METHOD AND ARRANGEMENT FOR LOADING A DRIVERLESS TRANSPORT VEHICLE FOR INDIVIDUAL PRODUCTS

Abstract

A method and arrangement for loading a driverless transport vehicle for individual products with an individual product, wherein the individual product is transferred from a delivery station to the driverless transport vehicle, and the driverless transport vehicle is in motion during the acceptance, wherein the individual product is accelerated for the transfer from the delivery station and leaves the latter at such a speed and the spacing of the driverless transport vehicle from the delivery station is so great that the individual product passes through a flight phase between leaving the delivery station and landing on the driverless transport vehicle moving at a normal transport speed.

Claims

1. A method for loading a driverless transport vehicle for individual products with an individual product, said method comprises: transferring individual product from a delivery station to the driverless transport vehicle; moving the driverless transport vehicle during said transferring; accelerating the individual product for the transfer from the delivery station wherein the individual product leaves the delivery station at such a speed so that the distance between the driverless transport vehicle and the delivery station is of such a size that the individual product passes through a flight phase between leaving the delivery station and landing on the driverless transport vehicle moving at a normal transport speed.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising synchronizing the driverless transport vehicle to the flight path of the individual product in order to catch the flying individual product on its loading surface.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2, further comprising controlling that the speed of the individual product and the synchronisation of the movement of the driverless transport vehicle based on the properties of the individual product.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said accelerating includes accelerating the individual product to a speed of at least 5 m/s.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said accelerating the individual product includes accelerating the individual product such that the individual product leaves the delivery station at a positive angle deviating from the horizontal.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the delivery station has a sensor system, further comprising determining the identity of the respective individual product with the sensor system.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the delivery station has a delivery end, further comprising varying the angle and/or height of the delivery end.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising providing the driverless transport vehicle with a cushioned catch wall.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising providing bidirectional communication between the delivery station and driverless transport vehicle for time- and/or position-synchronisation of the transfer of the individual product.

10. An arrangement for loading a driverless transport vehicle for individual products with an individual product, said arrangement comprising: a driverless transport vehicle for individual products; a delivery station for individual products; at least one individual product; a controller, wherein the delivery station comprises a controlled conveyor system having a delivery end for delivering the individual product to a loading surface of the driverless transport vehicle, the conveyor system, controlled via the controller, accelerating the respective individual product to such a speed that the individual product, when leaving the delivery station via the delivery end of the conveyor system, passes through a flight phase between leaving the delivery station and landing on the driverless transport vehicle moving at a normal transport speed, and that the movement of the driverless transport vehicle is synchronised to the flight path of the individual product via the controller.

11. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the delivery station has a sensor system to identity the respective individual product.

12. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the delivery station has a delivery end, and the delivery end having a variable angle and/or height.

13. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the driverless transport vehicle includes a cushioned catch wall.

14. The apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein the driverless transport vehicle has a front end in the direction of travel, and the cushioned catch wall arranged at the front of the driverless transport vehicle.

15. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10, further comprising a communication device to provide communication between the delivery station and driverless transport vehicle.

16. The apparatus as claimed in claim 15, wherein the communication device comprises a bidirectional communication device to provide bidirectional communication between the delivery station and driverless transport vehicle for time- and/or position-synchronisation of the transfer of the individual product.

17. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the driverless vehicle includes a controller and a sensor to determine the vehicle's position.

18. The apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein the sensor comprises a laser scanner.

19. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the delivery station has a plurality of rollers.

20. The apparatus as claimed in claim 19, wherein the plurality of rollers includes lateral pressing rollers.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0041] FIG. 1 shows a schematic side view of different stages of the launch of an individual product from a delivery station to a driverless transport vehicle;

[0042] FIG. 2 shows a schematic side view of an alternative delivery station;

[0043] FIG. 3 shows a schematic plan view of another delivery station;

[0044] FIG. 4 shows a schematic plan view of another delivery station;

[0045] FIG. 5 shows a schematic plan view of another delivery station;

[0046] FIG. 6 shows a schematic side view of another delivery station; and

[0047] FIG. 7 shows a schematic side view of another delivery station.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0048] In the figures, the acceleration of a parcel P is considered on a roller conveyor 2 of a delivery station 3 of an arrangement 1.

[0049] In accordance with the invention, the parcel Pfor transfer to an AGV as a driverless transport vehicle in the delivery station 3is accelerated to a speed of 5 m/s and is transferred or slung dynamically to the AGV 4 which is likewise moving at such a speed.

[0050] FIG. 1 illustrates a driven roller conveyor 2 having a parcel P thereon, representative of any product. The parcel P is accelerated to the right on the roller conveyor, the rotational speed of the rollers, indicated by arrows beneath the rollers, increases with time. As an alternative to the roller conveyor, a belt conveyor could also be used, which receives the parcel on the left of the belt and during the transport accelerates the belt, and thus also the parcel, to the right.

[0051] An AGV 4 travels beneath the roller conveyor, synchronised in speed and position with the parcel P on the roller conveyor 2 so that the parcel P, after leaving the roller conveyor at the delivery end 5, passes through a flight phase at a speed of 5 m/s (step iii) and is thus slung onto the AGV 4 and caught thereby (step iv). In order to prevent the parcel P from slipping off the AGV 4, the latter comprises a cushioned, u-shaped (partially encompassing the loading surface) catch wall 6 placed at the front in the direction of travel.

[0052] The AGV 4 can travel directly beneath the roller conveyor 2, in parallel with the roller conveyor. However, it is also feasible for the AGV 4 to travel around a corner and only achieve a velocity vector in parallel with the roller conveyor at the point in time of the load transfer. This can have the advantage that the AGV 4 can guide a support, possibly required for stabilising the landing during travel, adjacent to the roller conveyor and the rollers can be positioned at a very short distance above the loading surface of the AGV so that the falling height or distance between the delivery end and the loading surface of the AGV becomes very short. This avoids stresses on the parcel caused by accelerations or the impact when landing on the AGV. The approach trajectories are not illustrated in the figures.

[0053] In addition, sensors 8 and controllers 7 are provided on the roller conveyor 2 and sensors 9 and controllers 10 are provided in the AGV 4, which determine the position and speed of the parcel P and also the position and speed of the AGV. The latter can be effected both in absolute terms, when the absolute position of its roller conveyor is assumed to be known, and also relative to the roller conveyor, in particular at the end 5 of the roller conveyor.

[0054] Furthermore, communication between the vehicle and delivery station is provided by means of the controllers 7, 10 in order to coordinate the transfer in terms of time and position. Alternatively, the coordination can be effected by a superordinate controller which, when a parcel arrives at the transfer roller conveyor, assigns the order to be picked up to an AGV and the travel of the AGV and the parcel movement on the roller conveyor are synchronised with each other.

[0055] In FIG. 1, the parcel lies on the roller conveyor under gravitational force and the acceleration energy is transferred by the frictional force which is based upon the intrinsic weight.

[0056] In other embodiments, alternative solutions are shown in order to improve the pressing force or transfer of the acceleration force to the parcel P.

[0057] As shown in FIG. 2, in addition to the gravitational force, the pressing force can be increased by an additional roller conveyor 11 above the parcel P which acts on the parcel P from above with a defined force and clamps the parcel P between itself and the roller conveyor 2 (e.g. per spring pretensioning, hydraulically applied, applied by electric motor).

[0058] Alternatively, the parcel P can be accelerated by lateral pressing rollers 12A, B, as shown in FIG. 3, which clamp the parcel P therebetween. In this case, the roller conveyor 2 can be configured as a non-driven conveyor.

[0059] A further solution can involve pushing the parcel P by a pushing mechanism 13, 14, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. The pushing mechanism 13 of FIG. 4 includes a vertically movable transverse bar 15 which can be accelerated linearly in the direction of the delivery via parallel drives 17 arranged on both sides of the roller conveyor 2. For the linear drive, an electric motor-driven spindle output, hydraulic cylinders or pneumatic cylinders can be used (not shown).

[0060] When the parcel P arrives at the transfer roller conveyor 16, the transverse bar 15 is raised so that the parcel can pass beneath it. After the parcel P has passed, the transverse bar 15 is lowered and then accelerated linearly in the direction of the delivery.

[0061] According to FIG. 5, the drive 17 can be configured as a rotating, driven belt 18 having an entrainer 15 as the transverse bar for accelerating the parcel P. The belt drive 18 is controlled in such a manner that the parcel is accelerated in a targeted manner.

[0062] In addition to pushing, it is also feasible for the linear drive to be coupled to the parcel by means of a negative pressure from the side or from the front, and for this coupling to be released after the acceleration phase shortly before the launch.

[0063] According to FIG. 6, the delivery end 5 of the delivery station 3 can be inclined, i.e. designed at an angle 19 to the horizontal H in order to influence the flight path and in particular a pitch of the parcel P.

[0064] In the variant shown in FIG. 7, the delivery station 3 has height-adjustable pillars 20 at the delivery end 5 so that the conveyor system can be lowered as a whole from a height X1 to a lower height X2 from the horizontal H after reaching the final speed or at the end of the acceleration process, so that the individual product continues to fly in parallel with the conveyor system without a pitch movement.