JP2000153905A - Conveyor truck system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To make a conveyor truck system to be easily recoverable by means of three manual operative modes conformed to a state of system trouble. SOLUTION: Four control parts for on-line automatic operation 20, on-line manual operation 22, maintenance manual operation 26 and forced operation 28 are installed in a control section 14 of a conveyor truck, thereby making up them switchable by a remote control unit 12. In the on-line manual control part 22, it travels according to an indication of the remote control unit 12, and then it is transferred onto a specified station from a control part 10 in the case where on-line traveling is impossible due to accidental load shifting or the like. The maintenance manual control part 26 is transferrable in a gap with an optional station, and further it is used when a recovery fails to be done by the on-line manual operation. Likewise, in the case where the recovery can not be done by the maintenance manual control part 26, it is traveled to the optional position in disregard of an interlock of the system by the forced operation control part 28, whereby its transfer in an interval with the optional station is achievable in this way.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a carrier truck system, and more particularly, to recovery from trouble of a carrier truck.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art There are two types of carrier truck systems, for example, a tracked truck system that travels on a track provided on the ground and a ceiling, an automated guided vehicle system that travels tracklessly on the ground, or a shelf and a crane that travels along the shelf. And an automatic warehouse system comprising a station such as a conveyor. In the transport trolley system, the transport trolley travels and stops according to an instruction from the system control unit, performs transfer according to the instruction, and is restricted by a system interlock for security. When a trouble occurs in the transport trolley system, it is necessary to manually restore the system according to the instructions of manual operation means such as a remote controller.

[0003] In the conventional transport cart system, a manual mode is prepared, and when a trouble occurs in the transport cart, the transport cart is manually moved to an arbitrary position and can be transferred to an arbitrary position. However, the inventor
In this recovery mode, it is possible to transfer to an arbitrary position, so that the goods are transferred to unexpected stations and shelves, etc., and the trouble that the system control unit cannot track the flow of the goods may occur. I found it. Even in this case, if the operator manually inputs the contents of the transfer to the system control unit after the manual transfer, the flow of the article can be tracked. However, this operation is troublesome and is not often performed, resulting in poor tracking. The inventor has also found that many of the problems with the transport trolley system
It was found that it was a relatively simple trouble such as collapse of the load.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to make it possible to easily recover a carriage system for a relatively simple trouble such as collapse of a load without disrupting control of a system control unit. It is in. Another object of the present invention is to make it possible to easily recover the system when recovery of the system is still difficult. An additional object of the third aspect of the present invention is to enable a system to be recovered on the spot even when a trouble is extremely serious.

[0005]

According to the present invention, in a system in which a carriage is moved / stopped and a transfer operation is performed under an instruction of a system control unit and an interlock of the system, the system operates in accordance with an instruction of a manual operation means. In addition, a first manual control unit, which is privileged with respect to the system control unit, is provided in the transport vehicle only for the traveling / stopping of the transport vehicle.

Preferably, the second manual control unit is switchable with the first manual control unit, operates in accordance with an instruction of a manual operation means, and has a privileged second manual control for the system control unit with respect to the traveling / stopping and transfer operations of the carrier. The control unit is provided on the transport vehicle.

[0007] More preferably, the transfer vehicle is provided with a forced operation control unit which is switchable with the second manual control unit and operates in accordance with an instruction of the manual operation means, and has a privileged operation control unit privileged for both the system control unit and the system interlock. In addition, a specific rule is provided for switching control from the second manual control unit to the forced operation control unit. Specific terms include:
There is a request to repeatedly turn on a reset switch or the like, or a request to repeatedly touch a plurality of switches, so that at least one touch of a switch does not shift control to the forced operation control unit, The switching procedure is more complicated than the transition of the control from the first manual control to the second manual control or the transition of the control from the forced operation control unit to the second manual control unit.

Here, "privileged" means that operations such as running, stopping, and transfer can be performed ignoring instructions and approvals from the system control unit. The privileged range is sequentially expanded from the first manual control to the second manual control unit and the forced operation control unit. The first manual control unit can travel to an arbitrary position and can stop at an arbitrary position. Cannot be transferred inconsistent with the instructions of However, due to the nature of recovery, it is preferable that transfer can be performed in accordance with an instruction from a manual operation means such as a remote controller or the like within a range not incompatible with an instruction from the system control unit or the interlock. The second manual control unit can travel to an arbitrary position, stop at an arbitrary position, and transfer data to and from an arbitrary station, shelf, or the like within a range that does not violate the system interlock. The forced operation controller ignores both the system controller and the system interlock, and can perform traveling, stop, and transfer.

[0009]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the first manual control unit is provided on the carriage, and the carriage can be moved to an arbitrary position and stopped at an arbitrary position by an instruction of the manual operation means. It can be so. However, transfer is limited to the position specified by the system control unit. For this reason, even if a load collapse or the like occurs and it is impossible to run or stop under the control of the system control unit, the transport trolley system can be restored by manual operation using manual operation means. Since transfer can be performed only to the position specified by the system control unit, no matter how this control unit is used, transfer that does not contradict the data in the system control unit is performed, and the transfer of goods and inventory The data does not go out of order.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, a second manual control unit is further provided so that not only traveling / stopping but also transfer is privileged, so that transfer can be performed to any station or shelf. For this reason, the transfer can be performed even in a situation where the detection sensor for the position of the transport vehicle is defective and the transfer cannot be performed due to a defective position, or even if the transfer request between the station and the transport vehicle or the sensor for the transfer approval is defective. . Since the control by the second manual control unit can be switched from the control of the first manual control unit, when the recovery by the first manual control unit fails, the control can be switched and restored on the spot.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, a forced operation control unit is provided to determine the distance between the vehicle and the preceding carriage, the presence or absence of an obstacle,
Alternatively, running / stopping and transfer can be performed ignoring system interlocks such as protruding luggage and restricting the passage of a fireproof shutter. For this reason, any situation that can be manually restored can be restored, and switching to this control unit requires a specific rule to be followed, so that the forced operation control unit is not abused. As is clear from the above description, the system interlock mainly means a security interlock, and the communication sensor and the like between the station and the carriage are related to the transfer procedure and are not included in the system interlock. And

[0012]

1 to 3 show an embodiment using a tracked truck system as an example. However, an automatic guided vehicle system or an automatic warehouse system may be used. FIG. 1 shows the configuration of the tracked bogie system according to the embodiment. 2 is a track, 4 is a signal line laid along the track 2, 6 is a tracked bogie, and a plurality of tracked bogies are run on the track 2;
Denotes a station, and a plurality of stations are provided along the track 2. The tracked truck 6 and the station 8 operate according to an instruction such as a transfer request from the system control unit 10, and 12 is a remote controller used for manually operating the tracked truck 6. The tracked truck system is provided with various sensors and an interlock based on the sensors. For example, the tracked truck 6 has a sensor for detecting a collapse of a load, an overhang of a load, or the like, An inter-vehicle distance detection sensor is provided. Along the track 2, there are provided an obstacle detection sensor, a signal for confirming passage of a narrow road such as a fire shutter, and the like. Further, each station 8 has a sensor for detecting a stop position of the tracked truck 6, a transfer request signal (a signal from a side that sends out a load) between the tracked truck 6 and the station 8, and a transfer approval. Sensors for transmitting and receiving signals (signals indicating that the load receiving side is ready) are provided. Of these,
The overhang of the load, the inter-vehicle distance to the preceding bogie, and the restriction on the passage of narrow roads such as fireproof shutters are for the security of the system. An interlock based on these is particularly called a system interlock. The tracked truck 6 is provided with a system control unit 10
Travels from one station to another in response to the transfer request of, and transfers at the designated station.

FIG. 2 shows a control system 14 of each tracked truck 6. The control system 14 is connected to the system controller 10 via the input / output 16 via the signal line 4, and from the input / output 18 to the remote controller 12 via infrared communication or ultrasonic communication. The control system 14 has five control units. The on-line automatic control unit 20 is for executing an instruction such as a transfer request of the system control unit 10, and the traveling destination, the stop position, and the transfer are all controlled by the system control unit 10. This is performed based on the transport request received from.

Using the switch of the remote controller 12, control can be switched from the online automatic control unit 20 to the online manual control unit 22 (an example of a first manual control unit).
When the control is switched, running and stopping are performed by the system controller 1.
It is possible to move away from the instruction of 0, travel to an arbitrary position by input from the remote controller 12, and stop at an arbitrary position. Therefore, even when the tracked truck 6 has collapsed, traveling and stopping are possible. However, the online manual control unit 22 cannot perform transfer that is inconsistent with the transport request of the system control unit 10 or that is not instructed by the system control unit 10. Also, the transfer cannot be performed unless the procedure of stopping the tracked truck 6 to an appropriate position in front of the station 8 and exchanging the transfer request signal and the transfer approval signal is performed. For this reason, transferring to / from a station not included in the transport request,
If a sensor or the like of the station 8 has a failure, transfer becomes impossible. However, since the control of traveling and stopping is removed from the system control unit 10 and the transfer is performed in a state where the cargo collapses or the like, the input of starting and stopping of the conveyor, the lifter, the crane, and the like is performed by the remote controller 12. The transfer itself is left to the remote controller 12.

The use of the online manual control section 22 makes it possible to easily and manually recover a minor trouble such as collapse of a load. Further, since the transfer destination is limited to the range instructed by the system control unit 10, the article is not transported to a position different from the transport request, and the transport data of the article is not disrupted. Most of the troubles can be recovered by the online manual control unit 22 and the online automatic control unit 2
0, control is transferred to the online manual control unit 22 first.
Can be recovered with.

Reference numeral 24 denotes an automatic maintenance control unit for inputting a transport request itself from the remote controller 12 at the time of maintenance, for example. Since this control unit has nothing to do with the recovery of the system, the description is omitted. The maintenance manual control unit 26 can transfer control from the online manual control unit 22 and the maintenance automatic control unit 24 by inputting to the remote control 12, move the tracked truck 6 to an arbitrary position, and stop at an arbitrary position. Can be done. In addition, transfer can be performed with an arbitrary station. However, it is not allowed to ignore the interlock of the tracked bogie system, and is privileged to the system control unit 10, but not privileged to the system interlock. Numeral 28 denotes a forced operation control unit, which can ignore the instruction of the system control unit 10 and the system interlock, can move the tracked truck 6 to an arbitrary position and stop it, and furthermore, can send goods to and from an arbitrary station. Can be transferred. The control system 14 includes a traveling control unit 30 (for controlling a traveling motor and a brake) and a transfer control unit 32 (for controlling a transfer conveyor, a lifter, a crane, and the like, which are operated in accordance with the instructions of the respective control units described above). ), And an interlock unit 34 (for prohibiting running or transfer when the condition is contrary to the interlock condition).

FIG. 3 shows the transition of control between the control units. When the power is supplied to the tracked vehicle 6, the online automatic control unit 20 or the maintenance automatic control unit 24 is activated depending on the state at the time of power-on. Normally, the online automatic control unit 20 is activated, and the subsequent transition will be described. If the tracked vehicle 6 cannot execute the transfer request only by the instruction of the system control unit 10, manual recovery is required. The recovery at this time is performed by the remote controller 12, and the control switching from the online automatic control unit 20 to the online manual control unit 22 is performed by touching a switch of the remote control 12. When the control is switched to the online manual control unit 22, the tracked truck 6 can travel to any position and stop at any position. In addition, transfer can be performed only with the station specified by the transfer request input from the system control unit 10. Therefore, in the case where the transfer itself has no inconvenience and there is an inconvenience only in traveling to the target station, the control can be switched to the online manual control unit 22 to perform recovery. However, in this control, the article is not transferred to or from a station other than the transport request, and the transport data of the article is not disrupted.

The transfer is performed between the station 8 and the tracked truck 6 such as when the tracked truck 6 is stopped at a correct position or when a transfer request signal and a transfer approval signal are exchanged. Steps are required. When the sensors used for these are out of order, or when the articles are transported to a station irrelevant to the transport request from the system control unit 10 or to a different station, the control is switched to the maintenance manual control unit 26 by the input to the remote controller 12. Can be. When this control unit is used, not only the travel destination and the stop position of the tracked truck 6 but also the transfer destination are arbitrary. However, since it is not permissible to ignore the system interlock, restrictions such as restrictions on the passage of the fireproof shutter, restrictions on the inter-vehicle distance with the preceding bogie, and prohibition of protruding the load are observed. Then, even if the sensor of the stop position of the tracked truck around the station 8 and the sensor for communication of the transfer request signal and the transfer approval signal are out of order, the transfer can be performed. Can be. If this control unit is used, the data can be transferred to an arbitrary station. Therefore, when data is transferred to or from a station other than the transfer request, data of the contents of the transfer is separately input to the system control unit.

A forced operation control unit 28 is provided in case the trouble is more serious. In order to switch the control to the control unit, it is necessary to perform an input in accordance with a specific rule such as repeatedly inputting a reset switch of the remote controller 12 a plurality of times. This is to prevent the forced operation control unit 28 from being abused. To return control from the forced operation control unit 28 to the maintenance manual control unit 26, for example, a reset signal may be input once to the remote controller 12. Forced operation control unit 2
Under the control of 8, the interlock for security of the system can be neglected, and for example, the interlock such as the passage of a fireproof shutter or the inter-vehicle distance with a preceding bogie can be neglected.
Therefore, if the state can be manually restored, all states can be restored.

In order for the system control unit 10 to manage the tracked bogie system, information on the current position of each tracked bogie 6 and with which station the transfer was performed is required. Not only the online automatic control unit 20 but also the other control units 22 to 28 report the current position and report which station has been loaded or unloaded to which station. Further, under the control of any control unit, the traveling control unit 30 of the control system 14 continues accumulating the traveling distance by an encoder or the like linked to the wheels or the like of the tracked truck 6, and recognizes the current position of the tracked truck 6. Continue. For this reason, even if a control unit other than the online automatic control unit 20 performs control, the position of each tracked truck 6 is recorded in the system control unit 10, so that the tracked truck 6 is returned to the origin of the track 2. No need to reset.

In the embodiment, the tracked bogie system is taken as an example. However, the present invention may be applied to an automatic guided vehicle system or the like that travels on the ground without a track. A running track may be used. Further, although the track 2 is shown as a simple loop in FIG. 1, a branch or the like may be provided in addition to this. In the embodiment, the first manual control unit,
Regarding the privileges of the second manual control unit and the forced operation control unit,
Although very specific examples have been shown, the present invention is not limited to these examples. The online manual control unit 22 can travel and stop at an arbitrary position, and can transfer only to the station specified by the system control unit 10 and within a range that does not violate the signal of the transfer sensor. Further, the maintenance manual control unit 26 can travel and stop at an arbitrary position, and can perform the transfer ignoring the signal of the transfer sensor and the instruction of the system control unit. However, the maintenance manual control unit 26 is privileged with respect to signals from various sensors only in a transfer procedure around the station and a signal for confirming a transfer condition, a load protruding, a restriction on passage of a fireproof shutter, and the like. It does not reach the safety interlocks such as the distance between vehicles. Further, even under the control of the forced operation control unit 28, when the traveling motor of the tracked truck 6 is overheated or when the power supply system is abnormal, the tracked truck 6 stops.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a tracked bogie system of an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration of a control system built in a tracked vehicle in the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a transition between modes in the embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 track 4 signal line 6 tracked truck 8 station 10 system control unit 12 remote control 14 control system 16, 18 input / output 20 online automatic control unit 22 online manual control unit 24 maintenance automatic control unit 26 maintenance manual control unit 28 forced operation control unit 30 traveling control unit 32 transfer control unit 34 interlock unit

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page F-term (reference)

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A system in which a transport vehicle travels and stops and performs a transfer operation under an instruction of a system control unit and an interlock of the system, the system operates in accordance with an instruction of manual operation means, A transport trolley system, wherein a first manual control unit, which is privileged to the system control unit only for traveling / stopping, is provided on the transport trolley. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first manual control unit is switchable.
And a second manual control unit which operates in accordance with an instruction of the manual operation means and which is privileged with respect to the system control unit with respect to the traveling / stopping and transfer operations of the carriage, is provided on the carriage. 1. Carriage trolley system. 3. The apparatus is switchable with the second manual control unit.
And operating in accordance with the instruction of the manual operation means, providing a forcible operation control unit which is privileged for both the system control unit and the system interlock on the transport trolley, and controlling the second manual control unit to the forcible operation control unit. 3. The transporting trolley system according to claim 2, wherein a specific rule is provided for the switching.