Drive unit for a vehicle in a driverless transport system
First Claim
1. A drive unit having at least one non-load bearing driven wheel for use on a vehicle movably supported on plural load bearing support wheels, comprising:
- a frame means including first and second frame parts pivotally interconnected about a first horizontally extending axis, said first frame part having a substantially vertically extending portion at a lower end of which is located said first horizontally extending axis, said second frame part extending substantially horizontally away from said lower end of said vertically extending portion and said first horizontally extending axis thereat and parallel to a plane of rotation of said driven wheel;
bearing means interposed between said vehicle and said first frame part for supporting said frame means for rotation about a vertical axis;
wheel support means on said second frame part for supporting said driven wheel for rotation about a second horizontally extending axis parallel to said first horizontally extending axis, said first horizontally extending axis being oriented below said second horizontally extending axis, said drive unit further including an electric motor and a transmission means coaxially oriented with said second horizontally extending axis and connected in driving relation to said driven wheel; and
a substantially vertically extending resilient means connected to and extending between (1) a free end of said second frame part which is remote from and is located on an opposite side of said vertical axis from said first horizontally extending axis and (2) said first frame part for urging said free end of said second frame part away from an upper portion or said first frame part oriented thereabove when a ground surface with which the driven wheel engages becomes oriented beneath a ground surface plane engaged by said load bearing support wheels and for yielding to forces occurring on said driven wheel when the ground surface with which the driven wheel engages becomes oriented above the ground surface plane engaged by said load bearing support wheels.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A vehicle in a driverless transport system has a drive unit which includes an electric motor, a gearing and a drive wheel with a common axis of rotation, is supported on the underside of the vehicle for pivotal movement about a vertical axis of rotation by a ring bearing, and serves only the driving and steering, the vehicle traveling on separate support wheels. A substantially horizontal bracket projects from both sides of a housing of the motor or gearing parallel to a plane of rotation of the drive wheel, one end of the bracket being supported for pivotal movement about an axis directed parallel with respect to the common axis of rotation on an arm extending downwardly from a support plate supported by the ring bearing, the other end of the bracket being supported with respect to the ring bearing by a substantially vertically acting spring arrangement pivotally supported on the bracket and/or the support plate. The spring arrangement can include an arrangement for changing the spring tension.
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Citations
11 Claims
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1. A drive unit having at least one non-load bearing driven wheel for use on a vehicle movably supported on plural load bearing support wheels, comprising:
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a frame means including first and second frame parts pivotally interconnected about a first horizontally extending axis, said first frame part having a substantially vertically extending portion at a lower end of which is located said first horizontally extending axis, said second frame part extending substantially horizontally away from said lower end of said vertically extending portion and said first horizontally extending axis thereat and parallel to a plane of rotation of said driven wheel; bearing means interposed between said vehicle and said first frame part for supporting said frame means for rotation about a vertical axis; wheel support means on said second frame part for supporting said driven wheel for rotation about a second horizontally extending axis parallel to said first horizontally extending axis, said first horizontally extending axis being oriented below said second horizontally extending axis, said drive unit further including an electric motor and a transmission means coaxially oriented with said second horizontally extending axis and connected in driving relation to said driven wheel; and a substantially vertically extending resilient means connected to and extending between (1) a free end of said second frame part which is remote from and is located on an opposite side of said vertical axis from said first horizontally extending axis and (2) said first frame part for urging said free end of said second frame part away from an upper portion or said first frame part oriented thereabove when a ground surface with which the driven wheel engages becomes oriented beneath a ground surface plane engaged by said load bearing support wheels and for yielding to forces occurring on said driven wheel when the ground surface with which the driven wheel engages becomes oriented above the ground surface plane engaged by said load bearing support wheels. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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Specification