Automated guided vehicle positive stopping system

• US 9,284,701 B1
• Filed: 09/22/2014
• Issued: 03/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Incorporated (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Incorporated (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Newberry, David W., Holt, John A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Butler, Rodney
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sweeney, Brian P
• Application Number:
  US14/492,383
• Publication Number:
  US 20160083916A1
• Time in Patent Office: 540 Days
• Field of Search: 701/23
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/22 initiated by contact of vehicle, e.g. bumper, with an external object, e.g. another vehicle , or by means of contactless obstacle detectors mounted on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: E01F 13/04 movable to allow or prevent passage E01F13/12, E01F15/12 take precedence; removing part of barrier for occasional passage E01F13/024; gates for allowing passage through fences E06B11/02
• CPC Class Codes: F16P 7/00 Emergency devices preventing damage to a machine or apparatus F16P1/00, F16P3/00, F16P5/00 take precedence

Abstract

A positive stopping system with an adjustable stopper apparatus positioned along an automated guided vehicle navigation pathway. The adjustable stopper apparatus includes a linear actuator moveable between an extended position and a retracted position. A stopper end is coupled to the linear actuator. The stopper end is positioned within the automated guided vehicle navigation pathway when the linear actuator is in the extended position and removed from the automated guided vehicle navigation pathway when the linear actuator is in the retracted position.

Claims

1. A positive stopping system comprising:

an adjustable stopper apparatus positioned along an automated guided vehicle navigation pathway, the adjustable stopper apparatus comprising;

a linear actuator moveable between an extended position and a retracted position; and

a stopper end coupled to the linear actuator, wherein the stopper end is positioned within the automated guided vehicle navigation pathway when the linear actuator is in the extended position and the stopper end is removed from the automated guided vehicle navigation pathway when the linear actuator is in the retracted position.

2. The positive stopping system of claim 1, wherein the adjustable stopper apparatus further comprises a stopper cylinder.

3. The positive stopping system of claim 1, wherein the stopper end is engageable with a stop block of an automated guided vehicle.

4. The positive stopping system of claim 3, wherein the stopper end provides resistance to the stop block of the automated guided vehicle preventing the automated guided vehicle from traveling in a forward direction of travel.

5. The positive stopping system of claim 1, wherein the stopper end further comprises a cushioning device coupled to the linear actuator and configured to provide dampening.

6. The positive stopping system of claim 1, wherein further comprising a conveyor station having a conveyor frame.

7. The positive stopping system of claim 6, wherein an anti-back mechanism is coupled to the conveyor station, the anti-back mechanism comprising an anti-back block that is pivotable when contacted by an automated guided vehicle in a forward direction of travel and immobile when contacted by the automated guided vehicle in a reverse direction of travel.

8. The positive stopping system of claim 6, wherein the conveyor station further comprises a conveyor station communications device adapted to transmit control signals to the adjustable stopper apparatus signaling the adjustable stopper apparatus to move the linear actuator to the extended position or the retracted position.

9. The positive stopping system of claim 6, wherein the conveyor station further comprises an automated guided vehicle presence sensor configured to detect whether an automated guided vehicle is located at the conveyor station.

10. The positive stopping system of claim 9, wherein the automated guided vehicle presence sensor is communicatively coupled to the adjustable stopper apparatus such that when the automated guided vehicle presence sensor detects that the automated guided vehicle is not located at the conveyor station, the linear actuator of the adjustable stopper apparatus moves into the extended position.

11. An automated guided vehicle system comprising:

an automated guided vehicle comprising a vehicle frame, a drive mechanism, a sensing head, and a stop block coupled to the vehicle frame;

a conveyor station comprising a conveyor frame; and

an adjustable stopper apparatus mounted on the conveyor station, the adjustable stopper apparatus comprising;

a linear actuator moveable between an extended position and a retracted position; and

a stopper end coupled to the linear actuator, wherein the stopper end is positioned within an automated guided vehicle navigation pathway when the linear actuator is in the extended position and the stopper end is removed from the automated guided vehicle navigation pathway when the linear actuator is in the retracted position; and

wherein when the linear actuator is in the extended position, the stopper end is engageable with the stop block of the automated guided vehicle and when the linear actuator is in the retracted position, the automated guided vehicle navigation pathway is unobstructed.

12. The automated guided vehicle system of claim 11 further comprising an anti-back mechanism is coupled to the conveyor station, the anti-back mechanism comprising an anti-back block that is pivotable when contacted by the automated guided vehicle in a forward direction of travel and immobile when contacted by the automated guided vehicle in a reverse direction of travel.

13. The automated guided vehicle system of claim 11, wherein the automated guided vehicle further comprises an automated guided vehicle communications device and the conveyor station further comprises a conveyor station communications device.

14. The automated guided vehicle system of claim 13, wherein the automated guided vehicle communications device and the conveyor station communications device are commutatively coupled when the automated guided vehicle is stopped at a conveyor station stopping location.

15. The automated guided vehicle system of claim 13, wherein the conveyor station communications device is adapted to transmit control signals to the adjustable stopper apparatus signaling the adjustable stopper apparatus to move the linear actuator to the extended position or the retracted position.

16. The automated guided vehicle system of claim 11, wherein the automated guided vehicle navigation pathway further comprises a slow tape detectable with the sensing head of the automated guided vehicle to signal the automated guided vehicle to reduce speed.

17. The automated guided vehicle system of claim 11, wherein the automated guided vehicle navigation pathway further comprises a stop tape detectable with the sensing head of the automated guided vehicle adapted to provide a stop signal to the automated guided vehicle.

18. A method of navigation assistance, the method comprising:

extending a linear actuator of an adjustable stopper apparatus into an automated guided vehicle navigation pathway wherein the adjustable stopper apparatus is coupled to a conveyor station;

approaching the conveyor station with an automated guided vehicle following the automated guided vehicle navigation pathway, wherein the automated guided vehicle comprises a vehicle frame, a drive mechanism, and a stop block coupled to the vehicle frame;

engaging the stop block of the automated guided vehicle with the linear actuator of the adjustable stopper apparatus;

stopping the automated guided vehicle; and

retracting the linear actuator of the adjustable stopper apparatus from the automated guided vehicle navigation pathway.

19. The method of navigation assistance of claim 18, the method further comprising:

detecting, with an automated guided vehicle presence sensor, whether the automated guided vehicle is located at the conveyor station; and

extending the linear actuator of the adjustable stopper apparatus into an extended position if the automated guided vehicle is not located at the conveyor station.

20. The method of navigation assistance of claim 18, wherein the conveyor station further comprises an anti-back mechanism, the anti-back mechanism comprising an anti-back block that is pivotable when contacted by the automated guided vehicle in a forward direction of travel and immobile when contacted by the automated guided vehicle in a reverse direction of travel.