GB2194498A

GB2194498A - System for transporting articles between locations

Info

Publication number: GB2194498A
Application number: GB08720548A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Yukito Matsuo; Tsuyoshi Ishida; Hiromi Miyaji; Masanori Iwamoto
Original assignee: Toshiba Corp
Current assignee: Toshiba Corp
Priority date: 1986-08-29
Filing date: 1987-09-01
Publication date: 1988-03-09
Anticipated expiration: 2007-09-01
Also published as: KR880002731A; GB2194498B; JPS6357364A; GB8720548D0

Abstract

A system for transporting articles between a variety of locations comprises transporting cases (4) for housing objects (A1, A'') to be transported carried on carriages (14) which travel on, a transporting way (11). A plurality of stator units (19) are disposed on the transporting way (11) for moving and stopping the carriages (14) and means (23) are connected to the transporting way (11) for receiving and delivering the transporting case (4) from and to the carriage (14). A control unit (101, 102) is constructed to control the stator units (19) and the receiving and delivering means (23) such that the transporting case (4) is transferred to a designated place, the number of the transporting cases (4) on the transporting way (11) is maintained constant and as one case is transported to a destination and received from the carriage another transporting case is replaced on that carriage. By holding the transporting case number constant, the problem is avoided of empty transporting cases (4) being accumulated in a temporary accumulating portion of a branch way of high frequency of use and empty transporting cases (4) being lost in a temporary accumulating portion of a branch way of low frequency of use. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Transporting system The present invention relates to a transporting system which is provided with a main transporting way and a plurality of branch ways diverged from the main transporting way in order to transport many kind of transporting objects at high speed and in large quantities and, more particularly, to a transporting system which is capable of maintaining a number of transporting cases for the transporting objects on the main transporting way to a constant number.

In hospitals, there are known a case conveyor system for history sheets, an air shooter for chits, a vertical conveyor system for heavy weight objects as a method for transporting a plurality kind of transporting objects such as those between one section and another section. As another transporting method, a method in which a railway carriage is used to transport those many kind of objects is known in the past.

In the first method, however, it is necessary to dispose these systems in one place for usability. Therefore, the overall of the systems becomes a large-scale and it requires a considerable amount of space. In the second method, the railway carriage is applicable to the all kind of the transporting objects, however, its transporting speed is too late as compared with that of the air shooter. Therefore, this method is not sufficient for high speed transporting of the chits and the history sheets.

Moreover, the air shooter is capable of high speed transporting, however, it generate high noise such as an air noise and needs a space for a noise reducting device. In the air shooter, it is impossible to transfer a plurality of carriage in one transporting way section.

This means that the air shooter is not applicable to a mass transporting.

There is known further a transporting system which has a main transporting way for transporting at high speed a plurality kind of transporting objects housed in transporting cases, and a plurality of branch ways diverged from the main transporting way. In this system, by providing the branch ways near operators of each section, it is possible to form the main transporting way more straightly.

This provides a high speed transportation and a noise reduction. This type system has various advantages, however, also has a problem that empty transporting cases are accumulated in a temporary accumulating portion of a branch way with high frequency in use and the empty transporting case is lost in a temporary accumulating portion of a branch way with low frequency in use. Therefore, if the operator desire to transport an object from the temporary accumulating portion with no empty transporting case, the operator has to get an empty transporting case from the temporary accumulating portion which has many empty transporting cases. Namely, the considerable work and time are wasted.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a transporting system which can transport a plurality kind of transporting objects at high speed and in large quantities to many places.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a transporting system which can prevent a temporary accumulating portion of each branch way from losing at least one empty transporting case by maintaining a number of transporting cases on a main transporting way to a constant number.

A feature of the present invention resides in a transporting system which comprises transporting cases for housing a plurality kind of transporting objects, carriages for carrying the transporting case, a transporting way on which the carriages are transported, a plurality of stator units disposed on the transporting way for moving and stopping the carriages, means connected to the transporting way for receiving and delivering the transporting case from and to the carriage, and a control unit being constructed to control the stator units and the receiving and delivering means such that the transporting case is transported to a designated place and a number of the transporting cases on the transporting way is maintained to a constant number.Namely, by holding the transporting case number to constant, settled is a problem that the empty transporting cases are accumulated in a temporary accumulating portion of a branch way with high frequency in use and the empty transporting cases are lost in a temporary accumulating portion of a branch way with low frequency in use.

Another feature of the present invention resides in a transporting system which comprises transporting cases for housing a plurality kind of transporting objects, carriages for carrying the transporting case, a transporting way on which the carriages are transported, a plurality of stator units disposed on the transporting way for moving and stopping the carriages, means connected to the transporting way for receiving and delivering the transporting case from and to the carriage and a control unit being constructed to control the stator units and the receiving and delivering means such that the transporting case is transferred to a designated place and the other transporting case is supplied to the carriage, from which the transporting case was delivered, instead of the delivered transporting case.

These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more apparent from the following description given by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figures la and ib are sectional views of supporting bodies for supporting transporting objects; Figure 2 is a squint view of a transporting case for receiving the supporting body; Figure 3 shows an overall of a transporting system embodying the present invention; Figure 4 is a sectional view of a main transporting way shown in Fig. 3; Figure 5 shows a control circuit of the transporting system shown in Fig. 3; Figure 6 is a squint view of a receiving and delivering unit provided near a stator on the main transporting way shown in Fig. 3; Figure 7 is an elevational view of a fixing unit of the transporting case in Fig. 3;; Figure 8 is a squint view showing a flowing of the transporting cases between the main transporting way and the branch way in Fig.

3; Figure 9 is a squint view of an example of a station with a temporary accumulating portion on the branch way; Figure 10 is a squint view of a modification of a station; Figures 1 Th to 1 inc are squint views showing a flowing of the transporting cases on the station shown in Fig. 9; Figures 12a to 12c are squint views showing a flowing of the transporting cases on the station in Fig. 10; Figures 13a to 13c are squint views showing a flowing of the arrived transporting cases on the station in Fig. 9; and Figure 14 is an eievational view of an example of an operational panel.

Referring to Fig. 1, supporting bodies 1 are constructed to support various objects with different sizes such as a history sheet, a chit, and a Ringer's solution. Namely, in a supporting body 1 for supporting history sheets and/or chits or the like A there is provided a pair of sheet springs 2 for clamping the objects A, to prevent the objects A, from clattering and to easy take out and put in the objects A1, as shown in Fig. 1a. Also, in a supporting body 1 for supporting a bottle of Ringer's solution A2, an inner case is inserted between the object A2 and the supporting body 1 to prevent that from the clattering, as shown in Fig. 1b.

As shown in Fig. 2, a transporting case 4 includes a main body 5 and a cover 6 pivotaily connected to the main body 5 for receiving the supporting body 1 through an opening of the main body. The opening of the main body 5 is closed by the cover 6 in a lock condition.

Referring to Fig. 3, there is shown an overall of transporting system embodying the present invention for transporting the objects by means of the transporting case 4. In Fig. 3, a main transporting way 11 is disposed in a ceiling or beneath the ceiling at the top of each floor. From the main transporting way 11, a plurality of branch ways are diverged and extended to various sections, respectively, such as an internal medicine section, a pediatrics section, a surgery section, and a dentistry section along walls of the sections for transporting the transporting cases 4 to suitable portions of the sections which can offer an easy operational work.

As shown in Fig. 4, the main transporting way 11 is constructed to transfer at high speed carriages 14 each of which has a receiving portion 13 for receiving the transporting case 4. Namely, the carriage 14 is movably attached on a pair of guide rails 17 through a supporting number 18 which has a plurality of wheels. The carriage 14 is moved or stopped by a linear motor 20 which includes stators 19, or first conductors, disposed at predetermined spaces on the main transporting way 11 and a second conductor 18 attached to each of the carriage 14.

A case 21 for covering the main transporting way 11 comprises a lower case 21a and an upper case 21b being detachable from the lower case 21a for bringing easy inspection.

At each of portions on the main transporting way from which the branch ways are diverged, the stator 19 of the linear motor 20 is provided to stop the carriage 14 as a carriage stopping unit 22. Corresponding to the carriage stopping unit 22, a receiving and delivering unit 23 is provided at the each of portions on the main transporting way 11 for receiving and delivering the transporting case 14 from and to the main transporting way 11, as shown in Fig. 8. Under a control at a control circuit as shown in Fig. 5, a transporting case 4 with the transporting object A such as the history sheets, the chits, and the bottle of Ringer's solution or an empty transporting case 4 is received from the main transporting way to the branch way and is deliveried from the branch way to the main transporting way 11.

Namely, as shown in Fig. 5, the control circuit includes a plurality of stator controllers 101 each of which is constructed for controlling the moving of the carriage at each stator 19 and the receiving and delivering of the transporting case 4, and a central control unit 102 for controliing all of the stator controllers 101. As described follow, the control circuit is constructed to control the system such that the transporting cases 4 are transported in accordance with instructions from an operational panel 51 and a number of the transporting case 4 on the main transporting way 11 is maintained to a predetermined number at all times. Each of the stator controllers 101 is constructed to control the stator 19, a first pulse motor 110, a second pulse motor 113, a first cylinder 111, and a second cylinder 112 as described later.

As shown in Figs. 6 and 7, the receiving and delivering unit 23 includes a guide shaft 24 disposed in a direction Y perpendicular to a transporting direction X of the carriage 14 on the main transporting way 11. A moving member 26 with a pushing member 25 is slidably provided to the guide shaft 24. A timing belt 28 is attached to the moving member 26 through a connecting member 27. The timing belt 28 is engaged to a pair of pulleys, one of which is driven by the first pulse motor 110 through gears. Therefore, by driving the first pulse motor 110, the moving member 26 is slid in the direction Y with the pushing member 25.

The pushing member 25 is located for pushing a side of the transporting case 4 and is slid so as to supply the transporting case 4 from the carriage 14 to a departure and arrival portion 30 of the branch way 12 or supply the transporting case 4 from the departure and arrival portion 30 to the carriage 14. As shown in Fig. 6, the transporting case 4 is held on the carriage 4 by a pair of holding members 31a, 31b attached to the carriage 4.

The transporting case 4 which is held by the holding members 31a, 31b on the carriage is slidable only in the direction Y for the receiving and delivering operation. Furthermore, in order to prevent the transporting case 4 from sliding in the direction Y during the-transporting of the transporting case 4, a case fixing unit 32 is provided to the holding members 31a, 31b of the carriage 14. As shown in Figs. 6 and 7, the case fixing unit 32 includes a pair of fixing members 33 which are rocka bly attached to the holding members 31 a, 31b, respectively. Each of the fixing members 33 has edge portions 33a at its both side, which are formed by bending, for touching to the both side of the transporting case 4.The fixing member 33 is forced by springs 35 to a stopper 36 and when the fixing member 33 is contact with the stopper 36, the transporting case 4 is fixed by the edge portions 33a on a receiving portion 13 of the carriage 14 as shown by a real line in Fig. 6.

On the other hand, at each of the carriage stopping units 22, a case releasing unit 37 is provided for releasing the fixing operation of the case fixing unit 32 in the case receiving and delivering operation. The case releasing unit 37 includes a pair of pushing bars 38 which is moved down or up by the first cylinder 111 for rotating the fixing member 33 with the edge portions 33a against the force of the springs 35. Then, the edge portions 33a separate from the transporting case 4 for releasing the fixing operation, as shown by a dotted line in Fig. 6.

Referring to Fig. 8, the branch way 12 includes a temporary accumulating portion 46 which comprises a case receiving portion 41 disposed on the floor and a case delivering portion 43 disposed near the case receiving portion 41, a first transporting portion 42 for transporting the transporting case 4 from the departure and arrival portion 30 to the case receiving portion 41, and a second transporting portion 44 for transporting the transporting case 4 from the case delivering portion 43 to the departure and arrival portion 30.

As shown in Fig. 8, a pushing unit 45 is provided at a end of the second transporting portion 44. The punching unit 45 includes a pushing bar 47 for pushing the transporting case 4 on the end of the second transporting portion 44 to the first transporting portion 42.

The pushing bar 47 is drove by the second cylinder 112 shown in Fig. 5. The transporting case 4 pushed to the first transporting portion 42 is supplied to the departure and arrival portion 30 by reversely driving a belt 46 provided a start of the first transporting portion 42. The belt 46 is drove by the second pulse motor 113 shown in Fig. 5.

In Fig. 9, there is shown an example of a station with a temporary accumulating portion on the branch way shown in Fig. 3. The transporting case 4 transported through the main transporting way 11 and the branch way 12 is placed in the case receiving portion 41 so as to face its opening to the operator in accordance with the instruction from an operation part 50. When the transporting case 4 reaches to the case receiving portion 41, an arrival sign is displayed on the operational panel 51 of the operation part 50 and an arrival chime is generated from the operation part 50. An opening and shutting detection unit (not shown) is provided at the station for detecting the opening and shutting of the cover 6 of the transporting case 4 at the delivering of the transporting case 4.According to an instruction from the operation part 50, the opening and shutting of the cover 6 of the transporting case 4 is detected by the opening and shutting detection unit, and when the cover 6 is shutted, the transporting case 4 is transported upwardly on the second transporting portion 44.

In Fig. 10, there is shown a modification of the station shown in Fig. 3 which includes an opening mechanism 52 for automatically opening the cover 6 of the transporting case 4 when the transporting case 4 is reached to a temporary accumulating portion (not shown).

The station further includes a detecting unit for detecting an existence of the transporting object A in the supporting body 1 of the transporting case 4. The empty supporting body 1 detected by the detecting unit is sterilized by a ultraviolet sterilizing unit (not shown) and the supporting body 1 having the transporting object A is not sterilized and is transferred to an operational place.

When the transporting case 4 reaches to the temporary accumulating portion, an arrival sign is displayed on an operational panel 53, an arrival chime is generated, and the opened transporting case 4 is seriesly kept in the temporary accumulating portion. As shown in Fig; 10, when one transporting case 4 is transferred to a temporary accumulating portion, the case 4 is held a position a in Fig.

10, then, a chime and a sign are appeared until a next transporting case 4with transporting objects is arrived. The transporting objects A are picked out from the transporting case 4 and detected by a content detecting unit (not shown).

The transporting cases 4 having the supporting bodies 1 with the transporting objects A depart from a position b in Fig. 10. After the transporting case 4 is placed in the position b, the case 4 is transferred to a case closing mechanism 54 in accordance with an instruction produced by pressing a direction key on a operational panel 53. The cover 6 of the transporting case 4 is automatically closed by the case closing mechanism 54 and the case 4 is transferred to the main transporting way 11. Further, at each of the carriage stopping unit 22 on the main transporting way 11, a content detecting unit (not shown) is provided for detecting the transporting object A in the transporting case 4 to distinguish between the arrival and departure of the transporting case 4.

Referring to Figs. 11 and 12, there is explained a flowing of the transporting case 4 in the transporting system in accordance with the present invention.

In Figs. 1 lea to 1 lie, there is shown a flowing of the transporting cases 4 on the station 12A shown in Fig. 9 and in Figs. 12a to 12c there is shown a flowing of the transporting cases 4 on the station 12B shown in Fig. 10.

Now, for transporting a first transporting case 4a having the transporting object A to the main transporting way 11, second and third empty transporting cases 4b and 4c are transferred on the end portion of the second transporting portion 44 as shown in Fig. 1 lea.

The second and third transporting cases 4b and 4c are slid to the side by six stages provided on an upper end portion of the station 12A to make a condition in which the first transporting case 4a can be delivered to the main transporting way 11. When a fourth transporting case 4d with the transporting object A is stopped at the carriage stopping unit 22, the third transporting case 4c is transferred to the case receiving portion 41 on the first transporting portion 42 and the second transporting case 4b is remained on the first transporting portion 42, as shown in Fig. 1 ib.

After the fourth transporting case 4d is discharged from the carriage 14 to the branch way, namely the station 12A, the first transporting case 4a is carried on the carriage 14 stopped on the carriage stopping unit 22 as shown in Fig. 1 1c and is transported by the carriage 14 to the station 128. At the station 12B, the first transporting case 4a is discharged from the carriage 14 and a fifth transporting case 4e is carried on the carriage 14 instead of the first transporting case 4a. If an address of the fifth transporting case 4c is designated, the fifth transporting case Sc is transported to a station of the designated address, and if not, the fifth transporting case 4e remains on the main transporting way 11.

The remained fifth transporting case 4e is transferred to a station 1 2c having a sixth transporting case 4f to be transported and is discharged from the carriage 14 to the station 12c. Instead of the fifth transporting case 4e, the sixth transporting case 4f is carried on the carriage 14.

As described above, in the transporting system, each of the carriage 14 always carries the transporting case 4 and at the carriage stopping unit 22 the transporting case 4 on the carriage 14 is changed to the other transporting case 4. Therefore, the number of the transporting case 4 on the main transporting way is always maintained to a constant number. Whereby, it is possible to transport a plurality kind of objects at high speed and prevent the temporary accumulating portion of each branch way 12 from losing the empty transporting case 4.

In Fig. 13, there is shown a flowing of the arrived transporting cases 4 on the station in Fig. 9. When a carriage 14 having a first transporting case 4a is stopped at the carriage stopping unit 22, seventh and eighth transporting cases 4g, 4h are moved upwardly and the first transporting case 4a is transferred from the carriage 14 to the station 12A.

In Fig. 14, there is shown an operational panel 70 on which a name of a station such as an internal medicine or the like is displayed. And, when no address is displayed on the operational panel 70, an empty transporting case is transferred on the main transporting case.

Various modifications will become possible for those skilled in the art after receiving the teachings of the present disclosure without departing from the scope thereof.

Claims

1. A transporting system for transporting a plurality kind of transporting objects to a specified place, comprising: transporting cases for housing the plurality kind of objects; carriage for carrying the transporting case; a transporting way on which the carriage is transported; means disposed on the transporting way for moving and stopping the carriage; means connected to said transporting way for receiving and delivering the transporting case from and to the carriage; and control means being constructed to control said moving and stopping means and said receiving and delivering means such that the transporting case is transported to the specified place and a number of the transporting cases on the transporting way is maintained to a constant number.

2. The transporting system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said transporting way includes a main transporting way and a plurality of branch ways being diverged from the main transporting way at the connections between said transporting way and said receiving and delivering means, each of the branch ways including a temporary accumulating portion for accumulating said transporting case to take off and put in the transporting object.

3. The transporting system as claimed in claim 2, wherein said receiving and delivering means is constructed to transfer said transporting case between the main transporting way and the branch way.

4. The transporting system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the plurality of carriages are provided on the main transporting way, the carriages always having said transporting case except when the transporting cases are received and delivered from and to the carriages.

5. The transporting system as claimed in claim 2, wherein at least one of empty transporting case is placed at the temporary accumulating portion of said each branch way.

6. A transporting system for transporting a plurality kind of transporting objects to a specified place, comprising: transporting cases for housing the plurality kind of objects; carriage for carrying the transporting case; a transporting way on which the carriage is transported; means disposed on the transporting way for moving and stopping the carriage; means connected to said transporting way for receiving and delivering the transporting case from and to the carriage; and control means being constructed to control said moving and stopping means and said receiving and delivering means such that one of the transporting case is transported to the specified place and the other transporting case is supplied to said carriage, from which the transporting case was delivered, instead of the delivered transporting case.

7. The transporting system as claimed in claim 6, wherein said transporting way includes a main transporting way and a plurality of branch ways being diverged from the main transporting way at the connections between said transporting way and said receiving and delivering means, each of the branch ways including a temporary accumulating portion for accumulating said transporting case to take off and put in the transporting object.

8. The transporting system as claimed in claim 7, wherein said receiving and delivering means is constructed to transfer said transporting case between the main transporting way and the branch way.

9. The transporting system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the plurality of carriages are provided on the main transporting way, the carriages always having said transporting case except when the transporting case are received and delivered from and to the carriages.

10. The transporting system as claimed in claim 7, wherein at least one of empty transporting case is placed at the temporary accumulating portion of said each branch way.

11. A transporting system, comprising: case for housing a plurality kind of objects; carriage for carrying said case; a transporting way for transporting said carriage; means for moving and stopping said carriage disposed on said transporting way; means for receiving and delivering said case from and to the carriage stopped at said moving and stopping means; and means for transporting said case received from and delivered to said carriage.

12. The transporting system as claimed in claim 11, wherein said transporting means includes a temporary accumulating means for accumulating said case temporarily.

13. The transporting system as claimed in claim 11, wherein a plural carriage are provided or said transporting way, said each carriage always has said case except when said case is received and delivered from and to said carriage.

14. The transporting system as claimed in claim 12, wherein at least one of empty case is placed at the temporary accumulating portion of said transporting means.

15. A transporting system substantially as hereinbefore defined with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.