Load supporting apparatus for an automated guide vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11059707-B2
Application number	US-201816229019-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 21, 2018
Priority date	Dec 21, 2018
Publication date	Jul 13, 2021
Grant date	Jul 13, 2021

Abstract

A system and a method for an automated guided vehicle (AGV) includes a chassis; a load supporting apparatus disposed on the chassis, the load supporting apparatus including a platform to support a load, a lifting mechanism comprising one or more jacks, the platform coupled to the one or more jacks, the one or more jacks configured to raise or lower the platform, and a rotation mechanism coupled to the platform, the rotation mechanism configured to rotate the platform, wherein the rotation mechanism is configured to rotate the platform in response to the AGV turning.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An automated guided vehicle (AGV) comprising:
a chassis;
a drive assembly disposed on the chassis, the drive assembly comprising a drive motor configured to generate a propulsion force to propel the AGV, and a turning motor configured to generate a turning force to turn the AGV;
a load supporting apparatus disposed on the chassis, the load supporting apparatus comprising;
a platform to support a load;
a lifting mechanism comprising three or more screw lacks and a lifting motor, wherein the platform is coupled to the three or more screw lacks, wherein the lifting motor is arranged in communication with and to actuate the three or more screw jacks such that the three or more screw jacks vertically translate relative to the chassis to vertically translate the platform, thereby raising or lowering the platform; wherein the three or more screw jacks are mechanically coupled to each other such that the vertical translation of each of the three or more screw jacks are synchronized; and
a rotation mechanism coupled to the platform, the rotation mechanism is configured to rotate the platform in response to the AGV turning, wherein the rotation mechanism comprises a rotation motor coupled to the platform by a rotation gear assembly, wherein the rotation motor is configured to actuate the rotation gear assembly to rotate the platform, and wherein the rotation motor is electrically connected to a switching circuit, the switching circuit is in electrical communication with a motor controller that controls the turning motor, and wherein the switching circuit is configured to switch the polarity of voltage or direction of current from the motor controller such that the rotation motor receives a voltage or current in a direction that is opposite to the voltage or current generated by the motor controller to rotate the platform in a direction that is opposite to a turning direction of the AGV, such that the platform isolates rotational forces on the load supported by the platform, thereby stabilizing the load onto the platform when the AGV turns.

2. An automated guided vehicle in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the platform is plate having a multisided polygon shape.

3. An automated guided vehicle in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the platform comprises an arcuate periphery.

4. An automated guided vehicle in accordance with claim 3 , wherein the platform is a circular shape.

5. An automated guided vehicle in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the load supporting apparatus comprises three or more mounting struts, the mounting struts configured to mount the load supporting apparatus on the chassis.

6. An automated guided vehicle in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the three or more screw jacks are mechanically coupled by at least one coupling member.

7. An automated guided vehicle in accordance with claim 6 , wherein the coupling member is connected to the lifting motor, the coupling member functioning as a drive shaft to transmit a lifting force from the lifting motor to the screw jacks connected to the coupling member.

8. An automated guided vehicle in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the lifting mechanism comprises a belt or chain drive assembly that couples the lifting motor to at least two of the three or more screw jacks, the belt or chain drive assembly synchronising translation of the screw jacks.

9. An automated guided vehicle in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the rotation motor is counter synchronized with the turning motor to rotate the platform in a direction that is counter to the AGV turning.

10. An automated guided vehicle in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the rotation gear assembly comprises a first gear and a second gear that are meshed together, the first gear and the second gear positioned on the platform, the first gear in mechanical communication with the rotation motor and the second gear coupled to the first gear.

11. An automated guided vehicle in accordance with claim 10 , wherein the first gear is smaller in diameter than the second gear and wherein a ratio of the diameters of the first gear to the second gear is such that driving the first gear creates an increase in torque on the second gear.

12. An automated guided vehicle in accordance with claim 10 , wherein the second gear is integral to the platform such that driving the first gear causes the second gear to rotate thereby rotating the platform.

13. An automated guided vehicle in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the platform comprises a raised lip extending outwardly from a load supporting face of the platform, the raised lip including a plurality of integral teeth formed within the lip and extending around the circumference of the lip such that the second gear is defined by the teeth formed within the lip.

14. An automated guided vehicle in accordance with claim 13 , wherein the teeth are formed on an inner surface of the lip.

15. A load supporting apparatus for an automated guided vehicle (AGV), the AGV including a chassis and a drive assembly disposed on the chassis, wherein the drive assembly comprises a drive motor configured to generate a propulsion force to propel the AGV and the drive assembly further comprises a turning motor configured to generate a turning force to turn the AGV, the load supporting apparatus, in use, being adapted to be disposed on the chassis, and the load supporting apparatus comprising:
a platform to support a load,
a lifting mechanism comprising three or more screw lacks and a lifting motor, the platform is coupled to the three or more screw lacks, wherein the lifting motor is arranged in communication with and to actuate the three or more screw jacks such that the three or more screw jacks, vertically translate relative to the chassis to vertically translate the platform, and the three or more screw jacks are mechanically coupled to each other such that the vertical translation of each of the three or more screw jacks is synchronized; and
a rotation mechanism coupled to the platform, the rotation mechanism configured to rotate the platform in response to the AGV turning, wherein the rotation mechanism comprises a rotation motor coupled to the platform by a rotation gear assembly, the rotation motor is configured to actuate the rotation gear assembly to rotate the platform; and
wherein the rotation motor is electrically connected to a switching circuit, the switching circuit is in electrical communication with a motor controller that controls the turning motor, and wherein the switching circuit is configured to switch the polarity of voltage or direction of current from the motor controller such that the rotation motor receives a voltage or current in a direction that is opposite to the voltage or current generated by the motor controller to rotate the platform in a direction that is opposite to a turning direction of the AGV, such that the platform isolates rotational forces on the load supported by the platform, thereby stabilizing the load onto the platform when the AGV turns.

16. A load supporting apparatus in accordance with claim 15 , wherein the platform comprises an arcuate periphery.

17. A load supporting apparatus in accordance with claim 16 , wherein the platform is a circular shape or an oval shape.

18. A load supporting apparatus in accordance with claim 15 , wherein the load supporting apparatus comprises three or more mounting struts, the mounting struts configured to mount the load supporting apparatus on the chassis.

19. A load supporting apparatus in accordance with claim 15 , wherein the l

Assignees

• Logistics And Supply Chain Multitech R&D Centre Ltd

Inventors

• Chow Wing Leung
• Wong King Sau
• Wong Tsz Hin
• Tiu Kwai Yuen

Classifications

• B66F9/063 Primary

  Automatically guided · CPC title

• B66F9/0755

  Position control; Position detectors · CPC title

• B66F9/24

  Electrical devices or systems · CPC title

• B65G1/0492

  with cars adapted to travel in storage aisles · CPC title