Floor-bound vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12473014-B2
Application number	US-202017765308-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 15, 2020
Priority date	Sep 30, 2019
Publication date	Nov 18, 2025
Grant date	Nov 18, 2025

Abstract

A floor-bound vehicle, in particular for a movable production plant with a processing unit for processing a workpiece, with at least two drive units, wherein the drive units each comprise at least one drive wheel, a travel drive for driving the at least one drive wheel, a wheel carrier on which the at least one drive wheel is arranged, and a steering drive for adjusting the wheel carrier with the drive wheel about a geometric steering axis and thus steering the drive wheel, wherein for steering, the respective wheel carrier can be adjusted relative to the respective travel drive by means of the respective steering drive is provided.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A floor-bound vehicle for a movable production plant with a processing unit for processing a workpiece, with at least two drive units,
wherein the drive units each comprise at least one drive wheel, a travel drive for driving the at least one drive wheel, a wheel carrier on which the at least one drive wheel is arranged, and a steering drive for adjusting the wheel carrier with the drive wheel about a geometric steering axis and thus steering the drive wheel, wherein for steering, the respective wheel carrier is configured to be adjusted relative to the respective travel drive by the respective steering drive, wherein the respective wheel carrier has a pivot device via which the drive wheel is configured to be pivoted about a geometric pivot axis in order to compensate for unevenness in the ground and wherein during pivoting of the drive wheel about the geometric pivot axis, the travel drive is co-pivoted.

2 . The floor-bound vehicle as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the respective drive unit has a mounting portion via which the drive unit, as a premounted unit, is configured to be attached to the floor-bound vehicle and/or removed from the floor-bound vehicle.

3 . The floor-bound vehicle as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the respective travel drive is rotationally locked with respect to its geometric drive axis relative to the vehicle.

4 . The floor-bound vehicle as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the respective rotational locking is achieved by a movably mounted rod, for which the rod engages on the travel drive and/or a fixing of the travel drive and a point which is stationary relative to the vehicle.

5 . The floor-bound vehicle as claimed in claim 1 , characterized in that the respective wheel carrier with the drive wheel is adjustable by the respective steering drive about the geometric steering axis through at least 270°.

6 . The floor-bound vehicle as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the respective drive unit has a further wheel, wherein the further wheel is arranged on the wheel carrier and wherein for steering, the wheel carrier together with the drive wheel and the further wheel is adjustable by the steering drive about the steering axis.

7 . The floor-bound vehicle as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the rotational axis of the drive wheel and the rotational axis of the further wheel are coaxial to one another.

8 . The floor-bound vehicle as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the respective drive unit has at least one gear mechanism, which is arranged in a drive train from the travel drive to the drive wheel and transmits the drive power of the travel drive to the drive wheel.

9 . The floor-bound vehicle as claimed in claim 8 , wherein an input shaft of a respective gear is arranged coaxially to the drive shaft of the travel drive, and an output shaft of the respective gear is arranged coaxially to the rotational axis of the drive wheel.

10 . The floor-bound vehicle as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the respective wheel carrier has the pivot device via which the drive wheel and the further wheel is configured to be pivoted about a geometric pivot axis in order to compensate for unevenness in the ground.

11 . The floor-bound vehicle as claimed in claim 1 , wherein during pivoting of the drive wheel and the further wheel about the geometric pivot axis, the steering drive is not co-pivoted.

12 . The floor-bound vehicle as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a maximum pivot angle of the drive wheel about the geometric pivot axis is dependent on the steering angle set by the steering drive.

13 . The floor-bound vehicle as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the drive unit has a steering gear, and the steering drive adjusts the wheel carrier about the steering axis via the steering gear.

14 . The floor-bound vehicle as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the floor-bound vehicle is controlled automatically and guided contactlessly.

15 . A movable production plant for processing a workpiece, in particular a structural aircraft component,
wherein the production plant has a floor-bound vehicle as claimed in claim 14 and a processing unit for processing the workpiece and assigned to the vehicle, wherein the processing unit for processing the workpiece has a tool unit.

16 . The movable production plant as claimed in claim 15 ,
characterized in that the processing unit has a processing robot which carries the tool unit as the end effector.

17 . The floor-bound vehicle as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the drive units are also retractable relative to the vehicle, such that the floor-bound vehicle is placed on the ground for a secure stance, and the drive wheel or drive wheels no longer touches or touch the ground, and/or the floor-bound vehicle has supports for raising the floor-bound vehicle such that, in raised state of the vehicle, the drive wheel or drive wheels no longer touches or touch the ground.

18 . A floor-bound vehicle for a movable production plant with a processing unit for processing a workpiece, with at least two drive units,
wherein the drive units each comprise at least one drive wheel, a travel drive for driving the at least one drive wheel, a wheel carrier on which the at least one drive wheel is arranged, and a steering drive for adjusting the wheel carrier with the drive wheel about a geometric steering axis and thus steering the drive wheel, wherein a rotational axis of the drive wheel is tiltable relative to the vehicle, wherein the respective wheel carrier has a pivot device via which the drive wheel is configured to be pivoted about a geometric pivot axis in order to compensate for unevenness in the ground and wherein during pivoting of the drive wheel about the geometric pivot axis, the travel drive is co-pivoted.

19 . The floor-bound vehicle as claimed in claim 18 , wherein the respective drive unit has a mounting portion via which the drive unit, as a premounted unit, is configured to be attached to the floor-bound vehicle and/or removed from the floor-bound vehicle.

20 . The floor-bound vehicle as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the respective wheel carrier with the drive wheel is adjustable by the respective steering drive about the geometric steering axis freely.

21 . A floor-bound vehicle for a movable production plant with a processing unit for processing a workpiece, with at least two drive units,
wherein the drive units each comprise at least one drive wheel, a travel drive for driving the at least one drive wheel, a wheel carrier on which the at least one drive wheel is arranged, and a steering drive for adjusting the wheel carrier with the drive wheel about a geometric steering axis and thus steering the drive wheel, wherein for steering, the respective wheel carrier is configured to be adjusted relative to the respective travel drive by the respective steering drive, wherein the maximum pivot angle of the drive wheel about the geometric pivot axis is dependent on the steering angle set by the steering drive.

22 . A floor-bound vehicle for a movable production plant with a processing unit for processing a workpiece, with at least two drive units,
wherein the drive units each comprise at least one drive wheel, a travel drive for driving the at least one drive wheel, a wheel carrier on which the at least one drive wheel is arranged, and a steering drive for adjusting the wheel carrier with the drive wheel about a geometric steering axis and thus steering the drive wheel, wherein for steering, the respective wheel carr

Assignees

• Broetje Automation Gmbh

Inventors

• Eusterwiemann Christoph

Classifications

• B62D7/04

  with more than one wheel · CPC title

• B64F5/10

  Manufacturing or assembling aircraft, e.g. jigs therefor · CPC title

• B62D5/0418 Primary

  Electric motor acting on road wheel carriers · CPC title