JPH0457014B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a device for transporting a vehicle such as a passenger car, and more particularly to a device for further transporting a vehicle transported by a single-slat conveyor by an unmanned carrier.

On assembly lines and transportation lines for vehicles such as passenger cars, vehicles with wheels and other suspension parts are usually transported by a single-slat conveyor and subjected to various processing, but there are sub-lines, processing stations, etc. Because of this, it is not possible to perform all machining on a single line arranged in a straight line, so machining is performed on multiple lines that are independent of each other. Conventionally, as a slat conveyor that continuously conveys vehicles at a fixed pitch, a single slat conveyor carries both the front and rear wheels of only one side of the vehicle, and the front wheel of that side is fitted into a recess for transmitting traction force. Sometimes used.

However, in the past, when conveying vehicles between these mutually separate and independent lines, that is, slat conveyors, an overhead conveyor was used as an example, but when conveying vehicles between each line using an overhead conveyor, A transfer device for transferring vehicles to and from the overhead conveyor is required at each of the terminal end of the previous stage slat conveyor and the starting end of the next stage slat conveyor. There were problems such as not only complication but also poor workability and high cost.

By the way, vehicles that are being assembled and have wheels and other suspension parts attached to them are transported on the same plane as the floor surface, so between the slat conveyors on each line, the vehicles are towed and placed on the floor surface. It is thought that the above-mentioned problems can be solved by running the vehicle. In that case, the vehicle's own steering system cannot be automatically operated.
It is desirable that at least the front wheels of the vehicle to be transported be lifted off the floor surface, and in this state the vehicle be towed along a predetermined route by a self-propelled unmanned transport vehicle.
When using such an unmanned transport vehicle, it is necessary to insert the unmanned transport vehicle under the vehicle at the end of the slat conveyor in the previous stage. The completed empty unmanned carrier is run from behind the front stage slat conveyor, that is, from the starting end side, under the vehicles that are lined up at a constant pitch above it, and reaches the bottom of the vehicles at the terminal end. A route configuration in which the vehicle at the rear end is towed to the front of the slat conveyor, and an empty unmanned carrier is driven backward from the front of the slat conveyor at the front stage to the end thereof, and the vehicle is towed at the end of the slat conveyor. A possible path configuration is to tow the vehicle located in front of the slat conveyor.

However, in the case of the former route configuration, the total length of the traveling route is considerably long, so there is a problem that power is wasted to a high degree. Therefore, it is conceivable to have the vehicles above the slat conveyor enter the underside of the conveyor from the middle of the conveyor, but in this case, although the length of the travel path will be shortened, the unmanned carrier and the vehicle may come into contact or collide. There is a danger, and if such a danger were to be eliminated, the control would be complicated and the cost would be high. Furthermore, if there is only one unmanned transport vehicle, the unmanned transport vehicle will have to run at extremely high speeds in order to meet the timing of transporting the vehicle by the slat conveyor, so it is necessary to use multiple unmanned transport vehicles. For example, although there is no need to particularly increase the running speed, problems arise in that equipment costs rise and energy consumption increases.

On the other hand, in the case of the latter route configuration, the unmanned carrier vehicle enters from the front of the slat conveyor under the vehicle at the end of the slat conveyor, exits to the front of the slat conveyor, and furthermore, the unmanned carrier vehicle enters from the front of the slat conveyor under the vehicle at the end of the slat conveyor, and exits to the front of the slat conveyor. Since the vehicle travels back and forth along the route, the above-mentioned problems do not occur. However, when using the aforementioned single-slat conveyor that transports vehicles by fitting one front wheel of the vehicle into a recess, if the unmanned carrier is driven straight ahead of the single-slat conveyor during vehicle transportation, the rear wheels of the vehicle Because the vehicle gets stuck in the recess and it is necessary to drive the vehicle over the recess to tow the vehicle, an unmanned carrier with a strong traction force, that is, a large-capacity drive motor, is required. As a result, not only does this result in high costs, but it also becomes extremely difficult to configure the total height of the unmanned transport vehicle to be less than the minimum ground clearance of the vehicle.

On the other hand, if the traveling speed of the unmanned carrier vehicle is made equal to the driving speed of the slat conveyor, the rear wheels of the vehicle will pass over the slat conveyor after the recess enters the lower side of the floor surface. The above-mentioned problems can be solved. However, at such low speeds, it takes a long time to transport the vehicle and return it to the initial position, so it is necessary to return the unmanned transport vehicle before the following vehicle reaches the end of the slat conveyor. It is difficult to do so, and as a result, a large number of practical problems arise, such as the need to equip multiple unmanned transport vehicles. Also, after the rear wheels of the vehicle to be transported come off the slat conveyor,
It is possible to solve the above problem by increasing the running speed of the unmanned transport vehicle, but in that case, the unmanned transport vehicle should be configured to be able to change speeds so that it can respond to speed fluctuations of the slat conveyor, and the vehicle Problems arise, such as the need for a detector to detect when the rear wheels have come off the slat conveyor, which complicates the configuration of not only the unmanned transport vehicle but also the control system, which in turn increases costs.

This invention was made in view of the above circumstances, and when a vehicle transported by a single-slat conveyor is further towed and transported by an unmanned transport vehicle, it is possible to reduce the capacity of the driving motor of the unmanned transport vehicle. It is an object of the present invention to provide a vehicle transport device that can simplify a control device that controls travel. The feature of this invention is that it has an unmanned transport vehicle that self-propels back and forth along a guide line and that tows a vehicle by pushing up the front end of the vehicle with its front wheels floating. A forward guide line for guiding an unmanned carrier vehicle when transporting a vehicle from the single-slat conveyor, and a backward guide line for guiding an empty unmanned carrier vehicle to the terminal end of the single-slat conveyor are provided. A predetermined length on the end side of the rat conveyor is set in a curved or straight shape to guide the unmanned transport vehicle so that the rear wheels of the vehicle to be transported do not pass through the traction recess on the single rat conveyor, and The point is that the predetermined length of the guide wire on the terminal end side of the single-slat conveyor is set in a straight line that guides the empty unmanned carrier so that it is parallel to the single-slat conveyor.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below, taking as an example a case in which vehicles are transported between two rows of single-slat conveyors arranged parallel to each other.

As shown in Fig. 1, the single slat conveyors 1 and 2 are arranged parallel to each other and are driven in opposite directions, with one single slat conveyor 1 (on the left side in Fig. 1) The conveyor 1) is connected to both left front and rear wheels 4 and 5 of the vehicle 3.
As shown in FIG. 2, a recess 6 is formed in the slat plate on which the front wheels 4 are placed, and the recess 6 provides traction to the vehicle 3 and holds the vehicle 3 at a constant pitch. It is configured for continuous conveyance. The other (right side in FIG. 1) single-slat conveyor 2 (hereinafter referred to as the second conveyor 2) has a structure on which both the right front and rear wheels 7, 8 of the vehicle 3 are placed, and has a recess into which the right front wheel 7 is fitted. is formed.

Between the terminal end of the first conveyor 1, that is, the loading position A, and the starting end of the second conveyor 2, that is, the unloading position B, an unmanned carrier 11 that runs on its own along guide lines 9 and 10 is arranged. There is. One guide line 9 is a forward guide line that guides the unmanned carrier 11 from the loading position A to the unloading position B, and is between the first conveyor 1 and the second conveyor 2 as shown in FIG. It has an arc shape centered on a predetermined point O,
The other guide wire 10 is a retreat guide wire for guiding the unmanned carrier vehicle 11 from the unloading position B to the loading position A, and extends in the direction of the extension line of each conveyor 1 and 2 as shown in FIG. The shape is set such that a straight part and a straight part facing perpendicular to the straight part are connected by a 90° curved part. Here, the forward guide wire 9
To explain further, a predetermined length of the forward guide wire 9 at least on the side of the loading position A is set in the shape shown in FIG. 3. That is, the third
In the figure, the first conveyor 1 at the loading position A
On a line L1 passing through the center of the recess 6 and parallel to the front wheel axle of the vehicle 3, pick a point P1 that is a predetermined distance away from the recess 6, that is, just enough distance that the left rear wheel 5 of the vehicle 3 does not contact the recess 6; The angle formed by the line L3 connecting the point P1 and the grounding point P2 of the left rear wheel 5 of the vehicle 3 and the line L2 connecting the center of the recess 6 of the first conveyor 1 and the grounding point P2 is θ°. In this case, the center of curvature O is the point where the line L4, which passes through the point P1 and makes an angle of (90°-θ°) with the line L2, intersects the extension line L5 of the rear wheel axle of the vehicle 3. The guide wire 9 for forward movement is laid on the circumference of a circle whose curve radius R is the dimension from the center of curvature O to the center of the tip of the unmanned carrier 11, that is, the forward movement detector 12 to be described later. Therefore, when the unmanned carrier 11 tows the vehicle 3 from the loading position A, the unmanned carrier 11 and the vehicle 3 travel as one, so that the left rear wheel 5 of the vehicle 3 is attached to the first conveyor 1. It passes through a point P1 outside the recess 6.

Next, the configuration of the unmanned carrier 11 will be explained. The unmanned carrier 11 has a height that is lower than the minimum ground clearance of the vehicle 3, and as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the front end side of the main body 13 is It is of a three-wheel type having one driving wheel 14 provided and two driven wheels 15a and 15b provided on the left and right sides of the rear end side of the main body 13. That is, a swivel table 16 is attached to the lower surface of the central part of the front end of the main body 13 so as to be rotatable about a rotating shaft 17.
A drive wheel 14 is attached to the center of the lower surface of the vehicle 6 via a bearing member 18, and the drive wheel 14 is connected to a traveling motor 19 attached to the bearing member 18. Teeth are formed on the outer periphery of the turning table 16, and the teeth are connected to a steering gear 2 rotated by a steering motor 20 attached to the main body 13.
1, so the driving wheel 14 is
It is configured so that the direction can be changed in any direction by a steering motor 20 and a turning table 16 via a steering gear 21. Note that instead of the steering mechanism consisting of the steering motor 20, steering gear 21, and turning table 16, for example, a mechanism consisting of a plurality of links and a motor that operates the links, or a slider that reciprocates in one direction with the links may be used. It is also possible to configure the direction of the drive wheels 14 to be changed by a combined mechanism.

On the other hand, the driven wheels 15a and 15b are connected to the rotating shaft 22.
a rotating plate 23a that rotates around a and 22b;
It is rotatably attached to the main body 13 via 23b. That is, the rotation center axis of each driven wheel 15a, 15b is the rotation axis 22a, 22, which is the turning center.
Since the grounding point is located slightly away from the axis of wheel b, and therefore the grounding point is off from the turning center axis, the resistance force generated at the grounding point during running becomes turning torque, and as a result, each driven wheel 15a, 15b stops moving. It is configured to automatically change direction.

Note that when the rear end side where the driven wheels 15a and 15b are provided is in the forward direction, that is, when traveling backwards, if the driven wheels 15a and 15b are in a state where they can freely turn, the resistance at the time of starting is large. Also, when driving, the direction of travel is not determined, so the driven wheels
A mechanism is provided for fixing 5a and 15b in a straight running state. That is, the rotating plates 23a, 23
Cutouts 24a and 24b are formed on the outer periphery of b, which face toward the front end of the main body 13 when the driven wheels 15a and 15b are in the straight running state shown in FIG. , 23b, a lock bar 25 is provided so as to be movable back and forth, and protrusions 26a, 26b that fit into the cutouts 24a, 24b are provided on the lock bar 25. The cam 2 is rotated by the lock motor 27 to the front end side of the lock bar 25, that is, to the opposite side to the lock bars 26a and 26b.
8 is arranged, and the lock bar 25 is pushed by the cam 28 and moves toward the rotating plates 23a, 23b, and as a result, the protrusions 26a, 26b close to the notch 2.
4a, 24b, the driven wheel 15
a, 15b are fixed in a straight forward state. Also, although not specifically shown, the lock bar 25
is pressed toward the cam 28 by an elastic body such as a spring, and when the lock motor 27 is not operating, the lock bar 25 is pulled away from the rotating plates 23a, 23b and the protrusions 26a, 26b are inserted into the notches 25a, 25.
It is configured to be removed from b.

Further, a lifting device 29 is provided in the center of the main body 13 for pushing up the front end of the vehicle 3 at the loading position A and lifting the front wheels 4 and 7 of the vehicle. As the elevating device 29, any device that can be incorporated into the main body 13 may be used, such as a structure that raises and lowers the vehicle receiving plate using a plurality of links driven by a motor, such as a pantograph mechanism, or a structure that uses a screw jack key. An appropriate one can be used depending on the situation.

Furthermore, the main body 13 includes a battery 30 as a power source, and a control device 31 that controls each of the motors 19, 20, 27 and outputs signals to the outside.
is installed. A control system including the control device 31 will be described below.

Each of the aforementioned guide wires 9 and 10 is turned on and off by a ground platform (not shown) and emits electromagnetic waves when in the on state.In contrast, the forward guide wire 9 detects the electromagnetic waves emitted by the forward guide wire 9 Detector 12
is attached to the lower surface of the rotary table 16 in front of the drive wheel 14, and is attached to the rearward guide line 1.
Reverse detector 32 that detects electromagnetic waves emitted by
is attached to the center of the lower surface of the main body 13 on the retreating side. When moving forward, that is, when transporting the vehicle, the steering motor 20 is operated by the output signal from the control device 31 when the forward movement detector 12 detects electromagnetic waves emitted by the forward movement guide wire 9.
As a result, the vehicle travels along the forward guide line 9, and when reversing, the reverse detector 32 moves along the reverse guide line 10.
Control device 3 by detecting electromagnetic waves emitted by
The steering motor 20 is operated by the detection output signal from the vehicle 1, and as a result, the vehicle travels along the reverse guide line 10. Note that the same operation as described above can be performed by using a tape that reflects light, such as a metal tape, for each guide wire 9, 10, and by using each detector 12, 32 as a light emitting element and a light receiving element. Can be done. Also, the main body 13
A frequency detector 33 connected to the control device 31 is installed at a predetermined location below the , and a transmitting antenna (not shown) connected to the ground platform and provided at each of the loading position A and the unloading position B ), the frequency detector 33 detects instruction signals of different frequencies emitted from the drive motor 19, and rotates the travel motor 19 in the forward or reverse direction according to the instruction signal.
Further, the lifting device 29 is raised or lowered. Furthermore, a magnetic detector 34 connected to the control device 31 is attached to the lower side of the main body 13, and detects the magnetism generated by the magnets (not shown) provided at each of the loading position A and the unloading position B. Upon detection by the detector 34, the traveling motor 19 is stopped and the unmanned carrier vehicle 11 is stopped. Furthermore, the stop confirmation electromagnet 3 is excited and demagnetized by the control device 31.
5 and an electromagnet 36 for confirming elevation are attached to predetermined locations on the lower surface of the main body 13.
When the machine stops at loading position A and unloading position B,
The stop confirmation electromagnet 35 is excited, and the stop confirmation magnetic detectors (not shown) provided at the loading position A and the unloading position B detect the magnetism, thereby causing the ground platform to raise or lower the lifting device 29. The transmitting antenna emits a signal instructing the In addition, the electromagnet 36 for confirming lifting/lowering is connected to the lifting device 29.
When the vehicle 11 completes its ascent or descent, it is excited, and the magnetic detectors (not shown) installed at the loading position A and the unloading position B detect the magnetism, and the ground platform is activated when the unmanned carrier 11 completes its ascent or descent. The transmitting antenna emits a signal instructing the vehicle to move forward or backward. When the unmanned carrier vehicle 11 moves backward, the control device 31 operates the lock motor 27, and as a result, the lock motor 27 is fitted into each of the protrusions 26a, 26b to fix the driven wheels 15a, 15b in a straight running state.

Next, the operation of the above-mentioned device will be explained.

When the vehicle 3 is conveyed to the loading position A by the first conveyor 1 while the unmanned carrier 11 is waiting at the loading position A as shown by the solid line in FIG. 1, a detector such as a limit switch ( (not shown) causes the ground platform to move to the lifting device 29.
As a result, as shown in FIG. 6, the elevating device 29 rises, pushing up the front end of the vehicle 3, such as the front axle, and lifting the front wheels 4, 7. When the lifting device 29 reaches the lifting end, the lifting confirmation electromagnet 36 is excited, and the magnetic detector installed at the loading position A detects the electromagnet 36, and an output signal is generated to indicate that the ground platform is unmanned. A signal with a frequency instructing the forward movement of the transport vehicle 11 is outputted from the transmitting antenna, and when the frequency detector 33 detects the signal, the unmanned transport vehicle 11 starts moving forward while towing the vehicle 3. On the other hand, the forward guide wire 9 is energized and emits electromagnetic waves, and therefore, the unmanned guided vehicle 11 detects the electromagnetic waves emitted by the forward guide wire 9 with its forward detector 12.
Move forward along the forward guide line 9. In that case, since the forward guide line 9 is curved as described above, the left rear wheel 5 of the vehicle 3 towed by the unmanned carrier 11 is located at a position outside the recess 6 provided in the first conveyor 1. Therefore, the unmanned carrier vehicle 11
will always travel on a flat surface, and there is no need for it to have a particularly large driving force.

The unmanned carrier 11 that has reached the unloading position B by towing the vehicle 3 in the above manner lowers its lifting device 29 to lower the right front wheel 7 of the vehicle 3 into the recess of the second conveyor 2, and then lowers the vehicle 3. After completion, the unmanned carrier 11 begins to move backward. In that case, the reverse guide wire 10 is turned on and the forward guide wire 9 is turned on.
is off, and the driven wheels 15a, 15b are off.
is fixed in a straight running state by the lock mechanism described above, and therefore, the unmanned guided vehicle 11 detects the electromagnetic waves emitted by the reverse guide wire 10 by the reverse detector 32 of the unmanned guided vehicle 11, and the reverse guide wire 10 is fixed. Drive along 10. When the unmanned carrier 11 reaches the loading position A, the reversing guide line 10 becomes a straight line parallel to the extension line of the first conveyor 1.
The unmanned carrier 11 stops parallel to the first conveyor 1 and returns to its initial state. Note that all operations of the stopped vehicle 3 at the unloading position B of the unmanned carrier 11, such as lowering and traveling backwards, are controlled by the control device 31 and the ground platform.

However, in the above-mentioned device, since the vehicle 3 is towed on a flat surface, the traction force of the unmanned carrier 11, that is, the capacity of the traveling motor 19, may be small, and the unmanned carrier 11 travels back and forth along almost the same route. , the required space can be reduced.

As is clear from the above description, according to the vehicle transport device of the present invention, the wheels of the vehicle transported by the unmanned carrier do not enter the recess of the single-slat conveyor, so the traction force of the unmanned carrier is There is no need to make it particularly large; in other words, the capacity of the driving motor of the unmanned carrier vehicle can be reduced, and the total height of the unmanned carrier vehicle can therefore be easily made equal to or less than the minimum ground clearance of the vehicle. , unmanned transport vehicles can be made inexpensive,
Furthermore, it is also possible to reduce running costs. In addition, since the wheels of the vehicle transported by the unmanned transport vehicle do not get into the recesses of the single-slat conveyor, the transport speed can be faster than the traveling speed of the single-slat conveyor.
Therefore, a large number of vehicles that are continuously transported at a fixed pitch can be transported by one unmanned transport vehicle, and therefore the overall configuration of the device, including the control system, can be simplified and other excellent practical effects can be obtained. can.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is an overall layout diagram showing one embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram showing how vehicles are mounted on the first single-slat conveyor, and Fig. 3 is an end of the guide wire on the loading position side. FIG. 4 is a partially cutaway schematic plan view of the unmanned carrier vehicle, FIG. 5 is a partially cutaway schematic side view of the unmanned carrier vehicle, and FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the vehicle being transported by the unmanned carrier vehicle. This is a schematic diagram. 1, 2...Single slat conveyor, 3...
Vehicle, 4, 7...Front wheel, 5, 8...Rear wheel, 6...
Recessed portion, 9... Forward guide line, 10... Reverse guide line, 11... Unmanned carrier, A... Loading position, B...
...unloading position.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An unmanned transport vehicle that transports a vehicle by pushing up the front end of the vehicle with its front wheels floating, carries both the front and rear wheels on either the left or right side of the vehicle, and fits the front wheel on one side into a recess to transport the vehicle. In the vehicle transport device, which is arranged between the terminal end of the single slat conveyor and a predetermined unloading position so as to reciprocate along a guide line, the unmanned carrier is unloaded from the terminal end of the single slat conveyor. A forward guide line that guides the unloading vehicle to the loading position and a backward guide line that guides the unmanned vehicle from the unloading position to the terminal end of the single slat conveyor are provided, and at least the terminal end of the single slat conveyor in the forward guide line is provided. A predetermined length on the side is set in a curved shape or a straight shape to guide the automatic guided vehicle so that the rear wheels of the vehicle do not pass through the recess, and a predetermined length on at least the end side of the single-slat conveyor in the backward guide line. 1. A vehicle transport device, characterized in that the length is set in a straight line that guides the vehicle in a direction parallel to the unmanned transport vehicle.