JPH05186199A - Automatic cargo handling control system for unmanned vehicles - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] (Correction) [Purpose] The purpose of the cargo handling control device for unmanned vehicles for cargo handling is to reliably carry out cargo handling work without providing a long straight traveling section near the station. [Structure] An electromagnetic pickup coil 7, 27 for detecting the position of a main body 7 with respect to a guide wire 1 on a travel route 2 is provided, and a plurality of stations 4 for cargo handling work are run along the guide wire 1 and in the vicinity of the station 4. After turning to change the direction of travel, drive toward Station 4,
In an unmanned forklift 6 that performs cargo handling work at a station 4, a cargo taking section 2 that engages with the cargo 3 and supports the cargo.
3, 26, a shift mechanism for moving the load pickup portions 23, 26 in the width direction, an electromagnetic pickup coil 27 that is provided so as to be movable integrally with the load pickup portions 23, 26, and detects the guide wire 5, and an electromagnetic pickup coil 27. The controller includes a controller that drives the shift mechanism based on a detection signal from the pickup coil 27.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a cargo handling control device for an unmanned vehicle for cargo handling operation, and more particularly to disposing a unloading portion at a predetermined position with respect to a guide wire for guiding an unmanned vehicle for cargo handling operation to a station. The present invention relates to a cargo handling control device for an unmanned vehicle for cargo handling work.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a reach type unmanned forklift truck (hereinafter, simply referred to as a forklift truck) generally travels on a traveling route 51 in which a guide wire 50 is embedded as shown in FIG. The forklift 52 has a vehicle body 5
The electromagnetic pickup coil 54 is provided at the center of the lower surface of the vehicle 3 in the vehicle width direction
Is provided, and the controller 55 is based on the detection signal.
Calculates the position of the forklift 52, and controls traveling such that the center of the vehicle body 53 in the vehicle width direction is located on the upper surface of the guide wire 50.

A load 56a is placed at a predetermined position on the traveling route 51.
A station 56 for temporarily storing the vehicle is provided, and a station guide wire 57 for guiding the forklift 52 to the station 56 is provided on the traveling path 51 in a state orthogonal to the guide wire 50.

When the forklift 52 performs unloading or unloading at the station 56, the forklift 52 moves the vehicle body 53 at a position corresponding to the station guide line 57.
After turning 0 ° and changing the traveling direction, station 56
Drive towards. The controller 55 also controls the vehicle body 53 based on the detection signal from the electromagnetic pickup coil 54.
The forklift 52 is controlled so that the center of the vehicle in the vehicle width direction and the station guide line 57 face each other.

[0005]

In order to carry out the unloading or unloading work at the station 56 without any hindrance, it is necessary to drive the vehicle body 53 so that the center of the vehicle body 53 faces the station guide line 57. However, it is very difficult to make the station guide wire 57 and the center of the vehicle body 53 in the vehicle width direction face each other when the vehicle body 53 is turned 90 degrees. Therefore, the controller 55 controls the steering means (not shown) after turning, and performs the correction operation for causing the center of the vehicle body 53 in the vehicle width direction and the station guide line 57 to face each other, while traveling the forklift 52 toward the station 56 side. Let

However, since the forklift 52 is heavy, it is necessary to increase the straight traveling distance L in order to perform the correction operation completely. That is, there is a problem that the station guide wire 57 orthogonal to the guide wire 50 must be lengthened, and at least the road width of the travel route 51 near the turning portion must be widened. Therefore, station 5
If a long straight course cannot be installed in the vicinity of 6, there is a problem that the forklift 52 cannot be used.

The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, and the object thereof is to reliably carry out cargo handling work without providing a long straight traveling portion near a station (cargo handling work point). An object is to provide a cargo handling control device for an unmanned vehicle for cargo handling work.

[0008]

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention is provided with a detection device for detecting the position of a vehicle body with respect to a guide line provided along a traveling route, and a plurality of devices for unloading or unloading are provided. Unmanned for cargo handling work, in which the vehicle travels between the stations along the guide line, makes a turning motion near the stations to change the traveling direction, and then travels toward the station for unloading or unloading at the station. In a vehicle, a load pickup portion that engages with a load and supports the load, a shift mechanism that moves the load pickup portion in a width direction of an unmanned vehicle, and a movable body provided integrally with the load pickup portion, The gist of the invention is to include guide wire detecting means for detecting the guide wire and a drive control device for driving the shift mechanism based on a detection signal of the guide wire detecting means.

[0009]

Since the unmanned vehicle performs unloading or unloading at the station, the unmanned vehicle makes a turning motion and moves on the guide line guided from the guide line of the traveling route to the station. At this time, the guide wire detection means detects the guide wire guided to the station. Based on the detection signal from the guide wire detection means, the drive control device determines whether the vehicle width direction center of the load pickup portion faces the guide wire. Then, when the center of the loading section in the vehicle width direction does not face the guide wire, the drive control device drives the shift mechanism based on the detection signal from the guiding line detection means to move the center of the loading section in the vehicle width direction. Face the guide wire.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment in which the present invention is embodied in a reach type unmanned forklift will be described below with reference to FIGS.

As shown in FIG. 5, a station 4 for temporarily storing the load 3 is provided at a predetermined position of the traveling route 2 in which the guide wire 1 is buried. A station guide wire 5 is provided at a position corresponding to the station 4 on the travel route 2 in a state orthogonal to the guide wire 1. Then, a reach type unmanned forklift (hereinafter, simply referred to as a forklift) 6 runs along the guide line 1.
Further, the forklift 6 pivots at a position corresponding to the station guide wire 5, and then travels along the station guide wire 5 toward the station 4 to pick up the load 3 from the station 4 or to transfer the load 3 conveyed. It is designed to be taken down to station 4.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, an electromagnetic pickup coil 8 having a known structure capable of detecting the guide wire 1 and the station guide wire 5 is provided at the center of the lower surface of the vehicle body 7 of the forklift 6 in the vehicle width direction. It is installed. A mast 9 including an inner mast 9a and an outer mast 9b is provided at the front portion of the vehicle body 7. The mast 9 moves back and forth along a pair of leg portions 11 extending in the horizontal direction as the reach cylinder 10 provided inside the vehicle body 7 expands and contracts.
The amount of movement of the mast 9 before and after is determined by the reach cylinder 10
Limit switches M1 and M provided on the sides of the
It is regulated based on 2.

The inner mast 9a moves up and down as the lift cylinder 12 provided at the rear of the mast 9 expands and contracts. Between the left and right inner masts 9a, the lift bracket 1 is attached to the chain 13 hung on a chain wheel (not shown) pivotally mounted.
4 is suspended and supported. The inner mast 9a moves up and down due to the expansion and contraction of the lift cylinder 12, and the chain 13 is wound or unwound to lift the lift bracket 14.
Is designed to go up and down.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, a support bracket 15 is provided on the front portion of the lift bracket 14. Support pieces 16 are provided on both upper sides of the back surface of the support bracket 15, and the support pieces 16 are supported on both upper sides of the lift bracket 14 via support shafts 17. A tilt cylinder 18 is rotatably connected to both sides of the center of the lift bracket 14, and a piston rod 18a of the tilt cylinder 18 is rotatably connected to a support bracket 15. This tilt cylinder 18 causes the support bracket 15 to tilt,
The fork 26 described later can be tilted.

As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, a guide rail 19 is horizontally provided in the front center of the support bracket 15, and a guide groove 20 is formed in the guide rail 19. A sliding rail 22 in which an engaging projection 21 that slides in a guide groove 20 is integrally formed with the guide rail 19.
Is movably supported. This sliding rail 22
Is fixed to a support bracket 24 protruding from the rear portion of the load bracket 23. Therefore, the load bracket 23 is in a state of being supported by the support bracket 15 via the support bracket 24, the sliding rail 22, and the guide rail 19.

A support bar 25 is integrally formed at the center of the load bracket 23, and the pair of forks 26 are hung on the support bar 25 so as to be movable in the horizontal direction. Further, the load bracket 23 and the fork 26 constitute a load taking section. An electromagnetic pickup coil 27 is installed as a guide wire detecting means for detecting the guide wire 1 and the station guide wire 5 at the center of the lower surface of the load bracket 23 in the vehicle width direction.

Further, a connecting member 28 bent in a crank shape is fixed to the front portion of the support bracket 15 below the guide rail 19. A shift cylinder 30 is connected to the connecting member 28 via a pin 29, and a piston rod 30 a of the shift cylinder 30 is a connecting piece 31 fixed to the inner surface of the one support bracket 24.
To a pin 32. The guide rail 19, the sliding rail 22, the support bracket 24, and the shift cylinder 30 constitute a shift mechanism.

A hydraulic cylinder is used as the shift cylinder 30, and the piston rod 30a can be stopped at any position by the hydraulic control device 33 in the vehicle body 7 shown in FIG. Is attached in advance so that the center of the vehicle body 7 in the vehicle width direction and the center of the load bracket 23 in the vehicle width direction coincide with each other when the position is in the neutral position (center of the cylinder).

As shown in FIG. 1, a controller 34 as a drive control device is provided in the vehicle body 7. The controller 34 calculates the position of the vehicle body 7 or the load bracket 23 with respect to the guide wire 1 or the station guide wire 5 based on the detection signals from the electromagnetic pickup coils 8 and 27, and drives the drive wheels 35 based on the calculation result. -A traveling control device (not shown) that controls steering and a hydraulic control device 33 are controlled.

The hydraulic control device 33 controls the supply of hydraulic oil to the shift cylinder 30 based on a control signal from the controller 34, and controls the discharge amount of the piston rod 30a, that is, the position of the load bracket 23. ing. When the forklift 6 travels on the travel route 2, the controller 34 controls the hydraulic control device 33 to hold the piston of the shift cylinder 30 at the neutral position, and the travel control device based on the detection signal of the electromagnetic pickup coil 8. Is controlled to drive the forklift 6.

Further, the controller 34 is the forklift 6
After performing the turning operation for unloading or unloading at the station 4, the traveling control device is controlled based on the detection signal of the electromagnetic pickup coil 8 and the load bracket based on the detection signal of the electromagnetic pickup coil 27. Station guide line 5 is at the center of 23 in the vehicle width direction.
It is designed to determine if you are facing. When the controller 34 determines that the station guide wire 5 and the center of the load bracket 23 in the vehicle width direction, that is, the electromagnetic pickup coil 27 do not face each other based on the detection signal of the electromagnetic pickup coil 27, the controller 3
4 controls the hydraulic control device 33 to control the load bracket 23.
Slide horizontally to move the electromagnetic pickup coil 2
7 is controlled so as to face the station guide wire 5.

Next, a description will be given of the work for picking up the load 3 at the station 4 by the forklift 6 configured as described above. Normally, when the forklift 6 travels on the travel route 2, the controller 34 controls the hydraulic control device 33 to hold the piston rod 30a of the shift cylinder 30 at the neutral position. Then, the controller 34 controls the traveling control device based on the detection signal from the electromagnetic pickup coil 8 so that the electromagnetic pickup coil 8 is located at a position corresponding to the guide wire 1. As a result, the center of the load bracket 23 in the vehicle width direction and the center of the vehicle body 7 in the vehicle width direction coincide with each other, so that the forklift 6 travels in a stable state.

Further, when the forklift 6 carries out the work of picking up the cargo at the station 4, the controller 34 controls the traveling control device at a predetermined position in the vicinity of the station 4 by a signal from a mark sensor (not shown), and the vehicle body 7 is moved to 90 degrees.
° Rotate. Then, based on the detection signals from the electromagnetic pickup coils 8 and 27, the controller 34 determines whether or not the station guide wire 5 and the vehicle main body 7 and the center of the load bracket 23 in the vehicle width direction face each other. Then, when both are opposed to the station guide line 5, the controller 34 controls the traveling control device so as to maintain the state, and causes the forklift 6 to travel along the station guide line 5. By this control, the station 3 approaches the position where the load 3 can be reliably taken. Then, the forklift 6 that has picked up the load 3 at the station 4 moves backward along the station guide line 5 under the control of the traveling control device based on the control signal of the controller 34, and then turns and travels along the traveling route 2.

On the other hand, after the turning operation, the controller 34 confirms that the vehicle main body 7 and the center of the load bracket 23 in the vehicle width direction are not opposed to the station guide wire 5 based on the detection signals from the electromagnetic pickup coils 8 and 27. In the case of confirmation, the controller 34 determines which side of the station guide wire 5 the electromagnetic pickup coils 8 and 27 deviate from based on the detection signals of the electromagnetic pickup coils 8 and 27. Then, the controller 34 drives the hydraulic control device 33 to operate the shift cylinder 30,
The electromagnetic pickup coil 27 of the load bracket 23 is slid toward the station guide wire 5.
Further, the controller 34 controls the traveling control device to move the vehicle body 7 in a direction in which the electromagnetic pickup 8 approaches the station guide wire 5.

The load bracket 23 is slid in the horizontal direction, that is, the electromagnetic pickup coil 27 faces the station guiding wire 5 before the electromagnetic pickup coil 8 faces the station guiding wire 5 as shown in FIG. That is, the center of the load bracket 23 in the vehicle width direction can be made to face the station guide wire 5. When the controller 34 determines that the center of the load bracket 23 in the vehicle width direction is located in a state of facing the station guide wire 5 based on the detection signal of the electromagnetic pickup coil 27, the controller 34 holds the piston rod 30a at that position. The hydraulic control device 33 is controlled.

In this state, the controller 34 controls the traveling control device on the basis of the detection signal of the electromagnetic pickup coil 27 to drive the forklift 6 along the station guide line 5. As a result, the load 3 of the station 4 and the fork 26 can perform the load pickup work in an appropriate positional relationship.

That is, after the turning operation for the unloading work,
When the center of the load bracket 23 and the station guide wire 5 do not correspond to each other, not only the position correction of the vehicle body 7 by the travel control device but also the position correction of the load bracket 23 performed independently of the position correction of the vehicle body 7 is performed. By the position correction, even if the straight travel distance L of the station guide wire 5 is short, the center of the load bracket 23 can be surely corrected to a state corresponding to the station guide wire 5.

After the fork 26 has picked up the load 3, the controller 34 controls the traveling control device based on the detection signal of the electromagnetic pickup coil 27 to move the forklift 6 backward. Then, after moving backward to a predetermined position, the controller 34 controls the traveling control device to rotate the vehicle body 7 by 90 ° and position the forklift 6 on the traveling route 2. After that, the controller 34 controls the hydraulic control device 33 to slide the piston of the shift cylinder 30 to return it to the neutral position. By the operation of this shift cylinder 30,
The sliding rail 22 slides horizontally along the guide rails 19, and the center of the load bracket 23 in the vehicle width direction and the center of the vehicle body 7 in the width direction are aligned with each other to stabilize the entire forklift 6. After that, the controller 34 again controls the traveling control device based on the detection signal from the electromagnetic pickup coil 8 to move the forklift 6 to the traveling route 2
Run along.

Then, at the position corresponding to the station 4 for unloading, the turning operation and the necessary correction operation are performed in the same manner as described above, and the work for placing the load is performed. As a result, the controller 34 does not need to perform the correction for the station guide wire 5 while traveling, so that the guide wire 1 and the station 4 can be corrected.
It is possible to reduce the straight travel distance L between the and. Further, the forklift 6 can be used on the traveling route 2 having a narrow road width.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. For example, after the turning operation, the correction for making the center of the load bracket 23 face the station guide wire 5 is performed only by the operation of the shift cylinder 30. Good. In this case, the correction operation may be performed before the forklift 6 starts traveling or during traveling.

Further, the electromagnetic pickup coils 8 and 27 do not necessarily have to be provided at the center of the vehicle body 7 and the center of the load bracket 23. When they are provided at a position deviated from the center, the deviation is taken into consideration in the station guide wire. By providing 5, the cargo pick-up work is smoothly performed with the electromagnetic pickup coil 27 provided on the load bracket 23 facing the station guide wire 5.

Alternatively, the electromagnetic pickup coil 8 provided on the vehicle body 7 may be omitted, and normal traveling along the guide wire 1 may be performed by a detection signal from the electromagnetic pickup coil 27 provided on the load bracket 23.

Further, although the above-mentioned embodiment is embodied as a reach type unmanned forklift, it can be applied to a forklift which does not reach.

[0034]

As described above in detail, according to the present invention, it is not necessary to run a long straight line for the position correction work after the turning operation is performed at the position corresponding to the station, and the station guidance is performed on a narrow travel route. There is an excellent effect that the load take-up portion can be easily corrected with respect to the line and can be used even when a swivel space cannot be secured near the station.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view of a reach type unmanned forklift truck.

FIG. 2 is a partially exploded perspective view showing a relationship between a load bracket and a shift mechanism.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a supporting state of a load bracket and the like with respect to a lift bracket.

FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a mounted state of a shift cylinder.

FIG. 5 is a plan view showing a state where the shift mechanism of the reach type unmanned forklift has slid the load bracket in accordance with the station guide line.

FIG. 6 is a plan view showing a state in which a conventional reach type unmanned forklift truck picks up a load at a station.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Guide line, 2 ... Travel route, 3 ... Load, 4 ... Station, 5 ... Station guide line, 19 ... Guide rail which comprises a shift mechanism, 22 ... Sliding rail which comprises a shift mechanism, 23 ... Pick-up part Load brackets that make up 2
Reference numeral 6 ... Fork constituting load collecting portion, 27 ... Electromagnetic pickup coil as guide wire detecting means, 30 ... Shift cylinder constituting shift mechanism, 34 ... Controller as drive control device

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁵ Identification code Office reference number FI technical display location G05D 1/02 T 7828-3H

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A station provided with a detection device for detecting the position of a vehicle body with respect to a guide line provided along a travel route, and travels along the guide line between a plurality of stations for unloading or unloading, and at the same time. In an unmanned vehicle for cargo handling work, in which a turning operation is performed in the vicinity to change the traveling direction, and then traveling toward the station to unload or unload the load at the station, the load that engages with and supports the load. A pick-up section, a shift mechanism for moving the load-picking section in the width direction of the unmanned vehicle, a guide wire detection unit that is provided so as to be movable integrally with the load-pickup section, and detects the guide wire; A cargo handling control device for an unmanned vehicle for cargo handling work, comprising: a drive control device that drives a shift mechanism based on a detection signal of a detection means.