JPH0530073U - Rail connection device for transport system - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Purpose] The movable rail is connected to the fixed rail without displacement. [Constitution] The elevating rail 40 is connected to one of the upper fixed rail 20 and the lower fixed rail 30 depending on the elevating position. That is, the lifting rail 40 is fixed to the upper fixed rail 20 by the fixed side engagement pin 22 provided on the upper fixed rail 20 being engaged with the movable side guide roller 42.
Further, the movable side engagement pin 45 is connected to the lower fixed rail 20 by being engaged with the fixed side guide roller 32 provided on the lower fixed rail 30.

Description

[Detailed description of the device]

[0001]

[Industrial applications]

 The present invention relates to a rail coupling device that couples a fixed rail and a movable rail continuous to the fixed rail in a transportation system such as an overhead traveling vehicle.

[0002]

[Prior Art]

 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is known a transport system that transports a load by an overhead traveling vehicle that travels along a rail provided on the ceiling of a warehouse. In such a transportation system, it may be very difficult to continuously install rails due to various devices and the like provided in the warehouse. For this reason, the rail is divided into a stepped state in the vertical direction at the part where the rail branches or merges. Between these fixed rails, movable rails that can be connected continuously to any rails are installed, and the movable rails are bridged so that the overhead traveling vehicle can travel. The movable rail is driven up and down by a drive source such as an electric motor. In such a transport system, the movable rail is usually at a height position continuous with one of the fixed rails, and when it is switched so as to be continuous with another fixed rail, it is driven up and down to reach a predetermined height position. Then, it is stopped by the drive source and continues to the fixed rail.

[0003]

[Problems to be solved by the device]

 In the above-described conventional transport system, the stop position of the movable rail is determined based on the stop position of the drive source, so that the variation in the stop position of the drive source greatly affects the stop position of the movable rail. If there are variations in the stop position of the drive source, the stop position of the movable rail may be displaced vertically from the position continuous with the fixed rail. Also, when the overhead traveling vehicle moves between the fixed rail and the movable rail, the movable rail moves vertically due to the weight of the overhead traveling vehicle, and the position of the movable rail changes from a position continuous with the fixed rail. There was a risk of shifting in the vertical direction. It is an object of the present invention to provide a rail connecting device for a transfer system, which can connect a movable rail to a fixed rail without causing positional displacement.

[0004]

[Means for Solving the Problems]

 The rail coupling device of the transport system according to the present invention includes a fixed rail and a movable rail by engaging a fixed side engaging member provided on the fixed rail and a movable side engaging member provided on the movable rail with each other. Is characterized by being integrally connected.

[0005]

【Example】

 The present invention will be described below with reference to illustrated embodiments. As shown in FIG. 1, in the transfer system 10, an upper fixed rail 20 and a lower fixed rail 30 are arranged near the ceiling of an automated warehouse, and between the upper fixed rail 20 and the lower fixed rail 30. An elevating rail 40 is provided to be movable up and down. The elevating rail 40 is connected to one of the upper fixed rail 20 and the lower fixed rail 30 depending on the elevating position. That is, the elevating rail 40 is connected to the upper fixed rail 20 by the fixed side engaging pin 22 provided on the upper fixed rail 20 being engaged with the movable side guide roller 42, and is also movable side engaged. The pin 45 is connected to the lower fixed rail 20 by being engaged with the fixed side guide roller 32 provided on the lower fixed rail 30. The ceiling self-propelled vehicle 50 travels in the left-right direction in FIG. 1 along these fixed rails and the elevating rails 40, and conveys luggage.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the upper fixed rail 20 and the lower fixed rail 30 are arranged at different heights in order to avoid various devices installed near the ceiling of the automated warehouse. To be done.

The upper fixed rail 20 is fixed to an upper fixed rail mounting frame 21 which is erected on the floor surface in the automated warehouse. A fixed side engagement pin 22 is provided on the upper surface of the upper fixed rail 20 in the vicinity of the end on the elevation rail 40 side. The fixed side engagement pin 22 is supported by a fixed side actuator 23, which is fixed to the upper surface of the upper fixed rail 20 and is composed of a solenoid or the like, so as to be able to project toward the direction of the elevating rail 40 (left in FIG. 2). It The fixed-side engagement pin 22 has a tapered end portion. When the tip portion of the fixed side engagement pin 22 is projected in the direction of the elevating rail 40, it engages with the movable guide roller 42 of the elevating rail 40 so as to be sandwiched between the rollers 44. Since the tip of the fixed side engagement pin 22 is tapered, even if the lifting rail 40 is displaced from the state in which the lifting rail 40 is continuous with the upper fixed rail 20 due to variations in the stop position of the drive mechanism. , The movable side guide roller 42 is engaged while correcting the positional deviation. As a result, the elevating rail 40 and the upper fixed rail 20 are connected to each other without displacement.

The lower fixed rail 30 is fixed to a lower fixed rail mounting frame 31 which is erected on the floor surface in the automatic warehouse, and is arranged more than the upper fixed rail 20 in order to avoid interference with obstacles and the like. It is located below. A fixed guide roller 32 is provided in the upper surface of the lower fixed rail 30 in the vicinity of the end on the side of the elevating rail 40. The fixed-side guide roller 32 is configured to support two rollers 34 on a bracket 33 so as to be rotatable in the left-right direction in FIG. 2, and to engage a movable-side engagement pin 45 of a lifting rail 40. The bracket 33 is fixed to the upper surface of the upper fixed rail 20. The two rollers 34 are arranged on the bracket 33 in the vertical direction with a predetermined interval. The fixed guide roller 32 is provided on the upper surface of the lower fixed rail 30 so that the elevating rail 40 is located at a position continuous with the lower fixed rail 30 when the movable engagement pin 45 is engaged. Will be placed.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the lifting rail 40 has a length substantially equal to the horizontal distance between the upper fixed rail 20 and the lower fixed rail 30. The lifting rail 40 is supported by the vertical frame 41 so as to be lifted and lowered, and is lifted and lowered by a driving mechanism (not shown). The elevating rail 40 is continuous with the upper fixed rail 20 at the upper limit position, and is continuous with the lower fixed rail 30 at the lower limit position. The vertical frame 41 is erected vertically on the floor of the automated warehouse.

A movable guide roller 42 is provided near the end on the upper fixed rail 20 side (right side in FIG. 2) on the upper surface of the lifting rail 40. The movable side guide roller 42 is configured to support two rollers 44 on a bracket 43 so as to be rotatable in the left-right direction in FIG. 2, and to be able to engage the fixed side engagement pin 22 of the upper side fixing rail 20. .. The bracket 43 is fixed to the upper surface of the lifting rail 40. The two rollers 44 are arranged on the bracket 43 in the vertical direction with a predetermined space. The movable guide roller 42 is arranged on the upper surface of the elevating rail 40 so that the elevating rail 40 is located at a position continuous with the upper fixed rail 20 when the fixed side engaging pin 22 is engaged.

A movable side engagement pin 45 is provided near the end of the upper surface of the elevating rail 40 on the lower fixed rail 30 side (left side in FIG. 2). The movable side engagement pin 45 is supported by a movable side actuator 46 formed of a solenoid or the like fixed to the upper surface of the elevating rail 40 so as to be able to project toward the lower fixed rail 30 (leftward in FIG. 2). .. The movable side engaging pin 45 has a tapered end. When the tip portion of the movable side engagement pin 45 is projected in the direction of the lower fixed rail 30, it engages with the fixed side guide roller 32 of the lower fixed rail 30 so as to be sandwiched between the rollers 34. To do. The movable side engaging pin 45 has a taper tip end, and therefore, due to the variation in the stop position of the drive mechanism, the movable rail engaging pin 45 is slightly displaced from the state in which the elevating rail 40 is continuous with the lower fixed rail 30. However, the fixed side guide roller 32 is engaged while correcting the positional deviation. As a result, the elevating rail 40 and the lower fixed rail 30 are connected to each other without displacement.

The ceiling self-propelled vehicle 50 (FIG. 1) collects electricity from a trolley wire (not shown) by a current collector (not shown), and supplies this electricity to an electric motor (not shown) to run. To go. The trolley wire is provided near each rail. The current collector is provided on the ceiling self-propelled vehicle 50 and collects electricity flowing through the trolley wire by contacting the tip of the vehicle with the trolley wire. The ceiling self-propelled vehicle 50 is provided with wheels and guide rollers (not shown) on an upper portion of a main body 51, and a luggage support portion 52 on a lower portion of the main body 51. The wheels run on the inner surface of each rail 20, 30, 40. The guide rollers are provided so as to sandwich a part of each rail 20, 30, 40 from both sides in the width direction, and prevent derailment of the wheel in the rail width direction or rolling of the ceiling self-propelled vehicle 50. The luggage support unit 52 supports luggage to be transported.

The operation of this embodiment will be described. Before the ceiling self-propelled vehicle 50 travels along the upper fixed rail 20 from the right side to the end in FIG. 2, the elevating rail 40 is raised to the upper limit position continuous with the upper fixed rail 20 by the drive mechanism. .. When the elevating rail 40 reaches the upper limit position, the elevating rail 40 is stopped by stopping the drive mechanism. In this state, the fixed-side actuator 23 is operated, and the fixed-side engagement pin 22 is projected in the direction of the elevating rail 40 (left in FIG. 2). Then, the fixed side engagement pin 22 engages with the movable side guide roller 42 such that the tip end portion is sandwiched between the rollers 44. At this time, even if the position of the elevating rail 40 is slightly displaced from the position continuous with the upper fixed rail 20 due to variations in the stop position of the drive mechanism, the tip of the fixed side engagement pin 22 is tapered. Therefore, the movable side guide roller 42 is smoothly engaged. As a result, the elevating rail 40 is integrally connected to the upper fixed rail 20 without displacement.

Next, the ceiling self-propelled vehicle 50 transfers from the upper fixed rail 20 to the elevating rail 40. At this time, since the fixed rail engaging pin 22 and the movable guide roller 42 are engaged and the upper rail 40 is connected to the upper rail 40, the lifting rail 40 is positioned from a position continuous with the upper rail 20. There is no deviation.

The lifting rail 40 supporting the overhead traveling vehicle is lowered by the drive mechanism. Then, when the elevating rail 40 reaches the lower limit position that is continuous with the lower fixed rail 30, the elevating rail 40 is stopped by stopping the driving mechanism. In this state, the movable side actuator 46 is operated, and the movable side engaging pin 45 is projected toward the lower fixed rail 30 (left side in FIG. 2). Then, the movable side engagement pin 45 engages with the fixed side guide roller 32 such that the front end portion is sandwiched between the rollers 34. At this time, even if the position of the elevating rail 40 is slightly deviated from the position continuous with the lower fixed rail 30 due to variations in the stop position of the drive mechanism, the tip of the movable side engagement pin 45 is tapered. Therefore, the fixed side guide roller 32 is smoothly engaged. As a result, the elevating rail 40 is integrally connected to the lower fixed rail 30 in a continuous state without displacement.

After that, the ceiling self-propelled vehicle 50 transfers from the elevating rail 40 to the lower fixed rail 30. At this time, since the movable rail engaging pin 45 and the fixed guide roller 32 are engaged and the lower rail 30 is coupled to the lower rail 30, the vertical rail 40 and the lower rail 40 are fixed. The positions of 30 and 30 do not deviate from continuous positions.

As described above, according to the above-described embodiment, when the lifting rail 40 is lifted and lowered by the drive mechanism and stopped at a position continuous with any of the fixed rails 20 and 30, the lifting position of the lifting rail 40 is stopped. Even if is slightly displaced from the position continuous with the fixed rails 20 and 30, by engaging the engagement pins 22 and 45 with the guide rollers 32 and 42, it is possible to connect while correcting the displacement. When the overhead traveling vehicle 50 moves between the upper fixed rail 20 or the lower fixed rail 30 and the elevating rail 40, the movable rail 40 and the upper fixed rail 20 or the lower fixed rail 30 are in a continuous state. There is no displacement from the state. As a result, it is possible to prevent the contact state between the current collector of the overhead traveling vehicle 50 and the trolley wire of each rail 20, 30, 40 from becoming defective.

[0018]

[Effect of the device]

 As described above, according to the present invention, the movable rail can be connected to the fixed rail without causing positional displacement.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a view showing a transfer system including a rail connecting device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a fixed rail and a movable rail.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 Transport System 20 Upper Fixed Rail 22 Fixed Side Engagement Pin (Fixed Side Engagement Member) 30 Lower Fixed Rail 32 Fixed Side Guide Roller (Fixed Side Engagement Member) 40 Elevating Rail 42 Movable Side Guide Roller (Moveable Side Engagement) Member) 45 Movable side engaging pin (Movable side engaging member) 50 Overhead traveling vehicle (transport vehicle)

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A transport system for moving a movable rail to a fixed rail so as to make the movable rail continuous so that a transport vehicle travels along the fixed rail and the movable rail, wherein a fixed side engagement member provided on the fixed rail. And a movable side engagement member provided on the movable rail, and the fixed rail and the movable rail are integrally coupled to each other, whereby the rail coupling device of the transport system is characterized.