JPH0731285Y2 - Dust removal device for unmanned vehicles - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] (Industrial field of application) The present invention relates to an unmanned vehicle for transporting articles in a factory or a warehouse, particularly in a dusty place such as a spinning factory.
The present invention relates to a dust removing device for an unmanned vehicle that automatically travels using an optical sensor.

(Prior Art) Currently, in factories and warehouses, unmanned vehicles are used to convey articles from station to station, but one of the control methods uses an optical sensor. There is.

In other words, a white tape with high reflectance is attached as a guideline to the floor of the factory or warehouse, and light is radiated from the bottom of the unmanned vehicle to determine the difference in reflectance between the guideline and the floor. An image sensor is read by an optical sensor such as a CCD provided at the bottom of the vehicle, and the steering amount of the unmanned vehicle is controlled based on this signal to automatically drive a certain course.

This method of utilizing the difference in reflectance does not require any special work and has the advantage that the course can be changed simply by reattaching the tape, but on the other hand, it does not generate dust, especially fine fiber waste such as in spinning factories. In some areas with lots of continuous cotton, the continuous cotton may cover the surface of the guideline and the reflectance may drop, causing the unmanned vehicle to lose track of the course.

Therefore, especially for an unmanned vehicle traveling in a spinning factory or the like, a means for removing dust from the guideline is required.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a conventional dust removing device. Note that some members are omitted for simplification of description.

In FIG. 3, an optical sensor 2 is provided at the bottom near the front end of the unmanned vehicle 1, and the light emitted from the light source 3 and reflected by the guideline G, which is a white tape attached to the floor F, is reflected. Upon detection, the unmanned vehicle 1 runs.

Optical sensor 2 and unmanned vehicle 1 Bumper 4 provided at the front end
A dust removing device composed of the brush 10 is fixedly provided between and.

When the unmanned vehicle 1 moves forward, the dust on the surface of the guideline G is swept and held by the brush 10, and the dust can be removed from the surface that reflects light.

In addition, the blower motor is installed in the unmanned vehicle, and the air hose with a hole in the outward direction is provided on the peripheral edge of the bottom of the unmanned vehicle.
There is also a dust removing device that blows air from an air hose to blow away dust.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) A dust removing device including a conventional brush 10 travels for a long time, and its function is impaired as dust accumulates.

As the unmanned vehicle 1 travels in a dusty place over a long distance, dust including continuous cotton collects in front of the brush 10,
A lump is formed. The lump of continuous cotton is held by the brush 10, but the floor surface F is not necessarily a completely flat surface, and therefore, when a gap is formed between the brush 10 and the floor surface F, the lump of continuous cotton slips backward. A lump of continuous cotton containing fiber waste is caught by the brush 10 and dragged, and extends to the light reflecting surface as shown in the figure, and rather interferes with the reading by the optical sensor 2.

Further, a dust removing device of a type that ejects air to blow off dust also serves as a battery for a drive motor of an unmanned vehicle in order to supply electric power to a blower motor that sends air. However, a small unmanned vehicle cannot be equipped with a very large battery, so the unmanned vehicle must frequently go to the battery exchange station to exchange the battery, which deteriorates driving efficiency. Therefore, the dust removing device using the air blow is applicable to a large unmanned vehicle, but has a problem in being introduced into a small unmanned vehicle.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a dust removing device which does not require a motor or the like which requires a battery and which does not drag the continuous cotton to cover the guideline as described above.

(Means for Solving the Problem) In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is a dust removing device located in front of the light detecting means of an unmanned vehicle traveling by detecting light reflected from a guideline on the floor. A wiper means that wipes the guideline, and is provided obliquely with respect to the straight traveling direction of the unmanned vehicle, and a brush means that can move up and down behind the wiping means and that constitutes a dust removing device for the unmanned vehicle. did.

(Effects) Since the present invention has the above-mentioned configuration, the following effects are obtained.

The wiping means wipes the surface of the guideline to remove dust as the unmanned vehicle progresses, and at the same time, since it is attached obliquely to the straight direction of the unmanned vehicle, the wiped dust is sent out in the lateral direction, There is no accumulation on the front of the wiping means. In particular, a relatively large continuous cotton in the spinning mill can be eliminated here.

Further, since the plus means is attached so as to be movable up and down, it moves up and down corresponding to the unevenness of the floor, so that the brush means and the surface of the guideline attached to the floor are always in contact with each other. Therefore, the collected dust can be prevented from passing between the brush means and the floor, and the dust can be reliably excluded from the guideline. Especially effective for fine continuous cotton.

(Example) Hereinafter, the illustrated example will be described.

FIG. 1 is a view showing an embodiment of the dust removing device for an unmanned vehicle according to the present invention. The same parts as those shown in FIG. 3 are designated by the same reference numerals.

In FIG. 1, a dust removing device according to the present invention is mounted between an optical sensor 2 which is a light detecting means of an unmanned vehicle 1 and a bumper 4. Reference numeral 5 is an oblique plate-shaped rubber (wiping means), and 6 is a movable brush (brush means).

The oblique plate-shaped rubber 5 is made of rubber having a thickness of 2 to 3 mm, and is attached to the unmanned vehicle 1 so as to be oblique with respect to the straight traveling direction thereof, and thus also with respect to the guideline G. The lower part thereof is in close contact with the floor surface F (guideline G).

The movable brush 6 has a bracket 7 as shown in FIG.
Is attached so as to be vertically rotatable.

Next, the function and effect of this embodiment will be described.

Since the oblique plate-shaped rubber 5 is in close contact with the floor surface F, when the unmanned vehicle 1 moves forward, dust on the surface of the guideline G is wiped away. Further, since it is attached obliquely to the straight traveling direction of the unmanned vehicle, the continuous cotton accumulated on the front surface of the oblique plate-shaped rubber 5 gradually moves in the direction of the arrow until finally the oblique plate-shaped rubber 5 is reached. It reaches the end and is pushed out in the lateral direction.

Therefore, a large amount of dust such as continuous cotton can be removed from the surface of the guide line G, and at the same time, dust such as continuous cotton does not collect, so that even if the floor surface F has irregularities, a lump of dust is formed as the oblique plate rubber 5. It does not pass through the floor F and remain.

Since the movable brush 6 is attached so that it can move up and down,
It moves up and down in response to the unevenness of the floor surface F, so that it can always be in contact with the guideline G.

Therefore, there is no gap between the floor surface F and dust such as fine continuous cotton, and the continuous cotton is not dragged as described above.

Reference numeral 8 in FIGS. 1 and 2 is a brush protruding from the floor surface F. The number of the pluses 8 is provided at an appropriate arbitrary position on the traveling course of the unmanned vehicle 1 in an appropriate number. When the unmanned vehicle 1 travels on the brush 8, the brush 8 scrapes off the dust attached to the lower side portions of the rubber 5 and the movable brush 6, thereby further enhancing the dust removing effect, and Be sustained.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, it is needless to say that the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments and can be appropriately modified within the scope of the gist of the present invention.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway side view showing a part of an unmanned vehicle in which an unmanned vehicle dust removing device according to the present invention is implemented, and some members are omitted. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the same embodiment. FIG. 3 is a side view showing a conventional dust removing device for an unmanned vehicle. 1 ... Unmanned vehicle, 2 ... Optical sensor, 3 ... Light source, 4 ...
… Bumpers, 5 …… Rectangular rubber, 6 …… Movable brushes.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A dust removing device which is located in front of a light detecting means of an unmanned vehicle traveling by detecting reflected light from a guideline on a floor surface, wherein the guideline is wiped to direct the unmanned vehicle in a straight traveling direction. A dust removing device for an unmanned vehicle, comprising: a wiping means obliquely arranged with respect to the wiping means; and a brush means movable up and down behind the wiping means.