle 14, which had been guided along the curved Harney Ho, had changed its traveling direction to the opposing A side at the point E, and derailed from the H of the guided loop 13. The guided vehicle 14 then enters a free running state toward the A side. That is, the guided vehicle 14, which was traveling freely from the A side toward the B side, is changed direction by being guided along the curved part of the guiding loop 13 on the B side, and is now traveling from the B side to the A side. Then let it run freely again. During this free running, the steering mechanism (not shown) of the steering wheel is controlled by an electric signal in the straight direction because the detection coils a' and b' do not detect the magnetic field of the induction loop 13 so that the steering mechanism (not shown) moves straight toward the A side. lock, A side induction loop 1
2, the detection coils a' and b' detect the magnetic field of the induction loop 12, thereby releasing the lock and simultaneously switching to induction running. The guided vehicle 14, which has freely traveled straight from the B side towards the A side, transfers to the straight section B of the direction changing section 15 of the guiding loop 12, similarly to the B side, and
Guided travel along the curved part Harney Ho from B,
At the bend in Ho-he, the vehicle becomes unable to follow the vehicle, becomes free running from Ho toward B, and changes direction. In this way, if the guiding loop is buried so as to form a curved direction changing part facing outside the area,
Vehicles can be driven back and forth unmanned without direct communication between the regions via a guidance loop.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 3, the guide vehicle 14 is
The detection coils a' and b' are arranged at equal intervals left and right from the vehicle body center line _l3 , and are tilted by a predetermined angle θ with respect to the axis _l4 perpendicular to _the vehicle body center line l3. , b', so that the axes l ₁ and l ₂ of the detection coil intersect on the vehicle body center line l ₃ in front of the mounting position of the detection coil, so to speak, in a "C" shape with respect to the center line l ₃ . Therefore, it is possible to smoothly transfer from the free running state to the guidance loop. That is, as shown in FIG. 6, when the guided vehicle transfers freely from a point away from the induction loop R, the detection coils a' and b' are both located at the lower side of the loop R in the figure at the point in the figure. Although the distances ra' 1 and rb' ₁ of the detection coils a' and b _' to the induction loop R are in the relationship ra' ₁ <rb' ₁ , the detection voltage becomes ea' ₁ ≒ eb' ₁ , and the deviation signal The steering wheel does not occur and the steered wheels are not controlled to either the left or right, and the vehicle moves straight in the direction of the arrow. Next, when both coils a' and b' straddle the induction loop R shown in the figure and come to positions equally spaced from the loop R, ra' ₂ = rb' ₂ , but ea' ₂ = Ecos (θ+α) , eb′ ₂ = Ecos(θ
Since ea' ₂ <eb' ₂ at -α), a deviation signal is generated, which causes the servo motor 3 to rotate, and the steered wheel is directed to the right in the figure and follows the induction loop R. As shown in FIG. 7, it is possible to transfer to the induction loop R smoothly and reliably.

FIG. 8 shows an embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a ball collection machine system for a golf driving range similar to that shown in FIG. 2 above. In this embodiment, an inductive loop oscillator 7'
As shown in the figure, the induction loop 20 connected to
C. Direction change consisting of a bending part for direction change, and a bending part knee bent at an acute angle that makes it impossible for the ball collector 4' to follow the guide loop 20 and derails it to the opposite side. The sections 15' and 16' are buried in a continuous state, and the opposing A' and
On the B′ side, the curved part is
The refracting portion N and the refracting portion N and H which are continuous thereto are set to face each other.

In the above device, the ball collecting device 4' started from the stop station 9' does not reach the ball collecting area along the guiding loop 20, and moves from the bending part knee on the A' side of the batting box 5' to B'. It runs freely towards the side as shown by the dotted line in the figure, and then moves along the straight section on the B′ side.
Transfer to the guidance loop 20 at point C and B, and after guiding and changing direction along the bend in Harney, as shown by the solid line in the figure, at the bend in Knee Hoi.
Jump out toward the A′ side and run freely. after that
On the A′ side, transfer to the induction loop 20 at point B of the straight section E-LO-HA, and from then on, as shown by the arrow in the figure,
By repeating the same run, the induction loop 2
It moves freely and reciprocates between both sides A' and B' where 0 is buried.

Therefore, even if you do not bury an induction loop in the entire area to match the ball collecting width of the ball collecting machine, if you match the width of free running to the ball collecting width, you can collect balls in the entire area. can be done.

FIG. 9 shows an embodiment in which free running motion can be continued in a circle, and as shown in the figure, the induction loop 2
1 as a direction changing part, a large number of curved curved parts 22 are arranged circumferentially in succession via bent parts 23 bent at acute angles for derailment. In this embodiment, the vehicle travels guided along the curved curved portion 22 as shown by the solid line in the figure, then changes direction and jumps out into the circle at the bending part 23, and then moves freely as shown by the dotted line in the figure. After that, the vehicle transfers to the opposite guide loop 21 and continues to run in the circle surrounded by the guide loop 21 one after another. This embodiment can be suitably used, for example, as an amusement vehicle in an amusement park.

As is clear from the above description, the guidance device for an automatic guided vehicle according to the present invention does not require a vehicle equipped with a transmitting device as in the prior art.
By simply burying the guidance loops only on the opposite sides of the areas in which they are to be driven, it is possible to allow the guided vehicles to run freely unmanned without burying the guidance loops between the areas. This has the advantage that the amount of buried induction loops can be drastically reduced and construction can be done easily and at low cost.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the guidance mechanism of a conventional guidance vehicle, FIG. 2 is a plan view of a conventional golf driving range collection system, and FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the guidance mechanism of the guidance vehicle used in the present invention. FIG. 4 is a plan view showing an embodiment of the guidance device of the present invention, FIG.
is a partially enlarged view showing the traveling operation in the guidance device of FIG. 4, FIGS. 6 and 7 are schematic diagrams showing the operation of transferring from free running to the guidance loop, and FIGS. 8 and 9 are diagrams showing the operation of the guidance device of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a plan view showing another embodiment. R, 12, 13, 20, 21...Induction loop, 1
4...Guidance vehicle, a', b'...Detection coil, 15,1
5', 16, 16', 22, 23... Direction changing section.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1 A pair of detection coils for steering wheel direction control are installed at the front of an induction vehicle at equal intervals on the left and right sides of the vehicle center line, and when the vehicle is in a state of left-right symmetry with respect to the induction loop, the axis of both detection coils is are inclined so as to intersect with each other on the vehicle center line in front of the mounting position of the detection coil, and the induction loops are buried underground outside a predetermined area at at least two positions separated from the area, A direction changing section, which includes a curved section that changes the direction of the guided vehicle by transferring the guided vehicle from the free running state to the guided loop, and a bending section that changes the direction of the guided vehicle from the guided running state to the free running state, are arranged to face each other. The direction changing section between the two positions is arranged such that the bending section of one direction changing section faces the curved section of the other direction changing section, and the direction changing section of the guiding loop facing the guiding vehicle A guidance device for an automatic guided vehicle, characterized in that the vehicle is allowed to travel freely in a predetermined area between the two.