JP2001028806A - Power feeding method and apparatus for carriage, and carriage system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method and an apparatus of power feeding, and a carriage system by mounting a battery as a self-driving source in a carrier running on a rail, and charging the battery with power from a station. SOLUTION: A rail 20, a carriage 24 having a battery thereon and running on the rail 20, and a station are provided. In a case from a judgment that the carriage 24 runs on the rail 20, an electromagnetic coupling between the carriage 24 and the station is set loose, so the change of power from the station to the battery on the carriage 24 is stopped. When the carriage 24 stops at a station, the electromagnetic coupling is set close to charge the battery with power from the station.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a power supply method, a power supply device, and a power supply device for a transport vehicle in which a battery serving as a drive power source of the vehicle is mounted on a transport vehicle traveling on a rail portion and the battery is charged from a station. More particularly, the present invention relates to a power feeding method and a power feeding device for a transport trolley used in medical equipment and at a medical site, and a transport system using the power feeding device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there are various types of transport systems for transporting articles, but broadly speaking, one type is a belt conveyor type, and the other type is a self-propelled cart type or a monorail type. This is a transport system that is often introduced into clean rooms.

[0003] In the belt conveyor system, articles to be conveyed are mounted on a belt conveyor and articles are continuously conveyed, but it is generally difficult to convey articles at high speed over a long distance.

[0004] The latter monorail system generally uses a current collector, but such a system using a current collector is a contact system that mechanically contacts a carriage with a rail to supply power required for traveling. And a non-contact type that supplies power necessary for the carrier to travel electromagnetically.

[0005] In the contact method, electric power is obtained from a current collector provided as electric equipment necessary for traveling. When a current collector or the like is provided as equipment, DC or AC power can be supplied to the rail section.

In such a contact system, there is a problem that mechanical contact is required, and the contact portion is mechanically worn, and the abrasion powder becomes dust. Also, in terms of service life, those requiring mechanical contact have problems such as short service life and unnecessarily high maintenance costs.

Therefore, the latter non-contact type has recently come into wide use. Since the non-contact type has no contact portion, it is an advantage in increasing the speed. Among those without a contact portion, some use a linear motor, and these non-contact types have recently been used because they can run at high speed and stably.

[0008] However, in the case of the non-contact type, although there is no mechanically contacting part, there are also many restrictions due to this point, and the shape of the core used for coupling to the temporary side on the transporting vehicle side is limited to some extent. There were also problems such as being decided.

In addition, since the alternating current is coupled by a transformer, unnecessary electromagnetic radiation is increased.
In order to deal with this, there was a problem that the equipment was enlarged. Further, there is a problem in that, when a predetermined route is merged or branched into another route, wiring of a portion to be merged or branched becomes very complicated.

There is also a system in which a battery is simply mounted on a transport trolley in that it does not have a contact portion. However, first, the battery becomes heavier overall, and secondly, the battery needs to be charged. For example, it is limited to the case where rails are directly installed on the ground.

In the method of mounting the battery on the carrier, the AGV (Auto) moves the carrier by being guided by a guide.
It is often used in a transport system called a Guided Vehicle. This uses a battery because the transport vehicle itself may be heavy in that the transport vehicle travels along a guide provided on the ground, and the speed does not need to be so high.

As described above, there is a battery-equipped transport system that does not require high-speed traveling, in which the transport vehicle itself wins heavily, but there is no monorail that travels using a battery as a power source and can travel at high speed and safely. In addition, since a large-capacity battery needs to be charged, a battery using heavy lead is used in many cases, so that the necessary charge for a day's driving must be completed at night when the battery is not used. There was such a problem.

As a non-contact power supply method and apparatus for supplying electric power from the fixed side to the mobile body side by electromagnetic coupling in a non-contact manner, for example, there is a technique described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-149502. However, the moving body described here is a technology that simply supplies power to an autonomously moving object without a built-in power source, such as a machining pallet for a machining center, from the fixed part side without using electrical contacts. It's just about.

Therefore, in the technology described here,
Equipped with a battery power supply on the moving body side, effective management of this battery power supply, that is, reduction of the weight of the battery aimed at high speed running, coordination function between power supply and charging, function to effectively use the rail part to move the running body, running It is not possible to realize functions necessary for the transport system, such as a battery management system for automatically recognizing the necessary charging and performing the charging as needed.

[0015]

As described above, according to the prior art, first, when a battery is used for a monorail, the battery must be discharged so as not to stop running due to exhaustion during operation. Must be sufficiently charged, which causes a problem in that the battery is restricted, and it is not possible to realize the weight reduction required for achieving high speed. Second, since it is necessary to supply power from a power supply to a traveling carrier using a power supply line, there is a problem that unnecessary electromagnetic radiation is generated from the power supply line. Third, in the case where a magnetic core for coupling to the temporary side is provided on the transporting vehicle side, there are many restrictions on the shape, material, and the like, and there is a problem that efficiency is not improved. Fourth, there has been a problem in that a shifter section must be provided to allow the transport trolley to move from a predetermined path to another path, and wiring at this section becomes very complicated.

Therefore, in order to solve such a conventional problem, the present invention firstly mounts a battery on a carrier so that wiring of the shifter can be eliminated, and the shifter can be driven by the battery. Secondly, the charging of the battery can be performed at each station at any time, so that the capacity of the battery can be reduced to reduce the weight and increase the speed, and thirdly, unnecessary electromagnetic radiation to the outside. The power supply line for charging the battery is housed inside the C-shaped travel rail in order to reduce the load, and the rail is also used as a shielding material.

[0017]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention, as a configuration of a power supply method for a transport vehicle for solving the above problems, comprises a rail, a transport vehicle on which a battery running on the rail is mounted, and a station. Is present, and when it is determined that the carrier is traveling on the rail, the electromagnetic coupling that couples the carrier and the station via the rail is loosely coupled, and the battery on the carrier is When charging from the station is stopped and the carrier is stopped at the station, the electromagnetic coupling is tightly coupled to charge the battery from the station.

According to the present invention, there is provided a power supply device for a transport vehicle for solving the above-mentioned problems, comprising a magnetic member provided on a rail portion and disposed near a power supply line supplied with power from a station. Electromagnetic coupling means for performing electromagnetic coupling with a magnetic core which is provided on a transport vehicle traveling on the rail portion and which can store the power supply line therein, and operation detection for detecting whether the transport vehicle has stopped near the station Means,
When the transport vehicle is running, the electromagnetic coupling is loosely coupled, and the electromagnetic coupling is tightly coupled by confirming the stop. A battery mounted on the carrier is charged from the power supply line.

Further, the present invention provides, as a first transport system using the power supply device for solving the above problems, a plurality of stations having a power supply portion for supplying power via a rail portion, And a plurality of transport carts that run on the rails mounted with a battery that is charged via a power receiving unit that receives power, wherein the predetermined transport cart stops near a predetermined station. Operation detection means for detecting whether or not the power supply unit and the power receiving unit are electromagnetically coupled based on the detection result of the operation detection means, and electromagnetic coupling means for supplying power from the power supply unit to the power reception unit. It is provided with.

Next, the present invention provides a second transport system using the power supply device for solving the above problems.
A plurality of stations having a power supply unit for supplying power via a rail unit for each of the rail units, and a transport trolley mounted with a battery that is charged via a power receiving unit for receiving the power and traveling on the rail unit. A transport system provided, wherein the transport vehicle moves using the battery as a power source in a shifter unit in which the transport vehicle separates from a predetermined rail unit and shifts to another rail unit.

Next, the present invention provides a third transport system using the power supply device for solving the above-mentioned problems.
The vehicle includes a plurality of stations having a power supply unit that supplies electric power via a rail unit, and a plurality of transport vehicles mounted on an auxiliary battery that is charged via a power receiving unit that receives the electric power and runs on the rail unit. A transfer system, wherein the power supply unit and the power receiving unit are electromagnetically coupled to each other while maintaining a slight gap from the rail unit, and the power is supplied from the power supply unit to the power reception unit by the electromagnetic coupling during traveling. Is supplied.

Next, the present invention provides a fourth transport system using the above-mentioned power supply device for solving the above-mentioned problems, in which a plurality of rail sections each configured by dividing one loop into a predetermined distance are provided. A transport system comprising a transport trolley on which an auxiliary battery running on these rails is mounted, and a plurality of stations each having a power supply line provided for each of the rails and having a power supply for transmitting power to these power supply lines. The carrier truck travels in the loop while forming electromagnetic coupling means that can charge the respective rails from the power supply unit to the battery via the power receiving unit at predetermined intervals between the divided rail units. It is something to do.

[0023]

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a power supply method according to the present invention, a power supply apparatus for performing the method, and a transport system using the power supply apparatus. FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing one embodiment of a transport system according to the present invention.

FIG. 1 is a plan view when a transport system is installed in a building having a plurality of floors, and this is generally called a view. The loop L1 and the loop L2 are disposed, for example, on the ground floor, the loop L3 is on the first floor, and the loop L4 is 2 on the ground floor.
The floor and the loop L5 are disposed on the third floor. These loops L1 to L5 are loops for horizontally moving each floor.

In the loop L1, a small-sized transmission / reception place R11 of a conveyed article is set, and in the loop L2, similar transmission / reception places R21, R21 are set.
22, R23 are the same transmission / reception location R31 in the loop L3.
However, in the loop L4, similar transmission / reception locations R41 and R42 are:
In the loop L5, similar transmission / reception locations R5A and R5B are provided, for example.

Then, these loops L1 to L5 are
Although it has a curved shape which is bent by drawing an arbitrary curve corresponding to each sending and receiving place of the conveyed articles, it is specifically constituted by rails for the conveyance cart to travel along these loops. ing.

The shaft 10 is a device arranged so as to be able to move vertically in each floor, and the articles to be conveyed are transported on a conveyor truck traveling on horizontally moving loops L1 to L5 arranged on each floor. To be mounted.

In particular, the different loops L1 and L2, which are arranged on the basement and move horizontally, are fed separately, and the connections interposed between these loops L1 and L2 are:
Although called a shifter 11, power is not supplied to any part of the shifter 11.

A small shaft 12 is disposed at one end of the loop L1. Here, a loading / unloading operation for loading / unloading a load is performed. Will be specifically described with reference to FIG.

Further, a loop L5 is provided on the third floor, and small shafts 14 and 15 which can move in the vertical direction share the loop L5 to form stations 16 and 17, respectively. ing.

However, here, for example, one loop L5 is divided into a predetermined distance and the two rails L5A, L5
5B, a non-feeding section L is provided between these rail portions L5A and L5B, and each rail portion L5A,
The L5B is provided with individual power supply lines, and illustrates a transport system including a plurality of stations for transmitting power from the power supply units of the stations 16 and 17 to these power supply lines. It is assumed that the vehicle runs on

Next, the configuration near the station 13 shown in FIG. 1 will be described with reference to a perspective view schematically shown in FIG. FIG. 2 shows a state in which the tray is carried out of the carrier guided along the rails.

The rail portion 20 is a C-shaped rail 2
1 and a feeder line 22 housed in the rail 21 and have the same configuration as the rails forming the loops L1 to L5. This C-shaped opening 2
A carrier 24 is mounted on the vehicle 3 so as to straddle it while closing the opening 23, and travels along the rail 21 in the direction indicated by the arrow F.

Feeding line 22 housed in rail 21
Is introduced into the inside of the rail 21 through a substantially circular introduction hole 25 formed in the bottom of the rail 21, for example.
Along the rail 21, is folded at a turning point 26 held by a holding mechanism (not shown), returns to the left along the rail 21, and is provided on the bottom surface of the rail 21 near the introduction hole 25. It is led out through a circular lead-out hole 27 and is connected to a power supply unit 28 in the station 13.

As described above, the C-shaped metal rail 21
Is configured to house the power supply line 22 inside the
2 is shielded by the rail 21, so that unnecessary electromagnetic radiation to the outside can be reduced.

Although the specific configuration of the transport vehicle 24 will be described later, in the case shown in FIG. 2, the tray 29 for storing the transported articles stored in the transport vehicle 24 is connected to the transport vehicle 2.
4 and driven by the motor 31 to rotate the tray 29 on the horizontally moving horizontal conveyor 30.
Transfer.

A position sensor 32 for detecting the movement of the tray 29 is installed on the horizontal conveyor 30 so as to face the horizontal conveyor 30, and the position information detected by the position sensor 32 is used as an operation unit 33 for operating the operation of the conveyor. Is communicated via a cable (not shown).

The tray 29 is moved to the top of the vertically moving shaft 34 by controlling the rotation of the motor 31 based on the position information, and thereafter, the shaft 3 is moved to the top.
The tray 29 is transferred onto the mounting plate 35 fixed to the shaft 34 in the horizontal direction with respect to the moving direction of the tray 4.

The shaft 34 is moved in the vertical direction by the rotation control of the motor 36, and the position information of this movement is detected by a position sensor 37 disposed opposite to the shaft 34, and is transmitted via a cable (not shown). Operation unit 33
And is conveyed and managed.

At the lowermost end of the shaft 34, the tray 29 is unloaded by a horizontal conveyor 39 which is driven by a motor 38 and moves in the horizontal direction, based on positional information from a position sensor 40 disposed opposite to the horizontal conveyor 39. It is carried out from the carry-in entrance 41. Thereafter, the tray 29 for storing the conveyed articles is stored in the management case 42 placed near the station 13.

Next, a series of operations of the cargo handling work of the station 13 configured as described above will be described. First, a case in which the tray 29 in which the articles are stored is carried out from the carriage 24 will be described.

In the case of unloading, the shaft 34 is moved in advance by driving the motor 36 using the position information from the position sensor 37 in accordance with an instruction from the operation unit 33 to move the mounting plate 35 34 to the upper end.

After the carriage 24 reaches a predetermined position in the station 13 and stops, the tray 29 is transferred onto the horizontal conveyor 30 by a drawing mechanism (not shown), whereby the horizontal conveyor 30 receives the signal from the position sensor 32. The tray 29 is moved to the shaft 34 by the position information, and is moved to the mounting plate 35 that has been moved in advance.

Next, the motor 36 is driven by a command from the operation unit 33 to move the mounting plate 3 on which the tray 29 is mounted.
5 is moved to the lower end of the shaft 34 based on the information of the position sensor 37.

Thereafter, the tray 29 is transferred to a horizontal conveyor 39 in response to a command from the operation unit 33, and the motor 38 is driven based on the position information from the position sensor 40 to be unloaded from the unloading port 41. Is done.

In the case of carry-in, the tray 29 containing the carry-in articles from the management case 42 is mounted on the horizontal conveyor 39, and the motor 38 is driven to detect that the tray 29 is carried to the shaft 34 by the position sensor 40. Is carried in under the control of the sequencer stored in the operation unit 33 based on the information from.

Next, according to a preset sequencer execution procedure, a command is issued to the motor 36 of the shaft 34 to drive it, and the tray 29 is moved to the uppermost horizontal conveyor 30 based on the position information from the position sensor 37. Move to the same position.

Thereafter, the tray 29 is transferred to the horizontal conveyor 30 in accordance with a predetermined sequence instructed by the operation unit 33, and the motor 31 is driven based on the position information from the position sensor 32 to drive the tray 29 on the horizontal conveyor 30. The tray 29 is moved to the transport trolley 24 and stored in the transport trolley 24.

In this case, the carriage 24 and the horizontal conveyor 3
Since there is a gap between them, a mechanism such as pressing from the horizontal side is provided. A configuration may be adopted in which a turntable that can rotate 90 degrees is provided on the side of the transport trolley 24, and the turntable projects horizontally only when carrying in and out.

Next, the configuration of the transport carriage 24 will be described with reference to FIG.
This will be specifically described with reference to FIGS. 3 is a perspective view when the carrier is mounted on the rail section 20, FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional configuration of the carrier in the direction of arrow AA 'near the end of the carrier, and FIG. The configuration of the cross section of the transport vehicle in the direction of the arrow BB ′ near the center is shown.

As shown in FIG. 3, a rectangular inner case 50 to which the tray 29 is mounted
Are formed in the rail 21 side as a concave portion. From the upper end of the inner case 50, there are formed slope portions 51 and 52 which are inclined downward in both directions along the rail 21, and the side portions 53 and 54 are formed substantially flat in the vertical direction. 4 or 5 as shown in FIG.
5 has an L-shaped bent shape. In addition, an internal space 57 formed by the bottom portion 56 of the inner case 50 and the bottom surface 55 of the carriage stores transport components and power supply components necessary for various types of transport.

The bogie bottom 55 has an opening 58 in the AA 'section and an opening 59 in the BB' section. Then, guide plates 60 and 61 protrude into the inside of the C-shaped rail 21 to the left and right in the direction of the rail 21 around the openings 58 and 59, respectively, on the bogie bottom surface 55, and are spaced apart from the C-shaped rail 21. It is arranged.

As shown in FIG. 4, steered wheels 62, 63 are disposed outwardly on the guide plates 60, 61. The steered wheels 62, 63 are located near the open end 23 of the C-shaped rail 21. Rotates in contact with the horizontal plane.

Although the drive wheels to be described later have a diameter and a width enough to withstand the turning force, it is not possible to rely on running the drive wheels alone for steering. Wheels are added. For curves, etc.
Since the attitude of the steering wheel 4 collapses, the steering wheels 6 are adjusted so as to correct this.
2, 63 function.

Furthermore, if an absorber is used in combination, the vehicle can withstand high-speed running. However, as for running, the frictional force, air resistance (cross section in a favorable direction along), and the posture of the carriage (center of gravity shift) Etc.), but in general we are working to eliminate this.

A gear head 65, which is rotated by a motor 64 driven by a battery described later and is connected to the motor 64, is provided at the center of the internal space 57 in the cross section AA '. It is connected to a differential gear 66 provided near the bottom of the rail 21 via a rotating shaft penetrating the opening 58 downward.

As shown in FIG. 4, the differential gear 66 drives drive wheels 69, 70 provided at the ends thereof via rotary shafts 67, 68 connected to the left and right thereof.
Numeral 70 denotes a carrier cart 2 which is in contact with the bottom flat surface of the rail 21.
Run 4 Although only two drive wheels 69 and 70 are shown in FIG. 4, actually, four wheels are provided similarly to the automobile, and the front and rear of the carrier 24 are paired respectively. Has become.

The drive system of the drive wheels includes front wheel drive, rear wheel drive, and four-wheel drive. However, here, an example is shown in which two front or rear wheels can be driven as drive wheels.
Thus, the motor 64 driven by the battery
Is transmitted in a substantially orthogonal direction via a gear head 65, and a driving force is applied to driving wheels 69 and 70 via a differential gear 66.

As shown in FIG. 4, guide auxiliary shafts 60A and 61A bent downward in an L-shape are provided near the distal ends of the guide plates 60 and 61, respectively. Steering wheels 71 and 72 are fixed to the tip of 61A so as to be rotatable by contacting the side wall surface of the rail 21,
In this way, travel assistance is performed so that the transport vehicle 24 can travel stably even when it rolls.

The internal space 57 is further provided with a controller 73 for controlling the motor 64 and controlling the power supply. The controller 73 responds to, for example, a wireless operation control command transmitted from a station. Operate.

In the BB ′ section, as shown in FIG. 5, an E-shaped magnetic core 74 is disposed in the opening 59 with its open end facing the bottom of the rail 21 in the internal space 57. A magnetic tape 75 as a magnetic member is fixed to the bottom of the rail 21, and the power supply line 22 is disposed on the magnetic tape 75 so as to be housed at the open end of the magnetic core 74.

The use of the magnetic tape 75 as the magnetic member has the advantage that elasticity can be imparted, and the gap with the traveling carriage 24 can be reduced.

Further, detection windings 76 and 77 are wound around the E-shaped magnetic core 74.
Reference numeral 7 is connected to an input terminal of a rectifier circuit 78 functioning as a power receiving unit, and its output terminal is connected to a battery 79.

The magnetic core 74 is connected to a cylinder 80 functioning as an attaching / detaching means by a connecting rod 81. The magnetic core 74 is brought into close contact with or separated from the magnetic tape 75 by a command from the controller 73 to connect with the power supply line 21. Detection winding 7
The degree of the electromagnetic coupling between the first and the sixth and the 77 is controlled to be tightly coupled or loosely coupled. In addition, as the desorption means,
In addition to the cylinder, an electromagnetic switch or the like may be employed.

Although the above description has been made on the structural aspects of both the station and the transport vehicle, in FIG. 6, the mutual relationship will be described in more detail while adding a configuration from a functional aspect. The same parts as those described so far are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted. actually,
As shown in FIG. 3, the transport cart 24 is mounted on the rail section 20, but for simplicity, FIG.
The carrier 24 is shown on the right side of the rail section 20.

As shown in FIG. 6, in addition to the power supply unit 28 and the operation unit 33, the station 13 includes a communication terminal 82 for receiving a radio signal not shown in FIG. 2, the power supply unit 28 and the operation unit 33. Is added, and the power supply unit 28 further includes an AC power supply 84 such as a commercial power supply,
A rectifier 85 for rectifying the voltage from the AC power supply, and an inverter 86 for converting DC rectified by the rectifier 85 into high-frequency AC and supplying power to the power supply line 22 are added.
An identification mark 87 for identifying the station is added.

An operation detector 88 for determining whether or not the vehicle has stopped at the station, a detection resistor 8 for measuring the magnitude of the load current and the duration of the flow are provided on the transport vehicle 24.
9. A temperature sensor 90 for measuring the temperature of the battery, an analog / digital converter 91 for converting the voltage detected by the detection resistor 89 and the voltage detected by the temperature sensor 90 to a digital signal and transmitting the digital signal to the controller 73, and communicating with the controller 73. A communication unit 92 for exchanging data with the end 93, a communication end 93 for transmitting and receiving wireless data, a remaining amount detector 94 for detecting the state of charge of the battery, a temperature sensor 95 for measuring the temperature of the electrolyte of the battery 79, and the like. It is added as a configuration.

The controller 73 of the transport vehicle 24 running on the rail section 20 with the battery 79 mounted thereon and using the battery 79 as a power source functions as an operation detecting means whether or not the transport vehicle 24 has stopped at the station 13. It monitors whether or not the identification mark 87 of the station 13 has been detected via the operation detector 88, and by detecting the identification mark 87, issues an instruction to an operation control unit on a carrier (not shown), Stop at that position.

At the same time, the controller 73 outputs a control signal C1 so that the magnetic core 74 functioning as the electromagnetic coupling means is brought into close contact with the magnetic member 75 to the cylinder 80 functioning as the attaching / detaching means. In response to this instruction, the cylinder 80 brings the magnetic core 74 and the magnetic member 75 into close contact to perform electromagnetic coupling.

The result of the close contact is transmitted to the controller 73 as an answer back signal C2 from the cylinder 80. The result of the close contact may be obtained not by the answerback signal C2 from the cylinder 80 as the attaching / detaching means but by another confirming means such as a contact switch.

Based on the result of the close contact, the controller 7
3 transmits a wireless signal to the station 13 via the communication unit 92 and the communication end 93, for example. When receiving the wireless signal via the communication terminal 82, the controller 83 of the station 13 sends a control signal C3 to the inverter 86 to instruct the inverter 86 to send a high-frequency current to the power supply line 22.

Since the electromagnetic coupling means composed of the magnetic core 74 and the magnetic member 75 is already tightly coupled, the power supplied from the feeder line 22 is transmitted via the detection windings 76 and 77 by electromagnetic coupling. The power is supplied to the rectifier circuit 78 functioning as a power receiving unit.
The battery is charged by the DC voltage rectified at step 8.

After starting the charging, the controller 73 recognizes the completion of the charging of the battery 79 through the analog / digital converter 91 based on the detection result of the remaining amount detector 94, and then, through the communication unit 92 and the communication terminal 93. A wireless signal indicating that charging has been completed is transmitted to the station 13 side.

The controller 83 of the station 13
When the wireless signal is received via the communication terminal 82, the control signal C3 is sent to the inverter 86 to instruct the inverter 86 to stop sending the high-frequency current to the power supply line 22.

The controller 73 includes a cylinder 80
, The magnetic core 74 is pulled up by the cylinder 80 and separated from the magnetic member 75, the electromagnetic coupling is loosely coupled, and the charging of the battery 79 is stopped.
In this state, the transport trolley 24 is separated from the rail section 20, so that the transport trolley 24 can run.

Next, the state in which the carrier 24 is running will be described. When the carriage 24 starts running, the controller 73 detects this state by, for example, wirelessly transmitted from the station 13. Therefore, the controller 73 causes the load current to flow from the battery 79 to the motor 64 via the detection resistor 89. Can be detected.

This load current is converted to a load voltage by the detection resistor 89, output to the analog / digital converter 91, and input to the controller 73, where the controller 73 starts supplying power from the battery 79 to the motor 64. The elapsed time from the start to the present is measured by a built-in time measurement program.

In this time measurement program, a portion to which the load current is supplied in the program is described by, for example, an IF statement. If the portion described by the IF statement is yes,
By creating a program that performs counting, it can be realized in software.

At the same time, since the magnitude of the load current is also input to the controller 73 via the analog / digital converter 91, the magnitude of the load current can be known. In this manner, since the battery voltage is substantially constant, the controller 73 can know the power flowing to the motor 64 as the load and the time.

Further, the battery 79 is provided with a temperature sensor 95 for measuring the temperature of the electrolyte of the battery 79, and the temperature data from the temperature sensor 95 is converted into an analog signal.
The signal is output to the digital converter 91, converted into a digital signal, and output to the controller 73. The controller 73 can always grasp the temperature of the battery 79.

The load information is transmitted to the communication unit 92,
If the transmission is wirelessly transmitted to the station 13 via the communication end 93, the battery management of the transport vehicle 24 can be performed on the station 13 side, and an accident that the battery is discharged and the transport vehicle does not move can be avoided. it can.

Next, a second modification of the transport system according to the present invention will be described. In the description so far, the configuration has been described in which the power supply line 22 is provided only on the rail 21 in the vicinity of the rail portion 20 of the station 13 and the battery 79 mounted on the transport carriage 24 can be charged only at the station.

However, except for the shifter 11 shown in FIG. 1, the power supply line 22 is laid on the entire rail constituting the loop, and the magnetic core 74 and the magnetic member 75 are electromagnetically coupled with a slight gap. If you try to drive,
The battery can be charged.

In this case, the battery 79 functions as a small auxiliary battery for emergency use, and it is not necessary to lay a special power supply line in the shifter 11, so that troublesome wiring is not required and the battery can be reduced in size. It becomes possible.

Further, a third modification of the transport system according to the present invention will be described. In the second modified example, the power supply line is laid on the entire rail portion. However, separately from this, one loop is divided into a plurality of portions at a predetermined distance as shown by a loop L5 in FIG. Then, for simplicity, it is divided into two parts, L5A and K5B), a power supply line is provided for each of the divided rails, and power is supplied from the station, and one of the divided loops (L5A in FIG. 1 (L5B in FIG. 1), no feeder line is provided only in the non-feeding section L of the rail.

[0086] In the railcar, the magnetic core 74 and the magnetic member 75 are fed to the respective stations by electromagnetic coupling with a slight gap therebetween. The vehicle runs using an auxiliary battery as a drive source.

With such a configuration, an arbitrary loop can be set by balancing the capacity and weight of the battery, that is, the speed, in accordance with the number of divisions of the loop. The transport system for transport can be designed flexibly.

[0088]

As described above, according to the power supply method for a transport vehicle according to the present invention, when the transport detection unit mounted on the transport vehicle determines that the transport vehicle is traveling on the rail, the station is stopped. And the transport vehicle stop charging the battery on the transport vehicle from the station as loose coupling of electromagnetic coupling by electromagnetic coupling means via a rail portion,
The charging sequence between the transport trolley and the station, in which the trolley and the station are charged by confirming that the transport trolley has stopped and making the electromagnetic coupling tightly coupled, is carried out in a contactless manner according to the procedure, so a safe and highly reliable transport trolley Charging method can be provided.

Next, according to the charging device for a transport vehicle according to the present invention, the operation detecting means detects whether or not the transport vehicle has stopped near the station. Since the coupling is loosely coupled and the electromagnetic coupling is tightly coupled by confirming the stop, when the carriage is stopped, power is supplied from the power supply line via the electromagnetic coupling means to charge the battery mounted on the carriage. In addition, the charging operation for the transport trolley can be automatically and accurately performed, and unexpected damage can be prevented without shortening the life of the battery. In addition, since charging is performed in a non-contact manner by magnetic coupling in a traveling body called a transport trolley, it is not necessary to accurately position the transport trolley to a station for the transfer of power when power is transferred, thereby making charging work more efficient. It can be realized well and has an excellent effect of contributing to an improvement in productivity.

Further, according to the first transport system of the present invention, a plurality of transport vehicles are traveling through a plurality of stations. It is constantly detected whether or not the bogie has stopped, and based on this result, by electromagnetic coupling means,
The power feeding unit and the power receiving unit are electromagnetically coupled to supply power from the power feeding unit to the power receiving unit, so that the transport trolley can be constantly charged. This eliminates the need for complicated management such as charging the vehicle, and has the advantage of making operation management extremely simple.

According to the second transport system of the present invention, in the shifter portion where the transport vehicle separates from the predetermined rail portion and moves to another rail portion, the transport vehicle moves using the battery as a power source. Therefore, the transport trolley can run using the battery as a drive source in the shifter portion, and there is an advantage that troublesome wiring in this portion is not required.

According to the third transport system of the present invention, the power supply unit and the power receiving unit are electromagnetically coupled with each other while maintaining a slight gap from the rail unit. Power can be supplied from the power supply unit to the power receiving unit by electromagnetic coupling, and the battery can be charged at all times. Therefore, the battery in this case has a function as an auxiliary battery, and stable running in the shifter unit can be secured. In addition, since the battery can be reduced in size, high-speed traveling can be achieved.

According to the fourth transport system of the present invention, the electromagnetic coupling means capable of charging each rail portion from the power supply portion to the battery via the power receiving portion at predetermined intervals between the divided rail portions is provided. Since the transport vehicle travels in the loop while configuring, an arbitrary loop can be set by balancing the battery capacity and weight, that is, the speed, according to the number of divisions of the loop. There is an effect that the system can be flexibly designed.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing one embodiment of a transport system according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a configuration near a station shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view schematically showing a configuration of a transport vehicle shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view as viewed from a cross section taken along the line AA ′ shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view as viewed from a cross section taken along line BB ′ of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a block diagram schematically illustrating the configuration of FIGS. 2 and 3 from a functional side.

[Explanation of symbols]

10; shaft, 11; shifter, 12; shaft, 1
3; station, 14; shaft, 15; shaft,
16; station, 17; station, 20; rail section, 21; rail, 22; power supply line, 23;
4; transport trolley, 26; turning point, 28; power supply section, 29; tray, 30; horizontal conveyor, 33; operating section, 34; shaft, 39; horizontal conveyor, 50; inner case, 55;
Truck bottom, 57; internal space, 62; steering wheel, 63; steering wheel, 64; motor, 65; gear head, 66; differential gear, 69; driving wheel, 70; driving wheel, 73; controller, 74; , 75; magnetic tape, 76; detection winding, 77; detection winding, 78; rectifier circuit, 79; battery, 80; cylinder, 82; communication end, 83; controller, 86; inverter, 87; Operation detector, 89; detection resistor, 90; temperature sensor, 91; analog / digital converter, 92; communication unit, 93;
Communication end, 94; remaining amount detector, 95; temperature sensor

Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI Theme coat II (Reference) // B65G 43/00 B65G 43/00 L (72) Inventor Mitsuo Sekino 1-12-3 Yushima, Yushima Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo Stock F-term in company Japan Shooter (reference) SL05 SL08 TD01 TI02 TI06 TI07 TI10 TO05 TO13 TO14

Claims (12)

[Claims] 1. A vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising: a rail, a carriage mounted with a battery running on the rail, and a station.
When it is determined that the carrier is traveling on the rail, the carrier coupled to the station via the rail is electromagnetically loosely coupled to the battery on the carrier from the station. And charging the battery from the station when the carrier is stopped and the carrier stops at the station. 2. The power supply for a transport vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic coupling is performed by a magnetic member of the rail portion and a magnetic core on the transport vehicle capable of housing a power supply line extending from the station. Method. 3. A magnetic member provided on a rail portion and disposed near a power supply line to which power is supplied from a station, and a magnetic core provided on a transport vehicle traveling on the rail portion and capable of storing the power supply line therein. Electromagnetic coupling means for performing electromagnetic coupling with, and operation detection means for detecting whether or not the carrier has stopped near the station; and confirming the stop by making the electromagnetic coupling loose while the carrier is running. Detaching means for making the electromagnetic coupling tightly coupled, and charging the battery mounted on the transport vehicle from the power supply line via the electromagnetic coupling means when the transport vehicle is stopped. Power supply device for the transport vehicle. 4. The magnetic core has an E-shape, and the attaching / detaching means separates the magnetic core from the magnetic member when the electromagnetic coupling is loosely coupled and the magnetic core when the electromagnetic coupling is tightly coupled. 4. The power feeding device for a transport trolley according to claim 3, wherein the power supply device is in close contact with the magnetic member. 5. A plurality of stations having a power supply unit for supplying electric power via a rail unit, and a plurality of transport vehicles mounted on a battery to be charged via a power receiving unit for receiving the electric power and traveling on the rail unit. An operation detecting means for detecting whether or not the predetermined carrier has stopped near the predetermined station, and the power supply unit and the power receiving unit based on a detection result by the operation detecting means. And a magnetic coupling unit for supplying power from the power supply unit to the power receiving unit by electromagnetically coupling the power supply unit and the power receiving unit. 6. The electromagnetic coupling means includes a magnetic tape provided on the rail portion, and an E-shaped magnetic core mounted on the carriage and capable of storing therein a power supply line extending from the power supply portion. 6. The transport system according to claim 5, wherein 7. The magnetic core is separated from the rail portion when it is determined by the operation detection means that the transport vehicle is traveling, and the magnetic core is determined when it is stopped at a predetermined position. The transport system according to claim 6, wherein a detachable unit that brings a core into contact with the rail portion is provided on the transport vehicle. 8. A current measuring means for measuring a current value flowing from the battery, a measuring means for measuring an elapsed time since the start of power supply from the battery to a load, and a temperature of an electrolytic solution in the battery. 6. The transport system according to claim 5, further comprising: a temperature measuring unit that performs the measurement, and a communication unit that transmits measurement data of the current value, the elapsed time, and the temperature to the station, and these units are mounted on the transport vehicle. 9. A plurality of stations each having a power supply unit for supplying electric power via a rail unit for each of the rail units, and a battery that is charged via a power receiving unit for receiving the electric power are mounted and run on the rail unit. A transport system comprising: a transport vehicle, wherein the transport vehicle moves using the battery as a power source in a shifter unit in which the transport vehicle separates from a predetermined rail unit and moves to another rail unit. And transport system. 10. A plurality of stations having a power supply unit for supplying electric power via a rail unit, and a plurality of transports mounted on an auxiliary battery charged via a power receiving unit for receiving the electric power and traveling on the rail unit. A transport system including a carriage, wherein the rail unit holds a slight gap, and the power supply unit and the power receiving unit are electromagnetically coupled to each other by electromagnetic coupling. A transport system using a power supply device, wherein power is supplied to the power receiving unit. 11. A plurality of rails configured by dividing one loop into a predetermined distance, a transport vehicle on which an auxiliary battery running on these rails is mounted, and a power supply line provided for each of the rails. A transfer system comprising a plurality of stations having power supply units for transmitting power to these power supply lines, wherein a predetermined interval is provided between the divided rail units, and each rail unit receives power from the power supply unit to the battery. A transport system, wherein the transport vehicle travels in the loop while forming electromagnetic coupling means that can be charged via a unit. 12. The rail according to claim 1, wherein the rail portion has a C-shape, a carriage is mounted on the open portion, and the power supply line is disposed inside the C-shape rail. Claim 5 or 9 or 10 or 11 of the description
3. The transport system according to claim 1.