Transport vehicle and method for a problem-free transport of heavy-duty shelves in workshops with radio shadowing using a partly autonomous drive mode

• US 10,168,713 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2014
• Issued: 01/01/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Grenzebach Maschinenbau GmbH (Rudolf Grenzebach,)
• Original Assignee: Grenzebach Maschinenbau GmbH (Rudolf Grenzebach,)
• Inventors: Kuegle, Bernhard
• Primary Examiner(s): Edwards, Jerrah
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gordon, Mathew Franklin
• Application Number:
  US15/022,787
• Publication Number:
  US 20160209847A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,586 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60P 1/02 with parallel up-and-down movement of load supporting or containing element in combination with tipping B60P1/34; devices for lifting or lowering bulky or heavy goods for loading or unloading purposes, movable on wheels or the like, e.g. fork-lift trucks, B66F9/06 ; suspensions with electronic levelling control during loading or unloading B60G17/0157
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 9/063 Automatically guided
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 9/065 non-masted mobile jacks of the garage type mounted on wheels or rollers B66F5/00
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 9/0755 Position control; Position detectors
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 9/07586 Suspension or mounting of wheels on chassis
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/024 in combination with a laser lasers per se H01S
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0276 using signals provided by a source external to the vehicle involving a plurality of vehicles G05D1/0287; automatically controlling vehicle speed responsive to externally generated signals B60K31/0058
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0291 Fleet control monitoring fleets in traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/127, G08G1/127
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0297 by controlling means in a control room

Abstract

The invention relates to a transport vehicle and a method for a problem-free transport of heavy-duty shelves in workshops with radio shadowing using a partly autonomous drive mode, having the following features: a) a vehicle housing with a support plate for receiving and transporting a heavy-duty shelf, comprising two drive wheels which are driven separately on both sides in the center of the vehicle housing on a respective separately mounted rotational axle, b) a transverse link which connects the drive wheels, each drive wheel being pivotal about the rotational axle via an angle lever, such that the drive wheels can carry out vertical movements independently of each other, c) a centrally arranged actuating element which can move two front lift rods and two rear lift rods via a lift rotary lever and via a push rod which is connected to the lift rotary lever in order to lift or lower the support plate, d) a system for supplying energy to the transport vehicle, and e) at least one 3D scanner, at least one light field sensor, and at least one WLAN antenna in the front region of the vehicle body.

Claims

1. A transport vehicle for transporting storage shelves by partially autonomous operation and without interference in factory buildings having deadspots, the transport vehicle comprising:

a) a vehicle housing (3) having a support plate (1) adapted for receiving and transporting a storage shelf (12) having transported goods (13), having two separately driven drive wheels (6) on both sides of one in each case individually mounted rotation axle (5) in a center region of the vehicle housing (3), wherein in each case at least one support wheel (9) is provided on a front side and on a rear side of the vehicle housing,

b) a transverse link (25) which connects the drive wheels (6) which are in each case by way of an angular lever (46) pivotable about the rotation axle (5) such that said drive wheels (6) are configured to execute mutually independent vertical movements,

c) a control member (20) that is longitudinally-oriented in the vehicle housing that is centrally disposed with respect to the separately driven drive wheels, wherein by way of a lift-and-rotate lever (33) and by way of a push rod (30) connected to the lift-and-rotate lever (33), the control member moves two front lifting rods (35) and two rear lifting rods (41) for lifting or lowering the support plate (1),

d) a system for supplying energy to the transport vehicle either by way of inductive lines installed in the floor, by means of an inductive pickup element (14) or by way of energy supply stations which are for feeding electrical, liquid, or gaseous energy and are accessible when stationary, wherein installation space (28) for corresponding energy storage units is provided in the vehicle housing (3),

e) at least one 3-D scanner (10), at least one light-field sensor (15), and at least one WLAN antenna (11) in the front region of the transport vehicle.

2. The transport vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one 3-D scanner (10) and at least one light-field sensor (15) are provided on each side of the transport vehicle, wherein a further WLAN antenna is installed in the rear region of the transport vehicle.

3. The transport vehicle as claimed in claim 1 wherein for separate height adjustment the front lifting rods (35) in each case have one control member (49), and the rear lifting rods (41) in each case have one control member (42).

4. The transport vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein sensors (46) for detecting the rotation movement of the drive wheels (6) are provided, wherein the sensors are adapted to determine slippage on each drive wheel (6) dependent on the speed of the transport vehicle.

5. A method for operating a transport vehicle for transporting storage shelves by partially autonomous operation and without interference in factory buildings having deadspots, the method comprising:

a) providing a command center adapted to receive an order for transportable goods, a storage shelf (12) having transportable goods (13), and a plurality of transport vehicles according to claim 1;

b) a command center in a warehouse region having deadspots receives the order to ensure that a specific storage shelf (12) having transported goods (13) located thereon is to be transported to a specific destination;

c) the command center identifies a selected transport vehicle from the plurality of transport vehicles;

d) the selected transport vehicle then receives from the command center the order to seek a specific storage shelf (12) in a specific area of a floor space of a warehouse region, to pick up the storage shelf (12), and to drive the storage shelf (12) having the transported goods (13) located thereon to a specific storage space, wherein one or more further transport vehicles are included by means of a WLAN antenna and a corresponding transmission and reception device for the corresponding communication to circumvent deadspots;

e) the selected transport vehicle receives from the command center the instructions, which have been determined by means of a specific route algorithm, in terms of the route to be driven and of the speed to be driven in each section of the journey in order for the immediate destination region to be reached in a specific time window;

f) the selected transport vehicle by means of the 3-D scanner (10) and of the light-field sensor (15) determines the storage shelf (12) to be picked up, selects a suitable initial position for picking up the storage shelf (12), drives under the latter and lifts up the latter for transport;

g) the selected transport vehicle awaits the instructions from the command center and, according to the received instructions, starts off on the return journey.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein a loss of data connection between the selected transport vehicle and the command center is registered by other transport vehicles, and one of the other transport vehicles as a mobile WLAN hotspot re-establishes the lost data connection to the command center.

7. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the center of gravity of the storage shelf (12) is detected by means of sensors, and the result of such center-of-gravity determination is used for controlling the control members of the lifting rods (35) and (41), and in that the inclination of a storage shelf (12) is determined by means of an inclination sensor.

8. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein sensors for detecting the rotation movement of the drive wheels (6) are provided, wherein the sensors are adapted to determine slippage on each drive wheel (6) dependent on the speed of the transport vehicle.