Title of Invention

"FLOATING DRIVE FOR VEHICLE"

Abstract

A floating drive for vehicle having a load frame (12) with wheels (14), a drive wheel (20), a non-driven rigid castor wheel (22), and a pivot link assembly (36). The drive wheel (20) and non driven rigid castor wheel (22) are each fixed to move with the drive frame (18). The pivot link assembly (36) couples the drive frame(18) to the load frame (12) to permit the drive frame to move vertically relative to the load frame (12). The pivot link assembly (36) also has a first pivot axis (52) about which the drive frame is rotatable relative to the load frame(12).

Full Text

This invention relates to "Floating Drive For Vehicle" The present application is having a co-opending application No. 1290/DELNP/2003 and this application is a continuation-in-part of U.S.Patent Application Serial No. 09/803,864, filed March 12, 2001, the entire disclosure of the application is considered part of the disclosure of this application and is hereby incorporated by reference. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention is generally directed to material handling vehicles and, more particularly, to a vehicle having a vertically floating drive assembly. Automatic guided vehicles (AGVs) are used throughout the material handling industry to transport loads. The term AGV is commonly used to refer to robust vehicle designs having any of a number of available automated guidance systems. Automatic guided carts (AGCs) is a term commonly used to refer to a less robust vehicle used for similar but smaller-scale applications. Current AGC designs generally include a frame with swivel castors located at the four corners of the frame. Other features may include a drive wheel assembly and rigid castors for directional control of the cart. In one current design, two rigid castors are fixed to the frame and located approximately midway between the swivel castor on each side of the cart frame. The two pair of swivel castor axes and the rigid castor axis are generally parallel to each other. The steerable driving unit is attached to the cart frame, generally by way of a plate that is hinged and spring loaded from the cart frame to ensure that the steerable drive wheel maintains adequate traction with the support surface. While this arrangement is generally acceptable for uniform support surfaces, situations where the floor is not level and flat may give rise to losses in the directional control of the cart. More particularly, when the cart encounters an uneven surface, the direct mounting of the swivel and rigid castors to the cart frame may cause one or more of the three sets of castors to become disengaged from the support surface. Since the rigid castors are used for direction control of the cart, loss of contact between the rigid castors and the floor may cause loss of directional control of the cart. The only wheel that has significantly uniform contact with the floor is the hinged and spring loaded steerable drive wheel. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the above, a need exists for a AGC design that more effectively maintains directional control for the cart or AGV. More particularly, a need exists to maintain both the steerable drive wheel and at least one rigid castor in contact with the floor surface at all times. To meet these and other needs mat will be apparent to those skilled in the art based upon this description and the appended drawings, the present invention is directed to a material handling vehicle having a load bearing support frame with wheels to rollingly engage a support surface as well as a drive assembly having a drive frame supporting a drive wheel and a rigid castor. A pivot link assembly rotationally coupled to the load frame and the drive frame permits the drive frame to vertically float and change angular orientation relative to the drive frame thereby ensuring that the drive wheel and rigid castor maintain operative contact with the support surface even on uneven contours. Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, claims, and drawings. However, it should be A understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, arc given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modification within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art. According to the present invention there is provided a floating drive for vehicle comprising: a load frame having wheels ; a drive frame; a drive wheel and a non-driven rigid castor wheel; and a pivot link assembly coupling the drive frame to the load frame to permit said drive frame to move vertically relative to said load frame, said pivot link assembly having a first pivot axis about which said drive frame is rotatable relative to said load frame, Characterized in that said drive wheel and said non-driven rigid castor wheel are each fixed to move with said drive frame (18), whereby the pivot link assembly also permits said drive frame to change angular orientation relative to said load frame thereby ensuring that the drive wheel and the rigid castor wheel maintain operative contact with the support support surface. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given here below, the appended claims, and the accompanying drawings in which: FIG. 1 is an underside perspective view of an AGC according to the present invention; FIG. 2 is an upper perspective view of the drive assembly and float coupling assembly illustrated in FIG 1; FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the drive assembly; FIG. 4 is a perspective view of me pivot link assembly; FIG. 5 is a side perspective view of the AGC shown in FIG. 1 with a side load frame tube removed for clarity; FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of the cart shown in FIG. 5 with the drive assembly in its centered position; FIG. 7 is a side elevational view of the cart shown in FIG. 5 with the drive assembly in its full up position and rotated counterclockwise; FIG. 8 is a side elevational view of the cart shown in FIG. 5 with the drive assembly in its full down position and rotated clockwise; FIG. 9 is a sectional view take along the line 9-9 shown in FIG. 6; FIG. 10 is a perspective view of an AGC according to the present invention with a second embodiment of the pivot link assembly; shown in FIGS. 10-12 and discussed in detail below to include a pivot link assembly 136 having a cam configuration that permits vertical and pivoting movement of the drive assembly 16 relative to the frame 12. In both instances, the pivot link assemblies 36, 136 provide vertical and angular degrees of freedom that maintain the drive wheel unit 20 and rigid castors 22 in contact with the cart support surface, even when the support surface has an uneven contour. In the first embodiment, the pivot link assembly 36 includes first and second side rails 38 and 40 (FIG. 4) interconnected by a support plate 42. The rails are pivotally coupled at each of their respective ends to the load frame 12 via frame bearing blocks 44 and to the drive frame 18 via drive unit bearing blocks 46. A first pivot shaft 50 rotatably connects the rearward end of the rails 38 and 40 and support plate 42 to the frame bearing blocks 44. In a similar manner, the forward ends of the rails 38 and 40 are rotatably coupled to the respective drive unit bearing blocks 46. The pivot shafts 50 and 52 are preferably oriented parallel to one another and parallel to the rigid castor axis 28. While the pivot link assembly 36 may have a variety of configurations, the illustrated embodiment includes cut-outs 56 in the plate 42 to receive the rigid castors 22. The vertical float and angular reorientation capability of the drive assembly, as well as the tricycle configuration of the drive wheel and rigid castors, maintain the steerable drive wheel and at least one rigid castor in contact with floor surfaces having uneven contours. As a result, the drive/directional control integrity of the AGC is superior to previous cart designs. An illustration of the float and angular reorientation capability of the present invention is provided in FIGS. 6-8. Specifically, FIG. 6 is a side elevation view of the cart 10 with the drive assembly 16 in its centered position, i.e., with the bearing surfaces of the drive wheel 20, rigid castors 22, and swivel castors 14 at the same elevation. When the cart encounters an uneven surface, the drive assembly 16 is pivotable relative to the load frame 12 about axes 50 and 52 to provide vertical float and angular reorientation. For example, the drive assembly 16 is illustrated in FIG. 7 in its full up position and rotated counterclockwise and in FIG. 8 in its full down position and rotated clockwise. It should be appreciated that these orientations are illustrated for exemplary purposes and that the range of movement of the drive assembly is not necessarily limited to the specific orientations or ranges illustrated and described herein. The range of vertical float and pivoting movement permitted by the pivot link assembly 36 is preferably limited by appropriately configured and positioned pivot stops. In the illustrated embodiment, the range of vertical float is limited to one inch, with one-half inch of float being provided above and below the centered position shown in FIG. 6. Additionally, a biasing mechanism is preferably operatively positioned between the load frame and the drive frame to apply a downward spring loading on the tricycle drive assembly 16. This additional loading enhances the traction of the drive wheel 20 and rigid castors 22 with the support surface. Finally, it is also desirable to include one or more rotation stops to prevent over-rotation of the drive frame 18. As most clearly illustrated in FIG. 2, the drive wheel 20, and its associated limit switches and actuators 59, are generally positioned at the forward end of the frame 18. A power source, such as the illustrated pair of batteries 58, are in a center compartment and a rear compartment accommodates the control electronics for the cart. In mis configuration, the loading on the drive frame 18 tends to rotate the drive assembly in a counterclockwise direction about axis 52 as indicated by arrow 54. The rotation stops are used to limit this rotation. One skilled in the art will appreciate that numerous pivot and rotation stop configurations, such as brackets, bolts, and the like, may be used to limit the vertical float and rotation of the drive assembly and that a variety of springs or other biasing mechanism may serve to maintain drive traction. For example, the illustrated embodiment includes stop assemblies 60 that are positioned proximate the drive unit bearing blocks 46 (FIGS. 5-9) and that serve as the pivot stops and bias mechanism for the drive assembly 16. Each stop assembly 60 includes a spring bracket 62 fixed to the load frame 12 and a coil spring 64 disposed about a bolt 65. The spring 64 is compressed between the bracket 62 and pivot plate 42 to exert a downward bias oh the plate. A down stop washer 66 is normally spaced a predetermined distance from the bracket 62 by a spacer tube 68. Thus, the drive assembly 16 is able to pivot downward from its centered position (FIG. 6) until the washer is displaced the predetermined distance and abuts the bracket 62 (FIG. 8). The upward pivot stop is provided by a stop flange 70 (FIGS. 5 and 9) that is fixed to the drive frame 18 and that includes a leg 72 positioned to abut the load frame 12 or bracket 62 when the drive assembly 16 is in its full up position (FIG. 7). Finally, in the illustrated embodiment, a rotation stop assembly 76 is positioned proximate the forward end of the drive assembly 16. The rotation stop (FIG. 5) includes a rotation bracket 78 having a slot 80 within which a stop pin 82 is disposed for movement. The bracket 78 and pin 82 are each fixed to one of the drive frame 18 and load frame 12 so that relative frame movement is limited by bracket/pin abutment. Notwithstanding the above description of the stop assemblies 60, spring 64, and stop assembly 76, those skilled in the art will appreciate that a variety of equivalent mechanisms known in the art may be used to provide the stop and bias functions without departing from the scope of the invention denned by the appended claims. A further benefit of the use of the floating drive unit is that the load frame 12 and drive frame 18 are independently loaded. Thus, the payload supported by the load frame 12 and swivel castors 14 may be varied based upon operational goals whereas the loading on the drive unit is dependent principally upon the weight of the drive unit and any bias provided by the coil spring 62. Also, by including on-board power, control, and mechanical components necessary for autonomous movement, the drive assembly may be disconnected from the load frame 12 and pivot link assembly 36 if it is desired to use the drive assembly as an autonomous vehicle. Possible applications for such autonomous use would include use as a small towing device or lightweight cart where space constraints prevented the effective movement of the larger load frame 12. A second embodiment of an automated guided cart according to the present invention is shown in FIGS. 10-12 to include a pivot link assembly 136 having a guide member 138 and a cam 140. Just as with the cart 10 shown in FIGS. 1-9, the cart 110 of FIGS. 10-12 includes a drive assembly 16 having a drive frame 18 as well' as a drive wheel and a pair of rigid castors (not shown) fixed to move with the drive frame 18. The guide member 138 is attached to one of the load frame 12 or drive frame 18 and includes a vertical slot 142. The cam 140 is attached to the other of the load frame 12 and the drive frame 18 and disposed for vertical movement within the slot 142. The cam and slot engagement permits the drive assembly to float vertically relative to the load frame 12 and pivot relative thereto about an axis 144. In the illustrated embodiment, the cam 140 includes a generally cylindrical follower 146 with a flanged 148 (FIGS. 11 and 12). A pin 150 and nut 152 may be used to attach the follower 146 to the drive frame 18 and preferably permits rotation of the follower 146 about the pin axis 144. The nut 152 is on an inner side of the drive frame and a block 154 is disposed between the nut and frame to provide proper spacing. The use of a flange 148 on the follower assists in properly centering the drive assembly relative to the load frame 12. Guide blocks 156 (FIG. 10) are preferably secured to one of the drive frame 18 and load frame 12 to further assist in centering. The guide blocks 156 are preferably, though not necessarily, comprised of a low friction material such as UHMW and have a smooth engagement surface. The guide member 138 is illustrated as a single block with the vertical slot 142 having an open upper end 160 and a radiused closed lower end 162. The closed end limits the downward float of the driving frame relative to the load frame while the open upper end 160 permits selective detachment of the driving assembly. The guide member is preferably comprised of a wear resistant material such as steel, Notwithstanding these exemplary illustrations, those skilled in the art will appreciate that Hie specific material and configuration of the guide member may be modified without departing from the scope of the invention defined by the appended claims. Just as with the pivot link assembly 36, the assembly 136 permits the drive frame 18 to move vertically, either with or without a change in angular orientation, relative to the load frame thereby permitting the drive wheel and rigid castor wheels of the drive assembly to effectively maintain operative contact with the support surface. For completeness it is noted that a vehicle having the pivot link assembly 136 is particularly suited for large load applications due to the robustness of the assembly. Further, the assembly 136 permits the drive assembly to be readily detached from the load handling frame and presents a simple design that is cost effective to manufacture. Still further, the engagement between the cam 140 and the guide block 138 restricts longitudinal movement of the drive frame 18 relative to the load frame 12. The foregoing discussion discloses and describes an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. One skilled in the art will readily recognize from such discussion, and from the accompanying drawings and claims that various changes, modifications and variations can be made therein without departing from the true spirit and fair scope of the invention as defined by the following claims. We Claim: 1. A floating drive for vehicle comprising: a load frame (12) having wheels (14); a drive frame (18); a drive wheel (20) and a non-driven rigid castor wheel (22); and a pivot link assembly (36) coupling the drive frame (18) to the load frame (12) to permit said drive frame (18) to move vertically relative to said load frame (12), said pivot link assembly (36) having a first pivot axis (52) about which said drive frame (18) is rotatable relative to said load frame (12), Characterized in that said drive wheel (20) and said non-driven rigid castor wheel (22) are each fixed to move with said drive frame (18), whereby the pivot link assembly (36) also permits said drive frame (18) to change angular orientation relative to said load frame (12) thereby ensuring that the drive wheel (20) and the rigid castor wheel (22) maintain operative contact with the support support surface. 2. The floating drive for vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein said pivot link assembly (36) includes a second pivot axis (50) spaced from said first pivot axis (52), and wherein said pivot link assembly (36) is coupled to said load frame (12) at said second pivot axis (50) and to said drive frame (18) at said first pivot axis (52). 3. The floating drive for vehicle as claimed in claim 2, wherein said pivot link assembly (36) includes a pair of pivot rails (38,40) each having a first end pivotically coupled to the load frame (12) and a second end pivctically coupled to the drive frame (18). 4. The floating drive for vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein said pivot link assembly (136) includes a guide member (138) and a cam (140), said guide member (138) has a vertical slot (142), and said cam (14) is movably disposed in said vertical slot (142). 5. The floating drive for vehicle as claimed in claim 4, wherein said cam (140) includes a follower (146) rotatable about an axis (144). 6. The floating drive for vehicle as claimed in claim 5, wherein said follower (146) includes a centering flange (148). 7. The floating drive for vehicle as claimed in claim 2 or 4, wherein said non-driven castor wheel (22) is rotatable about only a single axis of rotation (28). 8. The floating drive for vehicle as claimed in claim 1, and including a second non-driven rigid castor wheel (22) rotatable about only a single axis (28) and mounted to said drive frame (18), said drive wheel (20) and said rigid castor wheels (22) being positioned to form a triangle. 9. The floating drive for vehicle as claimed in any of the claims 2, 4 and 8, wherein said drive wheel (20) is rotatable about a first axis (24) to provide a driving force and rotatable about a second axis (26) to provide steering. 10. The floating drive for vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein said drive wheel (20) is rotatable about first and second axes (24,26), said non-driven rigid castor wheel (22) being rotatable about only a single axis (28); and furthermore comprising: pivot connector means including said pivot link assembly (36) with said first pivot axis (52) being fixed to one of said drive frame (18) and load frame (12) and vertically movable relative to the other of said drive frame (18) and load frame (12), and wherein said drive frame (18) is rotatable about said first pivot axis (52) and wherein said pivot link assembly (36) has a guide member (138) and a cam (140), wherein said guide member (138) has a vertical slot (142), and wherein said cam (140) is movably disposed in said vertical slot (142) and defines said first pivot axis (152). 11. The floating drive for vehicle as claimed in claim 10, wherein said cam (140) includes a follower (146) having a centering flange (148). 12. The floating drive for vehicle as claimed in claim 11, wherein said follower (146) is rotatable about said first pivot axis (144). 13. A floating drive for vehicle, substantially as herein before described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Documents:

4003-DELNP-2005-Abstract-04-12-2008.pdf

4003-DELNP-2005-Abstract-22-05-2008.pdf

4003-delnp-2005-abstract.pdf

4003-delnp-2005-assignment.pdf

4003-DELNP-2005-Claims-04-12-2008.pdf

4003-DELNP-2005-Claims-22-05-2008.pdf

4003-delnp-2005-claims.pdf

4003-DELNP-2005-Correspondence-Others-04-12-2008.pdf

4003-DELNP-2005-Correspondence-Others-22-05-2008.pdf

4003-delnp-2005-correspondence-others.pdf

4003-DELNP-2005-Description (Complete)-04-12-2008.pdf

4003-delnp-2005-description (complete)-22-05-2008.pdf

4003-delnp-2005-description (complete).pdf

4003-DELNP-2005-Drawings-22-05-2008.pdf

4003-delnp-2005-drawings.pdf

4003-delnp-2005-form-1.pdf

4003-delnp-2005-form-13-04-12-2008.pdf

4003-delnp-2005-form-18.pdf

4003-DELNP-2005-Form-2-04-12-2008.pdf

4003-delnp-2005-form-2.pdf

4003-delnp-2005-form-26.pdf

4003-DELNP-2005-Form-3-04-12-2008.pdf

4003-DELNP-2005-Form-3-22-05-2008.pdf

4003-delnp-2005-form-3.pdf

4003-delnp-2005-form-5.pdf

4003-DELNP-2005-Others Document-22-05-2008.pdf

4003-delnp-2005-pct-101.pdf

4003-delnp-2005-pct-210.pdf

4003-delnp-2005-pct-237.pdf

4003-DELNP-2005-PCT-304-22-05-2008.pdf

4003-delnp-2005-pct-311.pdf

4003-delnp-2005-pct-326.pdf

4003-delnp-2005-pct-373.pdf

4003-DELNP-2005-Petition-137-04-12-2008.pdf