Method of controlling table angle of transport robot

• US 6,859,684 B2
• Filed: 06/17/2003
• Issued: 02/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Kakutani, Kazushige, Tojo, Naoto, Miyaji, Shin
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Gary
• Assistant Examiner(s): Marc, McDieunel, Marc, McDieunel
• Application Number:
  US10/462,701
• Publication Number:
  US 20040006408A1
• Time in Patent Office: 616 Days
• Field of Search: 700/245, 700/213, 700/258, 700250-252, 700/254, 700/262, 369/44.15, 369/44.14, 834/713, 835/03, 318/571, 318/696, 399/208
• US Class Current: 700/262
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1679 characterised by the tasks executed
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40042 Control tilting angle of surface carried by robot

Abstract

A table angle controlling method capable of effectively preventing an article placed on a table (20), from falling off by tilting the table so that the synthetic vector of horizontal acceleration and gravitational acceleration which act on the table acts on the table perpendicular thereto. The method has the steps of measuring the synthetic vector of horizontal acceleration and gravitational acting on the table (20) or a carriage (11) with the movement of the carriage (11), and tilting the table so that the synthetic vector obtained acts on the table perpendicular thereto. Alternatively the method has the steps of estimating acceleration acting on the table from a speed command value input to drive device for the carriage (11) for moving the carriage, calculating the synthetic vector of the estimated horizontal acceleration and gravitational acceleration, and tilting the table so that the synthetic vector obtained acts on the table perpendicular thereto.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a table angle of a transport robot comprising a self-propelled carriage and a table provided on the carriage and tiltable forward or rearward, leftward or rightward for placing an article thereon,

the table angle controlling method being characterized in that the table is tilted so that the synthetic vector of horizontal and gravitational accelerations acting on the table or the carriage with the movement of the carriage acts on the table perpendicular thereto;

and

using a controller for calculating a combined acceleration of the acceleration observed by an acceleration sensor and gravitational acceleration, calculating the amount of drive of the table tilting mechanism so that the combined acceleration in the direction of advance of the carriage on the table and acceleration in a direction orthogonal to a direction of advance on the table reduces, and tilting the table.

2. The method according to claim 1 which is characterized in that the method has the steps of:

measuring the acceleration acting on the table or the carriage with the movement of the carriage, and

tilting the table so that the synthetic vector of the horizontal acceleration measured and gravitational acceleration acts on the table perpendicular thereto.

3. A method for controlling a table angle of a transport robot comprising a self-propelled carriage and a table provided on the carriage and tiltable forward or rearward and/or leftward or rightward for placing an article thereon, the table angle controlling method being characterized in that the method has the steps of:

estimating acceleration acting on the table from a speed command value input to drive means for the carriage for moving the carriage,

calculating the synthetic vector of the estimated horizontal acceleration and gravitational acceleration, and

tilting the table so that the synthetic vector obtained acts on the table perpendicular thereto.

4. A transport robot comprising:

a carriage having running drive means,

a table supported on the carriage tiltably,

a table tilting mechanism for supporting the table and tilting the table toward the direction of advance of the carriage, a direction orthogonal to the direction of advance and/or a direction comprising the combination of these directions,

an acceleration sensor attached to the table for detecting within the plane of the table acceleration in each of the direction of advance of the carriage and a direction orthogonal to the direction of advance, and

a controller for calculating the combined acceleration of the acceleration observed by the acceleration sensor and gravitational acceleration, calculating the amount of drive of the table tilting mechanism so that the combined acceleration in the direction of advance of the carriage on the table and acceleration in a direction orthogonal to the direction of advance on the table reduces, and tilting the table.