Loading and unloading system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12350826-B2
Application number	US-202318219395-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 7, 2023
Priority date	Jul 11, 2022
Publication date	Jul 8, 2025
Grant date	Jul 8, 2025

Abstract

A loading and unloading system includes: a robot including a robot arm; an automated guided vehicle on which the robot is mounted, the automated guided vehicle including a travel driving unit; transport conveyors; a robot controller that controls an operation of the robot arm 41 and supplies driving electric power to the robot arm; and a connector that receives electric power from outside of the loading and unloading system. The automated guided vehicle further includes: a transport controller that controls driving of the travel driving unit and the transport conveyors; and a battery that supplies electric power to the transport controller. The transport controller and the robot controller cooperate with each other to cause the transport conveyors to interlock with the robot arm.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A loading and unloading system for a load in a container, the loading and unloading system comprising:
a robot including a robot arm capable of performing handling of the load;
an automated guided vehicle on which the robot is mounted, the automated guided vehicle including a travel driving unit that causes the automated guided vehicle to travel;
a transport conveyor that conveys the load;
a robot controller that controls an operation of the robot arm and supplies driving electric power to the robot arm; and
a power receiving unit that receives electric power to be supplied to the robot controller and the transport conveyor from outside of the loading and unloading system, wherein
the automated guided vehicle further includes:
a transport controller that controls driving of the travel driving unit and driving of the transport conveyor; and
a battery that supplies electric power to the transport controller and refrains from supplying electric power to the robot controller and the transport conveyor, and
the transport controller and the robot controller cooperate with each other to cause the transport conveyor to interlock with the robot arm, thereby performing the handling of the load.

2. The loading and unloading system according to claim 1 , further comprising
a power supply wiring that distributes and supplies the electric power received from the outside by the power receiving unit, to the robot controller and the transport conveyor, wherein
the automated guided vehicle and the transport conveyor are connectable to and disconnectable from each other with a connector, and
the power supply wiring is connected to the transport conveyor with the connector.

3. The loading and unloading system according to claim 1 , wherein
the transport controller includes:
a position estimating unit that estimates a current position of the automated guided vehicle; and
a conveyor controlling unit that cuts off supply of the electric power received by the power receiving unit to the transport conveyor in a case where the current position estimated by the position estimating unit is different from a handling position set in advance for the handling.

4. The loading and unloading system according to claim 1 , wherein
the automated guided vehicle further includes a first obstacle sensor that detects an obstacle, and
the transport controller includes a conveyor controlling unit that cuts off supply of the electric power received by the power receiving unit to the transport conveyor in a case where the first obstacle sensor detects the obstacle in a first field set in advance around the automated guided vehicle.

5. The loading and unloading system according to claim 1 , wherein
the transport conveyor further includes a second obstacle sensor that detects an obstacle, and
the transport controller includes a conveyor controlling unit that cuts off supply of the electric power received by the power receiving unit to the transport conveyor in a case where the second obstacle sensor detects the obstacle in a second field set in advance around the transport conveyor.

6. The loading and unloading system according to claim 1 , wherein
the robot includes:
a camera that captures an image; and
an image processing computer that performs image processing on the image captured by the camera,
the image processing computer needs predetermined time for startup and shutdown, and
the battery supplies operating electric power for the image processing computer.

7. The loading and unloading system according to claim 1 , further comprising
an external signal receiving unit that receives a predetermined external signal from the outside of the loading and unloading system, wherein
the transport controller controls the transport conveyor based on the external signal.

8. The loading and unloading system according to claim 7 , wherein
the external signal receiving unit is a connector for the external signal.

Assignees

• Nakanishi Metal Works Co

Inventors

• Hoshi Masayoshi
• Mizutani Hideaki

Classifications

• B65G43/08

  Control devices operated by article or material being fed, conveyed or discharged {(and controlling the discharging devices B65G47/42)} · CPC title

• B25J19/023

  including video camera means · CPC title

• B65G2203/0266

  relating to the load carrier(s) · CPC title

• B25J5/007

  mounted on wheels · CPC title

• B25J9/0093 Primary

  co-operating with conveyor means · CPC title