JPS62122848A - Safety bumper device for unmanned carrier vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To absorb and relieve an impact force generated during collision and to improve safety through quickening and ensurance of collision detecting motion, by a method wherein a device is constituted in a way that a tape sensor is fitted in between a number of concave and convex parts on mating surface sides of an inner and an outer bumper formed by a resilient material. CONSTITUTION:In a bumper 5A, concave and convex parts 21a, 21b, 20a, and 20b, capable of being matched with each other, are formed on the inner side of an outer bumper 21, formed by rigid sponge or urethane rubber, and the outer side of an inner bumper 20 having a thick section on the whole. A tape sensor 22, rich in flexibility and bendable against an external pressure, is nipped between the uneven surfaces, and both ends, extended through the inner bumper, are respectively coupled to expandable coupling member 24, e.g., spring, connected to securing parts 23 of a base plate 7. With this constitution, even if a device is collided with other object lightly and extensively or partially or a corner surface part is collided, an impact force is absorbed and relieved, and simultaneously, collision detecting motion is rapidly effected, and a carrier vehicle can be promptly stopped to improve safety.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Technical Field of the Invention] This invention relates to a safety bumper device for guided vehicles that run unmanned in factories, warehouses, etc. Regarding car safety bumper devices.

[Technical background of the invention]

Generally, as shown in Fig. 3, an automatic guided vehicle is equipped with electrically driven main wheels 2, casters 3, 4, etc. at the bottom of a vehicle body 1, and can be moved on the floor by remote control or computer control. The route is now run unmanned. Safety bumper devices 5 are attached to the front and rear of the vehicle body 1 of such an automatic guided vehicle, respectively, to ensure safety in the event of a collision with peripheral equipment or other guided vehicles.

The conventional safety bumper device 5 includes, as shown in FIG. 4, a molded bumper 8 made of an elastic material such as sponge attached to the outer surface of a base plate 7 which is attached and fixed to the vehicle body 1 with bolts 6 etc. by adhesive or the like. In addition, tape sensors 9 (referred to as cord switches, etc., which are highly flexible and bendable and electrically turn on and off in response to changes in pressure from the outside) are arranged on the outer peripheral side of the bumper 8 in two stages, upper and lower. Stretch it,
Furthermore, a flexible cover 10 is provided on the outer peripheral side. Incidentally, lead wires 11 drawn out from both ends of the tape sensor 9 are connected to a stop control device of the vehicle body 1.

When the automated guided vehicle collides with surrounding equipment or other automated guided vehicles, the damper 8 made of an elastic material of the safety damper device 5 flexes to absorb and alleviate the impact force at the time of the collision, and the bumper The tape sensor 9 bends at the same time as the tape sensor 8 bends, and the tape sensor 9 bends due to the pressing force at that time.
The collision detection operation (ON operation) is performed electrically, and the vehicle is stopped by a stop device on the vehicle body.

[Problems with background technology]

By the way, in the conventional safety bumper device 5 for an automatic guided vehicle configured as described above, when the bumper 8 is locally pressed and deformed, such as when the bumper 8 hits a relatively hard and sharp object,
The tape sensor 9 bends and operates reliably due to its pressing force, and the automatic guided vehicle comes to stop. If the bumper bumper collides with another object at the left and right corner surfaces of the bumper 8, the tape sensor 9 may bend slightly as it adjusts to the bumper 8, but may not bend sufficiently, making it impossible to perform a collision detection operation. Further, even if the collision detection operation is performed, it is slow because it is activated after the vehicle has been flexed to a certain extent, and there is a problem that the vehicle body stops after receiving a considerable impact. Furthermore, even if the tape sensor 9 bends and performs a collision detection operation and the automatic guided vehicle once stops, the tape sensor 9 will adjust to the bumper 8 and return, causing the guided vehicle to start again and collide. There was a risk that the vehicle would repeatedly stop and restart after colliding with an object, resulting in a ``ball bump'' phenomenon.

[Purpose of the invention]

This invention was developed in view of the above circumstances, and is extremely safe because it can quickly and reliably detect a collision at the same time as it absorbs and alleviates the impact force even if it collides with any other object under any circumstances. The purpose is to provide a safety bumper device for automatic guided vehicles.

[Summary of the invention]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the safety bumper device for an automatic guided vehicle of the present invention includes a bumper attached to a vehicle body that includes an inner bumper made of an elastic material having a large number of concave and convex portions that alternately continue on the outer circumferential side, and an inner damper thereof. and an outer bumper made of an elastic material, which is arranged on the outer periphery and has an uneven surface part on the inner peripheral side that can engage with the uneven surface part on the outer peripheral side of the inner bumper, and the uneven surface parts of the inner and outer dampers are mutually connected. A tape sensor is installed between the outer bumper and the inner bumper, so that even if it hits another object lightly on the entire surface, partially or on the corner surface, the bumpy surface of the outer bumper and the inner bumper correspond to each other. They started to mesh together,
At the same time as absorbing and mitigating the impact force, the tape sensor interposed between them is reliably suppressed and bent to quickly detect a collision and immediately stop the transport vehicle and keep it stationary. It is possible to do it.

[Embodiments of the invention]

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. Components in the figure having the same characteristics as those in FIGS. 3 and 4 are given the same reference numerals to simplify the explanation. Therefore, the safety bumper device 5A provided at the front and rear of the vehicle body of the automatic guided vehicle has a board 7 fixedly attached via bolts 6, etc., and an inner bumper 20 fixed to the outer surface of the board 7 by adhesive or the like. An outer bumper 21 fixed to the substrate 7 and arranged around the outer periphery of the inner bumper 20, and a long strip-shaped strip interposed between the inner and outer bumpers 20 and 21. It is composed of a tape sensor 22.

Here, the inner bumper 20 is a molded product made of an elastic material such as hard sponge or urethane rubber, and has a U-shaped planar surface as a whole, and has bumpers arranged alternately along its entire circumferential length on the outer circumferential side. A large number of continuous uneven surface parts 20a, 20
b is formed.

In addition, the above-mentioned outer bumper 21 is also an inner bumper 2.
Like 0, it is a molded product made of an elastic material such as hard sponge or urethane rubber, and although the wall thickness is small overall, it has a U-shaped planar surface that is slightly thicker than the inner bumper 20.
It is arranged so as to surround the outer periphery of the inner bumper 20. Also on the inner circumferential side of this outer bumper 21, there are a large number of uneven surface portions 21a, 21 that alternately continue over the entire length in the circumferential direction.
b is formed, and the uneven surface portions 21a, 21b thereof are in a state where they can engage with the outer peripheral uneven surface portions 2Qa, 20b of the inner bumper 20, that is, the concave surface portion 20a of the inner bumper 20 and the convex surface portion 21b of the outer bumper 21 are , the convex surface portion 20b of the inner bumper 20 and the concave surface portion 21a of the outer bumper 21 are arranged to face each other.

Then, the tape sensor 22 is stretched continuously over the entire length in the circumferential direction so as to be interposed between the uneven surface portions 20a, 20b and 21a, 21b of both the inner and outer bumpers 20.21. There is. Note that both ends of this tape sensor 22 are guided inward through the inner bumper 20, and are connected to fixing parts 23 protruding from the base plate 7 by elastic connecting members 24 such as tension springs or rubber strings. It is stretched and stretched appropriately.

This tape sensor 22 is constructed by sandwiching pressurized conductive rubber as a switch element with flat braided wires of different polarities from both sides in an intermediate layer, and covering the outer periphery with a covering material such as elastic silicone rubber. It is highly flexible and can be bent freely due to external compression, and due to the external compression, the pressurized conductive rubber in the middle layer becomes electrically conductive, and the flat braided wires on both sides are electrically energized. Status (switch O
N state). A lead wire 11 pulled out from the hand-knitted wires on both sides is connected to a stop device on the vehicle body side through a hole 7a in the board 7.

Now, to describe the operation of the safety bumper device 5A having the above-mentioned configuration, during normal times, the tape sensor 22 is connected to the uneven surface portions 20a of both the inner and outer bumpers 20.21.

20b and 21a, 21b are in contact with their respective convex portions 20b, 21b.

Here, when the automatic guided vehicle runs and collides with surrounding equipment or other automatic guided vehicles, both the inner and outer dampers 20.21 made of elastic material of the safety damper device 5A are connected to the corresponding uneven surface portions 20a and 2Qb. While 21a and 21b are meshed, the impact force at the time of the collision is absorbed and alleviated. At the same time, regardless of the collision situation, that is, even if it hits another object lightly, completely, partially, or at the left and right corner surfaces, the uneven surfaces 20a, 20b, and 21a of both the inner and outer bumpers 20.21 , 21b come to mesh with each other, the tape sensor 22 interposed between them is pushed by the convex portions 20b and 21b of both, as shown in FIG. 2, and is reliably bent. The pressure causes the tape sensor 22 to electrically detect a collision (O
N operation), and the automatic guided vehicle can be stopped immediately with very good responsiveness. In addition, this state is maintained until the object that collided with it moves away and the pressing force on the bumper is released, thereby making it possible to maintain the colliding automatic guided vehicle in a stationary state.
This eliminates the occurrence of the ball-and-ball phenomenon. This allows the machine to stop safely even if it hits a person such as a worker.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As mentioned above, this invention provides a bumper to be attached to a vehicle body.
an inner bumper made of an elastic material having a large number of concave and convex surfaces that alternately continue on the outer circumference; and an indentation that is arranged on the outer circumference of the inner damper and corresponds to the concave and convex surface on the inner circumference so as to be able to engage with the concave and convex surface on the outer circumference of the inner bumper. The tape sensor is sandwiched between the uneven surfaces of both the inner and outer dampers, and the outer bumper is made of an elastic material with a flat surface. Even in the event of a collision, the corrugated surfaces of the outer and inner bumpers that correspond to each other engage with each other, absorbing and mitigating the impact force, and at the same time ensuring that the tape sensor interposed between them is suppressed and bent. The collision detection operation can be carried out quickly, and the transport vehicle can be immediately stopped and kept in a stationary state, making it extremely responsive and extremely safe.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing one embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of the main part of Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a side view of the entire general automatic guided vehicle, and Fig. 4 is a conventional automated guided vehicle. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the safety bumper device. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Automated guided vehicle body, 5A... Safety bumper device, 7... Board, 11... Lead wire, 20... Inner bumper, 21... Outer bumper, 20a, 21a
...Concave surface portion, 20b, 21b...Convex surface portion, 22...
- Tape sensor, 23... Fixed part, 24... Elastic connection member. Applicant's agent Patent attorney Takehiko Suzue Figure 1 Figure 2rXI

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) In a safety bumper device for an automatic guided vehicle, in which a bumper made of an elastic material is equipped with a tape sensor for detecting collisions, the bumper is made of an elastic material having a number of concave and convex surfaces that alternately continue on the outer circumference. with an inner bumper,
An outer bumper made of an elastic material is disposed on the outer periphery of the inner damper and has an uneven surface part on the inner periphery side that can engage with the uneven surface part on the outer periphery side of the inner bumper. A safety bumper device for an automatic guided vehicle, characterized in that a tape sensor is provided between uneven surfaces. (2) A safety bumper device for an automatic guided vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the tape sensor is provided with at least one of its longitudinal ends connected and supported to a fixed part by a connecting member having elasticity. .