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Automatically guided vehicle

  • US 5,988,306 A
  • Filed: 10/14/1997
  • Issued: 11/23/1999
  • Est. Priority Date: 08/29/1997
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. An automatically guided vehicle which, having a steering drive unit mounted on a lower surface of a chassis which is equipped with no less than four wheels each at the four corners thereof, runs on a path being guided by guide signals transmitted by guiding material laid along the path;

  • said wheels at the four corners of the chassis are casters that can be switched between free and fixed modes;

    a single steering drive unit is detachably mounted on the lower surface of said chassis at approximately the center of said chassis and can move by itself in the direction said vehicle is moving;

    sensors to detect said guide signals transmitted from said guiding material are provided at the front and rear part of said steering drive unit;

    said steering drive unit moves by itself toward the direction in which said vehicle is moving to change operation position thereof when switching between forward and backward running occurs; and

    said casters change said modes wherein said front casters function as free wheels and said rear casters function as fixed wheels when switching between forward and backward running occurs.

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