| CPC B66F 9/063 (2013.01) [B66F 7/065 (2013.01); B66F 7/0608 (2013.01); B66F 7/0625 (2013.01); B66F 9/065 (2013.01); B66F 9/24 (2013.01)] | 16 Claims |
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1. An accessory modular device for use onboard an automated guided vehicle (AGV) to facilitate loading and unloading of a pallet onto and from the AGV for transport by said AGV, said accessory modular device comprising:
two lifting units arranged to be mounted above a base surface of said AGV and positioned transverse to a longitudinal direction of the AGV, said lifting units selectively movable in a substantially vertical direction by actuation of at least one first electric motor;
an upper platform positioned above said two lifting units and having end portions positioned transverse to the longitudinal direction of the AGV, each of the end portions respectively positioned above and rigidly connected to one of said two lifting units, in such a way that said upper platform can selectively be raised or lowered by said lifting units along the substantially vertical direction,
wherein said upper platform is substantially shaped like an inverted omega, comprising a central portion connected to said end portions, said end portions each having a distal end extending outwardly from said central portion along the longitudinal direction of the AGV, said central portion operable to support the pallet, the central portion lying in a plane that is positioned vertically lower with respect to said end portions, the central portion positioned transverse to the longitudinal direction of the AGV and defining a through passageway through the central portion in the transverse direction relative to the AGV longitudinal direction, the through passageway operable for selective loading and unloading of the pallet onto the central portion from each side of the AGV in the direction transverse to the longitudinal direction of the AGV;
a first accessory and a second accessory each configured to selectively facilitate movement of the pallet relative to the upper platform, the second accessory is configured to move the pallet in a different direction relative to the upper platform than the first accessory,
the accessory modular device is configured to alternately receive on the central portion a selected one of the first accessory or the second accessory suitable for a particular production environment;
a configurable electronic control unit operable to automatically control movement of the two lifting units in the substantially vertical direction and movement of the selected one of the first accessory or the second accessory according to a predetermined program, the configurable electronic control unit is further operable to communicate with an electronic unit of the AGV; and
a safety electronic controller in communication with the at least one first electric motor configured and operable to manage a plurality of safety functions specific to each of the selected one of the first accessory or the second accessory positioned on the central portion of the upper platform.
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