JP7401003B2 - Goods transport vehicle - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an article transport vehicle that includes a truck body and a transfer device that is mounted on the truck body and transfers articles.

For example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 06-298348 (Patent Document 1) discloses equipment for transporting and sorting articles by destination. Hereinafter, in the description of the background art, the symbols in parentheses are those of Patent Document 1.

The equipment described in Patent Document 1 is equipped with a carrier (1) having a loading platform (13) that can tilt around a shaft member (17). This transport vehicle (1) runs along the track (2) with the cargo (4) supported by the loading platform (13), and carries the cargo (4) to the cargo unloading device (7) corresponding to the sorting destination. is configured to convey. A tilting guide (14) guided by a guide groove (22a) installed along the running track (19) of the carrier vehicle (1) is attached to one end of the loading platform (13) in the running direction. ing. Then, at a position where the transport vehicle (1) is adjacent to the load unloading device (7) on the running track (19), the tilting guide (14) is guided downward by the guide groove (22a), so that the loading platform ( 13) is configured to be inclined toward the load carrying device (7). Thereby, the transport vehicle (1) of Patent Document 1 can transfer the cargo (4) supported on the loading platform (13) to the cargo carrying device (7).

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 06-298348

However, the transport vehicle (1) described in Patent Document 1 is configured to transfer articles only to one side in a direction perpendicular to the traveling direction, that is, to only one side. In addition, in the transport vehicle (1) described in Patent Document 1, it is necessary to install a guide groove (22a) for guiding the tilting guide (14) over the entire running track (19). The degree of freedom in setting the travel route of the vehicle (1) is low, and the cost of the entire equipment tends to be high.

In view of the above circumstances, there is a need for an article transport vehicle that can transfer articles in multiple directions, has a high degree of freedom in route setting, and can keep equipment costs low.

The article transport vehicle according to the present disclosure is
An article transport vehicle comprising a truck body and a transfer device mounted on the truck body to transfer articles, the transfer device comprising a support base that supports the article from below and a transmission part. a connecting support section that presses the article support section from below ; and a drive section that performs an inclination drive that tilts the article support section, and one direction along the horizontal direction is a reference axis direction. The connection support part has a first shaft support that is swingably connected to the trolley main body around a first axis along the reference axis direction, and the article support part , the support base has a second shaft support that is swingably connected around a second axis along the reference axis direction, and the support base has a second shaft support that is pivotably connected to the reference axis direction and a direction perpendicular to the reference axis direction; The drive section includes a first drive section and a second drive section, and the first drive section applies a drive force to the connection support section. By transmitting the information, the connection support part is swung, and the support base, which is pressed from below by the oscillating connection support part, is swung around the first axis, and the support base is moved in the first inclination direction. The second drive unit transmits a driving force to the transmission unit in the article support unit to swing the support base around the second axis. It is tilted in a second tilt direction different from the first tilt direction.

According to this configuration, the first drive section can tilt the article support section in the first inclination direction by swinging the article support section around the first axis via the connection support section, and also tilt the article support section in the first inclination direction. The drive unit can tilt the article support part in the second inclination direction by swinging the article support part around the second axis. Therefore, according to this configuration, the article support part can be tilted in two different directions, and the article supported by the article support part can be slid down and transferred in two different directions. Furthermore, according to this configuration, since the article support section can be driven to tilt by the drive section included in the article transport vehicle, a mechanism for tilting the article support section is separately installed along the travel route of the article transport vehicle. There's no need to. Therefore, the degree of freedom in setting the traveling route of the article transport vehicle is high, and the cost of equipment equipped with this article transport vehicle can also be kept low.

Further features and advantages of the technology according to the present disclosure will become clearer from the following description of illustrative and non-limiting embodiments, written with reference to the drawings.

Plan view schematically showing article conveyance equipment Conceptual diagram of goods transport vehicle Explanatory diagram showing a state in which the article support part is inclined in the first inclination direction Explanatory diagram showing a state in which the article support part is inclined in the second inclination direction Explanatory diagram showing the operation when the article support part is tilted in the first tilt direction Explanatory diagram showing the operation when the article support part is tilted in the second tilt direction A diagram showing a part of an article transport vehicle according to another embodiment A diagram showing a part of an article transport vehicle according to another embodiment A diagram showing an article transport vehicle according to another embodiment

1. First Embodiment An article transport vehicle according to a first embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following, a case where the article transport vehicle is applied to article conveyance equipment that conveys and sorts articles will be described as an example.

[Overview of article transport equipment]
As shown in FIG. 1, the article conveying facility F includes an article conveying vehicle V that conveys articles W, and an article loading section 80 into which the articles W conveyed by the article conveying vehicle V are input. In this article conveyance facility F, for example, a plurality of articles W are loaded into an article input section 80 designated based on specific information such as the type and destination of the article W. sorted by specific information. In the illustrated example, a plurality of article input units 80 are provided on a floor surface 70 of the equipment, and a travel route for the article transport vehicle V is set on the floor surface 70. Each of the plurality of article transport vehicles V is configured to travel along a travel route and convey the article W to the article input section 80 designated based on specific information such as the type and shipping destination. There is.

In the present embodiment, the article conveyance equipment F includes an article supply unit 90 that supplies articles W to be conveyed to an article conveyor V, and a general control device Cf that controls the destination of the articles W by the plurality of article conveyors V. It is equipped with.

In the article supply section 90, the article W for which a specific article input section 80 (transport destination) is designated based on specific information such as type and shipping destination is supplied to the article transport vehicle V by an automatic supply device. . For example, in this case, the overall control device Cf controls the automatic supply device to supply the article W for which the destination is specified to the article transport vehicle V, and also controls the automatic supply device to convey the article W to the destination. Command to transport vehicle V. However, in the article supply section 90, an operator may supply the article W for which the destination is specified to the article transport vehicle V. For example, in this case, the overall control device Cf specifies a destination for the article W, and also specifies an article transport vehicle V corresponding to the destination. Then, the worker supplies the article W to the article transport vehicle V corresponding to the article W whose destination is specified. The article transport vehicle V that has received the article W transports the article W to the destination (specific article input section 80).

A position information storage section Sf that stores position information indicating a position corresponding to each article input section 80 is provided around each of the plurality of article input sections 80 . The article transport vehicle V travels to a specific article input section 80 designated as a transportation destination, and reads the position information stored in the position information storage section Sf corresponding to the article input section 80 into the position information detection section Sv (FIG. ), the article W is stopped at that position (or while running at low speed) and the article W is input into the article input section 80 . The position information storage unit Sf is configured, for example, as a barcode (for example, a two-dimensional barcode) or an RFID tag (radio frequency identifier tag) that stores position information. When the location information storage section Sf is a barcode, the location information detection section Sv is configured as a barcode reader, and when the location information storage section Sf is an RFID tag, the location information detection section Sv is configured as an RFID reader. configured. Note that the article W is loaded into the article input section 80 by the article transport vehicle V by being transferred by a transfer device 3, which will be described later (see FIG. 2).

[Schematic configuration of goods transport vehicle]
Next, a schematic configuration of the article carrier V will be described with reference to FIG. 2, which conceptually shows the configuration of the article carrier V.

In the following description, one direction along the horizontal direction will be referred to as a reference axis direction A, and a direction perpendicular to the reference axis direction A in an up-down direction will be referred to as a reference axis orthogonal direction C. The reference axis direction A is a direction in which a first axis A1 to a fourth axis A4, which will be described later, are arranged, and in this embodiment, it is a direction along the running direction of the article transport vehicle V. Note that in FIG. 2, the reference axis direction A is a direction perpendicular to the paper surface. However, without being limited thereto, the reference axis direction A may be a direction that intersects the traveling direction of the article transport vehicle V when viewed from above and below.

As shown in FIG. 2, the article transport vehicle V includes a truck body 1 and a transfer device 3 mounted on the truck body 1 to transfer articles W. The transfer device 3 includes an article support part 32 that supports the article W from below, a connection support part 31 that connects the article support part 32 and the trolley body 1, and a transfer device that performs tilting drive to tilt the article support part 32. It has a drive section D (corresponding to a drive section). In this embodiment, the article transport vehicle V includes a plurality of wheels 2 and a travel drive unit 2D (travel motor) that rotationally drives at least one of the plurality of wheels 2. Furthermore, in the example shown in FIG. 2, the article transport vehicle V includes an individual control device Cv that controls each functional section of the article transport vehicle V. In this example, the individual control device Cv is configured to control the travel drive unit 2D and the transfer drive unit D. Thereby, the traveling operation and transfer operation of the article transport vehicle V are controlled.

In the present embodiment, the article transport vehicle V stores information stored in a storage section Mv that stores position information of the article input section 80 designated as a destination and a position information storage section Sf provided around the article input section 80. and a position information detection unit Sv for detecting position information. If the position information in the position information storage unit Sf detected by the position information detection unit Sv matches the position information of the article input unit 80 designated as the transport destination, the article transport vehicle V The article W is loaded (transferred) to 80.

As shown in FIG. 2, the connection support part 31 is located at the first
It is connected so as to be swingable around the axis A1. The article support section 32 is connected to the connection support section 31 so as to be swingable around a second axis A2 along the reference axis direction A. The first axis A1 and the second axis A2 are arranged parallel to each other. The first axis A1 and the second axis A2 are arranged at different positions when viewed in the reference axis direction A along the reference axis direction A. In this embodiment, the position of the first axis A1 with respect to the truck body 1 is fixed. The second axis A2 rotates around the first axis A1 as the connection support portion 31 swings, and thus its position relative to the truck body 1 moves.

The transfer drive section D includes a first drive section 33D and a second drive section 34D. As shown in FIG. 2, the first drive section 33D transmits a driving force to the connection support section 31 to swing the connection support section 31 around the first axis A1. In this embodiment, the first drive section 33D swings the connection support section 31 upward from the center side of the truck body 1 in the direction C orthogonal to the reference axis relative to the first axis A1. Thereby, the first drive section 33D swings the connection support section 31 counterclockwise in FIG. 2 around the first axis A1 (see FIG. 5). Further, the second drive section 34D transmits a driving force to the article support section 32 to swing the article support section 32 around the second axis A2. In this embodiment, the second drive section 34D swings the article support section 32 upward from the center side of the trolley body 1 in the direction C perpendicular to the reference axis rather than the second axis A2. Thereby, the second drive section 34D swings the article support section 32 clockwise in FIG. 2 about the second axis A2 (see FIG. 6).

As shown in FIG. 2, the second driving section 34D transmits a driving force to the article supporting section 32 to swing only the article supporting section 32 around the second axis A2, thereby moving the article supporting section 32. It is tilted in the second tilt direction T2. In addition, the first drive section 33D transmits the driving force to the connection support section 31 to swing both the connection support section 31 and the article support section 32 connected thereto around the first axis A1. Then, the article support portion 32 is tilted in the first tilt direction T1 (see FIG. 3).

In the present embodiment, the "second inclination direction T2" is a direction in which one end of the article support section 32 in the direction C perpendicular to the reference axis is disposed lower than the other end. In this example, the connecting end (one end: fixed end) of the article support section 32 on the second axis A2 side is arranged below the tip (other end: free end) on the opposite side. This state is a state in which the article support portion 32 is inclined in the second inclination direction T2, and is shown as a state downward to the right in FIG. Furthermore, the "first inclination direction T1" is a direction in which the other end of the article support section 32 in the direction C perpendicular to the reference axis is disposed below one end. In this example, the state in which the tip (other end: free end) of the article support portion 32 is disposed below the connecting end (one end: fixed end) on the second axis A2 side is the article. The support portion 32 is in a state of being inclined in the first inclination direction T1, and is shown as being downward to the left in FIG.

For example, as shown in FIG. 2, when the article support section 32 supports the article W and tilts in the second inclination direction T2, the article W slides down the article support section 32 and is thrown (transferred) into the article input section 80. be published). In the illustrated example, the article input unit 80 includes an input port 81 into which the article W is input, and a guide portion 82 provided around the input port 81 and inclined downward toward the center of the input port 81. have. The guide section 82 makes it possible to appropriately guide the article W sliding down from the article support section 32 to the input port 81 . Although not shown, in a state where the article input section 80 is disposed on the side opposite to the second axis A2 with respect to the first axis A1 (on the left side with respect to the article conveyance vehicle V in FIG. 2), By tilting in the first inclination direction T1 while the article supporting section 32 supports the article W, the article W can be thrown (transferred) into the article loading section 80 .

[Specific configuration of transfer device]
Next, the specific configuration of the transfer device 3 will be explained. The transfer device 3 is configured to transfer the article W by tilting the article support section 32 in the first inclination direction T1 or the second inclination direction T2. FIG. 3 shows a state in which the article support part 32 is inclined in the first inclination direction T1, and FIG. 4 shows a state in which the article support part 32 is inclined in the second inclination direction T2.

As described above, the transfer device 3 includes an article support section 32 that supports the article W from below, a connection support section 31 that connects the article support section 32 and the trolley body 1, and an inclination that tilts the article support section 32. It has a transfer drive section D (corresponding to a drive section) that performs driving.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the connection support part 31 has a first shaft support 311 that is swingably connected to the truck body 1 around a first axis A1 along the reference axial direction A. ing. In this embodiment, the connection support part 31 has a pressed part that is pressed by the first pressing part 332 of the first driving part 33D. In this example, the pressed portion is the first sliding portion 312 on which the first pressing portion 332 can slide while being pressed by the first pressing portion 332 . In this embodiment, as also shown in FIG. 5, the first sliding part 312 is formed with a first bulging part 313 that bulges downward as it approaches the first shaft support 311. Note that "bulging downward" in this case is based on a state in which the article support portion 32 is not inclined (a state in which it is not driven). The same applies to the following description.

As shown in FIG. 5, in the present embodiment, the first bulging portion 313 has a first arcuate portion 313a whose shape as viewed in the reference axis direction A is an upwardly convex arcuate shape, and a downwardly convex arcuate shape. and a second arc-shaped portion 313b. These are arranged in the order of the first arcuate portion 313a and the second arcuate portion 313b from the side farthest from the first shaft support 311, forming a continuous curved surface in an S-shape. In this example, the end of the first arcuate portion 313a on the far side from the first pivot support 311 and the end of the second arcuate portion 313b on the side closer to the first pivot support 311 are both Also, the connecting support portion 31 is not inclined and is a horizontal surface. Although details will be described later, the first pressing section 332 of the first driving section 33D slides on the first sliding section 312 that includes the first arcuate section 313a and the second arcuate section 313b while providing connection support. It is configured to press the portion 31.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the article support section 32 has a second shaft support 321 that is swingably connected to the connection support section 31 around a second axis A2 along the reference axis direction A. are doing. In this embodiment, the article support section 32 has a pressed section that is pressed by the second pressing section 342 of the second drive section 34D. In this example, the pressed portion is the second sliding portion 322 on which the second pressing portion 342 can slide while being pressed by the second pressing portion 342 . The second sliding part 322 is arranged on the outer side of the truck main body 1 in the reference axial direction A than the first sliding part 312. In this embodiment, as also shown in FIG. 6, the second sliding portion 322 is formed with a second bulging portion 323 that bulges downward as it approaches the second shaft support 321.

As shown in FIG. 6, in the present embodiment, the second bulging portion 323 has a third arcuate portion 323a having an upwardly convex arc shape when viewed in the reference axis direction A, and a downwardly convex arcuate shape. It has a fourth arcuate portion 323b. These are arranged in the order of the third arcuate portion 323a and the fourth arcuate portion 323b from the side farthest from the second shaft support 321, forming a continuous curved surface in an S-shape. In this example, the end of the third arcuate portion 323a on the far side from the second shaft support 321 and the end of the fourth arcuate portion 323b on the side closer to the second shaft support 321 are both The article supporting portion 32 is also a horizontal surface without being inclined. Although the details will be described later, the second pressing section 342 of the second driving section 34D supports the article while sliding on the second sliding section 322 that includes the third arcuate section 323a and the fourth arcuate section 323b. It is configured to press the portion 32.

In this embodiment, the article support section 32 includes a support stand 324 that supports the article W. As shown in FIG. 3 and the like, the support stand 324 in this example is constituted by a plate-like member that extends planarly along the reference axis direction A, and when the article support part 32 is not inclined, the cart body 1 It is formed to cover the top surface of. The support stand 324 does not have a protrusion that protrudes upward, at least at both ends (or in the vicinity thereof) in the direction C perpendicular to the reference axis. Thereby, when the article support section 32 is in the inclined state, it is possible to appropriately slide the article W supported on the support stand 324 into the article input section 80. In the illustrated example, the support stand 324 is formed into a rectangular plate shape, but the support stand 324 is not limited to such an example, and the support stand 324 may have a circular plate shape, an octagonal plate shape, etc. It can be of various supportable shapes.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, in this embodiment, the article support section 32 is disposed above the connection support section 31 and so as to straddle the connection support section 31 in the reference axis direction A. That is, when the article support section 32 is not swinging around the second axis A2, the article support section 32 is configured to abut against the connection support section 31 from above. As a result, the article support section 32 is restricted from swinging downward relative to the connection support section 31 . Therefore, when the connection support part 31 swings upward around the first axis A1, the article support part 32 is pushed from below by the connection support part 31, and together with the connection support part 31, the article support part 32 is moved around the first axis A1. oscillates upward. In addition, the connection support part 31 is configured to abut on a part of the trolley body 1 (abutted part, not shown) from above when it is not swinging around the first axis A1 (in the horizontal state in this example). It is composed of As a result, the connecting support portion 31 is restricted from swinging downward from the horizontal state by the abutted portion of the truck body 1.

As shown in FIG. 3, the first drive section 33D transmits a driving force to the connection support section 31 to move the connection support section 31 and the article support section 32 connected to the connection support section 31 to the first drive section 33D. The article support section 32 is configured to be tilted in the first tilt direction T1 by swinging around the axis A1. In the present embodiment, the first drive section 33D transmits the driving force upward to the connection support section 31 from the center side of the truck body 1 in the direction C orthogonal to the reference axis rather than the first axis A1. The connection support portion 31 is swung upward and from the center of the truck body 1 in the direction C orthogonal to the reference axis toward the first axis A1. In the example shown in FIG. 3, the first drive section 33D swings the connection support section 31 counterclockwise around the first axis A1. As described above, since the article support section 32 is restricted from swinging downward relative to the connection support section 31, as the connection support section 31 swings upward, the article support section 32 also moves upward. oscillate. Thereby, the first drive section 33D tilts the article support section 32 in the first tilt direction T1.

In the present embodiment, the first drive section 33D includes a first arm section 331 connected to the trolley body 1, and a first pressing section 332 connected to the first arm section 331 to press the connection support section 31 from below. , and a first drive source M1 that drives the first arm portion 331.

In this embodiment, the first arm portion 331 is rotatably connected to the truck body 1 around a third axis A3 along the reference axis direction A. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, in this embodiment, the first arm part 331 is arranged between the first pressing part 332 and the third axis A3 from the third axis A3 side to the first pressing part 332 side. It has a first bent portion 331a that is bent toward the connection support portion 31 side as it goes toward the connecting support portion 31 side. As a result, part of the load applied to the first arm portion 331 as bending stress when the first pressing portion 332 presses the connection support portion 31 can be converted into compressive stress, thereby increasing the durability of the first arm portion 331. can be improved.

The first pressing part 332 is connected to the first arm part 331 at a position away from the third axis A3, and slides with respect to the connection support part 31 while rotating around the third axis A3 together with the first arm part 331. By doing so, the connecting support portion 31 is pressed. As described above, the first pressing part 332 is configured to slide along the first sliding part 312 in the connection support part 31. In this example, the first pressing section 332 includes a roller that rotates around an axis along the reference axis direction A.

The first drive source M1 is configured as an electric motor, and rotates the first arm portion 331 around the third axis A3. The first drive source M1 operates according to a command from the individual control device Cv.

In this embodiment, the third axis A3, which is the center of rotation of the first arm portion 331, is arranged closer to the center of the truck body 1 in the direction C orthogonal to the reference axis than the first axis A1. Furthermore, the third axis A3 is also arranged on the center side of the truck body 1 in the direction C perpendicular to the reference axis with respect to the second axis A2. However, the configuration is not limited to the above, and the third axis A3 may be disposed on the outside of the truck main body 1 in the direction C perpendicular to the reference axis, or the second axis It may be arranged on the outer side of the truck body 1 in the direction C orthogonal to the reference axis than the axis A2.

As shown in FIG. 4, the second drive section 34D transmits a driving force to the article support section 32, thereby causing the article support section 32 to swing around the second axis A2. It is configured to incline in a second inclination direction T2 different from the first inclination direction T1. In the present embodiment, the second drive unit 34D transmits the driving force upward to the article support unit 32 from the center side of the trolley body 1 in the direction C orthogonal to the reference axis rather than the second axis A2. The article support section 32 is swung upward and from the center of the trolley body 1 in the direction C orthogonal to the reference axis toward the second axis A2. In the example shown in FIG. 4, the second drive section 34D swings the article support section 32 clockwise around the second axis A2. As described above, when the article support part 32 is not swinging around the second axis A2, it is only in contact with the connection support part 31 from above, so it cannot swing around the second axis A2. When moving, only the article support section 32 swings upward. Thereby, the second drive section 34D tilts only the article support section 32 in the second tilt direction T2 without tilting (swinging) the connection support section 31.

In this embodiment, the second drive section 34D includes a second arm section 341 connected to the trolley body 1, and a second pressing section 342 connected to the second arm section 341 to press the article support section 32 from below. , and a second drive source M2 that drives the second arm portion 341.

In this embodiment, the second arm portion 341 is rotatably connected to the truck body 1 around a fourth axis A4 along the reference axis direction A. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, in this embodiment, the second arm part 341 is arranged between the second pressing part 342 and the fourth axis A4 from the fourth axis A4 side to the second pressing part 342 side. It has a second bent portion 341a that is bent toward the article support portion 32 side as it goes toward the article supporting portion 32 side. As a result, part of the load applied to the second arm portion 341 as bending stress when the second pressing portion 342 presses the article support portion 32 can be converted into compressive stress, thereby increasing the durability of the second arm portion 341. can be improved.

The second pressing part 342 is connected to the second arm part 341 at a position away from the fourth axis A4, and slides with respect to the article support part 32 while rotating around the fourth axis A4 together with the second arm part 341. Accordingly, the article supporting section 32 is pressed. As described above, the second pressing section 342 is configured to slide along the second sliding section 322 in the article support section 32. In this example, the second pressing section 342 includes a roller that rotates around an axis along the reference axis direction A.

The second drive source M2 is configured as an electric motor, and rotates the second arm portion 341 around the fourth axis A4. The second drive source M2 operates according to a command from the individual control device Cv.

In this embodiment, the fourth axis A4, which is the center of rotation of the second arm portion 341, is arranged closer to the center of the truck body 1 in the direction C orthogonal to the reference axis than the second axis A2. Furthermore, the fourth axis A4 is also arranged on the center side of the truck body 1 in the direction C orthogonal to the reference axis with respect to the first axis A1. However, without being limited to the above-described configuration, the fourth axis A4 may be disposed on the outer side of the truck body 1 in the direction C orthogonal to the reference axis than the second axis A2, or It may be arranged on the outer side of the truck body 1 in the direction C orthogonal to the reference axis than the axis A1.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, in this embodiment, the third axis A3 and the fourth axis A4 are a common common axis AS. In other words, the third axis A3 and the fourth axis A4 are arranged at the same position. Further, in this embodiment, the common axis AS is arranged between the first axis A1 and the second axis A2 when viewed in the vertical direction. In this example, the common axis AS is arranged at an intermediate position between the first axis A1 and the second axis A2 when viewed in the vertical direction.

In this embodiment, the first arm part 331 and the second arm part 341 are connected to rotate integrally around the common axis AS, and extend in different directions from the common axis AS. It is located. In this embodiment, the first arm section 331 and the second arm section 341 are arranged so as to extend in opposite directions (directions that differ by 180 degrees) when viewed in the reference axis direction A. Further, the first arm portion 331 and the second arm portion 341 are integrally formed from one member.

As described above, the second sliding part 322 of the article support part 32 is arranged on the outer side of the trolley main body 1 in the reference axis direction A than the first sliding part 312 of the connection support part 31. The first pressing part 332 connected to the first arm part 331 is configured to slide on the first sliding part 312, and the second pressing part 332 connected to the second arm part 341 is configured to slide on the first sliding part 312. 342 is configured to slide with respect to the second sliding portion 322. Therefore, in this example, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the first pressing part 332 that contacts (slides) the first sliding part 312 and the second It is arranged on the inner side of the truck body 1 in the reference axis direction A (on the back side in the figure) than the pressing portion 342 . In order to realize this arrangement, in this embodiment, the first pressing part 332 side of the first arm part 331 is located inside the truck body 1 in the reference axis direction A with respect to the common axis AS side of the first arm part 331. The first arm portion 331 is bent so as to be located at . Thereby, the first arm part 331 and the second arm part 341 are connected to the common axis AS, and the first pressing part 332 slides on the first sliding part 312, and the first arm part 331 and the second arm part 341 are connected to the common axis AS. The second pressing portion 342 is configured to slide against the second sliding portion 322.

In this embodiment, the first drive source M1 and the second drive source M2 are a common common drive source MS. By applying rotational force to the common shaft AS by the common drive source MS, the first arm portion 331 and the second arm portion 341 connected to the common shaft AS rotate. In this example, the common drive source MS is configured as an electric motor.

[Operation of article support section]
Next, the operation of the article support section 32 will be explained with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6.

FIG. 5 shows the operation when the article support section 32 is tilted in the first tilt direction T1. When inclining the article support part 32 in the first inclination direction T1, the article support part 32 is tilted together with the connection support part 31 by transmitting a driving force to the connection support part 31 by the first driving part 33D.

The first driving section 33D moves the first pressing section 332 toward the connecting support section 31 in a direction in which the article support section 32 approaches the first shaft support 311 from a horizontal state where the article support section 32 is not inclined (see the left diagram in FIG. 5). The first arm portion 331 is rotationally driven by the first drive source M1 so as to slide. In this embodiment, the first arm section 331 and the second arm section 341 are rotationally driven around the common axis AS by the common drive source MS. As a result, the first arm portion 331 is swung around the third axis A3 (common axis AS), the connection support portion 31 is pressed from below by the first pressing portion 332, and the connection support portion 31 and the article support portion 32 are pressed from below. is lifted upward (see the center diagram in Figure 5).

Then, as the first arm portion 331 is further swung around the third axis A3, the first pressing portion 332 sequentially presses the first arcuate portion 313a and the second arcuate portion 313b of the first bulge portion 313. Press the connection support part 31 while sliding. As a result, the article support portion 32 is tilted in the first tilt direction T1 (see the right diagram in FIG. 5). Therefore, the article W supported by the support stand 324 of the article support section 32 can be slid down to the article input section 80 (see FIG. 1), and as a result, the article W can be moved to the article input section 80. can be posted.

Here, by forming the first bulging part 313 on the first sliding part 312, it is possible to ensure a large inclination angle of the article support part 32 with respect to the length of the first arm part 331. Furthermore, since the first bulging portion 313 has the first arcuate portion 313a and the second arcuate portion 313b, the inclination speed while the article support portion 32 is inclining in the first inclination direction T1 is reduced. It is configured to change appropriately. That is, while the first pressing part 332 is sliding on the first arc-shaped part 313a having an upwardly convex arc shape, the tilting speed of the article support part 32 gradually increases. Next, while the first pressing part 332 is sliding on the second arc-shaped part 313b having a downwardly convex arc shape, the inclination speed of the article support part 32 gradually decreases. Thereby, it is possible to maintain a high average tilting speed when tilting the article support portion 32 in the first tilting direction T1, and to suppress the tilting speed at the start and end of the change in the tilting angle to be low. Therefore, the cycle time when transferring the article W can be shortened, and the article W supported by the article support section 32 is prevented from floating up from the article support section 32, so that the transfer of the article W can be carried out appropriately. It is possible to do so.

FIG. 6 shows the operation when the article support section 32 is tilted in the second tilt direction T2. When the article support section 32 is to be tilted in the second inclination direction T2, the article support section 32 is tilted by transmitting a driving force to the article support section 32 by the second drive section 34D.

The second driving section 34D moves the second driving section 34D toward the article supporting section 32 in a direction in which the second pressing section 342 approaches the second shaft support 321 from a horizontal state where the article supporting section 32 is not inclined (see the left diagram in FIG. 6). The second arm portion 341 is rotationally driven by the second drive source M2 so as to slide. In this embodiment, the first arm section 331 and the second arm section 341 are rotationally driven around the common axis AS by the common drive source MS. As a result, the second arm part 341 is swung around the fourth axis A4 (common axis AS), and the article support part 32 is pressed from below by the second pressing part 342 and lifted upward (see the center diagram in FIG. 6). ).

Then, as the second arm portion 341 is further swung around the fourth axis A4, the second pressing portion 342 sequentially presses the third arcuate portion 323a and the fourth arcuate portion 323b in the second bulging portion 323. The article support section 32 is pressed while sliding. As a result, the article support portion 32 is tilted in the second tilt direction T2 (see the right diagram in FIG. 6). Therefore, the article W supported by the support stand 324 of the article support section 32 can be slid down to the article input section 80 (see FIG. 1), and as a result, the article W can be moved to the article input section 80. can be posted.

Here, by forming the second bulging part 323 on the second sliding part 322, it is possible to ensure a large inclination angle of the article support part 32 with respect to the length of the second arm part 341. Furthermore, since the second bulging portion 323 has the third arcuate portion 323a and the fourth arcuate portion 323b, the inclination speed while the article support portion 32 is inclining in the second inclination direction T2 is reduced. It has a configuration that changes appropriately. That is, while the second pressing portion 342 is sliding on the third arcuate portion 323a having an upwardly convex arc shape, the tilting speed of the article support portion 32 gradually increases. Next, while the second pressing portion 342 is sliding on the fourth arcuate portion 323b having a downwardly convex arcuate shape, the inclination speed of the article support portion 32 gradually decreases. Thereby, it is possible to maintain a high average tilting speed when tilting the article support portion 32 in the second tilting direction T2, and to suppress the tilting speed at the start and end of the change in the tilting angle to be low. Therefore, the cycle time when transferring the article W can be shortened, and the article W supported by the article support section 32 is prevented from floating up from the article support section 32, so that the transfer of the article W can be carried out appropriately. It is possible to do so.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the common drive source MS rotationally drives the first arm portion 331 in the first rotation direction (counterclockwise direction in FIG. 5), thereby moving the article support portion 32 in the first inclination direction T1. The common drive source MS rotates the second arm part 341 in a second rotation direction (clockwise direction in FIG. 6) opposite to the first rotation direction, thereby tilting the article support part 32. It can be tilted in two tilt directions T2. That is, in the present embodiment, the common drive source MS is configured to tilt the article support section 32 in the first inclination direction T1 by swinging the connection support section 31 around the first axis A1, and to tilt the article support section 32 in the second inclination direction T1. The first arm part 331 and the second arm part 341 are rotationally driven in mutually opposite directions around the common axis AS in the case where the article support part 32 is tilted in the second tilt direction T2 by swinging around the axis A2. It is composed of In this embodiment, by making the structure for swinging the connection support section 31 and the structure for swinging the article support section 32 common, it is possible to downsize the entire article transport vehicle V.

2. Other Embodiments Next, other embodiments of the article transport vehicle will be described.

(1) In the above embodiment, the third axis A3, which is the rotation center of the first arm part 331, and the fourth axis A4, which is the rotation center of the second arm part 341, are the common axis AS, Furthermore, an example has been described in which the first drive source M1 that rotationally drives the first arm section 331 and the second drive source M2 that rotationally drives the second arm section 341 are the common drive source MS that is common to each other. However, without being limited to such an example, for example, as shown in FIG. 7, the third axis A3 and the fourth axis A4 may be separate axes, and the first drive source M1 and the second drive source The drive source M2 may be provided as a mutually independent drive force source.

(2) In the above embodiment, the first drive section 33D is configured to include the first arm section 331 that rotates around the third axis A3, and the second drive section 34D rotates around the fourth axis A4. An example has been described in which the second arm section 341 is configured to have the second arm section 341. However, without being limited to such an example, for example, as shown in FIG. 8, the first drive section 33D and the second drive section 34D may be configured as a linear actuator that performs an expansion/contraction drive. Such a linear actuator includes, for example, an electric motor that operates by receiving power from a battery mounted on the goods transport vehicle V, and an electric motor that converts the rotational driving force of the electric motor into linear driving force of the cylinder shaft. A direct-acting cylinder type actuator equipped with a conversion mechanism such as a ball screw or a worm gear can be suitably used. In this case, the first linear actuator (first drive section 33D) that swings the connection support part 31 around the first axis A1 has one end thereof located at the center CC of the connection support part 31 in the direction C orthogonal to the reference axis. It is preferable that the connecting support portion 31 be swingably connected to the connecting support portion 31 on the second axis A2 side. Further, the other end of the first linear actuator (first drive section 33D) is preferably connected to the truck body 1 so as to be swingable. Thereby, the driving force transmitted to the connection support part 31 by the first linear actuator (first drive part 33D) can be appropriately transmitted as the driving force to swing the connection support part 31 around the first axis A1. I can do it. Similarly, the second linear actuator (second drive section 34D) that swings the article support section 32 around the second axis A2 has one end thereof located closer to the center CC of the article support section 32 in the direction C orthogonal to the reference axis. It is also preferable that the first shaft A1 side is swingably connected to the article support section 32. Further, the other end of the second linear actuator (second drive section 34D) is preferably connected to the truck body 1 so as to be swingable. Thereby, the driving force transmitted to the article support section 32 by the second linear actuator (second drive section 34D) can be appropriately transmitted as the drive force for swinging the article support section 32 around the second axis A2. I can do it. Note that although FIG. 8 shows an example in which both the first drive section 33D and the second drive section 34D are configured as linear actuators, the first drive section 33D and the second drive section 34D are different. It may be a type of drive unit.

(3) In the above embodiment, the width of the support base 324 in the direction C orthogonal to the reference axis is equivalent to the width of the truck body 1 in the direction C orthogonal to the reference axis in FIG. 2 is described as an example. However, without being limited to such an example, for example, as shown in FIG. You can leave it there. According to this configuration, the lower end of the support stand 324 can be brought closer to the floor surface 70 and the article input section 80 when the article support section 32 is tilted. Therefore, it is also possible to directly throw the article W into the input port 81 of the article input section 80 without going through the guide section 82 as shown in FIG.

(4) In the embodiment described above, an example has been described in which the first bulging portion 313 is formed in the first sliding portion 312 and the second bulging portion 323 is formed in the second sliding portion 322. However, without being limited to such an example, the first sliding part 312 and the second sliding part 322 may have a linear shape as viewed in the reference axis direction A.

(5) Note that the configurations disclosed in each of the embodiments described above can be applied in combination with the configurations disclosed in other embodiments as long as no contradiction occurs. Regarding other configurations, the embodiments disclosed herein are merely illustrative in all respects. Therefore, various modifications can be made as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure.

3. Outline of the Embodiment The article transport vehicle described above will be described below.

The article transport vehicle according to the present disclosure is
An article transport vehicle comprising a truck body and a transfer device mounted on the truck body to transfer an article, the transfer device comprising an article support section that supports the article from below, and an article support section that supports the article from below; It has a connection support part that connects the support part and the trolley body, and a drive part that performs tilting drive to tilt the article support part, and the connection support part has one direction along the horizontal direction as a reference axis direction. has a first shaft support that is swingably connected to the trolley main body around a first axis along the reference axis direction, and the article support section is connected to the connection support section with respect to the first shaft support section. It has a second shaft support that is swingably connected around a second axis along the reference axis direction, and the first axis and the second axis are different from each other when viewed in the reference axis direction along the reference axis direction. The drive unit has a first drive unit and a second drive unit, and the first drive unit transmits a driving force to the connection support unit, and the drive unit is configured to transmit a driving force to the connection support unit. and tilting the article support part connected to the connection support part around the first axis, and tilting the article support part in a first inclination direction, By transmitting a driving force to the object, the article support section is swung around the second axis, and the article support section is tilted in a second inclination direction different from the first inclination direction.

According to this configuration, the first drive section can tilt the article support section in the first inclination direction by swinging the article support section around the first axis via the connection support section, and also tilt the article support section in the first inclination direction. The drive unit can tilt the article support part in the second inclination direction by swinging the article support part around the second axis. Therefore, according to this configuration, the article support part can be tilted in two different directions, and the article supported by the article support part can be slid down and transferred in two different directions. Furthermore, according to this configuration, since the article support section can be driven to tilt by the drive section included in the article transport vehicle, a mechanism for tilting the article support section is separately installed along the travel route of the article transport vehicle. There's no need to. Therefore, the degree of freedom in setting the traveling route of the article transport vehicle is high, and the cost of equipment equipped with this article transport vehicle can also be kept low.

here,
The first drive section includes a first arm section connected to the truck body, a first pressing section that is connected to the first arm section and presses the connection support section from below, and a first arm section. a first drive source for driving, and the second drive section is connected to a second arm section connected to the trolley main body, and the second drive section is connected to the second arm section and presses the article support section from below. It is preferable that the device includes a second pressing portion and a second drive source that drives the second arm portion.

According to this configuration, the article support section is mutually moved around the first axis or the second axis by each of the first drive source that drives the first arm section and the second drive source that drives the second arm section. Can be tilted in different directions. Therefore, it is possible to appropriately realize a configuration in which an article supported by the article support section can be transferred in two different directions.

Also,
The first arm portion is rotatably connected to the truck body around a third axis along the reference axis direction, and the second arm portion is rotatably connected to the truck body around a fourth axis along the reference axis direction. The first pressing part is connected to the truck main body, and the first pressing part is connected to a position apart from the third axis in the first arm part, and rotates around the third axis together with the first arm part, while the first pressing part is connected to the connecting support part. The second pressing portion is connected to a position apart from the fourth axis in the second arm portion, and the second pressing portion is configured to press the connecting support portion by sliding against the second arm portion. The first pressing portion is configured to press the article supporting portion by sliding with respect to the article supporting portion while rotating around the fourth axis together with the first pressing portion, and the first pressing portion approaches the first shaft supporting portion. The first driving source rotationally drives the first arm part so that the first arm part slides in the direction of the connecting support part, and the second pressing part moves the article support part in the direction of approaching the second shaft support part. Preferably, the second drive source rotationally drives the second arm part so that the second arm part slides relative to the second arm part.

According to this configuration, the driving force transmitted to the connection support part via the first pressing part can be appropriately transmitted as the driving force necessary for rotating the connection support part around the first axis. Similarly, the driving force transmitted to the article support part via the second pressing part can be appropriately transmitted as the driving force required to rotate the article support part around the second axis.

Also,
The third axis and the fourth axis are a common axis, and the common axis is disposed between the first axis and the second axis when viewed in the vertical direction, and the common axis is arranged between the first arm part and the second axis. The second arm portion is connected to rotate integrally around the common axis, and is arranged to extend in different directions from the common axis, and is connected to the first drive source and the second arm portion, and is arranged to extend in different directions from the common axis. The two drive sources are a common drive source, and the common drive source is used for swinging the connection support part around the first axis and swinging the article support part around the second axis. Preferably, the first arm portion and the second arm portion are rotationally driven in mutually opposite directions around the common axis.

According to this configuration, the configuration for swinging the connecting support part around the first axis and the configuration for swinging the article support part around the second axis can be made common, and the overall size of the goods transport vehicle can be reduced. can.

Also,
A first bulging portion that bulges downward as it approaches the first shaft support is formed in a first sliding portion on which the first pressing portion of the connection support portion slides;
Preferably, a second sliding portion on which the second pressing portion slides in the article support portion is formed with a second bulging portion that bulges downward as it approaches the second shaft support.

According to this configuration, since the first pressing portion can press the connection support portion via the first bulge, the article support portion is more easily pressed than the case where the first bulge is not provided. The length of the first arm portion can be set short while ensuring the inclination angle. Similarly, since the second pressing portion can press the article support portion via the second bulge, the inclination angle of the article support portion can be reduced compared to the case where the second bulge is not provided. The length of the second arm portion can be set short while ensuring the same. Therefore, according to this configuration, since the lengths of the first arm part and the second arm part can be set relatively short, it is possible to suppress the increase in size of the article transport vehicle.

The technology according to the present disclosure can be used for an article transport vehicle that includes a truck body and a transfer device that is mounted on the truck body and transfers articles.

V: Goods transport vehicle D: Transfer drive unit (drive unit)
W: Article 1: Cart body 3: Transfer device 31: Connection support section 32: Article support section 33D: First drive section 34D: Second drive section 311: First shaft support 312: First sliding section 313: First 1 bulging part 321 : 2nd shaft support 322 : 2nd sliding part 323 : 2nd bulging part 331 : 1st arm part 332 : 1st pressing part 341 : 2nd arm part 342 : 2nd pressing part M1 : First drive source M2: Second drive source MS: Common drive source A1: First axis A2: Second axis A3: Third axis A4: Fourth axis AS: Common axis A: Reference axis direction C: Reference axis orthogonal direction T1: First inclination direction T2: Second inclination direction

Claims (4)

An article transport vehicle comprising a truck body and a transfer device mounted on the truck body to transfer articles,
The transfer device includes an article support section that includes a support base that supports the article from below and a transmission section , a connection support section that presses the article support section from below , and a tilt drive that tilts the article support section. a drive unit that performs
One direction along the horizontal direction is the reference axis direction,
The connection support part has a first shaft support that is swingably connected to the truck body around a first axis along the reference axis direction,
The article support part has a second shaft support that is swingably connected to the trolley main body around a second shaft along the reference axis direction,
The support base is constituted by a plate-like member that extends planarly along the reference axis direction and a direction orthogonal to the reference axis direction,
The drive section includes a first drive section and a second drive section,
The first drive section transmits a driving force to the connection support section to swing the connection support section and to move the support base pressed from below by the swinging connection support section to the first drive section. tilting the support base in a first tilt direction by swinging around one axis;
The second drive unit transmits a driving force to the transmission unit in the article support unit to swing the support base around the second axis, thereby tilting the support base at the first inclination. An article transport vehicle that is tilted in a second tilt direction different from the above direction. The first drive section includes a first arm section connected to the truck body, a first pressing section that is connected to the first arm section and presses the connection support section from below, and a first arm section. a first driving source for driving;
The second drive unit drives a second arm unit connected to the truck body, a second pressing unit connected to the second arm unit and presses the transmission unit from below, and the second arm unit. The article transport vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising a second drive source. The first arm portion is rotatably connected to the truck body around a third axis along the reference axis direction,
The second arm portion is rotatably connected to the truck main body around a fourth axis along the reference axis direction,
The third axis and the fourth axis are a common common axis,
The common axis is arranged between the first axis and the second axis when viewed in an up-down direction,
The first arm portion and the second arm portion are connected to rotate integrally around the common axis and are arranged to extend in mutually different directions from the common axis,
The first drive source and the second drive source are a common common drive source,
The common drive source is configured to drive the first arm portion and the second arm when the connection support portion is swung around the first axis and when the article support portion is swung around the second axis. 3. The article transport vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein the parts are driven to rotate in mutually opposite directions about the common axis. The first pressing portion is connected to a position of the first arm portion away from the third axis, and slides with respect to the connection support portion while rotating around the third axis together with the first arm portion. configured to press the connection support part,
The second pressing portion is connected to a position of the second arm portion away from the fourth axis, and slides with respect to the article support portion while rotating around the fourth axis together with the second arm portion. configured to press the article support part,
The first drive source rotationally drives the first arm part so that the first pressing part slides with respect to the connection support part in a direction approaching the first shaft support part,
The second drive source rotationally drives the second arm part so that the second pressing part slides with respect to the article support part in a direction approaching the second shaft support,
A first bulging portion that bulges downward is formed in a first sliding portion on which the first pressing portion of the connection support portion slides;
The transmission part is a second sliding part,
The article conveyance vehicle according to claim 3, wherein a second bulging portion that bulges downward is formed in the second sliding portion on which the second pressing portion of the article supporting portion slides.

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