JPS6343267B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] This relates to a floating device for a trolley for transporting goods used in warehouse facilities, assembly lines, etc., and more specifically, it relates to a floating device for a trolley for transporting goods used in warehouse facilities, assembly lines, etc., and more specifically, a floating device for floating a trolley and a floor as they approach each other in the vertical direction. The present invention relates to a bogie floating device that includes a positioning mechanism that controls positioning on a floor by convergence.

By the way, as a positioning mechanism, conventionally,
For example, as disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 55-99466, and as schematically shown in FIG. The former is equipped with a cylinder 5 for raising and lowering the positioning member 1, and the bogie is moved in mm units based on the sliding contact alignment guide action (convergence action) of both members 1 and 2 as the cylinder 5 expands. It is known that there is a method for accurate positioning. 6 is a loading table provided on the truck body 3 via a lifting cylinder 7;
8 is the running wheel.

In principle, such a positioning mechanism simultaneously positions the cart in two-dimensional directions, such as the front-rear direction and the left-right direction. However, since running wheels are usually unidirectional with their axle positions fixed in the left-right direction, even though they can move easily in the front-rear direction during self-alignment, there is frictional resistance with the floor surface in the left-right direction. It has the disadvantage of being large and subject to deformation and strain, resulting in breakage and deterioration. In other words, during positioning, as a general rule, the cylinder is extended until the running wheels rise above the floor. However, when the pair of positioning members fit together and begin to converge, the wheels are loaded with the full weight of the bogie (when loaded, the load is Since the amount of lateral movement of the truck due to convergence (per unit extension of the cylinder) is relatively large, the lateral load that the wheels receive, that is, the deformation strain, is also quite large. Tire-type vehicles are often used with the aim of noise-free running, but in this case, the increased coefficient of friction and the properties of the tires themselves result in increased wear.

From the opposite point of view, the positioning action tends to be unsmooth and uncertain.

The present invention aims to eliminate these drawbacks.

In the bogie floating device according to the present invention, a driving elevator having an omnidirectional freely rotating body at the tip is placed on either one of the bogie and the floor, and the rotating body can freely come into contact with and separate from the other by the operation of the elevator. It is set up in such a condition.

That is, when applied to the case of the positioning action mentioned above, before starting the positioning action (or in some cases in parallel with the positioning action), the drive elevator is actuated to move the free rotating body at its tip to the other side ( In other words, the entire weight (in some cases, most of the weight) of the cart is transferred to its free rotating body.
(It may be possible to share some of it with the running wheels.)
to support. When positioning is performed in this way, even if the movement of the cart due to self-alignment, etc. is in a direction different from the rolling direction of the running wheels, the frictional resistance of the floor against the running wheels is zero or sufficiently small. Therefore, there is no need to put any strain on the running wheels.

Of course, since a free rotating body is omnidirectional,
There is no unreasonableness in assuming that this freely rotating body is subjected to force in place of the running wheels, and smooth, reliable, and highly accurate positioning is possible.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 2 to 5.

Reference numeral 10 denotes a truck having a suitable loading surface 11, and a driving elevator 13 having an omnidirectional free rotating body 12 such as a ball caster at the lower end is installed at the front and rear of the truck 10,
There are four locations on the left and right. Reference numerals 14 and 15 denote a pair of positioning members, one of which is provided on the floor 16 and the other on the truck 10 via a drive elevator 17. The positioning members 14 and 15 are configured as cones, pyramids, spheres, hemispheres, or the like, which perform self-centering and convergence guiding actions in two-dimensional directions, such as the front-rear direction and the left-right direction. This is the positioning mechanism A. 18 is trolley 1
There are unidirectional running wheels provided at four locations on the front and rear, left and right sides of the vehicle, and at least one pair of left and right wheels are drive running wheels, and at least one pair of left and right wheels are drive steering wheels. That is, the trolley 10 is
The electromagnetic waves emitted from the towpath wire provided at 6 are captured by a pair of pick-up coils on the left and right sides of the underside of the trolley, or the light rays emitted from the trolley's floodlight and the reflected light are captured by the trolley's light receiver toward the aluminum tape installed on the floor 16. Based on this, the robot runs while being guided along a towpath wire or aluminum tape. The driving elevators 13 and 17 are hydraulic or pneumatic cylinders, and the truck 10 is equipped with a pump or a compressor as a driving source. Power source is trolley 10
This is the battery installed in the.

The trolley 10 detects a stop mark on the floor 16 and automatically stops. See Figures 2 and 5. Discrepancies between the actual stop position and the set stop position are almost impossible to avoid (inertia and brake accuracy). Inertia also changes depending on the amount of load applied. ). Omnidirectional free rotating body 1 by elevator 13
2 is lowered and brought into contact with the floor 16, and the reaction force thereof lifts the trolley 10 and lifts the traveling wheels 18 from the floor 16. See Figure 3. Next, the positioning member 15 is lowered by the elevator 17 and fitted into the positioning member 14 on the floor 16, and the center points of both members 14 and 15 are brought into alignment by the converging action at that time. See Figure 4. Since the trolley 10 is supported by the omnidirectional free rotating body 12, the trolley 10 due to the convergence effect
The movement is smooth both front and back and left and right.

Next, another example will be listed.

Drive elevator 13 with free rotation body 12 to floor 16
Must be installed on the side.

The number of drive elevators 13 is arbitrary. If the wheels 18 are completely floating, at least three are sufficient.

As the driving elevators 13 and 17, mechanical types such as screw type or rack and pinion type are used.

The truck 10 may be one in which the loading table can be floated relative to the truck body. In that case, it is advisable to provide a locking mechanism for the table.

Only one pair of positioning members 14 and 15 may be used. In this case, it is preferable to provide a large area (for example, a pyramid) with directionality at the center of gravity of the bogie.

Note that the present invention does not exclude a truck 10 that is equipped with omnidirectional wheels 18. Even in this case, it is expected that the life of the running wheels 18 will be extended.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a side view of a conventional truck, FIGS. 2 to 4 are side views showing an embodiment of the present invention including its operation, and FIG. 5 is a front view of the state shown in FIG. 10... Cart, 12... Omnidirectional free rotating body,
13... Drive elevator, 16... Floor, 18... Traveling wheel, A... Positioning mechanism.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. Flow of a truck in which a positioning mechanism A is interposed between the truck 10 and the floor 16, which controls positioning on the floor by fitting and converging as the truck approaches in the vertical direction. A driving elevator 13 having an omnidirectional freely rotating body 12 at its tip is installed on either one of the truck 10 or the floor 16, and the operation of the elevator 13 causes the rotating body 12 to A bogie floating device is installed so that it can come into contact with and move away from it. 2. The bogie floating device according to claim 1, wherein the elevator 13 is provided on the bogie 10 side. 3. The bogie floating device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the elevator 13 is a fluid pressure cylinder. 4. The bogie floating device according to any one of claims 1 to 2, wherein the free rotating body 12 is a ball caster. 5 The elevator 13 is located at the front, rear, left and right sides of the trolley 10.
A bogie floating device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, which is provided at a location. 6. The bogie floating device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the bogie 10 has running wheels 18 that are unidirectional.