US 5,211,523 AGranted

Assembly for programmed controlled handling and transporting of boxes, containers or the like

AssigneeInvestronica, S.A.

InventorsMario Andrada Galan, Fernando Diaz Zorita, Juan Carlos Cristos

Life of this patent

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Abstract

An assembly for the controlled programmed handling of articles includes autoguided and robotized vehicles and a plurality of work stations and storage areas. There is a computer communication system between a host computer, the vehicles, and the work and storage areas. The vehicles have manipulator devices to move articles from the vehicle to the work stations and storage areas and vice versa. The work stations include a receiving area, a work area, and an output area with detector devices for detecting articles in each area and for communicating same to the computer. Each vehicle has a non-traction wheel and an encoder device communicating with the non-traction wheel for converting rotation of the non-traction wheel into distance travelled by the vehicle.

Claims6

Dependent claims

An assembly for programmed, controlled handling of articles in a work place having a floor comprising a host computer, a set of autoguided and robotized vehicles, a plurality of article receiving stations located on the floor of the work place including work stations and storage areas, and a communication system means for communicating between the host computer, the vehicles, and the article receiving stations;

an external article support means located at each article receiving station, each external article support means having a substantially flat and horizontal article support surface;
an on board article support means mounted on each vehicle, each on board article support means having a substantially flat and horizontal article support surface, each vehicle having a right and a left lateral side, and each vehicle having mounted thereon an on board computer for communication with the host computer;
manipulator means mounted on each vehicle for grasping an article positioned on the on board article support means, for transporting the grasped article to an article receiving station adjacent the vehicle, and for releasing the grasped article on the external article support means of the adjacent article receiving station, and vice versa, said article receiving station being adjacent either lateral side of said vehicle, wherein the flat and horizontal article support surface of the article receiving station adjacent the vehicle is at a different height from the floor of the work place than the flat and horizontal article support surface of the on board article support means of the vehicle;
at least one article receiving station being a work station having a receiving area for receiving an article from said manipulator means mounted on the vehicle, first means for communicating with the host computer mounted on said work station and for detecting an article deposited on said receiving area, a work area positioned in said work station adjacent said receiving area, second means for communicating with said host computer mounted on said work station and for detecting an article in the work area, an output area positioned in said work station adjacent said work area, third means for communicating with said host computer mounted on said work station and for detecting an article in the output area, said third means including means for reading an identification code affixed to an article.

1 more element

An autoguided and robotized vehicle for handling and transporting articles, said vehicle having a front end, a rear end, and a frame, said vehicle comprising:

a first set of shelves mounted on the front end of said vehicle and a second set of shelves mounted on the rear end of said vehicle, said first and second set of shelves being spaced apart thereby providing a free space therebetween;
manipulator means mounted on said vehicle and located in said free space between said first and second set of shelves, said manipulator means including:
two spaced apart vertically oriented columns, with each column having a top end and a bottom end, the bottom end of each column being mounted to the vehicle frame, and a beam connected to the top end of each column;
a three dimensional frame movably mounted on said columns for vertical movement along said columns, means for vertically moving said three dimensional frame along said columns;
a rotary arm hinged to said three dimensional frame for rotation about a vertical axis, said hinged rotary arm having a horizontally oriented longitudinal length, means for rotating said rotary arm about said vertical axis;
a horizontally oriented bar having a longitudinal length movably mounted in said rotary arm for longitudinal movement thereon;
a clamp assembly movably mounted on said longitudinally oriented bar for longitudinal movement thereon;
means for causing longitudinal movement of said longitudinal oriented bar and said clamp assembly;
said clamp assembly including means for lifting an article from a support without vertical movement of said three dimensional frame.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 07/648,163Filed 30 Jan 1991
Priority: JP 2-13242722 May 1990
Granted: 18 May 1993
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification18 codes

B60L 15/38
Control or regulation of multiple-unit electrically-propelled vehicles: with automatic control
B60L 3/04
Electric devices on electrically-propelled vehicles for safety purposes; Monitoring operating variables, e.g. speed, deceleration or energy…:…
B60L 50/52
Using propulsion power supplied by batteries or fuel cells: characterised by DC-motors
B60L 50/66
Using power supplied by batteries: arrangements of batteries