Automated guided vehicle (AGV) system

• US 8,527,153 B2
• Filed: 07/08/2011
• Issued: 09/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fori Automation Incorporated (Lincoln Electric Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Fori Automation Incorporated (Lincoln Electric Holdings Incorporated)
• Inventors: Doan, Paul George
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): PAIGE, TYLER D
• Application Number:
  US13/179,477
• Publication Number:
  US 20120179337A1
• Time in Patent Office: 788 Days
• Field of Search: 701/49, 414/495
• US Class Current: 701/49
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0891 specially adapted for land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

An automated guided vehicle is equipped with a stabilization system for precisely locating, leveling, or otherwise positioning the AGV and its payload with respect to a work piece. The stabilization system includes one or more extension members that extend away from the AGV to engage the ground or a locating assembly installed in the ground. Each extension member may be part of a locating assembly or a leveling assembly. The locating assembly extension member may extend at least partially into an opening of another locating assembly to align the two locating assemblies. The locating assembly may also be configured to provide a leveling function.

Claims

1. An automated guided vehicle (AGV), comprising:

a support structure;

a drive mechanism being attached to the support structure, the drive mechanism moves the AGV along the ground; and

a stabilization system being attached to the support structure and having a leveling assembly that includes an extension member, wherein the extension member extends away from the AGV and engages the ground or an assembly installed in the ground to help level the AGV by supporting at least a portion of the weight of the AGV when the drive mechanism is not moving the AGV along the ground;

wherein the leveling assembly includes a lead screw having a threaded rod with a generally vertical longitudinal axis, and the threaded rod rotates to extend the extension member away from the AGV and supports at least a portion of the weight of the AGV.

2. The AGV of claim 1, wherein the stabilization system comprises an upper locating assembly that includes the extension member, and the extension member extends away from the AGV and engages a lower locating assembly installed in the ground to help locate the AGV at a known location.

3. The AGV of claim 2, wherein the upper locating assembly extension member includes one or more finger(s), and the finger(s) extend from the extension member and mate with corresponding features of the lower locating assembly so that the upper and lower locating assemblies can be in a locked engagement.

4. The AGV of claim 3, wherein the extension member further comprises an inner rod coaxially disposed within an outer sleeve, and relative axial movement between the inner rod and the outer sleeve causes the finger(s) to extend radially from the extension member and mate with an undercut feature of the lower locating assembly to place the upper and lower locating assemblies in the locked engagement.

5. The AGV of claim 2, wherein the lower locating assembly includes an opening that receives an end portion of the upper locating assembly extension member, the opening being shaped to have a close-fitting arrangement with the end portion of the extension member to help align the upper and lower locating assemblies together at the known location.

6. The AGV of claim 1, wherein the stabilization system comprises a plurality of extension members, and each of the extension members extends away from the AGV and engages the ground or one of a plurality of assemblies installed in the ground to help stabilize the AGV when the drive mechanism is not moving the AGV along the ground.

7. The AGV of claim 6, wherein the plurality of extension members includes at least one extension member that is part of an upper locating assembly and at least one extension member that is part of a leveling assembly, and the locating and leveling assemblies together help locate and level the AGV when the drive mechanism is not moving the AGV along the ground.

8. The AGV of claim 1, further comprising:

a retraction mechanism being coupled to the drive mechanism, and the retraction mechanism at least partially retracts the drive mechanism so that the weight of the AGV is supported by components other than the drive mechanism.

9. The AGV of claim 1, further comprising:

an electronic control unit (ECU); and

one or more stabilization sensor(s) being mounted to the AGV and electronically coupled to the ECU, wherein the ECU receives AGV stabilization information from the stabilization sensor(s) and uses the AGV stabilization information to help control the extension member.

10. The AGV of claim 9, wherein the one or more stabilization sensor(s) includes a clinometer that provides the ECU with stabilization information regarding an angle of one or more axes of the AGV with respect to the earth.

11. The AGV of claim 1, further comprising:

a payload being supported by the support structure and having one or more component(s) being specifically positioned on the AGV so that stabilizing the AGV at a known location with respect to the ground places the component(s) at a known position with respect to a work piece.

12. A stabilization system for an automated guided vehicle (AGV), comprising:

an upper locating assembly being attached to the AGV;

a lower locating assembly being installed in the ground at a known location; and

an extension member being part of either the upper or lower locating assembly and extending axially towards the other of the upper or lower locating assembly, wherein the extension member causes the upper and lower locating assemblies to be in a locked engagement when the AGV is at the known location and not moving along the ground;

wherein the extension member includes one or more finger(s), that extend radially from the extension member and mate with corresponding features of the other of the locating assemblies so that the upper and lower locating assemblies can be in a locked engagement at the known location.

13. The stabilization system of claim 12, wherein the extension member is part of the upper locating assembly, and the extension member extends away from the AGV and engages the lower locating assembly installed in the ground to help locate the AGV at the known location.

14. The stabilization system of claim 12, wherein the extension member is part of the lower locating assembly, and the extension member extends away from the ground and engages the upper locating assembly attached to the AGV to help locate the AGV at the known location.

15. The stabilization system of claim 12, wherein the extension member further comprises an inner rod coaxially disposed within an outer sleeve, and relative axial movement between the inner rod and the outer sleeve causes the finger(s) to extend radially from the extension member and mate with an undercut feature of the other of the locating assemblies to place the upper and lower locating assemblies in the locked engagement.

16. The stabilization system of claim 12, wherein the other of the locating assemblies includes an opening that receives an end portion of the extension member, the opening being shaped to have a close-fitting arrangement with the end portion of the extension member to help align the upper and lower locating assemblies together at the known location.

17. The stabilization system of claim 12, further comprising:

a leveling assembly being attached to the AGV, the leveling assembly includes an extension member that extends away from the AGV and engages the ground to help level the AGV by supporting at least a portion of the weight of the AGV.

18. The stabilization system of claim 12, wherein the stabilization system comprises a plurality of extension members, each of the extension members extending away from or toward the AGV to engage the ground or a locating assembly, and at least one extension member is located at each of four quadrants of the AGV.

19. The stabilization system of claim 18, wherein the stabilization system comprises at least four extension members, two of the extension members being part of different locating assemblies and two of the extension members being part of different leveling assemblies, the locating and leveling assemblies together help locate and level the AGV when the drive mechanism is not moving the AGV along the ground.

20. The stabilization system of claim 12, further comprising:

an electronic control unit (ECU); and

one or more stabilization sensor(s) being mounted to the AGV and electronically coupled to the ECU, wherein the ECU receives AGV stabilization information from the stabilization sensor(s) and uses the AGV stabilization information to help control the extension member.

21. A method of using an automated guided vehicle (AGV), comprising the steps of:

(a) moving the AGV to a predetermined location along the ground;

(b) extending an extension member from the AGV toward the ground;

(c) causing the extension member to engage the ground or a locating assembly installed in the ground; and

(d) stabilizing the AGV at the predetermined location;

wherein the method further comprises providing AGV stabilization information from one or more stabilization sensor(s) to an electronic control unit (ECU), and controlling the extension member using the AGV stabilization information.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the extension member engages a locating assembly installed in the ground in step (c), and the method further comprises extending one or more finger(s) from the extension member and mating the finger(s) with corresponding features of the lower locating assembly.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising further extending the extension member after the extension member engages the lower locating assembly to lift the AGV away from the ground.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein step (b) comprises extending an extension member from a leveling assembly and step (c) comprises causing the leveling assembly extension member to engage the ground.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein step (b) comprises extending a plurality of extension members from the AGV toward the ground and step (c) comprises causing each of the extension members to engage the ground or a locating assembly installed in the ground.

26. An automated guided vehicle (AGV), comprising:

a support structure;

a drive mechanism being attached to the support structure, the drive mechanism moves the AGV along the ground;

a stabilization system being attached to the support structure and having an extension member, wherein the extension member extends away from the AGV and engages the ground or an assembly installed in the ground to help stabilize the AGV when the drive mechanism is not moving the AGV along the ground;

an electronic control unit (ECU); and

one or more stabilization sensor(s) being mounted to the AGV and electronically coupled to the ECU, wherein the ECU receives AGV stabilization information from the stabilization sensor(s) and uses the AGV stabilization information to help control the extension member, wherein the one or more stabilization sensor(s) includes a clinometer that provides the ECU with stabilization information regarding an angle of one or more axes of the AGV with respect to the earth.

27. The AGV of claim 26, wherein the stabilization system comprises an upper locating assembly that includes the extension member, and the extension member extends away from the AGV and engages a lower locating assembly installed in the ground to help locate the AGV at a known location.

28. The AGV of claim 27, wherein the extension member includes one or more finger(s) that extend from the extension member and mate with corresponding features of the lower locating assembly so that the upper and lower locating assemblies are in a locked engagement.

29. The AGV of claim 28, wherein the extension member further comprises an inner rod coaxially disposed within an outer sleeve, and relative axial movement between the inner rod and the outer sleeve causes the finger(s) to extend from the extension member and mate with an undercut feature of the lower locating assembly to place the upper and lower locating assemblies in the locked engagement.

30. The AGV of claim 26, wherein the stabilization system comprises a leveling assembly that includes the extension member, and the extension member extends away from the AGV and engages the ground to help level the AGV by supporting at least a portion of the weight of the AGV.