阅读说明：本技术 设置有用于移动砖块支撑结构的叉的自动引导车辆 (Automatic guided vehicle provided with forks for moving brick support structure ) 是由 毛里齐奥·巴尔迪 于 2018-10-30 设计创作，主要内容包括：描述了一种设置有用于移动砖块支撑结构(2)的叉的自动引导车辆(1),该自动引导车辆包括：竖直框架(3)；托架(4),能够沿竖直框架(3)竖直移动；第一叉(5)和第二叉(6),由托架(4)承载。该自动引导车辆(1)包括：第一传感器(7),安装在第一叉(5)或第二叉(6)上,用于分别检测第一叉(5)或第二叉(6)相对于水平平面(xy)的倾斜；控制单元(8),连接到第一传感器(7)；致动器装置(9),被布置为移动第一叉(5)和第二叉(6),以校正第一叉(5)和第二叉(6)相对于水平平面(xy)的倾斜。控制单元(8)连接到致动器装置(9),并且被配置为根据从第一传感器(7)接收到的信号命令致动器装置(9)。(It is described an automatic guided vehicle (1) provided with forks for moving a brick support structure (2), comprising: a vertical frame (3); a carriage (4) vertically movable along the vertical frame (3); a first fork (5) and a second fork (6) carried by the carriage (4). The automated guided vehicle (1) includes: a first sensor (7) mounted on the first fork (5) or the second fork (6) for detecting the inclination of the first fork (5) or the second fork (6), respectively, with respect to a horizontal plane (xy); a control unit (8) connected to the first sensor (7); actuator means (9) arranged to move the first fork (5) and the second fork (6) to correct the inclination of the first fork (5) and the second fork (6) with respect to the horizontal plane (xy). The control unit (8) is connected to the actuator means (9) and is configured to command the actuator means (9) according to the signals received from the first sensor (7).)

1. An automated guided vehicle (1) provided with forks for moving a brick support structure (2), comprising:

a vertical frame (3);

a carriage (4) vertically movable along the vertical frame (3);

a first fork (5) and a second fork (6) carried by the carriage (4);

the method is characterized in that:

the automated guided vehicle comprises a first sensor (7) mounted on the first fork (5) or the second fork (6) for detecting the inclination of the first fork (5) or the second fork (6), respectively, with respect to a horizontal plane (xy);

the automated guided vehicle comprises a control unit (8) connected to a first sensor (7);

the automated guided vehicle comprises actuator means (9) arranged to move the first fork (5) and the second fork (6) to correct the inclination of the first fork (5) and the second fork (6) with respect to a horizontal plane (xy);

the control unit (8) is connected to the actuator means (9) and is configured to command the actuator means (9) according to the signals received from the first sensor (7).

2. Automated guided vehicle (1) provided with forks according to claim 1, wherein the first fork (5) and the second fork (6) are rotatable with respect to the carriage (4), and wherein the actuator means (9) comprise a first actuator (91) for rotating the first fork (5) and the second fork (6) with respect to the carriage (4).

3. Automatic guided vehicle (1) provided with forks according to claim 1, wherein it comprises a frame (21), wherein the vertical frame (3) is rotatable with respect to the frame (21), and wherein the actuator means (9) comprise a second actuator (92) for rotating the vertical frame (3) with respect to the frame (21).

4. Automated guided vehicle (1) provided with forks according to claim 1, wherein it comprises a frame (21), wherein the vertical frame (3) is rotatable with respect to the frame (21), wherein the first fork (5) and the second fork (6) are rotatable with respect to the carriage (4), wherein the actuator means (9) comprise a first actuator (91) for rotating the first fork (5) and the second fork (6) with respect to the carriage (4) and a second actuator (92) for rotating the vertical frame (3) with respect to the frame (21).

5. The automated guided vehicle (1) provided with forks according to claim 1, wherein: the automated guided vehicle comprises a second sensor (13) mounted on the vertical frame (3) for detecting the inclination of the vertical frame (3) with respect to the vertical plane (yz); the control unit (8) is connected to the second sensor (13).

6. The automated guided vehicle (1) provided with forks according to claim 5, wherein: the automated guided vehicle comprises a frame (21), wherein the vertical frame (3) is rotatable relative to the frame (21), wherein the first fork (5) and the second fork (6) are rotatable relative to the carriage (4), wherein the actuator arrangement (9) comprises a first actuator (91) for rotating the first fork (5) and the second fork (6) relative to the carriage (4) and a second actuator (92) for rotating the vertical frame (3) relative to the frame (21).

7. The automated guided vehicle (1) provided with forks according to any of the previous claims, wherein the first sensor (7) is a first level inclinometer.

8. The automated guided vehicle (1) provided with forks according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein the second sensor (13) is a vertical inclinometer.

9. Method of moving a brick support structure (2) by an automatic guiding vehicle (1) according to any of claims 1 to 4, comprising the steps of:

raising the brick support structure (2);

detecting the inclination of the first fork (5) or the second fork (6) with respect to the horizontal plane (xy);

if the first fork (5) or the second fork (6) is inclined with respect to the horizontal plane (xy) by an angle greater than the first tolerance angle, the first fork (5) and the second fork (6) are moved to correct the inclination of the first fork (5) and the second fork (6) with respect to the horizontal plane (xy) until the first fork (5) and the second fork (6) are inclined with respect to the horizontal plane (xy) by an angle less than the first tolerance angle.

10. Method for moving a brick support structure (2) by means of an automatic guiding vehicle (1) according to claim 6, according to the preceding claim, wherein:

the method comprises the steps of detecting the inclination of the vertical frame (3) with respect to a vertical plane (yz);

if the first fork (5) or the second fork (6) is inclined with respect to the horizontal plane (xy) by an angle greater than the first tolerance angle, the following sub-steps are performed: if the vertical frame (3) is inclined by an angle greater than the second tolerance angle with respect to the vertical plane (yz), rotating the vertical frame (3) by the second actuator (92) to correct the inclination of the vertical frame (3) with respect to the vertical plane (yz) until the vertical frame (3) is inclined by an angle less than the second tolerance angle with respect to the vertical plane (yz); the first fork (5) and the second fork (6) are rotated by means of a first actuator (91) to correct the inclination of the first fork (5) and the second fork (6) with respect to the horizontal plane (xy) until the first fork (5) and the second fork (6) are inclined with respect to the horizontal plane (xy) by an angle smaller than the first tolerance angle.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to the technical field of Automatic Guided Vehicles (AGVs) provided with forks for moving a brick support structure.

Background

Known automated guided vehicles provided with forks comprise: a vertical frame; a carriage vertically movable along the vertical frame; a first fork and a second fork carried by the carriage.

A known block support structure includes: a plurality of uprights (typically four), each provided with a first coupling profile at a first opposite end and a second coupling profile at a second opposite end opposite to the first opposite end; a loading plane for receiving a brick is interposed between the first coupling profile and the second coupling profile of each of the plurality of columns.

To raise the brick support structure, the automated guided vehicle is positioned with the forks contacting the lower surface of the loading plane; thereafter, the carriage for raising the fork is activated. At this point, the automated guided vehicle can move the brick support structures and release them when needed, thereby activating the carriage to lower the forks.

In particular, to stack a brick support structure on a second brick support structure (e.g., at the top of a pre-existing stack of brick support structures), the first coupling profile of each column of the first brick support structure needs to be coupled to the second coupling profile of each column of the second brick support structure.

This operation is carried out at a high level (even up to 4-5 metres, taking into account the height of the warehouse where the brick support structure is located and the height of the pre-existing stacks) and with the first support structure loaded with bricks.

The weight of the first brick support structure and the bricks loaded thereon determines the deflection of the vertical frame, which is largely proportional to the height of the first brick support structure to be loaded on the stack: thus, the vertical frame is inclined at an angle forward (i.e. towards the first brick support structure) relative to the vertical plane. As a result, the forks are also tilted downward at an angle relative to the horizontal plane, as they are carried by the vertical frame via the brackets. Furthermore, the forks are further inclined downwards with respect to the horizontal plane due to the deflection to which they are subjected by the weight they must carry.

Thus, when stacked, the first brick support structure is not horizontal but inclined downward at an angle, which may prevent the first coupling profile of each column of the first brick support structure from being coupled to the second coupling profile of each column of the second brick support structure located at the top of the stack.

Thus, the first brick support structure and the bricks loaded thereon may fall: the first block support structure and the blocks loaded thereon may be damaged thereby. Furthermore, the dropping of the first brick support structure may impact and damage one or more brick support structures of the pre-existing stack and/or the automated guided vehicle itself. It is conceivable that the damage may be to a large extent.

Disclosure of Invention

The object of the present invention is to avoid the above-mentioned disadvantages.

The above object is achieved by an automatic guiding vehicle provided with forks for moving a brick support structure according to claim 1 and a method for moving a brick support structure according to claim 9.

As previously explained, when the automated guided vehicle is lifted by the forks (the brick support structure is loaded with bricks), the first and second forks are bent downwards and inclined at an angle relative to the horizontal plane.

The first sensor detects the tilt and transmits it to the control unit. The control unit may command the actuator means to move the first and second forks upwards until the first and second forks are inclined with respect to the horizontal plane by less than a first tolerance angle.

Thus, the inclination of the first and second forks can be limited within the first tolerance angle, irrespective of the weight that the first and second forks must support and the height at which the forks are located.

Advantageously, this makes the stacking operation of the brick support structure on pre-existing stacks of other brick support structures safer.

Drawings

Particular embodiments of the invention will be described in the following portions of the specification in accordance with the contents set forth in the claims and with the aid of the drawings, in which:

fig. 1 and 2 are perspective views of two embodiments of an automatic guiding vehicle provided with forks for moving a brick support structure according to the object of the invention;

FIGS. 3 and 4 are enlarged top views of FIGS. 1 and 2, respectively;

FIG. 2A is an enlarged view of detail K of FIG. 2;

fig. 5 to 9 are side views of an automatic guided vehicle according to the object of the invention according to the embodiment of fig. 2, 2A and 4 during different movement steps of the brick support structure (so that the support structure can be arranged on the already formed stack of brick support structures);

fig. 6A is an enlarged view of detail H of fig. 6.

Detailed Description

With reference to the accompanying drawings, reference numeral (1) denotes in its entirety an automatic guided vehicle provided with forks for moving a brick support structure, the vehicle comprising: a vertical frame (3); a carriage (4) vertically movable along the vertical frame (3); a first fork (5) and a second fork (6) carried by the carriage (4); a first sensor (7) mounted on the first fork (5) or the second fork (6) for detecting the inclination (xy) of the first fork (5) or the second fork (6), respectively, with respect to a horizontal plane (the outline of which is illustrated in fig. 5 to 9); a control unit (8) connected to the first sensor (7); actuator means (9) arranged to move the first fork (5) and the second fork (6) to correct the inclination of the first fork (5) and the second fork (6) with respect to the horizontal plane (xy). A control unit (8) (fig. 3, 4) is connected to the actuator means (9) and is configured to command the actuator means (9) according to the signals received from the first sensor (7).

The vertical frame (3) may comprise a pair of uprights (10) connected above by a cross member (11) to form a frame. In this case, the carriage (4) may be coupled to the vertical frame (3) so as to slide along the pair of uprights (10).

The first and second forks (5, 6) share substantially the same weight of the lifted brick support structure (2). Thus, the forks are equally stressed, and the first sensor (7) may be arranged on the first fork (5) or the second fork (6).

The first sensor (7) is preferably a first inclinometer.

The first fork (5) or the second fork (6) preferably comprises a first housing (12) (fig. 3, 4) to receive a first level inclinometer. The first housing (12) may be an undercut formed at an upper portion of the first fork (5) or the second fork (6).

The automated guided vehicle (1) may comprise a third sensor (e.g. a second inclinometer) mounted on the second fork (6) to detect the inclination of the second fork (6) (embodiments not shown); a first sensor (7), such as a first inclinometer, is mounted on the first fork (5) to detect the inclination of the first fork (5).

The third sensor may be connected to the control unit (8), and the control unit (8) may be configured to command the actuator arrangement (9) in dependence of signals received from the first sensor (7) and from the third sensor. The second fork (6) may comprise a second housing (not shown) to receive a second level inclinometer; the second housing may be an undercut formed at an upper portion of the second fork (6).

The automated guided vehicle (1) includes a frame (21).

The automated guided vehicle (1) may include a main body (14).

The automated guided vehicle (1) may include a horizontal frame (15) protruding from the main body (14).

The horizontal frame (15) may have a substantially planar shape in the sense that the relative thickness may be much smaller than the width and length of the horizontal frame (15), being at least one fifth, preferably at least one tenth of the width and length.

The horizontal frame (15) may project from a lower portion of the main body (14) and away from the floor, for example between five and thirty centimeters from the floor surface.

The horizontal frame (15) may in turn comprise: a first arm (16) and a second arm (17) flanking each other and flanking the first fork (5) and the second fork (6): a first rolling element (18) and a second rolling element (19) carried by the first arm (16) and the second arm (17), respectively. The first fork (5) and the second fork (6) can be inserted between the first arm (16) and the second arm (17).

In a first embodiment of the invention, the first fork (5) and the second fork (6) are rotatable relative to the carriage (4), while the actuator means (9) comprise a first actuator (91) for rotating the first fork (5) and the second fork (6) relative to the carriage (4).

Preferably, the first fork (5) and the second fork (6) are rotatably coupled to the carriage (4) with respect to a first substantially horizontal hinge axis (Y1) (fig. 6A).

In a second embodiment of the invention, the vertical frame (3) is rotatable with respect to a frame (21) (fig. 6) of the automatic guided vehicle (1), while the actuator means (9) comprise a second actuator (92) for rotating the vertical frame (3) with respect to the frame (21). By means of a second actuator (92), the rotation of the vertical frame (3) can correct the inclination of the first fork (5) and the second fork (6) with respect to the horizontal plane (xy).

The vertical frame (3) is preferably rotatably coupled to the frame (21) with respect to a second substantially horizontal hinge axis (Y2) (see again fig. 6).

The third embodiment of the present invention may be a combination of the first embodiment and the second embodiment. Thus, the vertical frame (3) is rotatable with respect to a frame (21) of the automated guided vehicle (1), the first fork (5) and the second fork (6) are rotatable with respect to the carriage (4), and the actuator means (9) comprise a first actuator (91) for rotating the first fork (5) and the second fork (6) with respect to the carriage (4) and a second actuator (92) for rotating the vertical frame (3) with respect to the frame (21).

Activation of both the first actuator (91) and the second actuator (92) has the effect of moving the first fork (5) and the second fork (6) to correct the inclination of the first fork (5) and the second fork (6) with respect to the horizontal plane (xy).

Another object of the invention is a method for moving a brick support structure (2) by an automated guided vehicle (1) as outlined in whole above or as defined according to the first, second or third embodiment, the method comprising the steps of: raising the brick support structure (2); detecting the inclination of the first fork (5) or the second fork (6) with respect to the horizontal plane (xy); if the first fork (5) or the second fork (6) is inclined with respect to the horizontal plane (xy) by an angle greater than the first tolerance angle, the first fork (5) and the second fork (6) are moved to correct the inclination of the first fork (5) and the second fork (6) with respect to the horizontal plane (xy) until the first fork (5) and the second fork (6) are inclined with respect to the horizontal plane (xy) by an angle less than the first tolerance angle.

The first tolerance angle may be about 2 degrees.

In a fourth embodiment (fig. 2, 2A, 4), an automated guided vehicle (1) includes: and a second sensor (13) mounted on the vertical frame (3) for detecting the inclination of the vertical frame (3) with respect to the vertical plane (yz) (see the dotted lines shown in fig. 5 to 9). The control unit (8) is connected to the second sensor (13).

The second sensor (13) is preferably a vertical inclinometer.

Referring again to the fourth embodiment, the vertical frame (3) is preferably rotatable with respect to a frame (21) of the automated guided vehicle (1), the first fork (5) and the second fork (6) are rotatable with respect to the carriage (4), and the actuator means (9) comprise a first actuator (91) for rotating the first fork (5) and the second fork (6) with respect to the carriage (4) and a second actuator (92) for rotating the vertical frame (3) with respect to the frame (21).

Another object of the invention relates to a method of moving a brick support structure (2) by means of an automatic guiding vehicle (1) as defined in the fourth embodiment described above, comprising the step of detecting the inclination of the vertical frame (3) with respect to the vertical plane (yz) with respect to the method as defined above. The method further comprises the following steps: if the first fork (5) or the second fork (6) is inclined with respect to the horizontal plane (xy) by an angle greater than the first tolerance angle, the following sub-steps are performed:

a) if the vertical frame (3) is inclined by an angle greater than the second tolerance angle with respect to the vertical plane (yz), the vertical frame (3) is rotated by the second actuator (92) to correct the inclination of the vertical frame (3) with respect to the vertical plane (yz) until the vertical frame (3) is inclined by an angle less than the second tolerance angle with respect to the vertical plane (yz).

b) The first fork (5) and the second fork (6) are rotated by means of a first actuator (91) to correct the inclination of the first fork (5) and the second fork (6) with respect to the horizontal plane (xy) until the first fork (5) and the second fork (6) are inclined with respect to the horizontal plane (xy) by an angle smaller than the first tolerance angle.

The second tolerance angle may be about 2 degrees.

If the first fork (5) and the second fork (6) are still inclined with respect to the horizontal plane (xy) by an angle greater than the first tolerance angle, sub-step b) is preferably only performed after sub-step a).

How the automatic guided vehicle (1) according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention moves the brick support structure (2) initially arranged on the floor is described below (fig. 5). Please refer to fig. 5 to 9 and fig. 6A.

Fig. 5 shows a first brick support structure (2) located on a floor to be raised and arranged on a second brick support structure (222) located on top of a pre-existing brick support structure stack (22) (see, for example, fig. 7). Typically, each brick support structure (2) is loaded with bricks, which are not shown for simplicity.

Each brick support structure (2) comprises: a plurality of uprights (24) (generally four), each provided with a first coupling profile (23) at a first opposite end and a second coupling profile (25) at a second opposite end opposite to the first end; a loading plane (26) for receiving the brick, the loading plane being interposed between the first coupling profile (23) and the second coupling profile (25) of each column (24) of the plurality of columns.

The vehicle (1) is automatically guided close to the first brick support structure (2) to be lifted and stacked (see fig. 5) until the horizontal frame (15) is arranged below the first brick support structure (2). Thereafter, the carriage (4) is activated by motor means (not shown) to lift the forks (5, 6) and then the first brick support structure (2) (see fig. 6).

It can be observed from fig. 6 (see dashed lines) that the weight of the first brick support structure (2) determines the inclination of the vertical frame (3) relative to the vertical plane (yz) (detected by the second sensor (13)) and the inclination of the first fork (5) and the second fork (6) relative to the horizontal plane (xy) (detected by the first sensor (12)).

If the first fork (5) (to which the first sensor (12) is fixed, but if the first sensor (12) is arranged on the second fork (6), the same is also taken into account) is inclined with respect to the horizontal plane (xy) by an angle greater than the first tolerance angle, the following sub-steps can be performed:

a) if the vertical frame (3) is inclined by an angle greater than the second tolerance angle with respect to the vertical plane (yz), rotating the vertical frame (3) by the second actuator (92) to correct the inclination of the vertical frame (3) with respect to the vertical plane (yz) until the vertical frame (3) is inclined by an angle less than the second tolerance angle with respect to the vertical plane (yz);

b) if the first fork (5) is still inclined with respect to the horizontal plane (xy) by an angle greater than the first tolerance angle even if point a is corrected, the first fork (5) and the second fork (6) are rotated by the first actuator (91) to correct the inclination of the first fork (5) and the second fork (6) with respect to the horizontal plane (xy) until the first fork (5) and the second fork (6) are inclined with respect to the horizontal plane (xy) by an angle less than the first tolerance angle.

Once the above method has been performed, the first fork (5) and the second fork (6) are inclined with respect to the horizontal plane (xy) by an angle smaller than the first tolerance angle.

At this point, the vehicle (1) is automatically guided close (fig. 7) to the pre-existing stack (22) until the horizontal frame (15) is arranged below the brick support structure stack (22) located on the floor (fig. 8).

Subsequently, the carriage (4) is activated by motor means to lower the forks (5, 6) until the first coupling profile (23) of each upright (24) of the first brick support structure (2) is coupled to the second coupling profile (25) of each upright (24) of the second brick support structure (222) (fig. 9).

It will be understood that the above has been described by way of non-limiting example and that any technical functional variant is considered to fall within the scope of protection of the present technical solution as claimed below.