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

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12325613-B2
Application number	US-202017772864-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 28, 2020
Priority date	Oct 29, 2019
Publication date	Jun 10, 2025
Grant date	Jun 10, 2025

Abstract

The present invention relates to a driverless transport device ( 10 ) for transporting objects ( 38 ), comprising a support structure ( 12 ) with an outer contour ( 14 ), a chassis ( 16 ) fastened to the support structure ( 12 ) having at least a first wheel ( 18 ) and a second wheel ( 20 ), wherein the first wheel ( 18 ) is rotatably mounted in the chassis ( 16 ) about a first axis of rotation (D 1 ) and the second wheel ( 20 ) is rotatably mounted in the chassis ( 16 ) about a second axis of rotation (D 2 ), a drive unit ( 22 ) with which the first wheel ( 18 ) and the second wheel ( 20 ) can be driven independently of each other, and an expanding unit ( 98 ) with at least one expanding arm ( 100 ), wherein expanding arms ( 100 ) are adjustable by means of an adjustment unit ( 106 ) between a first position, in which the expanding arms ( 100 ) are located within the outer contour ( 14 ), and a second position, in which the expanding arms ( 100 ) project at least partially beyond the outer contour ( 14 ). Furthermore, the invention relates to a driverless transport system ( 81 ), comprising a plurality of such driverless transport devices ( 10 ).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. Driverless transport device ( 10 ) for transporting objects ( 38 ), comprising
a support structure ( 12 ) with an outer contour ( 14 ),
a chassis ( 16 ) fastened to the support structure ( 12 ) having at least a first wheel ( 18 ) and a second wheel ( 20 ), wherein the first wheel ( 18 ) is rotatably mounted in the chassis ( 16 ) about a first axis of rotation (D 1 ) and the second wheel ( 20 ) is rotatably mounted in the chassis ( 16 ) about a second axis of rotation (D 2 ),
a drive unit ( 22 ), said drive unit ( 22 ) including a first drive motor ( 24 ) connected to the first wheel ( 18 ) and a second drive motor ( 26 ) connected to the second wheel ( 20 ), wherein the first and second drive motors ( 24 ) ( 26 ) are configured to be independently operable such that the first and second wheels ( 18 ) ( 20 ) can be driven independently of one another, and
an expanding unit ( 98 ), wherein the expanding unit ( 98 ) comprises:
a plurality of guide rails ( 102 ) extending radially outwardly from a center of the driverless transport device ( 10 );
a plurality of expanding arms ( 100 ), wherein each expanding arm ( 100 ) of the plurality of expanding arms ( 100 ) is slidably mounted to a respective guide rail ( 102 ) of the plurality of guide rails ( 102 ), wherein each expanding arm ( 100 ) of the plurality of expanding arms ( 100 ) is movable between a first position and a second position and each one expanding arm ( 100 ) in the second position thereof projects at least partially beyond the outer contour ( 14 );
a synchronization unit ( 110 ) including a connecting link disc ( 112 ), wherein the connecting link disc ( 112 ) is rotatable; and
an adjustment unit ( 106 ), wherein the adjustment unit ( 106 ) includes a plurality of toggle lever units ( 108 ), wherein each toggle lever unit ( 108 ) of the plurality of toggle lever units ( 108 ) connects the connecting link disc ( 112 ) with a respective expanding arm ( 100 ) of the plurality of expanding arms ( 100 ), wherein each toggle lever unit ( 108 ) of the plurality of toggle lever units ( 108 ) includes:
a first elongated member and a second elongated member, the first and second elongated members being pivotally coupled to one another,
wherein the first elongated member of each toggle lever unit ( 108 ) is pivotally coupled to the connecting link disc ( 112 ), and the second elongated member of each toggle lever unit ( 108 ) is pivotally coupled to a respective one of the expanding arms ( 100 ),
wherein a rotation of the connecting link disc ( 112 ) is configured to pivot the first and second elongated member of each toggle lever unit ( 108 ) relative to one another, and in turn, to move the plurality of expanding arms ( 100 ) between the first position thereof and the second position thereof;
wherein the expanding unit ( 98 ) is implemented rotatable relative to the chassis.

2. Driverless transport device ( 10 ) according to claim 1 ,
characterized in that the expanding unit ( 98 ) comprises a further drive unit ( 107 ) and a drive train ( 109 ) with which the further drive unit ( 107 ) interacts with the adjustment unit ( 106 ).

3. Driverless transport device ( 10 ) according to claim 2 ,
characterized in that a decoupling unit ( 115 ) is arranged in the drive train ( 109 ), with which decoupling unit the further drive unit ( 107 ) can be separated from the adjustment unit ( 106 ).

4. Driverless transport device ( 10 ) according to claim 1 ,
characterized in that the expanding unit ( 98 ) comprises a locking device ( 138 ), with which the adjustment unit ( 106 ) may, at least, be locked when each one of the expanding arms ( 100 ) is in the second position.

5. Driverless transport device ( 10 ) according to claim 1 ,
characterized in that the expanding unit ( 98 ) comprises an angle sensor ( 121 ), wherein a rotational position of a first expanding arm ( 100 ) of the plurality of expanding arms ( 100 ) is determined with respect to the first axis of rotation (D 1 ) and/or the second axis of rotation (D 2 ) by using the angle sensor ( 121 ).

6. Driverless transport device ( 10 ) according to claim 1 ,
characterized in that each guide rail ( 102 ) of the plurality of guide rails ( 102 ) extends from a respective groove in a support section ( 39 ).

7. Driverless transport device ( 10 ) according to claim 1 ,
characterized in that each expanding arm ( 100 ) included in the plurality of expanding arms ( 100 ) has a radially outer end, and a support element ( 116 ) is connected to the radially outer end of each said expanding arm ( 100 ) of the plurality of expanding arms ( 100 ).

8. Driverless transport device ( 10 ) according to claim 1 ,
characterized in that each expanding arm ( 100 ) included in the plurality of expanding arms ( 100 ) has a radially outer end, and a stop element ( 114 ) is connected to the radially outer end of each said expanding arm ( 100 ) of the plurality of expanding arms ( 110 ), wherein the stop element ( 114 ) of a first expanding arm ( 100 ) in the first position thereof rests against a stop element ( 114 ) of an adjacent second expanding arm ( 100 ) when the adjacent second expanding arm ( 100 ) is in the first position thereof, and/or wherein the stop element ( 114 ) of the first expanding arm ( 100 ) in the first position thereof rests against a stop surface of the support structure ( 12 ).

9. Driverless transport device ( 10 ) according to claim 1 ,
characterized in that the driverless transport device ( 10 ) comprises a lifting device ( 32 ) interacting with the support structure ( 12 ) for raising and lowering at least one support section ( 39 ) of the lifting device ( 32 ), the at least one support section ( 39 ) configured to be in contact with the objects ( 38 ) for transporting the objects ( 38 ).

10. Driverless transport device ( 10 ) according to claim 9 , characterized in that
the outer contour ( 14 ) of the support structure ( 12 ) is substantially rotationally symmetrical about a rotational axis (R) in a top view, and
the at least one support section ( 39 ) or the first and second wheels ( 18 , 20 ) are arranged within the outer contour ( 14 ) or are flush with the outer contour ( 14 ) or
each expanding arm ( 100 ) of the plurality of expanding arms ( 100 ) is arranged within the outer contour ( 14 ) when in the first position.

11. Driverless transport device ( 10 ) according to claim 1 ,
characterized in that the transport device ( 10 ) comprises a storage device ( 70 ) for electrical energy which, in a top view, protrudes in sections beyond the outer contour ( 14 ) of the support structure ( 12 ), wherein the storage device ( 70 ) is movably fastened to the support structure ( 12 ).

12. Driverless transport system ( 81 ) comprising
a plurality of 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 ) with which information can be exchanged between the control unit ( 94 ) and the driverless transport devices ( 10 ).

Assignees

• Ims Gear Se & Co Kgaa
• Antrimon Deutschland Gmbh

Inventors

• Huber Matthias
• Klaiber Christof
• Belz Carsten
• Nagel Benedikt

Classifications

• B25J13/006

  by means of a wireless system for controlling one or several manipulators · CPC title

• B25J5/007

  mounted on wheels · CPC title

• B66F9/185

  by internally expanding grippers · CPC title

• B66F9/07559 Primary

  Stabilizing means · CPC title

• B66F9/0755

  Position control; Position detectors · CPC title