Mover, carrier, moving system, and moving method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11827449-B2
Application number	US-201916430571-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 4, 2019
Priority date	Jun 22, 2018
Publication date	Nov 28, 2023
Grant date	Nov 28, 2023

Abstract

A mover according to the present disclosure includes: a body to move; a second member; a suction unit; a location detection unit; a first moving part, and a second moving part. The second member moves in a state where the second member is combined with a first member provided for an object, as the body is displaced relative to the object. The suction unit is sucked to the object in the state where the second member is combined with the first member. The location detection unit detects a location of the body with respect to the object by detecting movement of the second member. The first moving part moves the body until the state where the second member is combined with the first member is established. The second moving part displaces the body relative to the object in the state where the second member is combined with the first member.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A mover comprising:
a body configured to move;
a second member configured to move in a state where the second member is combined with a first member provided for an object, as the body is displaced relative to the object;
a suction unit configured to be sucked to the object in the state where the second member is combined with the first member;
a location detection unit configured to detect a location of the body with respect to the object by detecting movement of the second member;
a first moving part configured to move the body until the state where the second member is combined with the first member is established; and
a second moving part configured to displace the body relative to the object in the state where the second member is combined with the first member.

2. The mover of claim 1 , wherein
the second member includes a plurality of second members, and
the plurality of second members are arranged in a direction in which the body is displaced relative to the object, in a state where the plurality of second members are combined with the first member.

3. The mover of claim 1 , wherein
the first member is a rack provided for the object,
the second member is a pinion gear to be combined with the rack,
the location detection unit includes a rotation detection unit configured to detect an angle of rotation of the pinion gear, and
the location detection unit is configured to detect the location of the body with respect to the object based on the angle of rotation, detected by the rotation detection unit, of the pinion gear.

4. The mover of claim 1 , wherein
the second moving part includes a traveling device configured to make the body travel, and
the body is displaced relative to the object by allowing the traveling device to move the body in the state where the second member is combined with the first member.

5. The mover of claim 1 ,
configured with a carrier to carry a burden with the mover, the body including a holder configured to hold the burden.

6. The mover of claim 1 , wherein
the first member is a rack provided for the object,
the second member is a pinion gear to be combined with the rack,
the location detection unit includes a rotation detection unit configured to detect an angle of rotation of the pinion gear,
the location detection unit is configured to detect the location of the body with respect to the object based on the angle of rotation, detected by the rotation detection unit, of the pinion gear, and
the suction unit is configured to be magnetically sucked to the object.

7. The mover of claim 1 , wherein
the second moving part includes a driving unit configured to drive the second member, and
the body is displaced relative to the object by making the driving unit drive the second member in the state where the second member is combined with the first member.

8. The mover of claim 7 , further comprising a control unit configured to control the driving unit in accordance with a result of detection by the location detection unit.

9. The mover of claim 1 , wherein
the suction unit is configured to be magnetically sucked to the object.

10. The mover of claim 9 , wherein
the suction unit is configured to be sucked to the object by forming a magnetic closed loop including at least the first member and the second member.

11. The mover of claim 9 , wherein
the second member includes a plurality of second members, and
the plurality of second members are arranged in a direction in which the body is displaced relative to the object, in a state where the plurality of second members are combined with the first member.

12. The mover of claim 1 , wherein
the second member is configured to form part of the suction unit.

13. The mover of claim 12 , wherein
the suction unit is configured to be magnetically sucked to the object.

14. The mover of claim 12 , wherein
the second member includes a plurality of second members, and
the plurality of second members are arranged in a direction in which the body is displaced relative to the object, in a state where the plurality of second members are combined with the first member.

15. The mover of claim 12 , wherein
the first member is a rack provided for the object,
the second member is a pinion gear to be combined with the rack,
the location detection unit includes a rotation detection unit configured to detect an angle of rotation of the pinion gear, and
the location detection unit is configured to detect the location of the body with respect to the object based on the angle of rotation, detected by the rotation detection unit, of the pinion gear.

16. A moving system comprising:
a mover, the mover comprising:
a body configured to move;
a second member configured to move in a state where the second member is combined with a first member provided for an object, as the body is displaced relative to the object;
a suction unit configured to be sucked to the object in the state where the second member is combined with the first member;
a location detection unit configured to detect a location of the body with respect to the object by detecting movement of the second member;
a first moving part configured to move the body until the state where the second member is combined with the first member is established; and
a second moving part configured to displace the body relative to the object in the state where the second member is combined with the first member; and
the object.

17. The moving system of claim 16 , wherein
the body of the mover includes a holder configured to hold a burden, and
the object is shelving configured to put the burden thereon.

18. The moving system of claim 17 , wherein
the first member is provided for a lower part of the shelving.

19. A moving method comprising:
first moving processing of moving a mover until a state where the mover is combined with an object is established;
suction processing of having the mover sucked to the object in the state where the mover is combined with the object;
second moving processing of displacing the mover relative to the object with the mover sucked to the object; and
detection processing of detecting a location of the mover with respect to the object.

20. The moving method of claim 19 , further comprising
cancelation processing of canceling the state where the mover is combined with the object.

Assignees

• Panasonic Ip Man Co Ltd

Inventors

• Shirouzu Hiroshi
• Mizuno Osamu

Classifications

• B65G1/065 Primary

  with self propelled cars · CPC title

• B62D57/024

  specially adapted for moving on inclined or vertical surfaces (endless-track vehicles for ascending or descending stairs B62D55/075; hand-carts with provision for travelling up or down stairs B62B5/02) · CPC title

• B62D57/04

  having other than ground-engaging propulsion means, e.g. having propellers (arrangement of jet-propulsion units B60K) · CPC title

• B62D63/04

  Component parts or accessories · CPC title

• B65G1/0485

  Check-in, check-out devices · CPC title