Driverless transport device and driverless transport system for transporting objects, and method for operating a driver-less transport device and a driverless transport system for transporting objects

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12291439-B2
Application number	US-202017772290-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 6, 2020
Priority date	Oct 29, 2019
Publication date	May 6, 2025
Grant date	May 6, 2025

Abstract

The present invention relates to a driverless transport device (10) for transporting objects (38), comprising: a support structure (12) having an outer contour (14); an undercarriage (16) which is secured to the support structure (12) and has at least one first wheel (18) and a second wheel (20), wherein the first wheel (18) is mounted in the undercarriage (16) so as to rotate about a first axis of rotation (D1) and the second wheel (20) is mounted in the undercarriage (16) so as to rotate about a second axis of rotation (D2); a drive unit (22) by means of which the first wheel (18) and the second wheel (20) can be driven independently of each other; and a force measuring device (56) by means of which the force acting on the support portion (39) can be determined.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A driverless transport device ( 10 ) for transporting objects ( 38 ), comprising:
a support structure ( 12 ) having an outer contour ( 14 );
an undercarriage ( 16 ) which is secured to the support structure ( 12 ) and has at least one first wheel ( 18 ) and a second wheel ( 20 ), wherein the first wheel ( 18 ) is mounted in the undercarriage ( 16 ) so as to rotate about a first axis of rotation (D 1 ) and the second wheel ( 20 ) is mounted in the undercarriage ( 16 ) so as to rotate about a second axis of rotation (D 2 );
a drive unit ( 22 ) by means of which the first wheel ( 18 ) and the second wheel ( 20 ) can be driven independently of each other; and
a force measuring device ( 56 ) by means of which a force acting on the support portion ( 39 ) can be determined,
wherein the force measuring device ( 56 ) has at least two force sensors ( 58 ),
wherein at least one first force sensor of the at least two force sensors ( 58 ) is assigned to a first group ( 60 ) and at least one second force sensor of the at least two force sensors ( 58 ) is assigned to a second group ( 62 ), and
wherein the at least one first force sensor of the first group ( 60 ) is arranged perpendicular to the at least one second force sensor of the second group ( 62 ), such that a main surface of the at least one first sensor of the first group ( 60 ) lies in a horizontal plane and a main surface of the at least one second force sensor of the second group ( 62 ) extends vertically, the horizontal plane being parallel to ground.

2. The driverless transport device ( 10 ) according to claim 1 , characterized in that the force measuring device ( 56 ) has at least one force sensor ( 58 ), which is designed as a capacitive force sensor, a resistive force sensor, as a strain gauge, or as a printed electronics system.

3. The driverless transport device ( 10 ) according to claim 1 , characterized in that the driverless transport device ( 10 ) comprises a lifting device ( 32 ) which interacts with the support structure ( 12 ) for lifting and lowering at least one support portion ( 39 ), which interacts with the objects in order to transport same.

4. The driverless transport device ( 10 ) according to claim 3 ,
wherein the outer contour ( 14 ) of the support structure ( 12 ) is substantially rotationally symmetrical about a rotational axis (R) in the top view, and
wherein the at least one support portion ( 39 ) and/or the first wheel ( 18 ) and the second wheel ( 20 ) are arranged within the outer contour ( 14 ) or are flush with the outer contour ( 14 ).

5. The driverless transport device ( 10 ) according to claim 1 , characterized in that the transport device ( 10 ) has a storage unit ( 70 ) for electrical energy which, in the top view, protrudes in portions beyond the outer contour ( 14 ) of the support structure ( 12 ), the storage unit ( 70 ) being movably secured to the support structure ( 12 ).

6. The driverless transport device ( 10 ) according to claim 5 , characterized in that the storage unit ( 70 ) is secured to the support structure ( 12 ) so as to rotate about the rotational axis (R).

7. A method for operating the driverless transport device ( 10 ) according to claim 1 , comprising the following steps:
defining a load area ( 96 ) which is to be loaded with a plurality of objects ( 38 ) by means of the driverless transport device ( 10 );
transporting a first object ( 38 ) onto the load area ( 96 );
determining the first force acting on the support portion ( 39 ) by means of the force measuring device ( 56 );
placing the first object ( 38 ) at a first position of the load area ( 96 );
transporting a second object ( 38 ) onto the load area ( 96 );
determining the second force acting on the support portion ( 39 ) by means of the force measuring device ( 56 ); and
placing the second object ( 38 ) at a second position of the load area ( 96 ), wherein the second position is selected on the basis of the first force and the second force in such a way that the load area ( 96 ) is loaded evenly.

8. The method according to claim 7 , further comprising changing the first position and/or the second position in order to even out the loading of the load area ( 96 ).

9. The method according to claim 7 , further comprising the following steps:
defining a maximum load for the load area ( 96 ); and
outputting a warning signal by means of the signal generator ( 64 ) when the defined maximum load is reached or exceeded.

10. A driverless transport system ( 81 ), comprising:
a plurality of the driverless transport devices ( 10 ) according to claim 1 ;
a control unit ( 94 ) for controlling or regulating the driverless transport devices ( 10 ); and
a communication device ( 76 ) by means of which information can be exchanged between the control unit ( 94 ) and the driverless transport devices ( 10 ).

11. The driverless transport system ( 81 ) according to claim 10 ,
wherein one of the driverless transport devices ( 10 ) is designed as a master ( 86 ) and the other driverless transport devices ( 10 ) are designed as slaves ( 88 ),
wherein the master ( 86 ) has a master sensor unit ( 90 ) for detecting the environment of the master ( 86 ), and
wherein the master ( 86 ) transmits information relating to the environment of the master ( 86 ) to the control unit ( 94 ) and/or to the slaves ( 88 ).

12. The driverless transport system ( 81 ) according to claim 11 ,
wherein each of the transport devices ( 10 ) has a sensor unit ( 66 ) for detecting the environment of the transport device ( 10 ),
wherein the sensor unit ( 66 ) being arranged in a sensor portion ( 68 ) delimited by the outer contour ( 14 ) and the first axis of rotation (D 1 ) or the second axis of rotation (D 2 ), and
wherein the sensor unit ( 66 ) is designed in such a way that it only detects the part of the environment on the side of the first axis of rotation (D 1 ) or the second axis of rotation (D 2 ) on which the sensor unit ( 66 ) is arranged, and
wherein at least a first of the sensor units being oriented in a first direction and at least a second of the sensor units being oriented in a second direction.

13. A method for operating the driverless transport system ( 81 ) according to claim 10 , comprising the following steps:
determining the force acting on the respective support portions ( 39 ) of the transport device ( 10 ) by means of the force measuring devices ( 56 );
transmitting the determined forces to the control unit ( 94 ) by means of the communication device ( 76 );
comparing the determined forces by means of the control unit ( 94 ); and
lifting or lowering one or more of the support portions ( 39 ) by means of the lifting devices ( 32 ) on the basis of the comparison and at the instigation of the control unit ( 94 ).

Assignees

• Ims Gear Se & Co Kgaa
• Antrimon Deutschland Gmbh

Inventors

• Nagel Benedikt
• Gruler Fabian
• Koop Matthias
• Rosen Michael
• Schwörer Simon
• Abelmann Yannik
• Fürderer Yvonne
• Klaiber Christof
• Huber Matthias

Classifications

• B66F9/07572

  Propulsion arrangements · CPC title

• B66F9/07559

  Stabilizing means · CPC title

• B66F9/0755

  Position control; Position detectors · CPC title

• B66F9/07504

  Accessories, e.g. for towing, charging, locking · CPC title

• B25J13/085

  Force or torque sensors (B25J13/082, B25J13/084 take precedence) · CPC title