JP7565495B2 - TRANSPORTATION APPARATUS, MANUFACTURING SYSTEM, HOST SYSTEM, TRANSPORTATION CONTROL METHOD, AND PROGRAM - Google Patents

Description

The present disclosure relates to a conveying device, a manufacturing system, a conveying control method, and a program. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to a conveying device that conveys an object, a manufacturing system, a conveying control method, and a program.

Patent Document 1 discloses an automated guided vehicle (transportation device). This automated guided vehicle has two steering wheels that rotate when driven by a travel motor. The automated guided vehicle moves in the desired direction by rotating the two steering wheels with a steering motor.

JP 2002-39786 A

An object of the present disclosure is to provide a conveying device, a manufacturing system, a host system, a conveying control method, and a program capable of controlling a traveling state according to the conveying status of a conveyed object.

A conveying device according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes a vehicle body and a control unit. The vehicle body is provided with a coupling unit capable of coupling an object to be conveyed. The vehicle body runs on a moving surface using wheels. The control unit controls the running state of the vehicle body . The control unit controls the running state of the vehicle body based on at least one of first information related to the object to be conveyed and second information related to a moving path of the vehicle body. The control of the running state includes control of changing a position of a turning center when the vehicle body turns. The wheels include a plurality of steering wheels for changing a running direction of the vehicle body. The control unit changes a position of the turning center by changing a steering angle of the plurality of steering wheels. The control of the running state includes control of changing a relative position of the object to be conveyed with respect to the vehicle body when the object to be conveyed is coupled to the vehicle body.
A conveying device according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes a vehicle body and a control unit. The vehicle body is provided with a coupling unit capable of coupling an object to be conveyed. The vehicle body runs on a moving surface with wheels. The control unit controls the running state of the vehicle body. The control unit controls the running state of the vehicle body based on at least one of first information related to the object to be conveyed and second information related to a moving path of the vehicle body. The control of the running state includes control of changing a position of a turning center when the vehicle body turns. The wheels include a plurality of steering wheels for changing a running direction of the vehicle body. The control unit changes the position of the turning center by changing a steering angle of the plurality of steering wheels. The control unit controls the running state based on an estimation result of an estimation unit that estimates the running state from at least one of the first information and the second information using a trained model created by machine learning.

A manufacturing system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes one or more manufacturing devices that perform a predetermined operation on a substrate, and one or more functional modules that provide a predetermined function to the one or more manufacturing devices. The one or more functional modules are objects to be transported to the one or more manufacturing devices by a transport device. The transport device includes a vehicle body and a control unit. The vehicle body is provided with a coupling unit capable of coupling the objects to the vehicle body. The vehicle body runs on a moving surface with wheels. The control unit controls the running state of the vehicle body. The control unit controls the running state of the vehicle body based on at least one of first information related to the objects to be transported and second information related to the moving path of the vehicle body. The control of the running state includes control of changing the position of a turning center when the vehicle body turns. The wheels include a plurality of steering wheels for changing the running direction of the vehicle body. The control unit changes the position of the turning center by changing the steering angle of the plurality of steering wheels.
In one aspect of the present disclosure, a host system transmits a transport command to the transport device. The host system transmits a transport command to the transport device for controlling the running state. The control unit of the transport device controls the running state based on the transport command from the host system.

The conveyance control method according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes an acquisition step and a control step. In the acquisition step, at least one of first information and second information is acquired. The first information is information related to a conveyed object connected to a conveyance device. The conveyance device has a connection part capable of connecting the conveyed object and runs on a moving surface with wheels . The second information is information related to a moving path of the conveyance device. In the control step, a running state of the conveyance device is controlled based on the information acquired in the acquisition step. The control of the running state includes control of changing a position of a turning center when a body of the conveyance device turns. The wheels include a plurality of steering wheels for changing a running direction of the body. In the control step, the position of the turning center is changed by changing a steering angle of the plurality of steering wheels. The control of the running state includes control of changing a relative position of the conveyed object with respect to the body when the conveyed object is connected to the body.
The conveyance control method according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes an acquisition step and a control step. In the acquisition step, at least one of first information and second information is acquired. The first information is information related to a conveyed object connected to a conveyance device. The conveyance device has a connecting portion capable of connecting the conveyed object and travels on a moving surface with wheels. The second information is information related to a moving path of the conveyance device. In the control step, the traveling state of the conveyance device is controlled based on the information acquired in the acquisition step. The control of the traveling state includes control of changing a position of a turning center when the body of the conveyance device turns. The wheels include a plurality of steering wheels for changing the traveling direction of the body. In the control step, the position of the turning center is changed by changing the steering angle of the plurality of steering wheels. In the control step, the traveling state is controlled based on an estimation result obtained by estimating the traveling state from at least one of the first information and the second information using a trained model created by machine learning.

A program according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a program for causing one or more processors to execute the transport control method.

According to this disclosure, it is possible to control the running state according to the transport status of the transported object.

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a conveying device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure conveying an object. FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram of a manufacturing system including the above-mentioned conveying device. FIG. 3 is a schematic system configuration diagram of the manufacturing system. FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view of the above-mentioned conveying device. FIG. 5 is a plan view of the conveying device before a conveyed object is connected to the conveying device. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the conveying device conveying the component supply module. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the conveying device conveying the tray supply module. FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the above-mentioned conveying device conveying the batch replacement module. FIG. 9 is a plan view showing an example of a control state in which the conveying device changes the position of the turning center according to the conveyed object. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a transport control method of the transport device. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the transport operation of the transport device.

(Embodiment)
(1) Overview As shown in Fig. 1, the conveying device 20 of this embodiment includes a vehicle body 23 and a control unit 51 (see Fig. 2). The vehicle body 23 is provided with a coupling unit 29 to which a transported object 40 can be coupled. The vehicle body 23 runs on a moving surface B1 with wheels W1. The control unit 51 controls the running state of the vehicle body 23. The wheels W1 are located outside the transported object 40 coupled to the coupling unit 29 in a plan view. The control unit 51 controls the running state of the vehicle body 23 based on at least one of first information related to the transported object 40 and second information related to the moving path of the vehicle body 23.

Here, the fact that the coupling unit 29 is capable of coupling the transported object 40 means that the coupling unit 29 is capable of switching between a state in which the transported object 40 is coupled to the vehicle body 23 and a state in which the transported object 40 is separated from the vehicle body 23. Controlling the running state of the vehicle body 23 includes at least one of control for changing the position of the turning center when the vehicle body 23 turns, control for acceleration/deceleration of the vehicle body 23, and control for changing the relative position of the transported object 40 with respect to the vehicle body 23 in a state in which the transported object 40 is coupled to the vehicle body 23. For example, since the minimum turning radius of the transport device 20 to which the transported object 40 is coupled changes depending on the size of the transported object 40, it is preferable that the control unit 51 controls to change the position of the turning center based on the first information. In addition, since the allowable range of acceleration applied to the transported object 40 by acceleration and deceleration when transporting the transported object 40 changes depending on the external shape, center of gravity position, or type of the transported object 40, it is preferable that the control unit 51 controls the acceleration and deceleration of the vehicle body 23 based on the first information. In addition, the allowable range of acceleration and deceleration or the allowable range of the turning radius of the transport device 20 also changes depending on the condition of the moving path for transporting the transported object 40 (for example, the width, gradient, and curvature radius of the passage when the passage is curved, etc.). Therefore, it is preferable that the control unit 51 controls at least one of the acceleration and deceleration of the vehicle body 23, the control to change the position of the turning center, and the control to change the relative position of the transported object 40 with respect to the vehicle body 23 based on the first information or the second information.

In this way, the conveying device 20 of this embodiment controls the running state of the vehicle body 23 based on at least one of the first information and the second information, so that the running state can be controlled according to the conveying conditions of the conveyed object 40 (for example, the size, external shape, center of gravity position, etc. of the conveyed object 40, or the condition of the movement route). Therefore, the conveying device 20 can be made to run in a stable running state. Furthermore, since the conveying device 20 controls the running state of the vehicle body 23 based on at least one of the first information and the second information, there is an advantage that the running stability is improved, and even when traveling through a narrow passage, the conveying device 20 can run smoothly without interfering with obstacles.

(2) Details The conveying device 20 of this embodiment is introduced into facilities such as factories, logistics centers (including distribution centers), offices, stores, schools, and hospitals. The moving surface B1 on which the conveying device 20 moves is the surface on which the conveying device 20 moves. When the conveying device 20 moves within a facility, the floor surface or the like of the facility becomes the moving surface B1, and when the conveying device 20 moves outdoors, the ground or the like becomes the moving surface B1. Below, a case where the conveying device 20 is introduced into a facility F1 such as a factory in which the manufacturing system 1 is installed will be described.

The conveying device 20 of this embodiment is used in a manufacturing system 1 that includes a mounting line 10 that mounts components on a board. The manufacturing system 1 according to this embodiment will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. Note that each figure described in the following embodiment is a schematic diagram, and the ratios of sizes and thicknesses of each component in each figure do not necessarily reflect the actual dimensional ratios.

The manufacturing system 1 includes one or more manufacturing devices 11 used in the mounting line 10, a conveying device 20, and a control system 30. Here, the manufacturing system 1 includes one or more manufacturing devices 11 that perform predetermined operations on substrates, and one or more functional modules that provide predetermined functions to the manufacturing devices 11. The one or more functional modules are transported objects 40 that are transported by the conveying device 20 to the one or more manufacturing devices 11. When the conveying device 20 transports the functional module, which is the transported object 40, to the manufacturing device 11, it controls the running state based on at least one of the first information and the second information. Therefore, the conveying device 20 is able to transport the functional module in a running state suitable for the functional module, which is the transported object 40.

The "predetermined work" performed by one or more manufacturing devices 11 is work performed on a board. In the following embodiment, the predetermined work is described as an example of work performed on a board in a mounting line 10 where components are mounted on the board, but the predetermined work is not limited to work performed on a board in the mounting line 10, and may include work performed on a board in at least one of various processes such as a process of manufacturing the board itself, a process of mounting components on the board, and a process of inspecting the board. In other words, the manufacturing system 1 is not limited to being applied to the mounting line 10 of the board, but may be applied to at least one of each process of manufacturing the board. The predetermined work includes, for example, at least one of a printing work of printing solder on a board, a mounting work of placing components on a board (printed wiring board) on which wiring is printed, and a joining work of joining components to the board by melting the solder placed on the board. In the mounting line 10 shown in FIG. 3, one or more manufacturing devices 11 include a printing device 11A that performs printing work, two mounting devices 11B and 11C that perform mounting work, and a reflow soldering device 11D that performs joining work.

The one or more functional modules each provide a predetermined function to the manufacturing apparatus 11. The "predetermined function" may include, for example, at least one of a function of supplying solder and a mask to the printing apparatus 11A that performs solder printing work, and a function of collecting waste from the printing apparatus 11A. The predetermined function may also include a function of providing parts to the mounting apparatuses 11B and 11C. When supplying reels with parts attached to tape to the mounting apparatuses 11B and 11C, the predetermined function may include a function of collecting the tape from the mounting apparatuses 11B and 11C after the parts have been removed. When supplying trays with parts on them to the mounting apparatuses 11B and 11C, the predetermined function may include a function of collecting the trays from the mounting apparatuses 11B and 11C after the parts have been removed. The predetermined function may also include at least one of the following functions: supplying substrates to the manufacturing apparatus 11, recovering substrates from the manufacturing apparatus 11, recovering cutting waste from reel parts, recovering parts to be maintained from the manufacturing apparatus 11, and returning parts to be maintained to the manufacturing apparatus 11.

Here, the multiple functional modules are modules that provide a specific function to the manufacturing apparatus 11, and include, for example, a parts supply module, a tray supply module, a waste recovery module, a board supply module, a board recovery module, a maintenance module, and a feeder refill module. The parts supply module is a module for supplying multiple parts to be mounted on a board to the manufacturing apparatus 11. The multiple parts supplied by the parts supply module to the manufacturing apparatus 11 may be in a bulk state, may be attached to a tape wound on a reel, may be attached to a reelless tape roll body, or may be in other forms (for example, a state in which multiple parts are housed in a case, etc.). The tray supply module is a module for supplying multiple trays carrying multiple parts, etc. to the manufacturing apparatus 11. The waste recovery module is a module for recovering waste discharged from the manufacturing apparatus 11. The board supply module is a module for supplying multiple boards to be worked on to the manufacturing apparatus 11. The board recovery module is a module for recovering multiple boards after work has been performed from the manufacturing apparatus 11. The maintenance module provides at least one of the following functions: a function of providing the manufacturing apparatus 11 with materials used in manufacturing the board; a function of collecting parts to be maintained from the manufacturing apparatus 11; and a function of returning parts to be maintained to the manufacturing apparatus 11. The maintenance module provides the manufacturing apparatus 11 with materials to be used in manufacturing the board, such as solder paste, a mask, a solvent tank for containing a solvent for dissolving the solder paste, and paper for wiping off the solder paste attached to the mask. The paper is a material used for performing wet cleaning in the manufacturing apparatus 11, and the solder paste attached to the mask is wiped off by wiping the mask with the paper coated with the solvent. The feeder refill module is a module for refilling feeders to the manufacturing apparatus 11. The feeder refill module may be, for example, a module that supplies cassette-type feeders to the manufacturing apparatus 11, or a module that supplies a unit that holds one or more feeders to the manufacturing apparatus 11. The feeder refill module may also be a batch exchange cart module that is provided so as to be connectable to the manufacturing apparatus 11. The batch exchange cart module is a cart for supplying multiple types of parts to the manufacturing equipment 11, and by replacing the batch exchange cart module connected to the manufacturing equipment 11, multiple types of parts to be supplied to the manufacturing equipment 11 can be replaced all at once.

The manufacturing device 11, conveying device 20, and control system 30 that make up the manufacturing system 1 will be described below with reference to the drawings.

(2.1) Mounting Line The mounting line 10 to which the manufacturing system 1 of this embodiment is applied will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. FIG.

The facility F1 in which the mounting line 10 is installed includes a material area A1 and a mounting area A2 in which the mounting line 10 is installed.

In the material area A1, there are warehouses such as an automated warehouse 70 that store boards, components, and various materials (solder, mask materials, etc.). Boards, components, and various materials (solder, mask materials, etc.) removed from warehouses such as the automated warehouse 70 are transported to the mounting area A2 by workers or transport robots.

The mounting area A2 includes a preparation area A3 for preparing items to be supplied to the manufacturing device 11. This preparation area A3 includes a first preparation area A31, a second preparation area A32, and a third preparation area A33.

Multiple reels with components to be mounted on the board are carried into the first preparation area A31 from the material area A1. In the first preparation area A31, the multiple reels are loaded onto the component supply module 41 (see FIG. 6) by an operator or an automated device. The component supply module 41 with the multiple reels loaded is then moved by the transport device 20 to the location of the destination mounting device 11B, 11C.

Multiple trays carrying components to be mounted on the board are carried into the second preparation area A32 from the material area A1. In the second preparation area A32, the multiple trays are loaded onto the tray supply module 42 (see FIG. 7) by an operator or an automated device. The tray supply module 42 carrying the multiple trays is then moved by the transport device 20 to the location of the destination mounting device 11B, 11C.

Materials (e.g., substrates, solder, masks, etc.) to be used in the manufacturing equipment 11 are carried into the third preparation area A33 from the material area A1. In the third preparation area A33, the materials to be used in the manufacturing equipment 11 are loaded onto functional modules by workers or automated equipment, etc. The functional modules loaded with the materials are then moved by the transport device 20 to the location of the destination manufacturing equipment 11.

The mounting area A2 is also provided with a collection area A4 for temporarily storing waste collected from the manufacturing equipment 11. Waste discharged from the manufacturing equipment 11 is stored in a waste collection module 44 (see FIG. 3) connected to the manufacturing equipment 11. The transport device 20 transports the waste collection module 44 connected to the manufacturing equipment 11 to the collection area A4, and accumulates the waste stored in the waste collection module 44 in the collection area A4. The waste accumulated in the collection area A4 is then transported by an operator or a transport robot, etc., to a waste collection site provided in the facility F1.

Next, the mounting line 10 provided in the mounting area A2 will be described. The mounting line 10 is a manufacturing line that mounts components on a board. The mounting line 10 is equipped with a plurality of (e.g., four) manufacturing devices 11 and a plurality of (e.g., two) inspection devices 12, each arranged along the transport direction of the board. The four manufacturing devices 11 include a printing device 11A that prints solder on the board, two mounting devices 11B and 11C that perform mounting work to place components on the board on which the solder has been printed, and a reflow soldering device 11D that performs joining work to join the components to the board. The two inspection devices 12 include an inspection device 12A that inspects the position of the solder printed on the board, and an inspection device 12B that inspects the position of the components placed on the board.

In the mounting line 10, the boards are transported from the left to the right in FIG. 3, and in the mounting line 10, a printing device 11A, an inspection device 12A, mounting devices 11B and 11C, an inspection device 12, and a reflow soldering device 11D are lined up in this order along the arrangement direction of the boards.

The mounting devices 11B and 11C are equipped with mounting nozzles that mount supplied components onto a board. The mounting devices 11B and 11C use the mounting nozzles to mount components supplied from a component supply module 41, which supplies one or more reels around which tape with components attached is wound, or components supplied from a tray supply module 42, which supplies trays on which components are placed, at predetermined positions on the board.

The reflow soldering device 11D melts the solder placed on the board to join the components and wiring mounted on the board.

Here, in the manufacturing system 1 of this embodiment, the above-mentioned component supply module 41, tray supply module 42, and waste collection module 44 are functional modules (carried objects 40) transported by the transport device 20. That is, one or more manufacturing devices 11 include at least mounting devices 11B, 11C that mount components on a substrate, and multiple functional modules include at least one of the component supply module 41, tray supply module 42, and waste collection module 44. The component supply module 41 supplies reels on which tape with components attached is wound to the mounting devices 11B, 11C. The tray supply module 42 supplies trays on which components are placed to the mounting devices 11B, 11C. The waste collection module 44 collects waste discharged from the manufacturing device 11.

Figure 6 shows an example of a component supply module 41, which has a functional unit 430 that supplies one or more reels to the mounting devices 11B and 11C. Figure 7 shows a tray supply module 42, which has a functional unit 430 that supplies one or more trays to the mounting devices 11B and 11C. The component supply module 41 shown in Figure 6 supplies reels to the mounting devices 11B and 11C by replacing the reels attached to the mounting devices 11B and 11C one by one, but the functional module may be a batch replacement module 43 (Figure 8) that replaces multiple reels attached to the mounting devices 11B and 11C all at once. The batch replacement module 43 has a functional unit 430 that can replace multiple reels attached to the mounting devices 11B and 11C all at once. The waste recovery module 44 has a storage unit that stores waste discharged from the manufacturing device 11, and provides the manufacturing device 11 with the function of storing waste. Furthermore, the functional module may be, for example, a feeder replenishment module that supplies cassette-type feeders to the manufacturing device 11, or a feeder replenishment module that supplies a unit that holds one or more feeders to the manufacturing device 11.

The functional module (transported object 40) may also include a substrate supply/recovery module 45 and a maintenance module 46.

The substrate supply/recovery module 45 is a functional module that provides the functions of supplying substrates to the manufacturing apparatus 11 and recovering substrates from the manufacturing apparatus 11. The substrate supply/recovery module 45 both supplies substrates to the manufacturing apparatus 11 and recovers substrates from the manufacturing apparatus 11, but the functional module that supplies substrates to the manufacturing apparatus 11 and the functional module that recovers substrates from the manufacturing apparatus 11 may be configured as separate functional modules.

The maintenance module 46 also provides, for example, a function of collecting parts to be maintained from the manufacturing apparatus 11 and a function of returning the parts to be maintained to the manufacturing apparatus 11. When the transport device 20 transports the maintenance module 46 to the manufacturing apparatus 11 that requires maintenance and connects the maintenance module 46 to the manufacturing apparatus 11, the maintenance module 46 collects the parts to be maintained from the manufacturing apparatus 11. After that, the transport device 20 moves the maintenance module 46 to a maintenance area in the facility F1, and the maintenance work on the parts to be maintained is performed by an operator or a robot. When the maintenance work on the parts to be maintained is completed, the transport device 20 transports the maintenance module 46 holding the parts to be maintained to the manufacturing apparatus 11 and connects the maintenance module 46 to the manufacturing apparatus 11. When the maintenance module 46 supplies the parts to be maintained to the manufacturing apparatus 11, the transport device 20 detaches the maintenance module 46 from the manufacturing apparatus 11, moves it to, for example, a maintenance area, and makes it wait in the maintenance area. The maintenance module 46 may also provide a function for providing materials used in manufacturing the board (e.g., solder paste, masks, solvent tanks, paper, etc.) to the manufacturing device 11.

As described above, the manufacturing system 1 of this embodiment includes one or more manufacturing devices 11 that perform predetermined operations on substrates, and one or more functional modules that provide predetermined functions to the manufacturing devices 11. The one or more functional modules are transported objects 40 that are transported to the one or more manufacturing devices 11 by the transport device 20.

(2.2) Conveyor Apparatus Next, one or more conveyor apparatuses 20 used in the manufacturing system 1 of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

As shown in FIG. 3, the conveying device 20 travels unmanned to convey the object 40.

1, 4, and 5, wheels W1 including a pair of drive wheels 21 and a pair of auxiliary wheels 22 are provided on the underside of the vehicle body 23 of the transport device 20. The pair of drive wheels 21 are provided on the vehicle body 23 so as to be aligned in the left-right direction. The pair of auxiliary wheels 22 are provided in the center of the vehicle body 23 in the left-right direction so as to be aligned in the front-rear direction. The "left-right direction" in this disclosure is the longitudinal direction of the transport device 20, which is the X-axis direction in FIGS. 1, 4, and 5. The front-rear direction of the transport device 20 is a direction perpendicular to each of the left-right direction and the up-down direction (the normal direction of the moving surface B1 on which the transport device 20 moves), that is, the short side direction of the transport device 20, which is the Y-axis direction in FIGS. 1, 4, and 5. In the following description, the drive wheel 21 located on the left side of the vehicle body 23 may be referred to as the left drive wheel 21L, and the drive wheel 21 located on the right side of the vehicle body 23 may be referred to as the right drive wheel 21R. The shape of the main body 23 can be changed as appropriate depending on the functional module to be transported, etc.

A connecting portion for connecting the transported object 40 is provided on one surface of the transport device 20 in the front-rear direction. The connecting portion 29 includes a gripping portion 24 that grips the gripped portion 420 of the transported object 40. The gripping portion 24 grips the gripped portion 420 of the transported object 40, whereby the connecting portion 29 connects the transport device 20 and the transported object 40. The transport device 20 moves together with the transported object 40 connected to the transport device 20 by the connecting portion 29.

Here, when the conveying device 20 moves in the forward and backward directions, the direction in which the conveying device 20 advances (the direction of travel) is called the front, and the opposite direction is called the rear. When the conveying device 20 conveys the conveyed object 40, there are two types of travel: the conveying device 20 is at the front and tows the conveyed object 40, and the conveying device 20 is at the front and pushes the conveyed object 40. Generally, the travel state is more stable in the travel mode in which the conveyed object 40 is towed than in the travel mode in which the conveyed object 40 is pushed from the rear, so the conveying device 20 usually moves by towing the conveyed object 40. When the conveying device 20 moves by towing the conveyed object 40, the positive direction in the Y-axis direction is the front side, and the positive direction in the X-axis direction is the right side. In the following description, the positive direction in the Y-axis direction is the front side, and the positive direction in the X-axis direction is the right side. The travel direction of the conveying device 20 is not limited to the forward/rearward direction, and the conveying device 20 can move in any direction, and the conveying device 20 may also proceed in the left/right direction. When the conveying device 20 proceeds in the left/right direction, the conveyed object 40 and the conveying device 20 move in a state where the conveyed object 40 and the conveying device 20 are lined up in a direction that intersects with the traveling direction.

Here, a plurality of wheels 410 are provided on the underside of the main body 400 of the transported object 40, and the transported object 40 is configured to be able to run on the moving surface B1 using the wheels 410. On one surface of the main body 400 (the front surface when towed by the transport device 20), two gripped parts 420 are provided side by side in the arrangement direction DR1 (see FIG. 5). Each of the two gripped parts 420 has a base part 421 that protrudes forward from the main body 400 and a hook part 422 that protrudes diagonally forward from the tip of the base part 421. Here, the distance between the two hook parts 422 of the two gripped parts 420 becomes narrower toward the front. In addition, the gripped part 420 has a recess 423 that straddles the base part 421 and the hook part 422 and into which the roller part 26 of the grip part 24 fits.

As shown in FIG. 2, the conveying device 20 also includes a control unit 51, a power source 52, a communication unit 53, a detection unit 54, a drive wheel unit 55 for driving the multiple drive wheels 21, and a drive unit 58 for driving the multiple grippers 24.

In this embodiment, the left driving wheel 21L and the right driving wheel 21R each serve as a steering wheel. The driving mechanism that drives the left driving wheel 21L and the steering mechanism that changes the direction of the left driving wheel 21L are integrated as a left driving wheel unit 55L (see Figures 2 and 4). The driving mechanism that drives the right driving wheel 21R and the steering mechanism that changes the direction of the right driving wheel 21R are integrated as a right driving wheel unit 55R (see Figures 2 and 4). In other words, the above driving wheel unit 55 includes the left driving wheel unit 55L and the right driving wheel unit 55R.

The left driving wheel unit 55L controls the rotation and steering angle of the left driving wheel 21L. As shown in Figs. 2 and 4, the left driving wheel unit 55L includes a drive motor 56L that rotates the left driving wheel 21L in a circumferential direction, and a steering motor 57L that changes the direction (rolling direction) of the left driving wheel 21L. The steering motor 57L is attached to the left end of a flat fixed plate 28 that is provided along the underside of the vehicle body 23. The steering motor 57L changes the direction of the left driving wheel 21L by rotating the bracket 27L to which the drive motor 56L is fixed in a plane parallel to the moving plane B1. Here, in the left driving wheel unit 55L, upon receiving a control command from the control unit 51, the steering motor 57L changes the direction of the left driving wheel 21L to the direction specified by the control command, and the drive motor 56L rotates the left driving wheel 21L with the rotational torque or rotational speed specified by the control command.

The right drive wheel unit 55R controls the rotation and steering angle of the right drive wheel 21R. As shown in Figs. 2 and 4, the right drive wheel unit 55R includes a drive motor 56R that rotates the right drive wheel 21R in the circumferential direction, and a steering motor 57R that changes the direction (rolling direction) of the right drive wheel 21R. The steering motor 57R is attached to the right end of the fixed plate 28. The steering motor 57R changes the direction of the right drive wheel 21R by rotating the bracket 27R to which the drive motor 56R is fixed in a plane parallel to the moving plane B1. Here, in the right drive wheel unit 55R, upon receiving a control command from the control unit 51, the steering motor 57R changes the direction of the right drive wheel 21R in the direction specified by the control command, and the drive motor 56R rotates the right drive wheel 21R with the rotational torque or rotational speed specified by the control command.

In addition, in this embodiment, the control unit 51 controls the right drive wheel unit 55R to drive the right drive wheel 21R individually, and controls the left drive wheel unit 55L to drive the left drive wheel 21L individually. That is, since each of the pair of drive wheels 21 (right drive wheel 21R and left drive wheel 21L) can be driven individually, the pair of drive wheels 21 can be rotated with a rotational torque or rotational speed instructed by a control command, and the pair of drive wheels 21 can be directed in a direction supported by the control command, thereby moving the conveying device 20 in a desired direction. Note that, in this embodiment, each of the pair of drive wheels 21 also serves as a steering wheel, and the number of wheels provided by the conveying device 20 can be reduced compared to the case where steering wheels are provided separately from the drive wheels 21.

The two auxiliary wheels 22 provided on the vehicle body 23 are driven wheels whose orientation changes to follow the moving direction of the transport device 20. The two auxiliary wheels 22 include swivel wheels with a variable axle orientation. That is, each of the two auxiliary wheels 22 is, for example, a swivel wheel (a so-called swivel caster) whose axle, which rotatably supports the wheel, can move in all directions of 360 degrees within a plane parallel to the moving plane B1. Note that the swivel wheels used as the auxiliary wheels 22 are not limited to swivel wheels whose axle orientation is variable, and may be ball casters in which the spheres serving as the wheels can rotate in any direction.

In this embodiment, the transport device 20 has two drive wheels 21, but the number of drive wheels 21 may be three or more. Also, in this embodiment, the transport device 20 has two auxiliary wheels 22, but the number of auxiliary wheels 22 is not limited to two, and may be one, or three or more. In other words, as long as the transport device 20 is in contact with the moving surface B1 with three or more wheels, including the drive wheels 21 and the auxiliary wheels 22, the number of drive wheels 21 and the auxiliary wheels 22 can be changed as appropriate.

Next, the gripping unit 24 for gripping the gripped portion 420 of the transported object 40 and the drive unit 58 for driving the gripping unit 24 will be described. On the rear surface of the vehicle body 23, two gripping units 24 for gripping the two gripped portions 420 of the transported object 40 are provided in a movable state relative to the vehicle body 23. The drive unit 58 moves the two gripping units 24 along the arrangement direction DR1. The drive unit 58 includes, for example, a feed screw, a servo motor for rotating the feed screw, and two sliders held by the feed screw and moving along the feed screw in response to the rotation of the feed screw, and the gripping unit 24 is attached to each slider. The drive unit 58 receives a control command from the control unit 51 and moves the two gripping units 24 in opposite directions to each other along the arrangement direction DR1. The feed screw is, for example, a sliding screw (trapezoidal screw), but may be a ball screw or the like.

As shown in Figures 1 and 5, the gripping portion 24 has a pair of arms 25 that protrude diagonally rearward from the slider and a roller portion 26 that is held between the tips of the pair of arms 25.

When the two gripping parts 24 are positioned between the two gripped parts 420, the drive unit 58 moves the two gripping parts 24 in a direction away from each other (outward), so that the roller parts 26 of each gripping part 24 fit into the recesses 423 of the corresponding gripped parts 420. This causes the gripping parts 24 to grip the gripped parts 420, and the conveying device 20 and the conveyed object 40 are connected by the connecting part 29. The connecting part 29 of this embodiment connects the conveyed object 40 to the vehicle body 23 with the vehicle body 23 and the conveyed object 40 lined up in a plan view, and the conveying device 20 can convey the conveyed object 40 in a traveling state in which it tows the conveyed object 40, or in a traveling state in which it pushes the conveyed object 40 from behind.

When the gripping unit 24 grips the gripped part 420, the gripped part 420 can move in the vertical direction, but movement in the direction along the moving plane B1 is restricted by the gripping unit 24. In other words, the gripping unit 24 grips the gripped part 420 in a state in which the transported object 40 cannot move relative to the vehicle body 23 in the direction along the moving plane B1, and the transported object 40 is firmly held by the transport device 20 in the direction along the moving plane B1. Therefore, when the transport device 20 transports the transported object 40, the transport device 20 can hold the transported object 40 so that the position of the transported object 40 does not wobble relative to the transport device 20 in the direction along the moving plane B1.

On the other hand, when the gripping parts 24 are gripping the gripped parts 420 and the drive unit 58 moves the two gripping parts 24 in a direction toward each other (inward), the roller parts 26 of each gripping part 24 move away from the recesses 423 of the corresponding gripped parts 420. This results in a state in which the gripping parts 24 are not gripping the gripped parts 420, and the transported object 40 is not connected to the transport device 20.

In this way, the two gripping parts 24 move away from each other along the arrangement direction DR1 to come into contact with the gripped parts 420, and the conveying device 20 is in a state of gripping the conveyed object 40. Therefore, the conveying device 20 can grip any conveyed object 40 provided with a gripped part 420. Since the gripping parts 24 move along the arrangement direction DR1 to come into contact with the gripped parts 420, the conveying device 20 can grip and convey multiple types of conveyed objects 40 even if the spacing between the pair of gripped parts 420 is different for multiple types of conveyed objects 40. In other words, the connecting part provided in the conveying device 20 can be connected to two or more of the multiple functional modules, so that one conveying device 20 can convey two or more functional modules. Therefore, there is an advantage in that the number of conveying devices 20 required to convey multiple functional modules can be reduced.

Next, the detection unit 54 will be described. The detection unit 54 detects the behavior of the vehicle body 23 and the surrounding conditions of the vehicle body 23. In this disclosure, "behavior" means movement and appearance. In other words, the behavior of the vehicle body 23 includes the operating state of the vehicle body 23 indicating whether the vehicle body 23 is moving/stopped, the travel distance and travel time of the vehicle body 23, the speed (and speed change) of the vehicle body 23, the acceleration acting on the vehicle body 23, and the attitude of the vehicle body 23.

The detection unit 54 includes sensors such as a LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) 541, a reflective sensor 542, and a magnetic sensor 543 for detecting objects present around the vehicle body 23.

The LiDAR 541 detects the presence or absence of objects around the vehicle body 23 and, if an object is present, its position, and outputs the detection result to the control unit 51. The reflective sensor 542 transmits an exploration signal such as laser light, detects objects based on the reception of a signal reflected by the object of the exploration signal, and outputs the detection result to the control unit 51. The control unit 51 can estimate the current position of the transport device 20 and align the stopping position based on information about surrounding objects detected by the LiDAR 541 or the reflective sensor 542 and map data of the area in which the transport device 20 moves. The control unit 51 can also prevent collisions with objects based on information about objects detected by the LiDAR 541 or the reflective sensor 542.

The guide line provided on the moving surface B1 is made of rubber containing a hard magnetic material such as a permanent magnet material, and is formed in a line shape on the surface of the moving surface B1 according to the moving path of the conveying device 20.

The magnetic sensor 543 uses magnetism to detect the guide line provided on the moving surface B1. Based on the detection result of the magnetic sensor 543, the control unit 51 controls the right drive wheel unit 55R and the left drive wheel unit 55L to move the conveying device 20 so that it passes over the guide line. In other words, the conveying device 20 moves on the moving surface B1 based on the detection result of the magnetic sensor 543.

The detection unit 54 may detect the location of the conveying device 20 within a specified area based on the location information of surrounding objects detected by the LiDAR 541 and electronic map information of the specified area including the material area A1 and the mounting area A2, and output the detection result of the location to the control unit 51.

The detection unit 54 may include a receiver that receives beacon signals transmitted by radio waves from multiple transmitters installed in a specified area, detect the current location based on the beacon signals transmitted from the multiple transmitters, and output the detection result of the current location to the control unit 51. The detection unit 54 measures the current location of the transport device 20 based on the positions of the multiple transmitters and the received radio wave strength of the beacon signals at the receiver. The detection unit 54 may detect the current location of the transport device 20 using a global positioning system such as GPS (Global Positioning System).

The control unit 51 has, for example, a microcomputer having one or more processors and memories. In other words, the control unit 51 is realized by a computer system having one or more processors and memories. The control unit 51 outputs a control command to each drive wheel unit 55 based on, for example, a conveying instruction from the control system 30 (second control device 32) and the detection result of the detection unit 54, and moves the conveying device 20 in a desired direction at a desired speed. The control unit 51 also controls the drive unit 58 to move the two gripping units 24 along the arrangement direction DR1. As a result, the control unit 51 can move the two gripping units 24 between a position where each of the two gripping units 24 contacts the corresponding gripped unit 420 and a position where each of the two gripping units 24 moves away from the corresponding gripped unit 420.

Here, in the conveying device 20 of this embodiment, the control unit 51 has the functions of the acquisition unit 511 and the estimation unit 512. The acquisition unit 511 acquires the above-mentioned first information and second information from the control system 30 via the communication unit 53. The estimation unit 512 estimates the running state from at least one of the first information and the second information using a learned model created by machine learning. Then, the control unit 51 controls the running state based on the estimation result of the estimation unit 512. This learned model is a learned model created by the learning unit learning the relationship between the first information and the second information and the running state of the conveying device 20 using a pair of at least one of the first information and the second information and the running state of the conveying device 20 as teacher data. This learned model may be generated by a learning unit provided in the conveying device 20 performing machine learning, or a learned model created by an external system of the conveying device 20 performing machine learning may be incorporated into the integrated control device 33. In addition, the conveying device 20 is not limited to one in which the estimation unit 512 estimates the running state using a learned model, and the running state may be determined based on a judgment condition related to at least one of the first information and the second information.

The power source 52 is, for example, a secondary battery. The power source 52 directly or indirectly supplies power to the left driving wheel unit 55L, the right driving wheel unit 55R, the control unit 51, the communication unit 53, the detection unit 54, and the like. Note that the conveying device 20 may be supplied with power from an external source, in which case the conveying device 20 does not need to be equipped with a power source 52.

The communication unit 53 is configured to be able to communicate with the second control device 32. In this embodiment, the communication unit 53 communicates with one of a plurality of repeaters 34 installed in a predetermined area including the material area A1 and the mounting area A2 by wireless communication using radio waves as a medium. The repeater 34 is a device (access point) that relays communication between the communication unit 53 and the second control device 32. The repeater 34 communicates with the second control device 32 via a network in the facility F1. Therefore, the communication unit 53 and the second control device 32 communicate indirectly at least via the repeater 34 and the network in the facility F1. In this embodiment, as an example, wireless communication conforming to standards such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark), Bluetooth (registered trademark), ZigBee (registered trademark), or low-power radio (specific low-power radio) that does not require a license is adopted for communication between the repeater 34 and the communication unit 53.

(2.3) Control System The control system 30, which is an external system that issues transport instructions to the transport device 20, includes a first control device 31, a second control device 32, and an integrated control device 33, as shown in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3. The first control device 31, the second control device 32, and the integrated control device 33 are configured to be able to communicate with each other. In the present disclosure, "able to communicate" means that information can be exchanged directly or indirectly via a network NT1 or a repeater, etc., by an appropriate communication method such as wired communication or wireless communication.

The first control device 31 monitors the operation of the multiple manufacturing devices 11 and multiple inspection devices 12 equipped in the mounting line 10. The first control device 31 is configured to be able to communicate with the multiple manufacturing devices 11 and multiple inspection devices 12 via a network. The first control device 31 also collects status information indicating the operating status (i.e., status information indicating the operating status of the mounting line 10) from the multiple manufacturing devices 11 and multiple inspection devices 12, and outputs the collected status information to the integrated control device 33.

The second control device 32 is configured to be able to communicate with the multiple transport devices 20 used within the facility F1 via one or more repeaters 34 arranged within the facility F1. The second control device 32 issues transport instructions to each of the multiple transport devices 20 and controls the transport operations of each transport device 20.

The integrated control device 33 controls the operation of the multiple transport devices 20 by giving control instructions to the second control device 32 based on the status information received from the first control device 31. The integrated control device 33 (control system 30) includes a selection unit 331 and a transport instruction unit 332. The selection unit 331 selects at least one of multiple functional modules that provide a predetermined function to one or more manufacturing devices 11 that perform a predetermined operation on a board as a transport object. The transport instruction unit 332 outputs a transport command to the transport device 20 to instruct the transport of the transport object. That is, the integrated control device 33 outputs a transport instruction to the transport device 20 to instruct the transport of parts or materials required for the work on the mounting line 10 in accordance with the predetermined work performed by the mounting line 10. The integrated control device 33 also outputs a transport instruction to the transport device 20 to instruct the transport of a waste recovery module 44 that recovers waste discharged from the manufacturing device 11 of the mounting line 10 in accordance with the predetermined work performed by the mounting line 10.

The control system 30 generates an optimal supply plan in real time for supplying multiple functional modules to multiple manufacturing devices 11, and selects a functional module to be transported to the manufacturing device 11 from the multiple functional modules based on this supply plan. The control system 30 causes the transport device 20 to transport the selected functional module to a location where the manufacturing device 11 can provide a specified function. The control system 30 may supply multiple functional modules to the multiple manufacturing devices 11 using the transport device 20 based on a supply plan created in real time by a higher-level system. The control system 30 supplies multiple supply modules to the multiple manufacturing devices 11 according to an efficient supply plan, so that it is possible to prevent the manufacturing device 11 from stopping due to delays in supply or collection of parts, etc., and to reduce losses due to the stoppage of the manufacturing device 11. It is also possible to minimize the number of manufacturing devices 11, functional modules, and transport devices 20 required, thereby reducing the cost of introducing and maintaining the manufacturing system 1.

Here, in the supply plan created by the control system 30 or a higher-level system, priorities may be set for the functions that multiple functional modules provide to the manufacturing device 11. The more urgent the function, the higher the priority is set. For example, when the integrated control device 33 determines that a transport task for a priority module with a high priority has occurred based on the priorities set in the supply plan, it transmits a transport command to the transport device 20 via the second control device 32, instructing the transport device 20 to suspend the current transport task and transport the priority module.

The integrated control device 33 may control the operation of the multiple manufacturing devices 11 and the multiple inspection devices 12 provided on the mounting line 10. The integrated control device 33 may control the operation of the multiple manufacturing devices 11 and the multiple inspection devices 12, and may output a transport instruction to the transport device 20 to instruct the transport of parts or materials required for work on the mounting line 10 in accordance with a specific work performed by the mounting line 10.

In addition, the control system 30 may be provided outside the facility F1, and the control system 30 may communicate with the manufacturing device 11 and the inspection device 12 of the mounting line 10, and the conveying device 20 via the Internet and a network within the facility F1.

(2.4) Description of Operation The operation of the manufacturing system 1 of this embodiment will be described below.

The multiple manufacturing devices 11 and inspection devices 12 that make up the mounting line 10 perform predetermined tasks related to mounting the boards (such as solder printing, component mounting, reflow soldering, and board inspection) based on control commands from a higher-level system, for example.

Here, the multiple manufacturing devices 11 constituting the mounting line 10 output work information (status information) related to a specified task performed on a board to the first control device 31 at an appropriate timing. "Appropriate timing" is, for example, the timing when the manufacturing device 11 needs to receive a specified function (e.g., the provision of a part or material) from a functional module in order to perform the specified task. Note that the appropriate timing may also include the timing when the manufacturing device 11 receives a request to send work information (status information) from the first control device 31 or the integrated control device 33.

In this embodiment, the control system 30 causes the conveying device 20 to convey a functional module selected from a plurality of functional modules. Specifically, when the selection unit 331 of the integrated control device 33 acquires work information (status information) from the manufacturing device 11 constituting the mounting line 10 via the first control device 31, it selects a functional module to be conveyed by the conveying device 20 from information related to the work performed by the manufacturing device 11 (work information). The selection unit 331 may select a functional module to be conveyed by the conveying device 20 using a trained model. This trained model is a trained model created by the learning unit learning the relationship between the work information (information related to the content or purpose of the work) related to the work performed by the manufacturing device 11 and the information of the functional module (transported object 40) conveyed to the manufacturing device 11 as teacher data. This trained model may be generated by the learning unit provided in the integrated control device 33 performing machine learning, or a trained model created by another computer performing machine learning may be incorporated into the integrated control device 33.

When the transport instruction unit 332 of the integrated control device 33 determines the functional module to be transported, it transmits a transport command to the transport device 20 via the second control device 32 to transport the functional module to the manufacturing device 11. When the communication unit 53 of the transport device 20 receives the transport command from the second control device 32, the control unit 51 controls the drive wheel unit 55 to move the transport device 20 to the preparation area A3 where the functional module to be transported is prepared. The control unit 51 of the transport device 20 grips the functional module to be transported with the gripping unit 24 (connection process), and then moves the functional module to the location of the destination manufacturing device 11 (transport process).

When the control unit 51 of the transport device 20 connects the functional module to the destination manufacturing device 11, the functional module provides a specified function to the manufacturing device 11. For example, if the functional module to be transported is the component supply module 41 and the manufacturing device 11 is the mounting device 11B, the component supply module 41 supplies a reel with components attached to it to the mounting device 11B, and the mounting device 11B can mount the components removed from the tape on the reel onto a board.

After that, when the functional module finishes providing its function to the manufacturing equipment 11, the integrated control device 33 sends a transport command to the transport device 20 via the second control device 32, instructing it to return the functional module to the preparation area A3. Upon receiving the transport command from the second control device 32, the transport device 20 separates the functional module from the manufacturing equipment 11, moves the functional module to the preparation area A3, and separates the functional module in the preparation area A3. When the functional module returns to the preparation area A3, a worker or an automated device performs the task of replenishing the functional module with parts or materials. After separating the functional module, the transport device 20 moves to a specified waiting location to prepare for the next transport command.

As described above, when the transport device 20 receives a transport command from the second control device 32, it performs the transport task of transporting the functional module to be transported. An example of the transport control method performed by the manufacturing system 1 of this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 6 to 10. Note that the flowchart shown in Figure 10 is merely an example of the transport control method performed by the manufacturing system 1, and the order of the processes may be changed as appropriate, and processes may be added or omitted as appropriate.

When the communication unit 53 of the transport device 20 receives a transport command from the second control device 32, the acquisition unit 511 performs an acquisition process to acquire first information related to the transported object 40 and second information related to the movement path from the second control device 32 (ST1). Here, the first information is information related to the functional module that is the transported object 40. The first information includes, for example, information on at least one of the size (dimensions such as overall length, overall width, or overall height), external shape, or center of gravity position of the functional module to be transported. In addition, the second information is information related to the transport path along which the transported object 40 is transported, that is, the movement path of the vehicle body 23. The second information includes, for example, at least one of the width, gradient, or radius of curvature of the passage along which the transport device 20 moves if the passage is curved.

When the acquisition unit 511 acquires the first information and the second information, the estimation unit 512 inputs the first information and the second information into the learned model, obtains an estimation result of the traveling state, and determines the traveling state when transporting the transported object 40 based on the estimation result of the traveling state (ST2).

The control unit 51 performs a control process (ST3) to control the driving condition when transporting the transported object 40 by controlling the drive wheel unit 55 based on the driving condition determined in the process of ST2.

In this embodiment, the transported object 40 transported by the transport device 20 is selected from multiple types of functional modules (transport objects), so the transport device 20 can transport the transported object 40 in a running state that corresponds to the type of transport object.

Here, the control of the traveling state includes control to change the position of the turning center when the vehicle body 23 turns. When the transported object 40 and the transport device 20 connected by the connecting part 29 turn together, if the transport device 20 turns around the center position in the direction in which the transport device 20 and the transported object 40 are aligned (front-rear direction), the area of the area through which the transport device 20 and the transported object 40 pass when making one rotation on the moving plane B1 can be minimized. Figure 9 shows the positions of the turning centers P1, P2, and P3 when the transport device 20 transports the component supply module 41, the tray supply module 42, and the batch exchange module 43, respectively. In the example of Figure 9, the component supply module 41 has the longest overall length in the front-rear direction, and the tray supply module 42 has the shortest overall length. Therefore, the control unit 51 controls the position of the turning center so that, in the front-rear direction, the turning center P1 when the conveying device 20 turns together with the component supply module 41 is farthest from the conveying device 20, and the turning center P2 when the conveying device 20 turns together with the tray supply module 42 is closest to the conveying device 20. In this embodiment, the wheels W1 of the conveying device 20 include multiple steering wheels (drive wheels 21) for changing the traveling direction of the vehicle body 23. The control unit 51 turns the vehicle body 23 around the turning center by orienting each of the multiple steering wheels (drive wheels 21) in a direction along the tangent of a circle centered on the turning center.

For example, when the conveying device 20 turns while conveying the part supply module 41, the control unit 51 changes the orientation of the left and right drive wheels 21 from a state parallel to the front-to-rear direction by an angle (steering angle) θ1 so that the front sides of the left and right drive wheels 21 approach each other. As a result, the left and right drive wheels 21 are oriented in a direction along the tangent of a circle of radius R1 centered on the turning center P1, so that the conveying device 20 can turn around the turning center P1. Therefore, the part supply module 41 and the conveying device 20 can be rotated on the spot (pivot turn), making it possible to rotate the part supply module 41 and the conveying device 20 even in a narrow space.

In addition, when the conveying device 20 turns while conveying the tray supply module 42, the control unit 51 changes the orientation of the left and right drive wheels 21 from a state parallel to the front-to-rear direction by an angle (steering angle) θ2 so that the front sides of the left and right drive wheels 21 approach each other. As a result, the left and right drive wheels 21 are oriented in a direction along the tangent of a circle of radius R2 centered on the turning center P2, so that the conveying device 20 can turn around the turning center P2.

In addition, when the transport device 20 transporting the bulk exchange module 43 turns, the control unit 51 changes the orientation of the left and right drive wheels 21 from a state parallel to the front-to-rear direction by an angle (steering angle) θ3 so that the front sides of the left and right drive wheels 21 approach each other. This causes the left and right drive wheels to be oriented in a direction along the tangent of a circle of radius R3 centered on the turning center P3, allowing the transport device 20 to turn around the turning center P3.

As described above, in this embodiment, the control unit 51 changes the position of the turning center by changing the steering angle of the multiple steering wheels (right drive wheel 21R and left drive wheel 21L). The control unit 51 can change the position of the turning center according to the transported object 40 by changing the steering angle of the steering wheels based on first information related to the transported object 40, and can control the running state according to the transported object 40. The control unit 41 may change the turning center when the transporting device 20 turns based on second information related to the movement path of the transporting device 20, and can turn at an optimal rotation center according to, for example, the width or curvature radius of the passage through which the transporting device 20 moves.

The control of the running state may include control of acceleration and deceleration of the vehicle body 23. For example, when the center of gravity of the transported object 40 is relatively high, the transported object 40 is more likely to fall over when subjected to lateral G than when the center of gravity of the transported object 40 is relatively low. Therefore, the control unit 51 controls the acceleration and deceleration of the vehicle body 23 to make the acceleration and deceleration gentler. When the center of gravity of the transported object 40 is relatively high, the control unit 51 may control the position of the turning center so that the turning radius is larger than when the center of gravity of the transported object 40 is relatively low. When the passage through which the transport device 20 moves has a slope, the control unit 51 may determine the running state according to the slope of the passage. For example, when the transport device 20 advances on a passage with a downward slope, the control unit 21 may control the running state to reduce the acceleration applied to the transported object 40, allowing it to stop smoothly.

In addition, when it is determined in the process of ST2 that the traveling state is changed by changing the relative position of the transported object 40 with respect to the main body 23, the control unit 51 may change the relative position of the transported object 40 with respect to the main body 23, for example, by controlling the gripping unit 24. The gripping unit 24 can move the transported object 40 in the left-right direction with respect to the main body 23 by moving the pair of arms 25 in the same left-right direction. As shown in FIG. 11, when the transport device 20 transports the component supply module 41, which is the transported object 40, the gripping unit 24 of the transport device 20 holds the component supply module 41 so that the center of the main body 20 and the center of the component supply module 41 coincide with each other in the left-right direction. The transport device 20 moves on the moving plane B1 so that the center of the main body 20 passes over the guide line LN1 provided on the moving plane B1, but when the component supply module 41 is brought close to the mounting device 11B, the component supply module 41 may interfere with the stocker device 13 installed adjacent to the mounting device 11B. Therefore, the control unit 51 of the transport device 20 controls the gripping unit 24 to move the transported object 40 to the right side with respect to the main body 23 so as not to interfere with the stocker device 13 , and then moves the component supply module 41 closer to the mount device 11B. In this way, the control unit 51 controls the traveling state of the car body 23 by changing the relative position of the transported object 40 with respect to the main body 23, and can run in a stable traveling state by avoiding contact with obstacles. The stocker device 13 has a storage unit that stores components (e.g., tray components) received from the transported object 40, and a supply mechanism that supplies the components stored in the storage unit to the mount device 11B.

The control unit 51 may change the running state between when the transported object 40 is being transported and when the transported object 40 is not being transported. For example, the control unit 51 may slow down the acceleration and deceleration when the transported object 40 is being transported compared to when the transported object 40 is not being transported, so that the acceleration applied to the transported object 40 during transport can be slowed down, allowing the transported object 40 to be transported safely.

The control unit 51 may change the running state depending on the type of transported object 40, and may control the running state to slow down acceleration and deceleration or increase the turning radius if the transported object 40 is easily damaged or is a precision part that is vulnerable to vibration or impact.

The control unit 51 may also change the running state between when the functional module, which is the transported object 40, is transported to the manufacturing device 11 and when the functional module is retrieved from the manufacturing device 11. When a functional module that provides the manufacturing device 11 with the function of replenishing parts or materials is transported to the manufacturing device 11, the control unit 51 may control the running state so that the acceleration and deceleration are gentler than when the functional module is retrieved from the manufacturing device 11, since the functional module is loaded with parts or materials.

Note that the control example in which the control unit 51 controls the running state based on the first information and the second information is not limited to the above-mentioned form, and the running state may be controlled to change control parameters other than the position of the turning center and acceleration/deceleration so that the transported object 40 can be transported stably.

At least one of the first information and the second information acquired in the acquisition process of ST1 may be included in a transport command from a higher-level system (control system 30). In other words, the control unit 51 may control the running state based on the transport command from the higher-level system (control system 30), and can transport the transported object 40 in an optimal running state according to the transported object 40 or the movement route based on the transport command from the higher-level system.

(3) Modifications The above embodiment is merely one of various embodiments of the present disclosure. The above embodiment can be modified in various ways depending on the design, etc., as long as the object of the present disclosure can be achieved. In addition, the same function as that of the manufacturing system 1 may be embodied in a conveyance control method for the conveyance device 20 provided in the manufacturing system 1, a computer program, or a non-transient recording medium on which a program is recorded, etc. The conveyance control method according to one aspect includes an acquisition step and a control step. In the acquisition step, at least one of the first information and the second information is acquired. The first information is information related to the conveyed object 40 connected to the conveyance device 20. The conveyance device 20 has a connecting portion 29 capable of connecting the conveyance object 40, and travels on the moving surface B1 with the wheels W1 located on the outside of the conveyance object 40 connected to the connecting portion 29 in a plan view. The second information is information related to the moving path of the conveyance device 20. In the control step, the traveling state of the conveyance device 20 is controlled based on the information acquired in the acquisition step. The (computer) program according to one aspect is a program for causing one or more processors to execute the acquisition step and the control step.

Below, we will list some variations of the above embodiment. The variations described below can be applied in appropriate combinations.

The control system 30 (first control device 31, second control device 32, and integrated control device 33) and the conveying device 20 in the present disclosure include a computer system. The computer system is mainly composed of a processor and a memory as hardware. The processor executes a program recorded in the memory of the computer system, thereby realizing the functions of the control system 30 and the conveying device 20 in the present disclosure. The program may be pre-recorded in the memory of the computer system, may be provided through an electric communication line, or may be recorded and provided in a non-transitory recording medium such as a memory card, an optical disk, or a hard disk drive that can be read by the computer system. The processor of the computer system is composed of one or more electronic circuits including a semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) or a large-scale integrated circuit (LSI). The integrated circuits such as IC or LSI referred to here are called different names depending on the degree of integration, and include integrated circuits called system LSI, VLSI (Very Large Scale Integration), or ULSI (Ultra Large Scale Integration). Furthermore, a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) that is programmed after the manufacture of the LSI, or a logic device that allows reconfiguration of the connection relationship within the LSI or reconfiguration of the circuit partition within the LSI, can also be used as a processor. The multiple electronic circuits may be integrated into one chip, or may be distributed across multiple chips. The multiple chips may be integrated into one device, or may be distributed across multiple devices. The computer system referred to here includes a microcontroller having one or more processors and one or more memories. Therefore, the microcontroller is also composed of one or more electronic circuits including a semiconductor integrated circuit or a large-scale integrated circuit.

In addition, it is not essential for the first control device 31, the second control device 32, and the integrated control device 33 to have multiple functions concentrated in one housing, and each of the components of the first control device 31, the second control device 32, and the integrated control device 33 may be distributed across multiple housings. Furthermore, at least some of the functions of the first control device 31, the second control device 32, and the integrated control device 33 may be realized by the cloud (cloud computing), etc. Conversely, at least some of the functions of the control system 30 that are distributed across multiple devices may be concentrated in one housing.

In the above embodiment, the control system 30 causes the transport device 20 to perform both a first transport operation of transporting the functional module to the destination manufacturing device 11, and a second transport operation of transporting the functional module located at a location that can provide a predetermined function to the manufacturing device 11 to another location (e.g., preparation area A3). Note that it is not essential to have the transport device 20 perform both the first transport operation and the second transport operation, and either the first transport operation or the second transport operation may be performed by an operator or another transport robot. In other words, the control system 30 only needs to cause the transport device 20 to perform at least one of the first transport operation and the second transport operation, and a transport system for the transported object 40 using the transport device 20 can be realized.

In the above embodiment, one conveying device 20 conveys one transported object 40, but one conveying device 20 may convey multiple transported objects 40, or multiple conveying devices 20 may work together to convey one or multiple transported objects 40.

In the above embodiment, the connecting part 29 connecting the transport device 20 and the transported object 40 is composed of the gripping part 24 that grips the gripped part 420 of the transported object 40, but the connecting part 29 is not limited to the gripping part 24 and may be connected by a method other than gripping. The connecting part 29 may connect the transported object 40 by attracting a part of the transported object 40 with the magnetic force of an electromagnet or the like. In this case, the connection between the connecting part 29 and the ferromagnetic body of the transported object 40 and the release of this connection can be switched by the control part 51 controlling the current flowing through the electromagnet as the connecting part 29. In addition, the number and shape of the connecting parts 29 provided in the transport device 20 can be changed as appropriate. In addition, in this embodiment, the transported object 40 is directly connected to the transport device 20, but the transported object 40 may be indirectly connected to the transport device 20 (i.e., via one or more members).

In the above embodiment, the conveying device 20 conveys the transported object 40 in a running state in which it tows the transported object 40, or in a running form in which it leads the transported object 40 and pushes it from behind, but the transport form is not limited to this. The conveying device 20 may convey the transported object 40 in a state in which the transported object 40 is lifted (floated above the moving surface B1). In other words, the conveying device 20 may be provided with a connecting portion that connects the transported object 40 in a running state in which it tows the transported object 40, a running state in which it pushes the transported object 40 from behind, or a running form in which the transported object 40 is lifted.

(summary)
The conveying device (20) of the first aspect includes a vehicle body (23) and a control unit (51). The vehicle body (23) is provided with a coupling unit (29) to which a transported object (40) can be coupled. The vehicle body (23) runs on a moving surface (B1) with wheels (W1). The control unit (51) controls the running state of the vehicle body (23). The wheels (W1) are located outside the transported object (40) coupled to the coupling unit (29) in a plan view. The control unit (51) controls the running state of the vehicle body (23) based on at least one of first information related to the transported object (40) and second information related to the moving path of the vehicle body (23).

According to this embodiment, the running state can be controlled according to the transport status of the transported object (40).

In the second aspect of the conveying device (20), in the first aspect, the conveyed object (40) is selected from multiple types of conveying objects.

According to this embodiment, the running state can be controlled according to the transport status of the transported object (40).

In the third aspect of the conveying device (20), in the first or second aspect, the control of the traveling state includes control to change the position of the center of rotation when the vehicle body (23) turns.

According to this embodiment, the running state can be controlled according to the transport status of the transported object (40).

In the fourth aspect of the conveying device (20), in the third aspect, the wheels (W1) include a plurality of steering wheels (21) for changing the traveling direction of the vehicle body (23). The control unit (51) turns the vehicle body (23) around the turning center (P1 to P3) by orienting each of the plurality of steering wheels (21) in a direction along the tangent of a circle centered on the turning center.

According to this embodiment, the running state can be controlled according to the transport status of the transported object (40).

In the fifth aspect of the conveying device (20), in the fourth aspect, the control unit (51) changes the position of the turning center (P1 to P3) by changing the steering angles (θ1 to θ3) of the multiple steering wheels (21).

According to this embodiment, the running state can be controlled according to the transport status of the transported object (40).

In the sixth aspect of the conveying device (20), in any of the first to fifth aspects, the control unit (51) controls the running state based on a conveying command from the higher-level system (30).

According to this embodiment, the running state can be controlled according to the transport status of the transported object (40).

In the seventh aspect of the conveying device (20), in any of the first to sixth aspects, the control of the running state includes control of the acceleration and deceleration of the vehicle body (23).

According to this embodiment, the running state can be controlled according to the transport status of the transported object (40).

In the eighth aspect of the conveying device (20), in any of the first to seventh aspects, the control of the traveling state includes control to change the relative position of the conveyed object (40) with respect to the vehicle body (20) while the conveyed object (40) is connected to the vehicle body (23).

According to this embodiment, the running state can be controlled according to the transport status of the transported object (40).

In the ninth aspect of the conveying device (20), in any of the first to eighth aspects, the first information includes information about at least one of the size, external shape, and center of gravity position of the object to be conveyed (40).

According to this embodiment, the running state can be controlled according to the transport status of the transported object (40).

In the tenth aspect of the conveying device (20), in any of the first to ninth aspects, the connecting portion (29) connects the transported object (40) to the vehicle body (23) in a state in which the vehicle body (23) and the transported object (40) are aligned in a plan view.

According to this embodiment, the running state can be controlled according to the transport status of the transported object (40).

In the eleventh aspect of the conveying device (20), in any of the first to tenth aspects, the connecting portion (29) includes a gripping portion (24) that grips a gripped portion (420) of the conveyed object (40). The gripping portion (24) grips the gripped portion (420) in a state in which the conveyed object (40) cannot move relative to the vehicle body (23) in a direction along the moving surface (B1).

According to this embodiment, the running state can be controlled according to the transport status of the transported object (40).

In the twelfth aspect of the conveying device (20), in any of the first to eleventh aspects, the control unit (51) controls the running state based on the estimation result of the estimation unit (512) that estimates the running state from at least one of the first information and the second information, using a trained model created by machine learning.

According to this embodiment, the running state can be controlled according to the transport status of the transported object (40).

The manufacturing system (1) of the thirteenth aspect includes one or more manufacturing devices (11) that perform a predetermined operation on a substrate, and one or more functional modules that provide a predetermined function to the manufacturing device (11). The one or more functional modules are objects to be transported to the one or more manufacturing devices (11) by the transport device (20).

According to this embodiment, the running state can be controlled according to the transport status of the transported object (40).

The conveyance control method of the fourteenth aspect includes an acquisition step and a control step. In the acquisition step, at least one of first information and second information is acquired. The first information is information related to a conveyed object (40) connected to the conveyance device (20). The conveyance device (20) has a connection part (29) to which the conveyance object (40) can be connected, and travels on a moving surface (B1) with wheels (W1) located on the outside of the conveyance object (40) connected to the connection part (29) in a plan view. The second information is information related to the moving path of the conveyance device (20). In the control step, the traveling state of the conveyance device (20) is controlled based on the information acquired in the acquisition step.

According to this embodiment, the running state can be controlled according to the transport status of the transported object (40).

The program of the fifteenth aspect is a program for causing one or more processors to execute the transport control method of the fourteenth aspect.

According to this embodiment, the running state can be controlled according to the transport status of the transported object (40).

Not limited to the above aspects, various configurations (including modified examples) of the transport device (20) according to the above embodiment can be embodied as a transport control method for the transport device (20), a (computer) program, or a non-transitory recording medium on which a program is recorded, etc.

The configurations according to the second to twelfth aspects are not essential to the conveying device (20) and may be omitted as appropriate.

1 Manufacturing system 11B, 11C Mounting device (mounting body)
20 Conveyor device 21 Drive wheel (steering wheel)
23 Vehicle body 24 Grip unit 29 Connection unit 30 Control system (host system)
40: Transported object 41: Part supply module (functional module)
42 Tray supply module (functional module)
43 Bulk exchange module (functional module)
420 Grasped part 512 Estimating part B1 Moving surface P1 to P3 Turning center W1 Wheel θ1 to θ3 Rudder angle

Claims (16)

a vehicle body provided with a coupling section to which an object to be transported can be coupled, the vehicle body running on wheels on a moving surface;
A control unit that controls a running state of the vehicle body ,
the control unit controls a traveling state of the vehicle body based on at least one of first information related to the transported object and second information related to a moving path of the vehicle body;
the control of the running state includes control of changing a position of a turning center when the vehicle body turns,
The wheels include a plurality of steering wheels for changing the traveling direction of the vehicle body,
The control unit changes a position of the turning center by changing a steering angle of the plurality of steered wheels ,
The control of the traveling state includes control of changing a relative position of the transported object with respect to the vehicle body while the transported object is coupled to the vehicle body.
Conveying device. The transported object is selected from a plurality of types of transport objects.
The conveying device according to claim 1 . The control unit turns the vehicle body about the turning center by orienting each of the plurality of steered wheels in a direction along a tangent to a circle centered on the turning center.
The conveying device according to claim 1 . The control unit controls the traveling state based on a transport command from a host system.
The conveying device according to any one of claims 1 to 3. The control of the running state includes control of acceleration/deceleration of the vehicle body.
The conveying device according to any one of claims 1 to 4. the first information includes information regarding at least one of a size, an outer shape, and a center of gravity position of the transported object;
A conveying device according to any one of claims 1 to 5. the coupling unit couples the transported object to the vehicle body in a state in which the vehicle body and the transported object are aligned in a plan view,
The conveying device according to any one of claims 1 to 6. the connecting portion includes a gripping portion that grips a gripped portion of the transported object,
The gripping portion grips the gripped portion in a state in which the transported object cannot move relative to the vehicle body in a direction along the moving surface.
A conveying device according to any one of claims 1 to 7. The control unit controls the traveling state based on an estimation result of an estimation unit that estimates the traveling state from at least one of the first information and the second information using a learned model created by machine learning.
A conveying device according to any one of claims 1 to 8. a vehicle body provided with a coupling section to which an object to be transported can be coupled, the vehicle body running on wheels on a moving surface;
A control unit that controls a running state of the vehicle body,
the control unit controls a traveling state of the vehicle body based on at least one of first information related to the transported object and second information related to a moving path of the vehicle body;
the control of the running state includes control of changing a position of a turning center when the vehicle body turns,
The wheels include a plurality of steering wheels for changing the traveling direction of the vehicle body,
The control unit changes a position of the turning center by changing a steering angle of the plurality of steered wheels,
The control unit controls the traveling state based on an estimation result of an estimation unit that estimates the traveling state from at least one of the first information and the second information using a learned model created by machine learning.
Conveying device. The wheels are positioned on the outer side of the transported object connected to the connecting portion in a plan view.
A conveying device according to any one of claims 1 to 10. One or more manufacturing devices that perform a predetermined operation on the substrate;
one or more functional modules that provide a predetermined function to the one or more manufacturing devices;
the one or more functional modules are objects to be transported by a transport device to the one or more manufacturing devices,
The conveying device is
a vehicle body provided with a coupling part to which the transported object can be coupled, the vehicle body running on wheels on a moving surface;
A control unit that controls a running state of the vehicle body,
the control unit controls a traveling state of the vehicle body based on at least one of first information related to the transported object and second information related to a moving path of the vehicle body;
the control of the running state includes control of changing a position of a turning center when the vehicle body turns,
The wheels include a plurality of steering wheels for changing the traveling direction of the vehicle body,
The control unit changes the position of the turning center by changing the steering angle of the plurality of steered wheels.
Manufacturing system. A host system for transmitting a transport command to the transport device according to any one of claims 1 to 11,
Transmitting a transport command to the transport device for controlling the running state;
The control unit of the transport device controls the traveling state based on the transport command from the host system.
Upper system. an acquiring step of acquiring at least one of first information related to a transported object connected to a transport device having a coupling part to which the transported object can be coupled and running on a moving surface by wheels, and second information related to a moving path of the transport device;
a control step of controlling a traveling state of the conveying device based on the information acquired in the acquisition step,
The control of the traveling state includes control for changing a position of a turning center when the vehicle body of the transport device turns,
The wheels include a plurality of steering wheels for changing the traveling direction of the vehicle body,
In the control step, a position of the turning center is changed by changing a steering angle of the plurality of steered wheels,
The control of the traveling state includes control of changing a relative position of the transported object with respect to the vehicle body in a state in which the transported object is coupled to the vehicle body.
Transport control method. an acquiring step of acquiring at least one of first information related to a transported object connected to a transport device having a coupling part to which the transported object can be coupled and running on a moving surface by wheels, and second information related to a moving path of the transport device;
a control step of controlling a traveling state of the conveying device based on the information acquired in the acquisition step,
The control of the traveling state includes control for changing a position of a turning center when the vehicle body of the transport device turns,
The wheels include a plurality of steering wheels for changing the traveling direction of the vehicle body,
In the control step, a position of the turning center is changed by changing a steering angle of the plurality of steered wheels,
In the control step, the running state is controlled based on an estimation result obtained by estimating the running state from at least one of the first information and the second information using a trained model created by machine learning.
Transport control method. A program for causing one or more processors to execute the transport control method according to claim 14 or 15.

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