JPH0729686B2 - Transfer device using self-propelled cart - Google Patents

Description

Description: FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to the use of a self-propelled vehicle used when, for example, a load conveyed by a self-propelled vehicle is automatically unloaded and the load is handled by a robot. It relates to the device.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a device of this type, a self-propelled carriage that can travel on a fixed route is provided with a loading / unloading device (fork) that can move in and out in the lateral direction and can move up and down, and on the side of the fixed route. A configuration is provided that includes a pallet receiving portion. According to this, the self-propelled carriage supporting the load through the pallet stops to the side of the pallet receiving portion, and the combined movement of the lifting / lowering of the loading / unloading device and the lateral reciprocating movement causes the pallet receiving portion to move. Can be wholesale on top. The load on the pallet is received by the robot, and the empty pallet is returned to the self-propelled carriage by the reverse action. The actual pallets will be received by the self-propelled cart in the same way.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention According to the above-mentioned conventional method, the receiving position of the actual pallet by the self-propelled carriage is disturbed or the passing position of the actual pallet to the receiving part is disturbed, and this disturbance is somewhat Even then, the robot cannot handle the load accurately and smoothly.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a transfer device using a self-propelled trolley, which is a type in which an actual pallet can be automatically delivered to a receiving portion, but the delivery position can always be constant.

Means for Solving the Problems In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, a transfer device using a self-propelled carriage according to the present invention is a self-propelled carriage that can travel on a fixed path, and can be moved in and out in a lateral direction and can be raised and lowered. And a loading / unloading device, and a projection amount detecting device for the loading / unloading device, which is provided with an engaging device projecting upward and movable in the lateral direction and projecting the engaging device laterally outward. An urging device is provided, a pallet receiving portion is provided on a side portion of the fixed path, and a pallet positioning portion is further provided on a side portion, so that the engaging tool can be freely engaged and disengaged with a pallet that can be placed on the receiving portion. The engaged portion is formed, and the maximum lateral projection amount of the loading / unloading tool is set so as to project after the pallet comes into contact with the positioning portion.

According to the structure of the present invention, the pallet, which is supported on the self-propelled carriage, moves the receiving / inserting tool, which is formed by engaging the engaging tool with the engaged part thereof, to the receiving part side, and thus the pallet is operated. Can be pushed out from the self-propelled carriage onto the receiving part. At the time of this pushing out, the side surface of the pallet comes into contact with the positioning portion before reaching the maximum protruding amount, and thereafter, the ejecting and ejecting tool projects to the maximum against the biasing tool. As a result, the pallet is pressed against the positioning portion and positioned by the urging force of the urging tool. Then, by moving down the loading / unloading tool to disengage the engaging tool, and moving it back and forth onto the self-propelled carriage, the pallet can be automatically transferred to the receiving portion, and further, the pallet, that is, the transferred object. The position is always constant. The pallet emptied by taking out the object to be conveyed by the robot is received on the self-propelled carriage by the reverse action of the take-out tool. At that time, since the control device stores in advance in the control device how long the protruding amount should be with respect to the maximum protruding amount, the protruding amount is moved while the detecting device detects the protruding amount. By stopping when the detected value matches the preset value, the engagement tool can be accurately opposed to the engaged portion. As a result, the empty pallet can be surely pulled out by the automatic work while using the movable engaging tool in which the urging device is arranged.

Embodiment One embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

Reference numeral 1 denotes a self-propelled carriage, which is mounted on a pair of left and right rails 2 via wheels 3 and is provided with guide rollers 4 guided by the rails 2 so that it can travel on a fixed path 5. At this time, the self-propelled carriage 1 is equipped with a traveling drive device 6 that can be driven forward and backward in conjunction with the wheels 3 and a control device 7, and thus travels back and forth on a fixed route 5. The power source of the self-propelled carriage 1 can be obtained by a battery or trolley power supply installed. A support frame 8 is arranged on the self-propelled carriage 1, and two sets of front and rear support parts 9 are provided on the support frame 8.
The supporting portion 9 of each set includes a pair of front and rear guide rails 10 in the left-right direction, and a supporting member 11 made of MC nylon material is provided inside each of the guide rails 10. A loading / unloading tool (fork) 15 is provided between the front and rear support members 11 of each set so as to face each other from below and to be able to move back and forth in the lateral direction (left-right direction) and to move up and down. That is, the elevating frames 16 are provided on the self-propelled carriage 1, and these elevating frames 16 are
The guide roller 17 provided on the side of the self-propelled carriage 1 is guided so as to freely move up and down, and the elevator drive device 18 provided on the side of the self-propelled carriage 1 operates to move up and down integrally. Each loading / unloading tool 15 has a lifting frame
The fixed part 19 attached to the 16, the secondary 22 supported and guided by the first guide member 20 laid on the fixed part 19 via the first sliding contact body 21, and the second part 22 attached to the upper part of the secondary 22. The sliding contact body 23 and a primary 24 supported and guided by the second sliding contact body 23 via a second guide member 39. In order to move the loading / unloading tool 15 in and out separately, the fixing portion
The driven chain wheels 25A and 25B are attached to both ends of the chain 19, and the drive chain wheel 28 of the drive device 27 provided near one driven chain wheel 25A is engaged with the chain 26 hung between the both driven chain wheels 25A and 25B. Along with the combination, a part of the chain 26 is fixed 29 to the secondary 22. Furthermore, a pair of guide chain wheels 30A, 30 is attached to the secondary 22.
First, with B installed and fixed 31 on one side of the fixing portion 19
The chain 32 is hung on the guide chain wheel 30B on the other side and then fixed 33 to one side of the primary 24, and the second chain 35 fixed 34 to the other side of the fixed portion 19 is hung on the guide chain wheel 30A on one side. After that, it is fixed 36 to the other side of the primary 24.
An encoder 38 whose passive chain wheel 37 engages with the chain 26 is provided near the other driven chain wheel 25B, and this encoder 38 is connected to the control device 7. The encoder 38 is an example of a protrusion amount detection device for the loading / unloading device 15. The loading / unloading tool 15 is provided with an engaging tool that projects upward and is movable in the lateral direction, and a biasing tool that projects the engaging tool in the lateral direction. That is, a movable base 42 that is movable in the length direction via roller guides 41 is provided at both ends of the primary 24.
A plate-shaped pin 43, which is an example of an engaging tool, is erected from the outer end portion of 42. Guide rods 45 are arranged at the lower ends of both ends of the primary 24 via screw adjusting portions 44, and a part of the movable base 42 is fitted onto the guide rods 45. A compression coil spring 46, which is an example of a biasing member, is externally fitted and arranged on the guide rod 45 between the screw adjusting portion 44 and the movable base 42, and a stopper 47 for restricting the maximum protruding position is provided on the outside of the guide rod 45. It is provided at the end. Reference numeral 48 is a safety device that detects whether or not the loading / unloading tool 15 is in operation, and is composed of an amplifier unit, a photomicrosensor, and the like.

The pallet 50 is in the form of an elongated plate, and through-holes 51, which are an example of an engaged portion that allows the pin 43 to be disengaged from below, are formed at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the pallet. Reference numeral 52 represents a transported object.

A receiving portion 55 of the pallet 50 is provided on the side of the fixed path 5. The receiving portion 55 has a pair of guide rails 56 and a receiving member 57 like the support portion 9, and a lifting device 58 for the pallet 50 is arranged in the central portion. And receiving part 55
A positioning portion 60 for the pallet 50 is provided further to the side of the. The positioning portion 60 is formed by being attached to, for example, the wall 61. At this time, the maximum lateral projection amount L of the loading / unloading device 15 is set so that the projecting movement l is performed even after the pallet 50 contacts the positioning portion 60. A relay guide device 62 is provided between the fixed path 5 and the receiving portion 55, and is configured by disposing a guide rail 64 and a receiving member 65 on a frame 63.

Next, the operation of the above embodiment will be described.

The self-propelled carriage 1 travels on the fixed route 5 in the loading / unloading area 66 with any one of the support portions 9 receiving the actual pallet 50. Then, it stops at the side of the intended receiving part 55, but at that time, the receiving part where the empty pallet 50 exists
The empty support portion 9 is opposed to the relay guide device 62 continuous to 55 and stopped. Next, the loading / unloading tool 15 which is lowered together with the elevating frame 16 is moved laterally outward, that is, the intended receiving portion 55.
Move it toward. This is because the drive chain 27 is rotated by the drive device 27 and the secondary chain is moved by the movement of the chain 26.
Move 22. Then, as the guide wheels 30A and 30B move, the first chain 32 is pulled in and the second chain 32
The chain 35 is put out, so that the primary 24 further projects and moves with respect to the secondary 22. During such a protruding movement, the passive chain wheel 37 rotates as the chain 26 moves, and this rotation is detected by the encoder 38.
Detects the amount of protrusion (protruding state). The above-described projecting movement is not performed up to the maximum projecting amount L, but actually, as will be described later in detail, the projecting movement 1 is carried out by (L-1). Then, the stop of the protrusion movement is performed in advance by the control device 7
To the value (L-1) stored in the encoder 38
It is performed when the detection pulses from the sides match. As a result, the primary 24 passes through the relay guide device 62,
Then, the elastic force of the compression coil spring 46 causes the pin 43 in contact with the stopper 47 to face the through hole 51 from below. Next, the lifting drive device 18 is operated to raise the lifting frame 16, and the pin 43 on the other side is engaged with the through hole 51 on one side of the pallet 50 from below. In this state, the drive device 27 is operated in the reverse of the above to move the primary 24 back and forth, and the pallet is set through the pin 43.
Make 50 withdrawals. Then, the pallet 50 slides on the receiving member 57 while being guided by the guide rail 56, and moves onto the relay guide device 62, and slides on the receiving member 65 while being guided by the guide rail 64. When the encoder 38 detects the preset number of pulses stored in advance by the control device 7, the pallet 50 is completely pulled out onto the relay guide device 62, and the primary 24 stops there. Then, after descending together with the elevating frame 16 to pull out the pin 43, the primary 24
Is moved again so that the pin 43 on the other side faces the through hole 51 on the other side of the pallet 50. Next, after ascending together with the elevating frame 16 to engage the pin 43 with the through hole 51, the primary is retracted as described above, and the pallet 50 on the relay guide device 62 is pulled out onto the support portion 9. Then, take out the empty pallet 50.

After the removal of the empty pallet 50 is completed in this way, the self-propelled carriage 1 is run by the amount of the juxtaposed pitch of the loading / unloading device 15, and the pallet 50 is taken out in the previous work and is continuously connected to the empty receiving portion 55. The relay guide device 62 that was
The supporting portions 9 supporting the 50 are opposed to each other. Next, the pallet 50 is pushed in by the action opposite to that in the above-mentioned taking-out work. That is, first, the pin 43 is inserted into the through hole 51 on the other side.
The pallet 50 on the support part 9 is pushed onto the relay guide device 62 in the state of engaging with each other, and then the pin is inserted into the through hole 51 on one side.
With the 43 engaged, the pallet 50 on the relay guide unit 62
Push it onto the receiving part 55. This pushing movement is performed with the maximum protrusion amount L, but the outer surface of the pallet 50 contacts the positioning portion 60 when the protrusion movement l is subtracted (L-1) as described above. . After that, when the primary 24 further projects and moves, the pin 43 remains, and only the primary 24 moves by the maximum projecting amount L against the compression coil spring 46. As a result, the pallet 50 is positioned at a fixed position by the elastic pressing force of the compression coil spring 46. Then, the pins 43 are lowered together with the elevating frame 16 so as to be pulled out from the through hole 51, and the primary 24 is moved back and forth on the elevating frame 16 to complete the supply of the actual pallet 50. The transported object 52 on the pallet 50 is taken out by a robot or the like and passed to the next step, and the pallet 50 is emptied again.

Self-propelled trolley 1 delivered with the actual pallet 50 as described above.
Is moved to the loading / unloading area 66, empty pallets 50 are wholesaled, and real pallets 50 are loaded.

EFFECTS OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention having the above-described configuration, it is possible to automatically perform the work of delivering a pallet from the self-propelled carriage to the receiving portion and the work of receiving the pallet on the receiving portion by the self-propelled carriage. However, the transfer operation can be made constant by providing the positioning tool, the movable engaging tool, and the urging tool. Therefore, when the object to be conveyed on the pallet is handled by the robot in the subsequent step, the work can always be performed accurately and smoothly. Further, since the amount of protrusion of the loading / unloading device is detected by the detection device, it is possible to set to stop the projecting movement at a certain detection value. The automatic delivery work of pallets can be surely performed.

[Brief description of drawings]

The drawings show an embodiment of the present invention, in which FIG. 1 is a front view and FIG.
The drawing is a partially cutaway plan view, FIG. 3 is a side view, FIG. 4 is a plan view of the loading / unloading tool, FIG. 5 is the same side view, FIG. 6 is a side view of the main part, and FIG. 7 is the same part. A cutaway front view, FIG. 8 is a vertical side view of the same, and FIG. 9 is a schematic plan view. 1 ... Traveling vehicle, 5 ... Constant route, 7 ... Control device, 9
...... Supporting part, 15 ...... Accessory, 16 ...... Elevating frame, 19 ......
Fixed part, 22 …… Secondary, 24 …… Primary, 38
...... Encoder (projection amount detection device), 42 ...... Movable base, 43
...... Pin (engagement tool), 46 …… Compression coil spring (biasing tool), 50 …… Pallet, 51 …… Through hole (engaged part), 52
...... Transported object, 55 …… Receiving part, 58 …… Lifting device, 60…
… Positioning part, 62… Relay guide device, 66… Handling area, L… Maximum projecting amount, l… Projecting movement.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A self-propelled carriage that can travel on a fixed route is provided with a loading / unloading tool that can be moved in and out in a lateral direction and can be raised and lowered, and a protrusion amount detection device for the loading / unloading tool is provided. An engaging member that protrudes upward and is movable in the lateral direction is provided, a biasing member that protrudes the engaging member laterally outward is provided, and a pallet receiving portion is provided at a side portion of the constant path, and further side A pallet positioning portion is provided on one side of the pallet, and a receiving portion on which the engaging member can engage and disengage is formed on the pallet that can be placed on the receiving portion. A transfer device using a self-propelled carriage, characterized in that it is set so as to project even after it comes into contact with the positioning portion.