AUTOMATICALLY GUIDED VEHICLE

Abstract

An automatically guided vehicle designed as a floor-bound conveying means which is automatically controlled and guided in a contact-free manner for use in a hall includes a travel drive having a travel converter and a dynamo-electric machine, with the travel converter including a printed circuit board. The dynamo-electric machine is connected to wheels of the vehicle. A sensor is arranged or formed in the travel converter on the printed circuit board of the travel converter and designed to detect an acceleration of the vehicle in x, y and/or z direction and/or detect a spatial location of the vehicle.

Claims

1.-12. (canceled)

13. An automatically guided vehicle designed as a floor-bound conveying means which is automatically controlled and guided in a contact-free manner for use in a hall, the automatically guided vehicle comprising: a travel drive comprising a travel converter and a dynamo-electric machine, with the travel converter comprising a printed circuit board, and with the dynamo-electric machine being connected to wheels of the vehicle; and a sensor designed to detect an acceleration of the vehicle in x, y and/or z direction and/or to detect a spatial location of the vehicle, the sensor being arranged or formed in the travel converter on the printed circuit board of the travel converter.

14. The automatically guided vehicle of claim 13, further comprising a shaft to connect the dynamo-electric machine to the wheels of the vehicle.

15. The automatically guided vehicle of claim 13, wherein the sensor is designed as an acceleration sensor.

16. The automatically guided vehicle of claim 13, wherein the sensor is designed as a spatial location sensor.

17. The automatically guided vehicle of claim 13, wherein the sensor is designed as a gyroscope.

18. The automatically guided vehicle of claim 13, further comprising an evaluation unit designed to evaluate a detected acceleration in x, y and/or z direction and/or to evaluate the detected spatial location.

19. The automatically guided vehicle of claim 13, further comprising at least one sensor per direction, wherein the at least one sensor is designed to detect the acceleration of the vehicle in x, y and/or z direction.

20. The automatically guided vehicle of claim 13, further comprising at least one sensor designed to detect the acceleration of the vehicle in x, y and z direction.

21. The automatically guided vehicle of claim 13, further comprising a plurality of sensors per direction, said plurality of sensors being designed to detect the acceleration of the vehicle in x, y and/or z direction.

22. The automatically guided vehicle of claim 13, further comprising a plurality of sensors designed to detect the spatial location.

23. The automatically guided vehicle of claim 13, wherein the travel converter is mechanically connected to the vehicle.

24. A travel converter for an automatically guided vehicle designed as a floor-bound conveying means which is automatically controlled and guided in a contact-free manner for use in a hall, the travel converter comprising: a printed circuit board; and a sensor designed to detect an acceleration of the vehicle in x, y and/or z direction and/or to detect a spatial location of the vehicle, said sensor being arranged or formed in the travel converter on the printed circuit board of the travel converter.

25. The travel converter of claim 24, further comprising an evaluation unit designed to evaluate at least one detected acceleration in x, y and/or z direction and/or to evaluate the detected spatial location.

26. The travel converter of claim 25, further comprising a control unit, said being comprised in the control unit or integrated in the control unit.

Description

[0040] The invention is described and explained in greater detail below with reference to exemplary embodiments illustrated in the figures, in which:

[0041] FIG. 1 shows an automatically guided vehicle,

[0042] FIG. 2 shows an automatically guided vehicle in detail,

[0043] FIG. 3 shows a further embodiment variant of the automatically guided vehicle,

[0044] FIG. 4 shows a further embodiment variant of the automatically guided vehicle,

[0045] FIG. 5 shows a further embodiment variant of the automatically guided vehicle.

[0046] FIG. 1 shows an automatically guided vehicle 1.

[0047] Automatically guided vehicles are also designated by the term Automated Guided Vehicle. Automatically guided vehicles 1 are usually floor-bound conveying means having their own travel drive.

[0048] As shown in the figure, the travel drive has a dynamo-electric machine 3, advantageously a dynamo-electric rotary machine, and a travel converter 2 (see FIG. 2).

[0049] The vehicle 1 is controlled automatically and is advantageously guided in a contact-free manner. Materials and workpieces can therefore be transported without a driver.

[0050] The figure shows the vehicle 1 transporting a crate 6 in which workpieces 5 are placed.

[0051] The figure shows an absolute system of coordinates XYZ and a relative system of coordinates xyz of the vehicle. Each system of coordinates can be converted into the other. This is required for the purpose of mapping a factory building, for example. This is explained further below.

[0052] In the embodiment shown, the automatically guided vehicle 1 also has a robot arm 4. The robot arm 4 has an upper arm 41, a lower arm 43 and a grabber 45, these being interconnected by means of the joints 42, 44, 46 and movable in various directions.

[0053] Therefore workpieces 5 can be transferred out of the crate 6 and into a crate 61, for example.

[0054] FIG. 2 shows the automatically guided vehicle 1 in detail.

[0055] The vehicle 1 has a travel drive 23 with a travel converter 2 and a dynamo-electric machine 3. The dynamo-electric machine 3 is advantageously connected to the wheels 7, by means of a shaft, for example.

[0056] It is possible here to provide a single drive for the wheels 7. It is also possible to provide a drive for two wheels on an axle, for example, a rear axle.

[0057] It is also conceivable to provide a plurality of drives.

[0058] By way of example, the figure shows a plurality of sensors 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, these being advantageously designed as acceleration sensors.

[0059] The acceleration sensors 10 and 11 are configured to measure or detect an acceleration in x direction.

[0060] The acceleration sensors 12 and 13 are configured to measure or detect an acceleration in y direction.

[0061] The acceleration sensors 14 and 15 are configured to measure or detect an acceleration in z direction.

[0062] Information obtained by the acceleration sensors 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 is evaluated by an evaluation unit 8 in the figure.

[0063] According to a particularly advantageous embodiment, the evaluation unit 8, also situated e.g. in the travel converter 2 (see FIG. 3), is constructed in a fall-safe manner, in particular by means of a two-channel structure. The detection of the acceleration can therefore take place in a fail-safe manner because, as shown in the figure, two sensors per direction are provided.

[0064] FIG. 3 shows a further embodiment variant of the automatically guided vehicle 1.

[0065] In this embodiment, the acceleration sensors 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 and the evaluation unit are realized in the travel converter 2.

[0066] The invention offers many advantages. In particular, this embodiment variant has the advantage of saving costs, since cabling is omitted and an additional evaluation unit is not required because this is already realized in the travel converter.

[0067] By virtue of the two-channel structure shown in the figure, fail-safe detection is possible.

[0068] It is additionally possible to ascertain a detection of vehicle tilt in a direction of travel. This means that an incline or a gradient can be detected.

[0069] During actual standstill of the vehicle, it is possible to identify any unintended rolling away and to selectively prevent such unintended rolling away.

[0070] During travel, it is possible to predict the required braking distance as a function of the speed.

[0071] In addition, it is also possible to detect a vehicle tilt perpendicular to the direction of travel, i.e. a lateral tilt. Both at standstill and during travel of the vehicle, selective identification and prevention of any unintended tipping of the vehicle is possible.

[0072] The invention also offers the advantage that an absolute course or a change of course can be detected. It is thus possible to prevent any tipping of the vehicle. The data can also be used for the purpose of mapping, for example, mapping a factory building.

[0073] This is advantageously achieved by means of zero point calibration. At a point in time, it is advantageously assumed that the AGV is then situated in an absolute zero point position, i.e. advantageously: x_absolute=0; y_absolute=0; z_absolute=0. The detected values for the x or y or z directions can be converted into absolute coordinates thus.

[0074] In unknown buildings, it is possible to identify and take note of an incline, for example, since a current location of the vehicle is known.

[0075] The invention also offers the advantage that oscillations can be detected and therefore dynamic instabilities such as wobbling and swinging can be Identified and prevented.

[0076] The invention also offers the advantage that the safety function SLA (Safely Limited Acceleration) can be implemented. Limitation of the actual physical transformational acceleration is possible; acceleration and speed of the vehicle can be restricted. This is particularly important for the transportation of hazardous goods or components and materials which are only permitted to undergo a specific acceleration.

[0077] The described sensor advantageously measures the acceleration directly. Mathematical calculation from the speed, which can be susceptible to error, does not take place.

[0078] With regard to SLA in particular, the present invention is safer and more reliable.

[0079] FIG. 4 shows a further embodiment variant of the automatically guided vehicle.

[0080] Shown are the two sensors 16 and 17, these being designed as acceleration sensors. The sensors 16 and 17 are designed to detect all three directions x, y and z. This is advantageous as fewer sensors are required.

[0081] The figure also shows that the evaluation unit 8 is comprised in a control unit 20 of the travel converter 2 or is integrated in the control unit 20.

[0082] FIG. 5 shows a further embodiment variant of the automatically guided vehicle,

[0083] Illustrated are the sensors 18 and 19, designed as spatial location sensors in this embodiment. The redundant embodiment provides greater security of measurement.

[0084] It is possible to combine spatial location sensors and acceleration sensors (not illustrated), for example, two spatial location sensors and two acceleration sensors within a travel converter. This is particularly reliable.