JP2000281278A - Conveying device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a conveying device capable of providing a large number of wires between a carriage and a holding device, and detecting damage to suspended members. SOLUTION: An elevating device 5 for lowering or elevating a holding device 4 is provided with rotary shafts 11, 13, belts 14a, 14b, 15a, 15b the upper ends of which are respectively fixed to the rotary shafts 11, 13 and the lower ends of which are fixed to the holding device 4, and along the longitudinal direction of which guide bodies 16, 17, 18, 19 are provided, and a driving motor 28 (driving source) for driving the rotary shafts 11, 13 for winding or winding off the respective belts around the rotary shafts 11, 13. Slip ring mechanisms 30, 31 connected to the guide bodies of the respective belts are provided at the rotary shafts 11, 13, and these belts, these guide bodies, and the slip ring mechanisms 30, 31 are used as feeder circuits.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a transport device for transporting articles in a factory or the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a conventional transfer device, a traveling vehicle that moves on the transport path is installed on a transport path arranged above a work space, and a holding device that holds an object to be transported from the traveling vehicle via an elevating device. Hanging devices are known. The elevating device has a rotating shaft supported in a substantially horizontal direction, a flexible hanging member whose upper end is fixed to the rotating shaft and whose lower end is fixed to the holding device, and which rotationally drives the rotating shaft. And a drive source for winding or unwinding the hanging member around the rotating shaft. The holding device is provided with a gripping device for gripping an object to be transported and various sensors used for operation control and position confirmation of the object to be transported, and a gripping device and a holding device are provided between the traveling vehicle and the holding device. A power supply circuit that supplies power to various sensors and exchanges signals with various sensors is provided. As a conventional power supply circuit, a wire or a steel belt is used as a suspension member for suspending and supporting the holding device, and the suspension member itself is used as the power supply circuit.

[0003]

In the above-described conventional transfer apparatus, a wire or a steel belt is used as a suspending member for suspending and supporting the holding device, and the suspending member itself is used as a power supply circuit. Since the number of steel belts that can be arranged is limited, the number of wires between the belt and the holding device is limited.
In addition, since the transport device is usually located at a high position, and the operation of the transport device is often controlled automatically or remotely, even if the hanging member is partially damaged, damage is not noticeable. There is a problem that it is hard to be attached, and it is difficult to find damage to the hanging member.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has as its object to provide a transfer device capable of providing a large number of wires between a traveling vehicle and a holding device. It is another object of the present invention to provide a transporting device capable of detecting an error.

[0005]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a transport apparatus, comprising: a traveling vehicle traveling on a transportation path; and a transporting device supported by the traveling vehicle in a suspended state. A holding device that holds an object, and an elevating device that moves the holding device up and down with respect to the traveling vehicle,
A power supply circuit for electric power or a signal is provided between the traveling vehicle and the holding device, and the lifting device includes:
A rotating shaft supported in a substantially horizontal direction, a flexible belt having an upper end fixed to the rotating shaft and a lower end fixed to the holding device, and a conductor provided in a length direction thereof; A drive source for rotating the rotating shaft to rotate or unwind the belt around the rotating shaft; and a slip ring mechanism provided on the rotating shaft and connected to the conductor, A circuit includes the conductor and a slip ring mechanism.

In the transport device having the above-described structure, in order to move the holding device up and down, the driving device rotates the rotating shaft of the lifting device and winds the belt around the rotating shaft to raise the holding device. The holding device is lowered by rotating the rotating shaft to unwind the belt. In this case, since the conductor and the slip ring form a power supply circuit, power is supplied to the holding device and a signal is supplied through the conductor and the slip ring.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, the belt includes a belt formed integrally with an insulating resin, and a plurality of conductors buried in the belt at a distance from each other. Features. In the transport device configured as described above, power or a signal is supplied through a plurality of conductors embedded in the belt.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, the lifting device includes a plurality of sets of power supply circuit components including the belt, and a plurality of conductors provided on each belt of the power supply circuit components. At least one, a power supply for supplying power to the at least one conductor, and disconnection detecting means for detecting disconnection of the conductor based on a conduction state of the conductor are provided. In the transport device configured as described above, when the conductor is disconnected, the disconnection is detected by the disconnection detecting unit.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the transport device according to the present invention will be described below. 1 to 5 show one embodiment of the present invention. Transport device 1 of the present embodiment
As shown in FIG. 3, a traveling device 3 traveling on the transport path 2, a holding device 4 supported by the traveling vehicle 3 in a suspended state and retaining an object to be transported (not shown); 3 and a lifting device 5 for raising and lowering the holding device 4. The holding device 4 includes a gripping device 4a for gripping an object to be transported.
And various sensors (not shown) used for operation control, position confirmation of a transferred object, and the like.

As shown in FIG. 1, the lifting device 5 is supported in a substantially horizontal direction in a lifting device main body 5a, and has a rotating shaft 11 having roller portions 10a and 10b formed near both ends, and a rotating shaft 11. A rotating shaft 13 arranged in parallel and horizontally at a predetermined distance and having roller portions 12a and 12b formed near both ends, and a roller portion 10a of the rotating shaft 11;
Flexible belts 14a and 14b having an upper end fixed to 10b and a lower end fixed to the holding device 4, and upper ends fixed to the roller portions 12a and 12b of the rotating shaft 13 and a lower end fixed to the holding device 4, respectively. Belt 15 having flexibility
a and 15b.

A conductor 16 is provided on the belt 14a along its length direction. Similarly, a conductor 17 is provided on the belt 14b, a conductor 18 is provided on the belt 15a, and a conductor 18 is provided on the belt 15a.
The conductor 19 is provided on b. A bevel gear 20 is provided at an end of the rotating shaft 11 on the roller portion 10a side, a bevel gear 21 is provided at an end of the rotating shaft 13 on the roller portion 12a side, and a bevel gear 22 is provided at the other end. Have been. A power transmission shaft 27 provided with bevel gears 25 and 26 at both ends is interposed between ends of the rotating shafts 11 and 13 on which the bevel gears 20 and 21 are provided. A drive motor 28 (drive source) that rotates the rotation shaft 13 via a drive shaft 28 a and a bevel gear 29 is connected to an end on the side where the gear 22 is provided. Also, the rotating shaft 11
The end on the side where the bevel gear 20 is provided has a belt 14
a and 14b are provided with a slip ring mechanism 30 connected to the conductors 16 and 17 provided at the ends of the rotating shaft 13 on the side where the bevel gear 21 is provided.
b is provided with a slip ring mechanism 31 connected to the conductors 18 and 19 provided in b.

As shown in FIG. 2, the belt 15a includes a belt 32 integrally formed of an insulating resin and a plurality of conductors 18a embedded in the belt 32 at a distance from each other.
18b, 18c,..., 18n. The lower ends of the conductors 18 are connected to the holding devices 4 provided on the holding device 4.
a and various sensors (not shown),
The upper ends of these conductors 18 are connected to the slip ring 33 of the slip ring mechanism 31 via the rotating shaft 13. The belt 14a, the belt 14b, and the belt 15b are configured similarly to the belt 15a. The upper end of the conductor 19 of the belt 15b is connected to the slip ring 33 of the slip ring mechanism 31, and the conductor 16 and the belt 14b of the belt 14a. The upper end of the conductor 17 has a slip ring mechanism 30
Is connected to the slip ring 33. As shown in FIG. 2, the slip ring mechanisms 30 and 31 are fixedly provided on the rotating shafts 11 and 13, respectively.
13 is provided with the slip ring 33 rotating together with the upper end of the conductor and connected to the upper end of the conductor, in a state of being relatively stationary with respect to the lifting / lowering device main body 5a. Contact 34
And is constituted by. The contact 34 is the traveling carriage 3
It is connected to a control circuit 35 provided on the side.

In the above configuration, each belt (belt 1
4a, 14b, 15a, 15b), the slip ring mechanisms 30, 31, and the control circuit 35 are provided with a power supply circuit 36 for supplying power or signals to the gripping device 4a provided in the holding device 4 and various sensors. Is composed.

As shown in FIG. 4, a conductor (conductors 16m, 17m, 18m, 19m) which is an arbitrary one of a plurality of conductors provided on each belt, respectively,
The rotating shaft 11 and the slip ring mechanism 30 and the rotating shaft 13 and the slip ring mechanism 31 are connected in series with each other, and a power supply 37 for supplying power to these conductors, and the conductors 16m, 17m, 1
A disconnection detecting means 38 for detecting any one of 8 m and 19 m disconnection is connected. These conductors 16m, 17m,
FIG. 5 shows an outline of the connection between the power supply 37 and the disconnection detecting means 38, 18m and 19m. These conductors 1 connected in series
Conductor 1 forming one end of 6m, 17m, 18m, 19m
8m is grounded, the conductor 16m constituting the other end is connected to a power supply 37 for applying a voltage + V _CC, disconnection detection unit 38 is connected between the conductor 16m and the power supply 37.
As the disconnection detecting means 38, for example, a magnet switch 38 which operates when the conduction is interrupted, and which works with a warning means (not shown) for warning the disconnection of the user of the transport device.
a is used. The disconnection detecting means 38 detects the back electromotive force generated when the magnet switch 38a operates, and
A commutator 38b for protecting the power supply 7 is provided.

Next, the transport device 1 configured as described above
Will be described. In this transport device 1,
The supply of power and signals to the holding device 4 is performed via a power supply circuit 36. The operation of gripping the transported object by the transport device 1 is performed as follows. First, with the transport device 1 positioned above the transported object, the lifting device 5 lowers the gripping device 4a of the holding device 4 to a position where the transported object can be gripped, and the gripped device 4a grips the transported object. Thereafter, the holding means 4 is raised by the lifting device 5.

The lifting operation of the holding device 4 by the lifting device 5 is performed as follows. The operation of lowering the holding device 4 rotates the rotating shaft 13 by the drive motor 28 (drive source) of the lifting device 5, and transmits the rotation of the rotating shaft 13 to the rotating shaft 11 via the power transmission shaft 27. By driving the rotating shafts 11 and 13 in this manner, the rotating shafts 11 and 13 are driven.
Belts (belts 14a, 14b, 15a, 15b) wound around the roller portions 10a, 10b, 12a, 12b
Unwind the winding. Then, by unwinding each belt around the rotating shafts 11 and 13, the holding device 4 connected to the lower ends of these belts is lowered. The operation of raising the holding device 4 is performed by rotating the drive motor 28 (drive source) of the elevating device 5 in a direction opposite to that in the case of the descending operation. Then, the rotation of the rotating shaft 13 is transmitted to the rotating shaft 11 via the power transmission shaft 27.
In this way, by rotating the rotating shafts 11 and 13 in the opposite direction to the case of the descending operation, each belt (belt 1) is transferred to the roller portions 10a, 10b, 12a and 12b of the rotating shafts 11 and 13.
4a, 14b, 15a, 15b). By winding each belt around the rotating shafts 11 and 13, the holding device 4 connected to the lower ends of these belts is raised.

In the above operation, the supply of power and signals to the holding device 4 is performed via the power supply circuit 36 as described above. That is, the electric power and the signal from the traveling trolley 3 pass through the slip ring mechanisms 30 and 31 to each belt 1.
4a, 14b, 15a, and 15b, and are supplied to the holding device 4 through conductors 16, 17, 18, and 19 provided in a plurality. In this case, the holding device 4 is moved by the lifting device 5.
Also, since the supply of electric power and signals from the traveling carriage 3 during this time is performed via the slip ring mechanisms 30 and 31, even if the holding device 4 is moved up and down by the lifting device 5, there is no problem. It is done smoothly.

Further, each belt (belts 14a, 14b,
15a, 15b) is detected for each belt 14a, 1
4b, 15a, and 15b (conductors 16m, 17m, 18m, 19
m) is supplied with power from a power supply 37, and the conduction of these conductors is monitored by a disconnection detecting means 38.
Any of m, 17m, 18m and 19m disconnection is detected.

According to the transport device 1 configured as described above, while the lifting device 5 allows the holding device 4 to move up and down, power and signals are easily supplied from the traveling carriage 3 to the holding device 4. be able to. In addition, since a plurality of independent conductors are provided on one belt and insulated from each other, a large number of wires can be provided between the traveling vehicle 3 and the holding device 4. Further, the plurality of conductors are
Since it is buried in and integrated with the wiring 2, it is possible to improve the layout of the conductors when wiring the power supply circuit 36, and to reduce wiring errors such as a wrong conductor. Further, disconnection and damage of the conductor provided on each belt can be detected. Thus, it is possible to know the replacement time of each belt.

In the above embodiment, each belt is
Although an example in which only the conductor is embedded in the strip 32 has been described, the present invention is not limited to this, and it is possible to reinforce each belt or to protect the conductor along the length direction of the strip 32. A reinforcing material such as a wire may be provided. Further, in the above-described embodiment, an example was used in which only one of the conductors provided on the belt was connected to the power supply 37 and the disconnection detecting means 38. However, the present invention is not limited to this. Power supply 3 on both sides
7 and the disconnection detecting means 38 may be connected. Thus, even if any of the side portions of the belt is damaged, the damage of the belt can be detected by detecting the disconnection of the conductor located on both sides of the belt. Further, more conductors may be connected to the power supply 37 and the disconnection detecting means 38 in order to further improve the accuracy of disconnection detection.

In the above embodiment, the four belts 14a, 14b, 15a, and 15b are provided respectively.
The conductors 16m, 17m, 18m, 1m, which are supplied with power by the power supply 37 and whose conduction is monitored by the disconnection detecting means 38.
9m is shown as an example in which all four belts are connected in series. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The belts are divided into two groups by connecting two conductors in series, and each of these two belts is A disconnection detecting means 38 may be provided, or two of a plurality of conductors provided on the belt are connected at the lower end of the belt to form a closed circuit.
8 may be provided. This makes it possible to know in more detail which belt has a conductor break.
Further, in the above-described embodiment, an example in which the conductor, the power supply 37, and the disconnection detecting unit 38 are provided as the unit for detecting the damage of the belt in the conveying device 1 has been described, but the present invention is not limited thereto. Therefore, these conductors, power supply 37 and disconnection detecting means 38 may be omitted.

[0022]

According to the transfer device of the first and second aspects, it is possible to easily supply the power and the signal from the traveling trolley to the holding device while allowing the holding device to move up and down by the lifting device. By providing a plurality of insulated and independent conductors on one belt, a large number of wires can be provided between the traveling vehicle and the holding device.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the disconnection of the conductor, that is, the damage of the belt can be detected by detecting the disconnection of the conductor by the disconnection detecting means.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a configuration and a structure of a lifting device of a transport device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a configuration and a structure of a component of a power supply circuit of the transport device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a configuration and a structure of a transport device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating a configuration and a structure of a disconnection detecting unit of a transport device and a circuit related thereto according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a disconnection detecting unit of a transport device and a circuit related thereto according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Conveying device 3 Traveling trolley 4 Holding device 5 Elevating device 11, 13 Rotation axis 14a, 14b, 1
5a, 15b Belts 16, 17, 18, 19 Conductors 30, 31 Slip ring mechanism 37 Power supply 38 Disconnection detecting means

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A traveling vehicle traveling on a transport path, a holding device supported by the traveling vehicle in a suspended state to hold an object to be transported, and an elevating device for elevating the holding device with respect to the traveling vehicle. In a transfer device provided with a power supply circuit for electric power or a signal between the traveling vehicle and the holding device, the lifting device has a rotating shaft supported in a substantially horizontal direction, and an upper end portion. A flexible belt fixed to the rotating shaft and having a lower end fixed to the holding device and provided with a conductor in a length direction thereof, and the belt is rotated by driving the rotating shaft to rotate the belt. A drive source for winding or unwinding
And a slip ring mechanism provided on the rotating shaft and connected to the conductor, wherein the power supply circuit includes the conductor and a slip ring mechanism. 2. The belt according to claim 1, wherein the belt includes a band formed integrally with an insulating resin, and a plurality of conductors embedded in the band at a distance from each other. Transport device. 3. The lifting device includes a plurality of sets of power supply circuit components including the belt, and at least one of a plurality of conductors provided on each belt of the power supply circuit components, and at least one of the conductors. 3. The transport apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a power supply for supplying power to the conductor, and a disconnection detecting unit that detects disconnection of the conductor based on a conduction state of the conductor.