JPH03279102A - Air floatation type transportation device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent waste of air and to get a light and compact device by providing a means for opening a usually closing valve of an air discharge port, and also air pads at the bottom surface of a carrying body, and by forming many air discharge ports, which are closed usually by means of the usually closing valves, at a floor of a carrying rail. CONSTITUTION:On a floor 7 of a carrying rail 2, many air discharge ports 8 are formed. The air discharge ports 8 are closed usually by means of usually closing valves 15 for stopping air discharge from an air source 12. On the other hand, under the lower surface of a carrying body 1, an air pad 6 and a valve opening member 20 are provided. In this constitution, when the discharge port 8 is covered by the air pad 6 after the carrying body 1 has come just upon the air discharge port 8, the usually closing valve 15 is opened because the valve opening member 20 pushes a projection 18 for opening the usually closing valve 15. Accordingly, air is introduced into the air pad 6 and the carrying body 1 is floated up. When the carrying body 1 leaves the discharge port 8 with its translation, the usually closing valve 15 is closed automatically.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] (Industrial application field) The present invention relates to an air floating conveyance device.

(Prior Art) An example of a conveyance device is a horizontal circulation parking facility. This consists of two horizontal conveyance paths that are installed in parallel to transport the trolleys for loading vehicles in the horizontal direction, and two vertical conveyance paths that transport the carts vertically between the ends of the 20-car horizontal conveyance path. This constitutes a horizontal circulation path. In this case, a fixed rail on which the wheels of the cart roll is installed on the horizontal transport path, and a movable rail that extends horizontally and can move vertically while supporting the cart is installed on the vertical transport path. The movable rails are connected and the cart can be moved between the two rails.

However, such a conveyance system in which the wheels of a cart are transferred on rails has a problem of high vibration or noise.

On the other hand, for example, an air action boat (hovercraft) is equipped with an air compressor on the carrier and blows air from the bottom of the carrier onto the water surface or the ground, allowing the carrier to float while moving. The air levitation type is generally known.

(Problem to be Solved by the Invention) However, regarding the above-mentioned air floating type, in a system in which a near compressor is mounted on the conveyor, when it is necessary to move a large number of conveyors like the above-mentioned parking equipment, individual The mounting of the near compressor on the conveying body increases the size and weight of the conveying body, as well as increasing costs. It is also conceivable to provide a near compressor beside the conveyance path to supply air to each conveyance body, but this is difficult in practice due to piping considerations.

In other words, an object of the present invention is to provide an air levitation type conveyance device without causing the problems of increasing the size and weight of the conveyor and piping, while preventing the waste of air for levitating the conveyor. It consists in composing.

(Means for Solving the Problems) The present invention solves these problems by blowing air onto the conveying body from the floor side to make the conveying body levitate, instead of blowing air from the conveying body onto the conveying floor. west,
Moreover, air is blown from the floor side only at the location where the carrier is located.

That is, the specific means for this purpose is an air floating type conveyance device for moving a conveyance body loaded with conveyed objects in a state of floating above the floor of the conveyance path, and which moves along the conveyance path. A large number of air discharge ports are arranged and open on the floor of this conveyance path, and each air discharge port is divided into a plurality of groups, each of which is addressed to 0 or all of the air discharge ports are provided to each group, and each air outlet is a normally closed valve for discharging and stopping the air; an air pad provided on the underside of the carrier to receive air from the air discharge port and lift the carrier from the floor; and an air pad for the carrier. The device is characterized by comprising a valve opening means that opens a normally closed valve of the air discharge port in conjunction with the position of the air discharge port above the air discharge port.

In this case, the valve opening means may be a method in which the normally closed valve is mechanically opened by moving the air pad above the air discharge port, or a method in which the normally closed valve is opened by electrically detecting the moving position of the air pad. A method can be adopted.

(Function) In the above-mentioned air levitation type conveyance device, the conveyance object floats from the floor by receiving air from the air discharge port opened in the floor of the conveyance path on the air pad, and the conveyance body itself has no air source. There is no need to install it. However,
The air discharge port is normally in a state where air discharge is stopped by a normally closed valve, and only when the air pad of the carrier comes above the air discharge port, the valve is opened by the valve opening means in conjunction with this. The normally closed valve is opened to discharge air. Therefore, this method can eliminate the discharge of air that does not contribute to the levitation of the carrier, and can prevent air wastage compared to a method that constantly discharges air from all air discharge ports. can be made smaller.

(Effects of the Invention) Therefore, according to the present invention, the conveyance body is levitated by the discharge of air from the air discharge ports disposed on the floor of the conveyance path, and the A normally closed valve is provided for each group, and only when the air pad of the carrier is located above the air outlet, the valve opening means opens the normally closed valve of the air outlet to discharge air. , there is no need to mount an air source on the carrier or connect air supply piping, and the carrier can be made smaller or lighter, and the air source can be made smaller by preventing waste of air. be able to.

(Example) Embodiments of the present invention will be described below based on the drawings.

In this example, the present invention is applied to a horizontal circulation type parking facility, the overall configuration of which is shown in FIG.

In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a conveyor (transport platform) on which vehicles (objects) are loaded and conveyed, and two horizontal conveyors arranged in parallel each carry a plurality of conveyors 1 horizontally and laterally. Road 2.
3 and two vertical conveyance paths 4 and 5 that convey the conveyance body 1 horizontally and vertically between the ends of both lateral conveyance paths 2.degree. 3, forming a horizontal circulation conveyance path. In this case, the vehicle enters and exits the warehouse using a predetermined position (for example, a corner) of the circulation conveyance path as an entry/exit section, and performs the vehicle entry/exit with respect to a conveyance body stopped at the entry/exit section.

Each carrier 1 is provided with a total of four air pads 6, one pair each, arranged horizontally at both longitudinal ends of its lower surface. On the other hand, a large number of air discharge ports 8 opening in the floor 7 are arranged along the circulation conveyance path. That is, in the horizontal conveyance path 2.3, a large number of air discharge ports 8 are arranged in the horizontal direction at intervals in the vertical direction so as to face the air pads 6.6 at both ends of the conveying body 1 in the vertical direction, In the vertical transport paths 4 and 5, a large number of air discharge ports 8 are arranged in the vertical direction at intervals in the horizontal direction so as to face a pair of air pads 6.6 arranged in parallel in the horizontal direction of the transport body 1. It is set up.

The specific structure of the air pad 6 and air discharge port 8 is shown in FIG.

First, starting from the air outlet 8, below the floor 7 of the conveyance path is an air tank 11 whose earth wall is the floor panel 7a.
is formed along the conveyance path, and this air tank 11
An air source (near compressor) 12 is connected to. A valve box 14 having an air inlet 13 that opens to the air tank 11 is attached to the floor panel 7a, and an air outlet 8 that opens to the floor 7 is formed on the upper wall of the valve box 14. has been done.

The valve box 14 is provided with a normally closed valve 15 for normally keeping the air discharge port 8 in a closed state. The normally closed valve 15 has an annular seal member 16 on the lower surface of the upper wall of the valve box 14 that abuts against the peripheral edge of the air outlet 8 to close the air outlet 8. The sealing member 16 is urged to abut against the lower surface of the upper wall of the valve box 14 by a spring 17 backed up by the bottom wall.

Further, a valve opening protrusion 18 for opening the normally closed valve 15 is provided on the upper surface of the normally closed valve 15, and this valve opening protrusion 18 passes through the air discharge port 8 onto the floor 7. It stands out. On the other hand, a support rod 9 projecting downward is provided on the lower surface of the carrier l. A disc-shaped opening is provided on this support rod 19 to push down the valve opening protrusion 18 against the bias of the spring 17 and open the normally closed valve 15 using the weight of the carrier 1. A valve member 20 is provided.

The upper end of the valve opening protrusion 18 is formed into a conical shape;
The lower peripheral edge of the valve opening member 20 is rounded,
When the valve opening member 20 is moved horizontally, the roundness slides on the conical portion and pushes down the valve opening projection 18, in other words, the normally closed valve 15 is pushed open.

In steps 1 to 1, the air pad 6 has an insertion hole in the upper part into which the support rod 19 is inserted, an air intake port 21 in the lower part to receive air, and a rubber boot 22 with an open side wall and a side wall bulging laterally. , and the valve opening member 20 described above. That is, the air pad 6 has a bag-like shape in which the peripheral edge of the insertion hole of the boot 22 is fixed to the upper surface of the valve opening member 20 in a sealed state, and the air intake port 21 is opened downward. An air reservoir is formed between the circumferential surface and the side wall of the boot 22. The air pad 6 receives and discharges air from the air intake port 21, thereby causing the carrier to float above the floor 7.

Therefore, the valve opening member 20 comes into contact with the valve opening projection 18 and pushes it down only when the air pad 6 or the air discharge port 8 is covered. Therefore, when the valve-opening protrusion 18 and the valve-opening member 20 are positioned above the air valve or air outlet 8, the normally closed valve 5 of the air outlet 8 is opened in conjunction with this. Let open r: 'r-#'
It becomes every thing that constitutes a means.

Further, the interval between the valve opening protrusions 18, 18 protruding from the adjacent air discharge ports 8, 8 is made narrower than the diameter of the valve opening member 20, so that the valve opening member 20 is always connected to either the
The normally closed valve 15 is opened by pushing down the valve opening protrusion 18.

The driving means for moving the conveyance body 1 is not shown in the drawings, or a rack and pinion system, a conveyor chain system, etc. can be adopted for this driving.

Therefore, in the above parking equipment, when each carrier 1 is on the carrier path, the valve opening member 20 inside each air pad 6 always pushes down one of the valve opening protrusions 18 to open the normally closed valve 15.
In order to open the air pads 6, each air pad 6 always receives air discharged from one of the air discharge ports 8, and each carrier 1 rises from the floor 7.

Therefore, the other air discharge ports 8 located outside the air pad 6 of the carrier 1 are in a state where the normally closed valve 15 stops discharging air. Then, only when the carrier 1 moves and the air pad 6 comes above the air discharge port 8, the normally closed valve 15 is opened by the valve opening member 20 in conjunction with this, and the air is released. Discharge will be performed. Therefore, air is not constantly discharged from all of the air discharge ports 8, which makes it possible to prevent waste of air and to reduce the size of the air source 12.

In the above embodiment, the normally closed valve is mechanically opened by moving the air pad onto the air outlet, but the normally closed valve is opened by electrically detecting the movement of the air pad above the air outlet. A method in which the valve is opened may be adopted. In that case, for example, the normally closed valve may be replaced with a solenoid valve, the moving position of the carrier or air pad may be detected using a photo sensor, a limit switch, or an encoder, and the solenoid valve may be operated based on the detection. Bye.

In addition, in the above embodiment, each air outlet is directly closed by a normally closed valve, or an air supply pipe is connected to each air outlet and a normally closed valve is interposed in this air supply pipe. Alternatively, a plurality of air discharge ports may be combined into one set, and a normally closed valve may be provided for each set.

Further, although the above embodiments apply the present invention to a rectangular circulation conveyance path, the present invention can also be applied to movement of a conveyance body on a simple straight conveyance path.

Furthermore, it goes without saying that the present invention can also be used for transportation means other than the above-mentioned horizontal circulation parking facility, such as transportation of substrates, etc. in a clean room of a semiconductor factory.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

The drawings show an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1 is a plan view showing the overall configuration of a conveying device, and FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing the relationship between an air pad and an air discharge port of a conveying body. 2゜4゜1...Carrier 3...Horizontal transfer path 5...Vertical transfer path 6...Air baluff...Floor 8. ... Air discharge port 11 ... Air tank 12 ... Air source 15 ... Normally closed valve 18 ... Valve opening protrusion 20 ...・・・Valve opening member and other 2 items

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) An air levitation type conveyance device for moving a conveyance body loaded with conveyance objects in a state of floating above the floor of a conveyance path, which is arranged along the conveyance path. A large number of air discharge ports are opened in the floor, and each air discharge port or all air discharge ports are divided into multiple groups and provided for each group. an air pad that is provided on the underside of the carrier and receives air from the air outlet to lift the carrier above the floor; and an air pad of the carrier that is placed above the air outlet. 1. An air floating conveyance device comprising: valve opening means for opening a normally closed valve of the air discharge port in conjunction with the position of the air discharge port.