JPH0318245Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] This invention relates to an unmanned towing vehicle, and in particular to automation of coupling and disengagement between an unmanned towing vehicle and a towed vehicle.

[Conventional technology]

In recent years, as manufacturing factories and the like have become more labor-saving and unmanned, unmanned transportation is also being promoted in transportation between processes. There have been various types of unmanned transportation systems, but in general, they run along a guide wire buried in a running path through which a minute low-frequency current flows, and automatically operate by reading the operation command pattern on a mark plate pasted on this running track. Unmanned towing vehicles are used.

However, as can be understood from FIG. 3 showing a typical conventional unmanned towing vehicle, the coupler 2 in the conventional unmanned towed vehicle 1 has a U-shaped cross section fixed to the rear panel 3 of the vehicle body. A coupling tool (not shown) for the towed vehicle is inserted into the member 4, and the pin 5 is inserted into the member 4.
It is configured to be removably connected by
With such a coupler 2, manual labor is required when coupling a towed vehicle to the unmanned towing vehicle 1 or, conversely, when separating the towed vehicle.

[Problem that the invention attempts to solve]

As mentioned above, the conventional technology requires human labor to connect and disconnect the unmanned towing vehicle and the towed vehicle, which is contrary to the demands for labor saving and automation in factories, etc. There was a problem.

The purpose of this invention is to provide an extremely effective means for quickly eliminating the problems of the prior art.

[Means for solving problems]

This invention includes a coupling arm that swings when a coupling device is inserted and pulled out of the towed vehicle, and has a hook portion that engages with the coupling device when the coupling device is inserted; In an unmanned towing vehicle, the unmanned towing vehicle is equipped with a coupler comprising a hook part of a coupling arm and a coupling holding lever having a roller that fits with the claw part of the coupling arm to maintain the engaged state, an electric cylinder configured to move a connection holding lever via a wire in order to release the connection, a detector for detecting the state of the connection arm and a detector for detecting the state of the electric cylinder; The present invention is characterized by being provided with a control device that controls the traveling mechanism of the unmanned towing vehicle and the electric cylinder so that the unmanned towing vehicle and the towed vehicle are automatically coupled and separated based on the detected signal. .

[Effect]

In the unmanned towing vehicle of this invention described above, when the detector that detects the state of the connecting arm reads that the coupler can be connected, the control device that inputs this signal controls the traveling mechanism and starts the unmanned towing vehicle. The unmanned towed vehicle and the towed vehicle are automatically connected by moving the connecting arm toward the towed vehicle until the hook part of the connecting arm engages with the coupling tool of the towed vehicle. Conversely, the electric cylinder is controlled to move the connection holding lever, and at the same time the roller of this lever is removed from the claw of the connection arm, the detector detects the state of the electric cylinder, and this causes the control device to activate the unmanned towed vehicle. The towed vehicle can be moved in the direction of separation from the towed vehicle, and the towed vehicle can be automatically separated from the unmanned towed vehicle.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the unmanned towed vehicle according to this invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

1 and 2, a support 13 of a coupler 12 is fixed to the surface of a rear panel 11 of an unmanned towing vehicle 10 to which this invention is applied,
This support body 13 has a substantially U-shaped cross section.
A substantially intermediate portion of a connecting arm 15 having a hook portion 16 formed at one end is pivotally supported on the lower protruding portion 14 of the support body 13 . When the coupling device 51 of the towed vehicle 50 is inserted into the coupling device 12, this coupling device 5
1, the connecting arm 15 is pushed and swung, so that the hook portion 16 engages with the connecting tool 51. FIG. 2 shows the engaged position of this connecting arm 15. Moreover, when the connector 51 is separated,
The hook portion 16 slides along the coupling member 51, and the coupling arm 15 is adapted to swing in the direction of uncoupling, that is, counterclockwise in the drawing. Since the hook portion 16 is heavier than its opposite portion, the connecting arm 15 is stable in the state shown in FIG. 1, ie, in the unlatched position.

Further, one end of a connection holding lever 18 is pivotally supported on the support body 13 between the connection arm 15 and the rear panel 11, and the other end extends downward. A roller 19 is attached to the intermediate portion of the connection holding lever 18, and this roller 19 is connected to the connection arm 1.
It fits into the claw part 17 formed at the end opposite to the hook part 16 of No. 5 (FIG. 2). By this,
The engaged state between the connecting arm 15 and the coupling tool 51 of the towed vehicle 50, that is, the connection between the towed vehicle 50 and the unmanned towed vehicle 10 can be maintained. A spring 20 is attached to the support 13, and this spring 20 moves the connection holding lever 18 to the connection arm 1.
5, and unless the connection holding lever 18 is pulled toward the rear panel 11 against the force of the spring 20, the mating state of the roller 19 with the claw portion 17 cannot be released. .

An electric cylinder 21 is attached to the back surface of the rear panel 11 facing downward. electric cylinder 21
A wire 24 is connected to the lower end of the cylinder rod 22 via a connector 23, and the other end of the wire 24 is connected to a large diameter pulley 26 of a deceleration pulley device 25 installed on the bottom plate 28 of the vehicle body. Also,
Another wire 29 is attached to the small diameter pulley 27 of the deceleration pulley device 25.
The other end of 9 is connected to the lower end of the connecting and holding lever 18 through a through hole in the rear panel 11, and when the electric cylinder 21 is controlled to pull up the cylinder rod 22, the connecting and holding lever 18 resists the force of the spring 20. so that it can be moved toward the rear panel 11 side.

Furthermore, a detector 30 (hereinafter referred to as a first detector) for detecting the position of the cylinder rod 22 of the electric cylinder 21 is provided on the back surface of the rear panel 11. Various types of first detector 30 can be considered, but in this embodiment, it is of a type that turns on when a magnetic substance approaches.
The connector 23 is made of a magnetic material and reacts to this, and is arranged so that when the roller 19 of the connection holding lever 18 comes off the claw part 17, this can be confirmed from the position of the connector 23.

A detector 31 of the same type as the first detector 30 (hereinafter referred to as a second detector) is provided on the upper protruding portion 32 of the support 13 of the connector 12, and the claw portion of the connecting arm 15 is provided with a detector 31 of the same type as the first detector 30. The switch is turned on when 17 approaches.

The first detector 30 and the second detector 31 are connected to a control device 33 mounted on the unmanned towing vehicle 10, and the electric cylinder 21 and the unmanned towing vehicle are controlled by signals from these detectors 30 and 31. 1
0's traveling mechanism (not shown). This control device 33 includes an interface 34 which is a signal input/output section, and a central processing section 3.
5 and a memory 36, and a central processing unit 35 processes signals according to operation data stored in advance in the memory 36.

A case in which the unmanned towed vehicle according to the invention configured as described above is operated will be described next.

When connecting the towed vehicle 50 to the unmanned towed vehicle 10, the unmanned towed vehicle 10 is stopped at a predetermined connection preparation position according to a mark plate on the road, and the towed vehicle 50 is placed behind it. Figure 1). The second detector 31 detects that the connecting arm 15 is in a stable state and can be connected, and inputs this detection signal to the control device 33. Control device 3
3 sends a command signal to the traveling mechanism in response to the signal from the second detector 31, and causes the unmanned towed vehicle 10 to move backward toward the towed vehicle 50 at the rear. As a result, the connecting tool 51 of the towed vehicle 50 pushes and swings the connecting arm 15 of the unmanned towed vehicle 10, and the hook portion 16 of the connecting arm 15 engages with the connecting tool 51. The roller 19 of the connection holding lever 18 moves along the outer surface of the swinging connection arm 15, and at the same time as the hook part 16 engages with the connection tool 51, it fits into the claw part 17 of the connection arm 15 and maintains this state. do. At this time, since the wire 29 is bent, no impact is transmitted to the electric cylinder 21. In this way, the connection between the unmanned towed vehicle 10 and the towed vehicle 50 is completed (FIG. 2).

On the other hand, in order to separate the unmanned towed vehicle 10 and the towed vehicle 50 from the connected state shown in FIG. 2 to the state shown in FIG. , the connection holding lever 18 is pulled toward the rear panel 11 side via the wires 24 and 29 and the deceleration pulley device 25, and the roller 1 is pulled from the claw portion 17 of the connection arm 15.
Remove 9. The first detector 30 detects that the roller 19 has come off the claw portion 17 based on the position of the connector 23 connecting the cylinder rod 22 and the wire 24.
is confirmed, and in response to this signal, the control device 33 outputs a forward command to the traveling mechanism. As a result, the hook portion 16 of the connecting arm 15 slides along the connecting tool 51 of the towed vehicle 50, and together with the weight of the hook portion 16, the connecting arm 15 swings counterclockwise in the drawing. The engagement between the portion 16 and the connector 51 is released. The second detector 31 confirms that the hook portion 16 is completely detached from the coupling tool 51 and the coupling arm 15 is in a stable state by the proximity of the claw portion 17, and sends this signal to the control device 33. As a result, the control device 33 sends a command to the electric cylinder 21 again to extend the cylinder rod 22 downward, and the connection holding lever 18 is pushed back toward the connection arm 15 by the force of the spring 20, returning to its original unconnected state. become.

[Effect of idea]

Since the unmanned towing vehicle according to this invention has the above-mentioned configuration and function, it can completely automatically connect and disconnect from the towed vehicle.
It is highly effective in reducing labor and unmanning transportation systems in factories, etc.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 and 2 each show an embodiment of an unmanned towing vehicle according to this invention, and FIG. 1 is a partially enlarged sectional view showing a state where the unmanned towing vehicle and the towed vehicle are not connected; FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged sectional view showing a state in which an unmanned towing vehicle and a towed vehicle are connected, and FIG. 3 is a side view showing a conventional unmanned towing vehicle. In the diagram, 1, 10... unmanned towing vehicle, 2, 12...
...Coupler, 3, 11...Rear panel, 12...Coupler, 13...Support, 15...Connection arm, 1
6...Hook part, 17...Claw part, 18...Connection holding lever, 19...Roller, 20...Spring, 21
...Electric cylinder, 22...Cylinder rod, 2
3... Connector, 24, 29... Wire, 25...
...Deceleration pulley device, 30...First detector, 31...
... second detector, 33 ... control device, 50 ... towed vehicle, 51 ... coupling tool.

Claims (1)

[Claims for Utility Model Registration] The device is swingable between an engaged position in which it engages with a coupling device of the towed vehicle and a non-engaged position in which it separates from the coupling device, and when the coupling device is inserted, the a connecting arm that is swung from a non-engaging position to the engaging position, and is configured to be swung from the engaging position to the non-engaging position when the connector is pulled out, and the connecting arm is moved to the engaging position; In the unmanned towing vehicle, the unmanned towing vehicle is equipped with a coupler configured with a coupling and holding lever for holding the coupling arm, and the coupling and holding lever is pulled and tensioned via a wire in order to release the coupling arm from being held by the coupling and holding lever. an operating electric cylinder; a first detector that detects the operating state of the electric cylinder; a second detector that detects the position of the connecting arm; and when the unmanned towed vehicle and the towed vehicle are connected, the connected When the second detector detects that the arm is in the unengaged position, the unmanned towed vehicle is moved backward toward the towed vehicle, and when the unmanned towed vehicle and the towed vehicle are separated,
While operating the electric cylinder, the first
A control device that moves the unmanned towing vehicle forward when a detector detects the operating state of the electric cylinder and detects that the connection holding lever has released the connection arm. An unmanned towing vehicle.