JPH01240912A - Method for controlling travel of magnetic induction type unmanned carrier vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To surely perform transfer to the next magnetic tape by traveling an unmanned carrier vehicle in an area where no magnetic tape exists linearly by fixing a steering angle at a neutral position by judging the nonexistence of the magnetic tape by the unmanned carrier vehicle itself. CONSTITUTION:When the unmanned carrier vehicle 10 arrives at a termination 1a by being guidance-travel-controlled along the magnetic tape 1, a magnetic detection means 11 comes off the terminal 1a of a first magnetic tape 1, and judges the nonexistence of the magnetic tape, and the signal of the means is sent to a controller 12, and the steering angle is fixed at the neutral position, and the vehicle travels linearly. In other words, the vehicle travels linearly setting a right and a left travel wheels 13, 13 at the same rotating speed. In such a way, the transfer to the next magnetic tape can be performed surely.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a travel control method for a magnetically guided automatic guided vehicle that controls the guided travel along a magnetic tape provided on a travel path.

[Conventional technology]

In order to guide and control a magnetically guided automatic guided vehicle along a traveling route, magnetic tape is continuously provided along the traveling route, and
The automatic guided vehicle is provided with a magnetic detection means for detecting the magnetic tape, and the magnetic detection means detects the magnetic field of the magnetic tape to guide and control the automatic guided vehicle along the magnetic tape.

However, since the wheels of the automatic guided vehicle run on the magnetic tape at intersections and branching roads, the magnetic tape in those areas may be twisted or torn.

To this end, conventionally, the magnetic tape is removed from the portions where the wheels of the automatic guided vehicle run at intersections and branching roads, and the magnetic tape is discontinuous at some portions of the travel path.

In this way, when traveling on discontinuous magnetic tape sections, it is not possible to control the guided travel of the automatic guided vehicle, so for example, the second
Traveling is controlled as shown in the figure.

That is, the running distance of the area 3 where there is no magnetic tape between the adjacent first magnetic tape 1 and the second magnetic tape 2 is set as , and the running distance from the first magnetic tape 1 to the second magnetic tape 2 is set as . In this case, the guided running control is performed by the magnetic tape up to a position A1 on the first magnetic tape 1 which is a predetermined distance α before the terminal end 1a of the first magnetic tape 1, and from the position A1 to the starting end 2a of the second magnetic tape 2. The steering angle command is set to neutral until position A2 on the second magnetic tape 2 ahead by a predetermined distance α.
In other words, the vehicle is run in a straight line, and when it reaches the position A2, it is switched to guided travel control using the magnetic tape.

Here, the area in which the steering angle command is set as neutral and the area in which the vehicle travels straight is set between a position A1 that is α distance from the terminal end 1a of the first tape 1 and a position A2 that is α distance forward from the starting end 2a of the second tape 2. is position A on the first and second magnetic tapes 1 and 2.

and A2 are set in advance, and it is determined that the automatic guided vehicle has reached the positions A and A2 based on the travel distance, and the automatic guided vehicle then switches to guided travel control using magnetic tape - steering angle command neutral - guided travel control using magnetic tape. Because I am doing this,
This is to prevent guided travel control using the magnetic tape in areas where there is no magnetic tape due to setting errors in the positions A1 and A2.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

With such a travel control method, the distance traveled straight with the steering angle fixed at neutral is the distance L1+ of the area where there is no magnetic tape.
2α, and the distance traveled without guiding travel control due to the magnetic field of the magnetic tape becomes long. Therefore, the automatic guided vehicle cannot move onto the second magnetic tape 2 unless it travels straight due to an error in fixing the steering angle to neutral. This may result in poor reliability.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a traveling control method for a magnetically guided automatic guided vehicle that can solve the above-mentioned problems.

[Means and effects for solving the problem] Travel control in which when traveling in an area where there is no magnetic tape, the automatic guided vehicle determines that there is no magnetic tape, fixes the steering angle at neutral, and travels straight. This method allows the steering angle to be fixed at neutral and the distance traveled in a straight line to be shortened.

〔Example〕

As shown in FIG. 1, the automatic guided vehicle 10 is provided with a magnetic detection means 11 that detects the magnetic field of the magnetic tape, and sends the magnetic field of the magnetic tape detected by the magnetic detection means 11 to the controller 12, thereby causing the vehicle to travel. The wheels 13 are steered to run along the magnetic tape. In the embodiment, steering is performed by making a difference in the rotational speed of the pair of left and right running wheels 13.13.

When the automatic guided vehicle 10 is guided and controlled along the first magnetic tape 1 and reaches the terminal end 1a, the magnetic detection means 11 comes off the terminal end 1a of the first magnetic tape 1 and determines that there is no magnetic tape, The signal is sent to the controller 12, the steering angle is fixed at neutral, and the vehicle travels straight ahead. In other words, the vehicle travels straight with the left and right running wheels 13, 13 running at the same speed.

When the magnetic tape reaches the starting end 2a of the second magnetic tape 2 after traveling through the area 3 where there is no magnetic tape, the magnetic detection means 11 is located on the second magnetic tape 2 and detects the magnetic field. and switches to guided travel control using the magnetic field of the second magnetic tape 2.

The same as described above is also applied when traveling in the area 3 where there is no magnetic tape between the second magnetic tape 2 and the third magnetic tape 4.

In this way, the automatic guided vehicle 10 itself determines the presence or absence of a magnetic tape, and if there is no magnetic tape, the steering angle is immediately fixed at neutral and the vehicle travels straight ahead, and if a magnetic tape is present, the automatic guided vehicle 10 immediately switches to guided travel control using the magnetic tape. Therefore, the switching position A1
, A2 is the end 1a of the first tape 1 and the start end 2a of the second tape 2, so the distance traveled with the steering angle fixed at neutral is the same as the distance in the area where there is no magnetic tape, which is longer than before. It can be shortened by 2α.

〔Effect of the invention〕

The automatic guided vehicle itself determines that there is no magnetic tape, fixes the steering angle to neutral, and travels straight in an area without magnetic tape. Therefore, the distance it travels in a straight line can be the same as the distance in an area without magnetic tape. , which shortens straight-line driving distance.

Therefore, the distance traveled in a straight line with the steering angle fixed at neutral is shortened, so the reliability is excellent and it is possible to reliably transfer to the next magnetic tape.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of the running state of an automatic guided vehicle according to the method of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the running state of the automatic guided vehicle according to the conventional method. Applicant Komatsu Forklift Co., Ltd. Agent Patent Attorney Masaaki Yonehara

Claims (1)

[Claims] In a magnetically guided automatic guided vehicle that uses a magnetic detection means to detect the magnetic field generated by a magnetic tape installed on a traveling path and controls guided travel along the magnetic tape, the automatic guided vehicle When the magnetic detection means is not on the magnetic tape, the automatic guided vehicle itself determines that there is no magnetic tape, fixes the steering angle to neutral, and travels straight ahead. Control method.