JPH057608Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] <Industrial Field of Application> This invention relates to an automatic guided vehicle, particularly an electromagnetic induction automatic guided vehicle that is guided to travel along a guide line laid on the floor.

<Prior Art> As a conventional automated guided vehicle, the one shown in FIG. 4, for example, is known (see Nippon Yusoki Co., Ltd.'s "Automatic Guided System" catalog). The unmanned reach forklift 1 as an "automated guided vehicle" has the following features:
A guide sensor 7 for detecting a "magnetic field" is installed near the tires 3 at the front of the vehicle body 2, specifically at the lower part 6 of the tip end 5 of the pair of left and right reach rails 4. detects a magnetic field 9 emitted from a guide wire 8 laid on the floor surface, and guides the vehicle body 2 along the guide wire 8.

<Problems to be solved by the invention> However, in such a conventional automatic guided vehicle, the guide sensor 7 is installed in an exposed state at the lower part 6 of the tip end 5 of the reach rail 4, so the vehicle body is If the obstacle 10 enters the lower part of the reach rail 2, specifically, the lower part 6 of the reach rail 4, there is a risk that it will collide with the guide sensor 7 and cause the guide sensor 7 to be damaged or fall off.

Therefore, in order to prevent the guide sensor 7 from being damaged or falling off, it is conceivable to surround the guide sensor 7 with a protective iron cover (not shown) or to attach it to the top of the reach rail 4. There is a risk that the magnetic field 9 will be shielded and weakened by the protective cover, or that the detection ability will be reduced due to the increased distance.

This idea was developed in view of the above points.A notch is provided at the tip of the reach rail, a guide sensor is placed there, and in front of the guide sensor there is a cutout for detecting obstacles and protecting the guide sensor. It is an object of the present invention to provide an automatic guided vehicle that can eliminate damage to the guide sensor by providing a means.

<Means for solving the problem> In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the automatic guided vehicle according to this invention has a guide sensor arranged in a notch formed at the tip of the reach rail, and further includes a guide sensor arranged in a notch formed at the tip of the reach rail. The main feature is that a lever is provided in front of the guide sensor to detect an obstacle and protect the guide sensor, and the vehicle body can be stopped when the lever detects an obstacle.

<Effect> Next, the action will be explained.

During normal running, the guide sensor is located in the notch formed at the tip of the reach rail, and detects the magnetic field emitted from the guide wire to guide the vehicle.The guide sensor is positioned in the notch. However, since the magnetic field from the guide wire passes through the notch, the magnetic field is not shielded and the guide sensor can detect the magnetic field well.

Next, when there is an obstacle, the lever installed in front of the guide sensor at the tip of the reach rail detects the obstacle and stops the vehicle at the same time, so the obstacle does not hit the guide sensor. If this obstacle gets under the reach rail, the guide sensor is retracted from the bottom of the reach rail and positioned in the notch at the tip of the reach rail. This prevents the guide sensor from being damaged or falling off due to obstacles. Furthermore, even if the unmanned reach forklift does not stop immediately due to inertia when an obstacle is detected, the lever acts as a "protective plate" and prevents the obstacle from colliding with the guide sensor. will be done.

<Example> An example of this invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. Incidentally, the same parts as in the prior art are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanation will be omitted. or,
The guide sensor 7 attached to the left and right pair of reach rails 4 has the same mounting structure on the left and right sides, so the guide sensor 7 is mounted on one side [first
Right side when the direction of arrow A in the figure is the front of the vehicle body 2]
Only this will be explained, and the other side will be omitted.

In this invention, first, the tip 5 of the reach rail 4 is
A notch 20 is formed in each of the reach rails 4, and the notch 20 is formed in a substantially U-shape on the vertical surface 4a of the reach rail 4 so that the front side (in the direction of arrow A) of the vehicle body 2 is the opening 21. It is something to do. Then, by fixing one end of the bracket 23 to the reach rail 4 with the bolt 22 and further attaching the guide sensor 7 to the other end of this bracket 23 with the bolt 24, the guide sensor 7 is installed in the notch of the tip 5 of the reach rail 4. It is positioned in the section 20.

Furthermore, a guide sensor 7 is installed at the lower part 6 of the reach rail 4.
Although the guide wire 8 is a little further away than when the guide sensor 7 is attached, the applicant has found that if the outer periphery of the guide sensor 7 is not wrapped, the effect on the detection of the magnetic field 9 will be small.

Furthermore, a lever 25 for detecting obstacles and protecting the guide sensor is provided at the tip 5 of the reach rail 4 and in front of the guide sensor 7. This lever 25 corresponds to the vertical width of the reach rail 4, that is, the vertical surface 4a.
It has at least a length size approximately corresponding to the vertical width of the reach rail 4, and is rotatably attached to the upper part of the tip 35 of the reach rail 4 via a rod 34, and is tilted forward. The lever 25 is combined with a limit switch 26 and a push rod 28 with a spring 33.

The limit switch 26 has a lever 31 for ON/OFF detection projected downward (downward in FIG. 2) and engaged with the rear end tapered surface of the push rod 28, and when it is "ON", the unmanned reach forklift 1 This will stop the vehicle from running.

The push rod 28 is supported by a support bracket 27 so as to be able to move horizontally back and forth. Therefore, the support bracket 27 has an opening 32 of a size approximately corresponding to the thickness of the push rod 28. The push rod 28 is supported in the inserted state. The push rod 28 has an umbrella-shaped tip, and the spring 3 is placed between the umbrella-shaped tip and the support bracket 27.
3 is arranged, and the tip of the push rod 28, which is biased forward by the spring 33, touches the lever 2.
5, and the tapered surface of the rear end is brought into contact with the lever 31 of the limit switch 26 as described above.

Next, the usage status will be explained.

During normal running: During normal running, the guide sensor 7 located within the notch 20 formed in the tip 5 of the reach rail 4 detects the magnetic field 9 emitted from the guide wire 8 to guide the vehicle body 2 to run. be. Although the guide sensor 7 is positioned in the notch 20, the guide wire 8
Since the magnetic field 9 from the guide sensor 7 passes through the notch 20, the magnetic field 9 is not shielded and the guide sensor 7 can detect the magnetic field 9 well (see FIG. 3).

When an obstacle 10 is detected: Next, when an obstacle 10 is present, the lever 25 provided in front of the guide sensor 7 at the tip 5 of the reach rail 4 detects the obstacle 10 and simultaneously stops the vehicle body 2. If the obstacle 10 does not hit the guide sensor 7 and the obstacle 10 enters below the reach rail 4, the guide sensor 7 is evacuated from the lower part of the reach rail 4. Since the guide sensor 7 is positioned in the notch 20 of the tip end 5 of the reach rail 4 in a state where the guide sensor 7 is in the same state as the guide sensor 7, the guide sensor 7 is prevented from being damaged or falling off due to the obstacle 10.

Furthermore, even if the unmanned reach forklift 1 does not stop immediately due to inertia when an obstacle is detected, the lever 25 will act as a "protective plate" and the guide sensor 7 of the obstacle 10 will be This will prevent collisions between the two (see Figure 2).

For convenience of explanation, the notch 20 is replaced by the opening 21.
Although the description has been made assuming a substantially U-shape, it is of course not limited to this, and a square-like shape is also possible.

<Effects> Since the automatic guided vehicle according to this invention has the content as explained above, when there is an obstacle, the lever detects it and stops the vehicle body, and even if the obstacle gets under the reach rail, Even in such a case, the guide sensor that detects the magnetic field will be positioned in the notch where it is in a retracted state from being exposed on the underside of the reach rail, so there is no possibility that an obstacle will collide with the guide sensor. Moreover, even if the vehicle body does not stop immediately due to the lever provided in front of the guide sensor, the lever serves as a so-called "protective plate" and has the effect of preventing obstacles from colliding with the guide sensor.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a schematic enlarged perspective view of the tip of the reach rail showing the main parts of the automatic guided vehicle according to this invention, Fig. 2 is an enlarged side view seen from the direction of the arrow in Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is , FIG. 4 is a schematic enlarged perspective view showing how the guide sensor is attached to the notch, and FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view showing a part of the tip of a conventional automatic guided vehicle. 1...Unmanned reach forklift (automated guided vehicle), 2...Vehicle body, 4...Reach rail, 5...
Tip of reach rail, 7...Guide sensor, 8
...Guiding wire, 9...Magnetic field, 10...Obstacle, 20
...Notch, 25...Lever, A...Front.

Claims (1)

[Claim for Utility Model Registration] The magnetic field emitted from the guide wire laid on the floor is detected by guide sensors attached to a pair of reach rails on the left and right sides of the vehicle body, and the magnetic field is detected along the guide wire. In an automated guided vehicle that guides the vehicle body, a guide sensor is arranged in a notch formed at the tip of the reach rail, and an obstacle detection and guide sensor is installed in front of the guide sensor at the tip of the reach rail. An automated guided vehicle is provided with a protective lever, and the vehicle body can be stopped when an obstacle is detected by the lever.