JP2020027095A - Conveying system inspection device (doctor logistics) - Google Patents

Abstract

To sense an indication of occurrence of failure in an article conveying path system beforehand.SOLUTION: A failure prognosis conveying system inspection device includes: a sensor that is attached to a conveying body capable of being conveyed on a conveying path for conveying an article and acquires information related to at least one of sound, vibration, an image, light, an ultrasonic wave, pressure, and environment; an information recording device that is attached to the conveying body and records sensor information collected from the sensor; and an information analysis/processing unit that causes the sensor and the information recording device to be driven and causes the information recording device to continuously record the sensor information on the conveying path or in the vicinity of the conveying path while conveying the conveying body on the conveying path.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

  The present invention relates to a transport system inspection apparatus for automatically inspecting a transport path such as a belt conveyor or a roller conveyor and associated facilities.

  In general, an article transportation system in a distribution center such as a distribution business requires time to recover the system once it has failed and stops transportation. In some cases, large losses may occur. For this reason, regular maintenance is performed at the distribution center, and it is necessary to stop the transport path for repair depending on the nature of the failure. These inspections and repairs need to be performed promptly, but depending on the scale and content of the failure, it may take a long time to stop the transport path for a long time, or the repair time may become unclear. In such a case, it gives a great inconvenience to the user of the transport system. Therefore, it is important to detect a sign of the occurrence of the failure in advance so that such a situation does not occur.

  In the case of general distribution centers such as mass retailers, the goods to be conveyed are put in cardboard boxes, and when opening the cardboard boxes to take out individually packed products and carry them, plastic return boxes (folding) are used. And transported in containers. Many of these conveyed products are fixed-shaped products with a flat bottom surface, so it is necessary to convey a large amount of material at a time, and it is necessary to reduce equipment costs. In many cases, a roller conveyor provided with rollers at appropriate intervals according to the size of the roller is used.

  When a roller conveyor is used as the transport system, problems such as defects of rotating components such as rollers and cracks and wear of the drive belt often occur. In addition, the position of the "scanner" or "phototube", which is a sensor for controlling the conveyed object mounted on the conveyor frame, may be displaced due to vibration or the like, and may not be recognized properly. A device may malfunction due to the installation environment of the device (temperature, humidity, dust, etc.) or the effect of being constantly exposed to various noises from other peripheral devices. Regular inspections and maintenance are essential to confirm that these symptoms have not occurred.

  It takes a lot of labor and time to perform regular inspection work on all of these long transport systems and to detect in advance the signs of failure occurrence. At present, veteran technicians patrol the transport system and conduct inspections where there is a possibility of failure by relying on years of intuition and experience, such as visual inspection and hammering inspection with a hammer, It is very difficult for an inexperienced technician to detect the sign of failure. Furthermore, places where the inspector cannot access easily, such as complicated transport paths, tunnels that need to be inspected in the transport system, or tunnels in the walls of buildings, or high elevations, etc. Inspection becomes more difficult.

  In addition, in the baggage transfer sorting system for passengers at the airport, after the passenger is entrusted with baggage transportation at the counter before boarding, a baggage identifier ID using a barcode etc. is assigned at the counter and designated on the belt conveyor. It is automatically transported to a work place (makeup) for mounting on an aircraft. The baggage is then carried on board the aircraft, airlifted to the destination, and quickly transported to the customer at the baggage claim area of the arriving airport.

  These pieces of baggage are sorted and transported by the transport system according to the flight number, destination, and the like on the departure flight. The baggage is read by a baggage identifier ID reader (e.g., a barcode reader) installed in the transporter, and transported to the boarding machine within a designated time. On arriving flights, after the aircraft is transported, it is quickly transported to the conveyor system at the baggage claim area at the arrival airport.

  In such a baggage transport system for passengers, in order to transport baggage of various sizes, a belt using a wide conveyor belt has been used conventionally, but a belt made of a wide and long rubber is used. In the transport path, not only is the power from the driving motor large, but also the maintenance (inspection and repair) takes a lot of trouble.

  Furthermore, in recent years, baggage transport at airports has been further strengthened with measures to reduce damage to cargo and measures to be taken when goods are deformed or broken. Traceability is becoming more important so as not to be unclear. Therefore, instead of a system in which various pieces of baggage of the same passenger having different shapes are individually conveyed on a conveyance path using a wide belt, a system in which the baggage is placed on a tray having a uniform shape and conveyed at once is being replaced. This transport method is called a system in which a narrow conveyor belt is brought into contact with only both sides of the bottom surface of the tray (a system called a so-called “DCT system”). At the airport in Europe, similar systems are beginning to be introduced at airports in Japan.

  Taking the above-mentioned baggage transfer system at an airport as an example, if the baggage transfer system fails for any reason and stops, it will have a serious effect on the arrival and departure of aircraft, and consequently confusion and major obstacles to airport management. There is a risk that it will. In general, the impairment of airport management can result in enormous economic losses.

  As a method and an apparatus for diagnosing in advance an abnormality that may lead to a failure of the article transport system, proposals have been made in the following prior art documents.

  Patent Document 1 discloses that an ultrasonic detection device is disposed at a predetermined position of a conveyance path, and each time the conveyance device passes through a predetermined position, an ultrasonic wave from the conveyance device is detected using ultrasonic detection and detected. A technical idea of calculating a characteristic value of an ultrasonic wave is disclosed. If the characteristic value sequentially calculated every time the transport device passes a predetermined location exceeds a predetermined threshold value and continuously exceeds a predetermined number of times, it is determined that the transport device is abnormal.

  However, this technique merely detects an abnormality at a specific portion of the transport path, and does not capture signs of occurrence of an abnormality or failure of the entire transport path.

JP 2009-115606 A

  An object of the present invention is to provide a transport system inspection device capable of detecting in advance a sign of occurrence of a failure in a transport path for transporting articles in view of the problems in the related art.

  More specifically, a transport system inspection apparatus capable of recording various status information of a transport path in a normal state and comparing the status information with information at the time of inspection to detect a sign of occurrence of an abnormality. Is also an issue.

  In addition, a transport system inspection device that performs inspections during the actual operation of the transport system, transmits inspection result information in real time, and can immediately inspect and repair potential failure locations. Is also an issue.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, a failure prediction transport system inspection apparatus according to a first aspect of the present invention includes a sound, vibration, image, and sound attached to a transportable body that can be transported along a transport path for transporting articles. Light, ultrasonic waves, pressure, a sensor that acquires information relating to any one or more of the environment, an information recording device that is attached to the carrier, and records sensor information collected from the sensor, and the sensor and the sensor An information analysis / processing unit for driving the information recording device to record the sensor information on the conveyance path or near the conveyance path while the conveyance body is being conveyed along the conveyance path, and causing the information recording device to record the sensor information over time. It is configured with.

  As a failure prediction transport system inspection device according to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the information analysis / processing unit is configured to generate a failure in the transport path based on the sensor information collected from the sensor. May be provided with a function of judging the sign of the warning.

  As a failure prediction transport system inspection apparatus according to a third aspect of the present invention, in the second aspect, in the second aspect, the transport body is transported on the transport path during which an actual work related to article transport is operating, and the information analysis / processing is performed. The unit compares the sensor information collected from the sensor with second sensor information recorded in advance in the information recording device, determines a sign of occurrence of a failure in the transport path, and determines the occurrence of the determined failure. The information relating to the sign may be recorded in the information recording device.

  As the failure prediction transport system inspection device according to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the second or third aspect, the failure prediction transport system inspection device further includes a communication unit that transmits and receives information to and from the outside, The control unit may control the communication unit so as to transmit the information regarding the determined failure occurrence sign to the outside.

  As a failure prediction transport system inspection device according to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the failure prediction transport system inspection device further includes a communication unit that transmits and receives information to and from the outside, and the control unit includes: Transmitting the sensor information collected from the sensor to an external analysis and processing device via the communication unit, wherein the control unit is configured to receive the failure occurrence sign information from the external analysis and processing device. Can also be controlled.

  As a failure prediction transport system inspection apparatus according to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the failure prediction transport system inspection apparatus further includes a position detection apparatus that detects a position of the transport body on the transport path or near the transport path, The analysis / processing unit may cause the information recording device to record the sensor information over time in association with the position information detected by the position detection device.

  In a sixth aspect of the present invention, as the failure prediction transport system inspection device according to the seventh aspect of the present invention, a gyrocompass and an accelerometer may be used as the position detection device.

  As a failure prediction transport system inspection device according to an eighth aspect of the present invention, in the sixth aspect, an RF-ID reader may be used as the position detection device.

  In the inspection apparatus for predicting a failure according to a ninth aspect of the present invention, in the sixth aspect, an image analysis apparatus may be used as the position detection apparatus.

  As a failure prediction transport system inspection device according to a tenth aspect of the present invention, in the fourth aspect, the communication unit receives external control information for controlling the information analysis and processing unit, and The analysis / processing unit may cause the sensor to acquire the sensor information based on the control information received by the communication unit.

  As a failure prediction transport system inspection device according to an eleventh aspect of the present invention, in the tenth aspect, the control information may include sensor information acquisition reference information according to an information acquisition criterion for acquiring the sensor information. You can also.

  As a failure prediction transport system inspection device according to a twelfth aspect of the present invention, in the eleventh aspect, the sensor information acquisition reference information includes a threshold level set for each type of the sensor at each predetermined position on the transport path. The control unit may record the sensor information in the information recording device and transmit the sensor information to the outside when the sensor information exceeds the threshold level.

  Further, in order to solve the above problem, a transport system according to a thirteenth aspect of the present invention includes a transport path for transporting articles, and a sound, vibration, Image, light, ultrasound, pressure, a sensor that acquires information related to any one or more of the environment, an information recording device that records sensor information collected from the sensor, the sensor and the information recording device An information analysis and processing unit that drives and records the sensor information about the transport path or near the transport path on the transport path while transporting the transport body on the transport path, and the sensor information. And a function of determining a sign of occurrence of a failure in the transport path.

  As a transport system according to a fourteenth aspect of the present invention, in the thirteenth aspect, in the thirteenth aspect, the transport body is transported along the transport path during which an actual operation relating to article transport is in operation, and the control unit collects data from the sensor. The obtained sensor information is compared with the second sensor information recorded in advance in the information recording device, a sign of the occurrence of a failure in the transport path is determined, and the information on the determined sign of the failure is determined as the information. It is also possible to record on a recording device.

  As a transport system according to a fifteenth aspect of the present invention, in the thirteenth or fourteenth aspect, the transport system further includes a communication unit that transmits and receives information to and from the outside, and the control unit determines The communication unit may be controlled so as to transmit information on the failure occurrence sign to the outside.

  As a transport system according to a sixteenth aspect of the present invention, in the thirteenth aspect, the transport system further includes a communication unit that transmits and receives information to and from the outside, and the information analysis and processing unit collects information from the sensor. Transmitting the sensor information to the external analysis device via the communication unit, and the information analysis / processing unit controls the communication unit to receive the failure occurrence sign information from the external analysis device. You can also.

  As a transport system according to a seventeenth aspect of the present invention, in the thirteenth aspect, the information analysis / processing unit according to the thirteenth aspect, further comprising a position detection mechanism that detects a position of the transport body on the transport path or near the transport path. In the present invention, the sensor information may be recorded in the information recording device successively in association with the position information detected by the position detection mechanism.

  As a transport system according to an eighteenth aspect of the present invention, in the seventeenth aspect, the position detecting device includes an RF-ID tag provided at a predetermined point on the transport path or near the transport path; And an RF-ID reader provided in the system.

  As a transport system according to a nineteenth aspect of the present invention, in the seventeenth aspect, in the seventeenth aspect, the position detection device is provided on an engineering marker provided at a predetermined point on or near the transport path, and on the transport body. And an image analysis device having a function of reading the optical marker.

  As a transport system according to a twentieth aspect of the present invention, in the seventeenth aspect, the position detecting device includes a transport path configuration diagram recorded in the information recording device, and a predetermined point included in the transport path configuration diagram. And a means for detecting a position in the transport path by at least one of the specific sound, vibration, and impact.

  As a transport system according to a twenty-first aspect of the present invention, in the fifteenth aspect, the communication unit receives external control information for controlling the information analysis / processing unit, and the information analysis / processing unit The sensor may acquire the sensor information based on the control information received by the communication unit.

  As the transport system according to a twenty-second aspect of the present invention, in the twenty-first aspect, the control information may include sensor information acquisition reference information according to an information acquisition criterion for acquiring the sensor information. .

  As a transport system according to a twenty-third aspect of the present invention, in the twenty-second aspect, a threshold level set for each type of the sensor is defined for each predetermined position of the transport path, and the sensor information acquisition reference information includes: The information analysis / processing unit includes information defining the threshold level, and when the sensor information exceeds the threshold level, causes the information recording device to record the sensor information and transmit the sensor information to the outside. You can also.

  As a transport system according to a twenty-fourth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the thirteenth to twenty-third aspects, the transport body is configured to at least acquire the sensor information by the sensor. A first body that functions as an information collection device, and a second body that functions as an information analysis / processing unit that determines the sign of the occurrence of a failure in the transport path based on the sensor information obtained from the first body. The two bodies may be configured as separate bodies.

  As a transport system according to a twenty-fifth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the thirteenth to twenty-third aspects, the transport body is configured to at least acquire the sensor information by the sensor. A first body that functions as an information collecting device, and an information analysis that determines the sign of the occurrence of a failure in the transport path based on the sensor information obtained from the first body and obtains the sign of failure occurrence based on the sensor information. A second body functioning as a processing unit, and a sensor provided in the transport path based on the sensor information obtained by the first body and / or the failure sign information obtained by the second body. May be connected to a third body provided with a repair portion for cleaning or cleaning or maintenance.

  As a transport system according to a twenty-sixth aspect of the present invention, in the twenty-fifth aspect, the sensor includes a photoelectric switch having at least a light emitting unit and a light receiving unit, and the repair unit includes a light emitting unit of the photoelectric switch. A function of cleaning the light receiving unit by spraying compressed air with the compressed air may also be provided.

  As a transport system according to a twenty-seventh aspect of the present invention, in any one of the twenty-fourth to twenty-sixth aspects, the information analysis / processing unit may include a personal computer and analysis software. it can.

  When the transport system inspection device is transported on an actual transport path, test measurement information of each sensor device during transport is recorded. The test measurement information is compared with the information of the sensor device at the time of normal operation, and at the same time, the correlation with the test measurement information of various sensor devices is investigated to correctly detect the sign of the occurrence of the failure. Record on a recording device. The failure occurrence symptom information may be kept as it is in the transport system inspection apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention, and the reading determination may be performed from the information recording apparatus after the transport of the transport path is completed. (Offline) In addition, it is also possible to transmit the failure occurrence sign information to the outside by a wireless communication device and immediately check the failure occurrence sign part. (online)

  Transmit the test measurement information from each sensor device to the outside and compare it with the information of the sensor device during normal operation, or investigate the correlation with the test measurement information of various sensor devices to catch the sign of failure occurrence This can be performed by an external information analysis / processing unit. Furthermore, control information from the outside may be received by the wireless communication device, and the information acquisition method and the information acquisition standard of each device may be controlled by the control information.

  Record the data from each device during normal operation of the transport system, use these as reference values, and perform comparison processing and correlation processing with the measurement data during normal inspection to detect signs of failure. Can be.

  Similarly, based on the test information obtained as described above, a threshold level is set for each position on the transport path, and when the test measurement information exceeds the above level, the corresponding test measurement information is recorded and externally set. , And information can be transmitted in real time.

  According to the present invention, the transport system inspection device according to an aspect of the present invention is transported to an actual transport path, so that the status of the transport system can be ascertained (operation time, transported object amount, abnormality history, etc. from the control device of the equipment itself). ) And by collecting and analyzing various data, it is possible to detect in advance the signs of occurrence of abnormalities, to operate the transport system efficiently, and to prevent economic losses.

  In addition, since the transport status of goods (goods / packages) can be grasped, it is not necessary to use parts with excessive precision standards in order to suppress the occurrence of failures in the transport system, so that the optimal transport system is selected and the price is reduced. Becomes possible.

  The inspection device of the present invention can also automatically check the transportation path in places where the inspector cannot easily access, such as a complicated transportation path, a tunnel-like configuration, or installation at a high place. Inspection is possible.

  Furthermore, since the sign of the occurrence of a failure can be grasped at the time of actual operation of the transport system and the information can be transmitted in real time, the detailed inspection of the relevant portion can be performed immediately and repair can be performed if necessary, thereby preventing loss due to stoppage of the transport system.

It is a schematic diagram showing an example of a transportation system to which one embodiment of the present invention is applied. It is the schematic which shows the other example of the conveyance system which applies one Embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram of a conveyance system inspection device concerning one embodiment of the present invention. It is a block diagram of the speech analysis device concerning one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a schematic external view of a transport system inspection device according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is an outline appearance figure of a transportation system inspection device concerning other embodiments of the present invention. It is an explanatory view of a signal analysis and processing method of a transport system inspection device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

  Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following, the range necessary for the description for achieving the object of the present invention is schematically shown, and the range necessary for the description of the relevant part of the present invention will be mainly described. It shall be based on a known technique.

  An example in which an embodiment of the present invention is applied to a baggage transport system that can simplify a transport path by transporting baggage having different shapes described above on a tray having a substantially uniform shape will be described as an example. Regardless of the shape of the object to be conveyed, the baggage conveyance system can be said to be very suitable as a target to which the embodiment of the present invention is applied, since the object is conveyed on a tray having a substantially uniform shape regardless of the shape of the object.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a baggage transport system according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which baggage 1 having different shapes is placed on a tray 2 having a substantially uniform shape and transported. A relatively narrow belt 4 driven by a drive source 3 that may include a motor is conveyed on both sides of a substantially straight conveyance path (a description of a curved conveyance path and a branch conveyance path is omitted). A belt guide 5 arranged below the belt 4 to support the load of the load, a guide rail 6 for keeping the tray 2 from shifting left and right, and a drive source 3 for driving based on the speed information of the entire transport unit. A control unit 7 for controlling the number of rotations optimally or controlling to stop driving the drive source 3 of the transport path when there is no tray 2 or baggage 1 loaded on the tray 2 on the transport path; The apparatus includes a transport path position information unit 8 for specifying a position using identification information such as a code.

  The transport system inspection apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention loads various measuring devices described below on a housing 2-0 described below, which is capable of being transported on the transport path, and transports the measurement apparatuses on an actual transport path. By observing the state of the transport path and detecting and responding to signs of the occurrence of a failure as soon as possible, a failure is prevented from occurring.

  FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view when the transport system inspection device according to the embodiment of the present invention is applied to the transport system using the roller conveyor 9. The same various measuring devices as in FIG. 1 are loaded on a housing 6-0 (not shown) that can be transported by the transport system, and may be a transport system inspection device. I do. A transport path position information section 10 having the same function as the transport path position information section 8 in FIG. 1 is provided on the guide rail 6. In addition, when the above-described transport system inspection apparatus is applied to a wide belt conveyor transport path, an inspection apparatus having substantially the same shape can be used.

  FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of the transport system inspection device Y according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, a transport system inspection device Y according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an acoustic analysis device 3 as a transport system inspection sensor device in a housing 5-0 (not shown) that can be transported on a transport path. -1, vibration analysis device 3-2, image analysis device 3-3, optical measurement device 3-4, ultrasonic analysis device 3-5, pressure analysis device 3-6, environment analysis device 3- 7 and at least one of them. Each of the sensor devices is connected to an information analysis / processing unit 3-13 via an I / F device 3-8, and the information analysis / processing unit 3-13 is also connected via an I / F device 3-8. It is connected to a vibration device 3-10, a position detection device 3-11, a wireless communication device 3-14 via an I / F device 3-8, and further to an information recording device 3-12.

  The transport system inspection apparatus Y according to an embodiment of the present invention may analyze stored data after transported in an actual transport system to detect a sign of failure occurrence (offline). The data may be transmitted wirelessly to the outside, and a sign of the occurrence of a failure may be detected (on-line) in the external analysis device 3-30 (the external shape is not shown). The external analysis / processing device 3-30 includes a wireless communication device 3-15 and a personal computer device, or a signal analysis device 3-16 having a higher signal analysis capability and an information recording device 3-17. You can make it.

  FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of the acoustic analysis device according to one embodiment of the present invention. One or more microphones (hereinafter, abbreviated as “microphones”) are provided in a housing 2-0 (not shown). M0, M1 to Mn are provided to catch sound source directions, detected extraneous sounds, and housing vibration sounds. The microphones M0, M1 to Mn may have a required frequency band, or may have an output from a broadband microphone controlled to a required frequency band by a frequency filter FIL. Further, it is preferable to provide a volume control circuit AGC in case of a large volume such as a collision sound. This acoustic analyzer can capture or block only a sound of a specific frequency, and can detect the direction of sound generation by collecting and analyzing sound sources with a plurality of microphones.

  In addition, since the surrounding noise is expected to be large at the place where the transport path is installed, the surrounding noise detection microphone M0 is provided, and the detected surrounding noise is subtracted from the microphone M1 to Mn information, or the surrounding noise is detected by the microphone M0. Noise A noise floor may be detected and set as a threshold level, and only information exceeding the level may be handled, or a noise canceling function may be provided.

  The vibration analysis device 3-2 is configured by a vibration sensor, and detects one or more pieces of information among an impact, a vibration amplitude, a direction, a displacement, a frequency, and an acceleration from a conveyance path transmitted to the housing 5-0. For example, the slack of the conveyor belt appears as intermittent vibration, and the shaft displacement and wear of the drive motor appear as a peculiar vibration frequency, so that signs of failure can be captured.

  The image analysis device 3-3 is composed of an image / moving image camera and is provided at a necessary part of the housing 5-0. It is possible to detect distortion and damage of the structure by comparing the image with the image of the structure of the conveyance path in a normal state, as well as detecting the foreign matter in the conveyance path. Further, an image ID tag such as a bar code is attached to a guide rail or a structure of the transport path, and the current position of the transport path can be detected by detecting the image.

  The optical measuring device 3-4 includes a laser light emitting unit and a laser light receiving unit, and is capable of accurately measuring an object from a housing 5-0 on which an inspection device according to an embodiment of the present invention is mounted to an object such as a guide rail. Distance can be measured. Further, by scanning and receiving the emitted laser light, it is possible to observe the state of the surface roughness and surface rust of the object.

  The ultrasonic analyzer 3-5 includes an ultrasonic transmitter and an ultrasonic receiver, and can detect the generation of ultrasonic waves when a metal break occurs in a mechanical component in the transport path. . In addition, the ultrasonic transmitter and the receiver are provided at specific positions of the housing 5-0, so that flaw detection of the metal components constituting the transport path can be performed.

  The pressure detecting device 3-6 is a pressure sensor installed on the bottom surface or side surface of the housing 5-0, and is preferably a small sensor such as a semiconductor piezoresistive type which can obtain an electric output. By the pressure detecting device 3-6, the pressure applied to the housing 5-0 moving on the transport path can be determined, and the housing 5-0 is pressed against one side beyond the design value or hits an unexpected protrusion in the transport path. Or abnormalities that occur.

  The environment measurement device 3-7 includes an environment measurement device for measuring temperature, humidity, air pressure, wind, dust, and the like, and measures the transport system environment. For example, when transporting a conveyed product such as frozen food, temperature control of the transport path environment is important, and a food accident can be prevented by detecting a change in temperature in advance. It is also important to observe the heat generated by the driving device of the transport path and the heat generated by the friction of the conveyor belt in order to prevent the accident in advance.

  The vibration device 3-10 includes an electric vibrator and / or a tapping mechanism. The tapping mechanism drives a small hammer by driving an electric solenoid or a motor to apply a slight impact to an object. Vibration or impact is applied to a required portion of the transport path by such a vibration device, and the reaction sound is collected, analyzed, and diagnosed by the acoustic analysis device 3-1. Further, collection, analysis, and diagnosis of the resonance frequency are performed by the above-described vibration analysis device. Usually, if the screw is loosened or the structure is distorted or twisted, a reaction sound with a different frequency than normal and a peculiar impact sound will be emitted, so it is possible to catch signs of failure .

  The position detection device 3-11 includes a gyrocompass and an accelerometer, and further includes a wireless device (hereinafter, referred to as a “wireless device”) such as an RFID using an IC tag or Bluetooth (registered trademark). And the gyro compass estimates the current self-position of the transport system inspection apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. In this self-position estimation, a moving distance and an azimuth are calculated by an accelerometer and a gyro compass on the basis of a transport path start position, and a current position is estimated. If there is a possibility that the error may be superimposed, the error can be corrected by installing an IC tag, for example, at a reference point installed at a known key point and reading the IC tag with an RFID reader. The error correction by the reference point may be performed by installing a visual marker such as a barcode or an AR marker instead of the IC tag, and visually recognizing the marker by the above-described image analyzer to correct the error. The use of these IC tags, RFID readers, visual markers such as barcodes and AR markers, and image analysis devices can be used as position detection devices without being limited to the above-described error correction. Further, a characteristic point such as a branch point in the transport path can be detected by the image analysis device to perform position correction and / or position detection. Further, position correction and / or position detection may be performed by detecting light from a photoelectric sensor for detecting passage of a conveyed object.

  The I / F device 3-9 is an interface device for connecting information from each of the sensor devices 3-1 to 3-8 and a control line of each of the sensors to an information analysis / processing unit. Also, a terminal 3-20 (not shown) for connection to an external device is provided.

  An information recording device (also referred to as a “memory device”) 3-11 stores (memory) information from each of the sensor devices 3-1 to 3-8 under the control of the control device 3-12, and stores information on the transport path. Can store information from each sensor device in a normal state as reference data. In addition, it also has a function as a temporary storage and a buffer memory similar to the memory device of the personal computer.

  In addition, if a transport path configuration diagram is recorded in the information recording device, the transport path test apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention can be checked by comparing position information from the position detection device with the transport path configuration diagram. It is possible to more clearly grasp where the self-position is located on the transport path. The characteristic points of the transport path that can be seen from the transport path configuration diagram, for example, the specific vibration, impact, and the like generated at the transport switching position indicate that the transport path system inspection apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention has reached the transport switching position. It can be detected and used as an error correction for the position detection device.

  The information analysis / processing unit 3-13 is composed of a CPU similar to a personal computer, and calculates data from each sensor device, compares data with normal data, and correlates information from a plurality of sensors. Judgment of a sign of failure based on the information, storage of data from each sensor including the judgment data in the information recording device, data transmission to the outside through a wireless communication device described later, control by external control information, and the like are performed. As will be described later, it is also possible to perform position estimation in the transport path configuration diagram by detecting a unique vibration frequency, and to detect looseness or peeling of the side plate based on an image and a vibration frequency.

  In the transport system inspection apparatus of the present invention, as described above, in order to determine a sign of occurrence of a failure based on information from each sensor in a normal state, there is also a method of comparing information in a normal state with information in a failure state. . However, a failure rarely occurs, and it is difficult to obtain information when a failure occurs. For this reason, there is also a method of artificially generating a failure state assuming a certain failure and performing failure prediction based on data at that time.

  On the other hand, an actual failure often occurs in an unexpected state, and the failure state cannot be logically described in some cases. In such a case, an artificial neural network (AI) is used in the information analysis / processing unit. There is a method of determining a sign of failure occurrence by learning means including a network (ANN).

  As the AI method (herein referred to), the application software used in the information analysis / processing device 3-13 includes a naive Bayes method, a support vector machine method, an anomaly detection method, a neural network method, a feature space method (K Information from each sensor is machine-learned by processing means exemplified by an average method, etc., and comparison with data from each sensor in a normal state, and judgment of a sign of failure occurrence based on correlation of data from a plurality of sensors, etc. The data information from each sensor including the determination information is stored in the information recording device 3-12, the information is transmitted to the outside via a wireless communication device 3-15 described later, and the information analysis / control based on the external control information is performed. It is also possible to control the processing device 3-13. Through the above-mentioned information analysis and processing, unique data information from each sensor is accurately detected, and not only a failure occurrence sign judgment is made, but also a position estimation in a transport path configuration diagram, and a failure site and a failure state are detected. It is also possible.

  Taking the feature space technique as an example of the information analysis and processing by the AI technique, a correlation matrix is constructed using normalized measurement data from a sensor, and a Yak-9 multivariate analysis is used. Thus, a unit space in a normal operation state of the transport equipment (hereinafter, abbreviated as a normal state) is generated. The unit space data is compared with the data collected by the sensor to determine the degree of abnormality. The above relationship is shown in the block diagram of FIG.

  The wireless communication device 3-14 includes a wireless communication system Wi-Fi, Bluetooth (registered trademark), ZigBee (registered trademark), or a transceiver of a specified low-power wireless, and also controls the signal analysis device 3-12. Then, a failure sign determination result and information from each sensor device are transmitted to the outside, or a signal from the outside is received. Which wireless communication system is used is selected according to the required data transfer rate. The antenna used by the wireless communication device is selected according to the required communication range. Further, it is also possible to perform so-called cloud processing in which data from each sensor device is transmitted to the outside as it is, and analysis is performed by an external analysis device having an advanced analysis function.

  A rechargeable battery is used as the power supply device. The battery capacity can be determined depending on how many types of sensor devices are mounted.

  FIG. 5A is a schematic top view of a housing 5-0 having substantially the same form (shape and weight) as the tray 2 shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 5B is a schematic bottom view of the housing 5-0. is there. FIGS. 5A and 5B show a rectangular box-shaped housing 5-0 as an example, and a sensor bay SB1 that accommodates sensor units of various sensor devices is provided beside the box-shaped housing 5-0. Similarly, a sensor bay SB2 is disposed in front of and behind the housing 5-0. In the sensor bays SB1 and SB2, an acoustic analysis device 3-1, a vibration device 3-10, a vibration analysis device 3-2, an image analysis device 3-3, an optical measurement device 3-4, and a pressure detection device (not shown) are provided. It is desirable to accommodate each sensor device of 3-6.

  As shown in FIG. 5B, a sensor bay SB4 is provided on the bottom surface of the housing 5-0, and the acoustic analysis device 3-1, the vibration analysis device 3-2, the ultrasonic analysis device 3-5, the position detection device It is desirable to accommodate a sensor device such as 3-11. Further, it is desirable to accommodate the wireless communication device 3-14 in the upper SB5 of the housing 2-0.

  As another application example of the present invention, a protruding sensor bay SB3 indicated by a dotted line at a position corresponding to the article storage portion of the housing 5-0 in FIG. It may be provided. The sensor bay SB3 may accommodate sensor devices of an acoustic analysis device 3-1, an image analysis device 3-3, an optical measurement device 3-4, and a wireless communication device 3-14 (each not shown).

  FIGS. 6A and 6B are schematic diagrams of an inspection apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention when applied to a transport path including the roller conveyor and the wide belt conveyor shown in FIG. It is. A transport system inspection apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention is housed in a housing 6-0 having substantially the same shape as a typical transported object transported on a transport path. The various measuring devices accommodated in the housing 6-0 and the sensor bays SB1 to SB5 accommodating their sensor units are substantially the same as those of the housing 5-0 shown in FIG.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to inspect the entire system of a large-scale transport system such as a baggage transport system at an airport or a large-scale distribution center in an actual operation state, and to quickly find a site where a failure is expected and take action. Thereby, an accident that may cause a great disruption of the airport system can be prevented in advance.

  In the description of FIG. 1, an example in which one embodiment of the present invention is applied to a transport device that transports a transported object placed on a dedicated tray has been described. However, a roller conveyor transport system or a conveyor belt transport system using a wide belt is described. Is also applicable.

  After transporting the transport system inspection apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention at the time of starting the transport system before transporting the transported product and inspecting the transport system, the actual transported product may be transported, The transport system inspection apparatus Y according to one embodiment of the present invention can be simultaneously transported during the transport of the transported object, and the system inspection during the actual transport can be performed. Inspection can also be performed.

  In addition, the transport system inspection device Y according to the embodiment of the present invention can be equipped with the sensor devices 3-1 to 3-7 as described above. It can handle everything from simple tests to complex tests with various sensors. That is, a flexible operation such as performing a simple inspection together with a conveyed object during a normal time and performing a complicated periodic inspection at a certain time interval can be performed, which helps to further enhance the reliability of the conveyance system.

  Furthermore, in a system that loads and conveys items on the tray, the first tray device, such as the Shinkansen Doctor Yellow, is equipped with sensors such as images, sound, light, and ultrasonic waves to provide information. The second tray device is configured as an information analysis and processing unit that analyzes the information collected by the first device with a personal computer and dedicated analysis software. Then, based on the information obtained by the apparatus in the front, the third tray apparatus cleans the light emitting part and the light receiving part of the photoelectric switch provided on the transport line by squeezing air with compressed air. A repair function other than the inspection function may be provided, for example, as a device provided with a repair function such as a repair function.

  Still further, in a system for mounting and transporting a transported object on a tray, only a tray having a built-in transport system inspection apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention may be transported for transport system inspection, or the inspection may be performed at the same time. Inspection can also be performed by mounting an actual transported object on a tray containing the device. In other words, the operation of the transport system can be diagnosed while the transport system inspection device according to the embodiment of the present invention is transported along with the transported articles in the same transport path while actually operating the article transport system. This is a revolutionary technology that can automatically perform the same function as Doctor Yellow.

  In the case of inspection at a distribution center constructed by the applicant, the transport system inspection device knows the control system of the center in advance, so detailed information such as the positional relationship of the photoelectric switch is also checked before inspection. Because the information obtained from these systems can be used to accurately determine the positional relationship between the devices, the center constructed by a company other than the applicant can provide details of the control system in advance. Because it is difficult to obtain, it is difficult to grasp the status of the transport line in advance. However, in the case of this device, since this device itself has sensors for images, sound, light, and the like, and also has an optical measurement device such as a laser and an autonomous positioning technology such as a gyro, these devices are used. By utilizing the information obtained from this device, the exact positional relationship of this device can be grasped. Therefore, it can be used in various transport modes such as a roller conveyor, a belt conveyor, and a tray-type transport system such as DCT, and can be used in many distribution centers and airport facilities regardless of the location.

  As described above, the present invention can be widely used not only in baggage transport systems at airports, but also in locations using transport systems such as logistics center transport systems, warehouse management systems, and production lines. It can be expected to make a great contribution to the management system.

  In the above description, application to conveyor conveyors is mainly used. However, the inspection of the conveyance path status of automatic guided vehicles (AGV) in port facilities and the conveyance of automatic guided vehicles in large markets such as the Toyosu market in Tokyo. It can be widely applied to different industrial fields such as road inspection. In open space applications, a GPS device can be used as the position detection device in addition to the above-described position detection device.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Baggage, 2 ... Tray, 3 ... Drive source, 4 ... Conveyor belt, 5 ... Belt guide, 6 ... Guide rail, 7 ... Control part, 8 ... Conveyance path position information part, 9 ... Roller conveyor, 10 ... Conveyance path Position information section, 21: transported object, 2-0: housing, 3-0: housing, 3-1: acoustic analyzer, 3-2: vibration analyzer, 3-3: image analyzer, 3-4 ... Image analysis device, 3-5 ... Ultrasonic analysis device, 3-6 ... Pressure detection device, 3-7 ... Environmental analysis device, 3-8 ... Interface device, 3-9 ... External device connection, 3-10 ... Vibration device, 3-11 Position detection device, 3-12 Information recording device, 3-13 Information analysis / processing unit, 3-14 Wireless communication device, 3-15 Wireless communication device, 3-16 Signal Analysis device, 3-17 Information recording device, 3-20 Power supply device, M0 to Mn Microphone, AGC Automatic control circuit Road, FIL: frequency filter, C1, C2: control line, SB1 to SB5: sensor bay, Y: transport system inspection device

Claims (29)

Attached to a transportable body that can be transported in the transport path for transporting the article, sound, vibration, image, light, ultrasonic, pressure, and a sensor that obtains information on one or more of the environment,
An information recording device that is attached to the carrier and records sensor information collected from the sensor,
An information analyzer that drives the sensor and the information recording device to record the sensor information on the conveyance path or near the conveyance path in the information recording device while conveying the conveyance body on the conveyance path; A failure prediction transport system inspection device, comprising: a processing unit.   2. The failure predictive transport system inspection device according to claim 1, wherein the information analysis / processing unit determines a sign of the occurrence of a failure in the transport path based on the sensor information collected from the sensor. 3. The transport body is transported in the transport path in operation of actual work related to article transport,
The information analysis and processing unit compares the sensor information collected from the sensor with second sensor information recorded in advance in the information recording device, determines a sign of occurrence of a failure in the transport path, 3. The failure predictive transport system inspection device according to claim 2, wherein information relating to the determined failure occurrence sign is recorded in the information recording device. The failure prediction transport system inspection apparatus further includes a communication unit that transmits and receives information to and from the outside,
4. The failure predictive transport system inspection device according to claim 2, wherein the control unit controls the communication unit to transmit information on the determined failure occurrence sign to the outside. 5. The failure prediction transport system inspection apparatus further includes a communication unit that transmits and receives information to and from the outside,
The information analysis and processing unit transmits the sensor information collected from the sensor to an external analysis device via the communication unit,
The failure predictive transport system inspection device according to claim 1, wherein the information analysis / processing unit controls the communication unit so as to receive failure occurrence sign information from the external analysis device. Further comprising a position detection device for detecting the position of the transport body on the transport path or in the vicinity of the transport path,
2. The failure prediction transport system according to claim 1, wherein the information analysis / processing unit causes the information recording device to record the sensor information over time in association with the position information detected by the position detection device. 3. Inspection equipment.   The inspection device according to claim 6, wherein a gyro compass and an accelerometer are used as the position detection device.   The inspection apparatus according to claim 6, wherein an RF-ID reader is used as the position detection device.   The inspection apparatus according to claim 6, wherein an image analysis device is used as the position detection device. The communication unit receives control information from the outside for controlling the information analysis / processing unit,
5. The failure predictive transport system inspection device according to claim 4, wherein in the information analysis / processing unit, the sensor acquires the sensor information based on the control information received by the communication unit. 6.   The failure predictive transport system inspection device according to claim 10, wherein the control information includes sensor information acquisition reference information relating to an information acquisition criterion for acquiring the sensor information. The sensor information acquisition reference information includes information that defines a threshold level set for each type of the sensor for each predetermined position of the transport path,
The failure prediction transport according to claim 11, wherein the information analysis / processing unit causes the information recording device to record the sensor information and transmit the sensor information to the outside when the sensor information exceeds the threshold level. System inspection equipment. A transport path for transporting articles;
Attached to a carrier that can be transported in the transport path, sound, vibration, image, light, ultrasonic, pressure, a sensor that acquires information related to any one or more of the environment,
An information recording device that records sensor information collected from the sensor,
The sensor and the information recording device are driven to convey the conveyance body on the conveyance path while the sensor information about the conveyance path or the vicinity of the conveyance path is sequentially recorded in the information recording device, and the sensor An information analysis / processing unit that determines a sign of the occurrence of a failure in the transport path based on information;
A transport system comprising: The transport body is transported in the transport path in operation of actual work related to article transport,
The information analysis and processing unit compares the sensor information collected from the sensor with second sensor information recorded in advance in the information recording device, determines a sign of occurrence of a failure in the transport path, The transport system according to claim 13, wherein information related to the determined failure occurrence sign is recorded in the information recording device. The transport system further includes a communication unit that transmits and receives information to and from the outside,
15. The transport system according to claim 13, wherein the information analysis / processing unit controls the communication unit to transmit information on the determined failure occurrence sign to the outside. The transport system further includes a communication unit that transmits and receives information to and from the outside,
The information analysis and processing unit transmits the sensor information collected from the sensor to an external analysis device via the communication unit,
14. The transport system according to claim 13, wherein the information analysis / processing unit controls the communication unit so as to receive failure occurrence symptom information from the external analysis device. Further comprising a position detection device for detecting the position of the transport body on the transport path or in the vicinity of the transport path,
14. The transport system according to claim 13, wherein the information analysis / processing unit causes the information recording device to record the sensor information over time in association with the position information detected by the position detection device. The position detection device,
The transport system according to claim 17, further comprising: an RF-ID tag provided at a predetermined point on or near the transport path, and an RF-ID reader provided on the transport body. The position detection device,
18. The image forming apparatus according to claim 17, further comprising: an engineering marker provided at a predetermined point on or near the transport path, and an image analyzer provided on the transport body and having a function of reading the optical marker. Transport system. The position detection device,
Transport path configuration diagram recorded in the information recording device,
The transport system according to claim 17, further comprising: means for detecting a position in the transport path by at least one of a specific sound, vibration, and impact related to a predetermined point included in the transport path configuration diagram. The communication unit receives control information from the outside for controlling the information analysis / processing unit,
16. The transport system according to claim 15, wherein in the information analysis / processing unit, the sensor acquires the sensor information based on the control information received by the communication unit.   22. The transport system according to claim 21, wherein the control information includes sensor information acquisition reference information relating to an information acquisition criterion for acquiring the sensor information. A threshold level set for each type of the sensor is defined for each predetermined position of the transport path,
The sensor information acquisition reference information includes information that defines the threshold level,
23. The transport system according to claim 22, wherein the information analysis / processing unit causes the information recording device to record the sensor information and transmit the sensor information to the outside when the sensor information exceeds the threshold level. The carrier is at least
A first body that functions as an information collection device for the purpose of acquiring the sensor information by the sensor,
The second body that functions as an information analysis / processing unit that determines the sign of the occurrence of a failure in the transport path based on the sensor information acquired by the first body based on the sensor information is configured as a separate body. 24. The transport system according to any one of items 13 to 23. The carrier is at least
A first body that functions as an information collection device for the purpose of acquiring the sensor information by the sensor,
A second body that functions as an information analysis and processing unit that determines the sign of the occurrence of a failure in the transport path based on the sensor information acquired by the first body based on the sensor information and acquires failure occurrence sign information;
A repair unit for cleaning or cleaning or maintaining a sensor provided in the transport path based on the sensor information obtained by the first body and / or the failure sign information obtained by the second body. The transport system according to any one of claims 13 to 23, wherein the transport system includes a third body provided with: The sensor includes a photoelectric switch having at least a light emitting unit and a light receiving unit,
The transport system according to claim 25, wherein the restoration unit has a function of cleaning dirt on the light emitting unit and / or the light receiving unit of the photoelectric switch by injecting compressed air.   The transport system according to any one of claims 24 to 26, wherein the information analysis / processing unit includes a personal computer and analysis software.   28. The transport system according to claim 24, wherein the information analysis / processing unit compares information from each sensor when the transport path is abnormal and information from each sensor during normal operation. The transport system according to any one of claims 24 to 28, wherein the information analysis / processing unit includes application software that uses artificial intelligence (AI).

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