US-12623845-B2 - Unmanned conveying apparatus

Abstract

To provide an unmanned conveying apparatus that achieves low flooring of a vehicle body and enlarges a placing space for a load and is capable of stably traveling without driving wheels rising even if an inclination or unevenness is present on a traveling surface. There is provided an unmanned conveying apparatus that is loaded with a load on a loading section supported by a base section and travels and conveys the load to a designated point. First auxiliary wheels and driving wheels are respectively supported by a first wheel supporting section. The first wheel supporting section is swingably supported, via a swinging shaft, by a swing supporting section provided in the base section.

Inventors

• Koichi ICHIKI

Assignees

• SHINANO KENSHI KABUSHIKI KAISHA

Dates

Publication Date

20260512

Application Date

20220920

Priority Date

20211125

Claims (1)

1. 1 . An unmanned conveying apparatus that is loaded with a load on a loading section supported by a base section and travels and conveys the load to a designated point, the unmanned conveying apparatus comprising: a pair of driving wheels driven to rotate by driving motors; a pair of first auxiliary wheels respectively turnably supported by a first wheel supporting section provided between the loading section and the base section on one end side of the base section centering on the driving wheels; and a pair of second auxiliary wheels respectively turnably supported by a second wheel supporting section provided on another end side of the base section, wherein the first auxiliary wheels are turnably supported on longitudinally one end side of the first wheel supporting section, the driving wheels are respectively rotatably supported on longitudinally another end side of the first wheel supporting section, and the first wheel supporting section is swingably supported by the base section such that a distance L 2 from a swinging shaft position to a driving wheel side end position is longer than a distance L 1 from the swinging shaft position to a first auxiliary wheel side end position on the first wheel supporting section, and the first wheel supporting section is swingably supported such that a swinging shaft protrudingly provided to a shaft supporting plate protrudingly provided on an opposed surface of the first wheel supporting section, the opposed surface being opposed to the base section, is fitted in a shaft hole of a swing supporting section provided on the base section.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority of the prior Japanese Patent Application No. 2021-191464, filed on Nov. 25, 2021, and the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an unmanned conveying apparatus that is loaded with a load on a loading section supported by a base section and conveys the load to a designated point. BACKGROUND ART In a manufacturing site or the like, an unmanned conveying apparatus is used to convey components and the like between processes in an unmanned manner and carrying the components and the like into a warehouse. In the manufacturing site, since a layout change due to a process change is frequently performed and various manufacturing apparatuses are disposed, a conveyance line is narrow and a route tends to be complicated. Therefore, an unmanned conveying apparatus, in particular, an AMR (Autonomous Mobile Robot) that can turn in a small circle and is easily introduced into an existing factory is attracting attention. An apparatus explained below has been proposed as an unmanned conveying apparatus. The apparatus includes a truck main body including a traveling driving section, a placing table on which a load is placed, a rotating device that rotates the placing table centering on an axis in an up-down direction, and a controller that controls a carrier. The placing table and the rotating device are supported to be capable of rising and falling with respect to the truck main body. Two driving wheels arranged on the left and the right are disposed in the center of the truck main body. Driven wheels (caster wheels) are disposed in the front and the rear of the two driving wheels. The driven wheels in the front and the rear are, for example, respectively disposed one by one on the left and the right. Positional deviation of the load placed on the placing table is detected by a camera attached to the truck main body upward and a movement of the carrier is restricted (PTL 1: JP-A-2021-17309). However, the unmanned conveying apparatus is disposed in various environments. A traveling surface is not always a flat surface and is sometimes an incline surface or an uneven surface. For example, if the traveling surface is inclined, the front and rear driven wheels are grounded but the driving wheels in the center rise and the unmanned conveying apparatus is likely to be unable to travel when entering the traveling surface. Accordingly, a wheel-type traveling apparatus explained below has been proposed. A first wheel supporting section that supports both of driving wheels and auxiliary wheels and a second wheel supporting section that supports only the auxiliary wheels are rotatably coupled in a vertical direction. The driving wheels and the auxiliary wheels are disposed in positions where the driving wheels and the auxiliary wheels can self-stand. Only one or a plurality of auxiliary wheels arranged in a lateral direction are disposed to be independently unable to self-stand on the second wheel supporting section. A load is placed on and a weight is applied to the second wheel supporting section. A coupling section of the first wheel supporting section and the second wheel supporting section is set in a middle position between the driving wheels and the auxiliary wheels on the first wheel supporting section. Therefore, irrespective of whichever of the first and second wheel supporting sections a weight is applied to, a pressing force to a traveling road is applied to both of the driving wheels and the auxiliary wheels in the first wheel supporting section. Consequently, irrespective of whichever of the front and the rear of the first wheel supporting section a bent section of an inclined surface is disposed in, it is guaranteed that the driving wheels are grounded at a predetermined pressure. Therefore, an untravellable state and a tumble due to a steep slope climb are prevented (PTL 2: JP-A-2005-313720). CITATION LIST Patent Literature PTL 1: JP-A-2021-17309PTL 2: JP-A-2005-313720 SUMMARY OF INVENTION Technical Problem However, in the unmanned conveying apparatus of PTL 1 explained above, the placing table and the rotating device are supported by the truck main body to be capable of rising and falling. In the unmanned conveying apparatus of PTL 2, the first wheel supporting section that supports both of the driving wheels and the auxiliary wheels and the second wheel supporting section that supports only the auxiliary wheels are coupled in the vertical direction to be capable of rotating. Therefore, both of the unmanned conveying apparatus have large vehicle heights. Loads placed on the placing table and the second wheel supporting section are likely to be collapsed when the unmanned conveying apparatuses travel on a slope or an uneven surface. In the unmanned conveying apparatus of PTL 2, the first wheel supporting section and the second wheel supporting