JPH11196503A - Linear cart system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To turn out a linear cart smoothly. SOLUTION: A turnout 38 is installed to a track 20 of a linear cart, a guide 48 is mounted on the upstream side of the turnout 38, and a guide roller on the main path side of the linear cart is guided surely to a guide surface on the main path side. A changeover rail 40 is changed over between the state in which the guide roller on the main path side is held between the guide surface of the track 20 and the changeover rail, and the state in which the guide roller is guided to the turnout path side by another surface of the changeover rail.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a linear carrier system, and more particularly, to branching of a traveling track.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Linear transport vehicles are used for transporting articles in clean rooms, hospitals, factories, warehouses, and the like. Linear transport vehicles include a floating type and a taxiing type. In the taxiing type, a load is supported by running wheels, and a guide roller guides the vehicle in the left-right direction. However, it is difficult to provide a branch using a guide roller, and it is not possible to provide a track other than the orbit.

[0003]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to smoothly branch a linear carrier that travels while being guided left and right by guide rollers. An additional object of the invention according to claim 2 is to branch the linear carrier smoothly with a simple configuration. An additional object of the invention according to claim 3 is to eliminate wobble of the linear carrier at a branch.

[0004]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a system in which the left and right guide rollers of a linear transport vehicle travel while contacting a guide surface provided on an inner surface of a track or the like. And a branch provided with a switching rail for switching between a state of being guided to the branch road side. The invention according to claim 2 further comprises a guide surface provided on both side surfaces of the switching rail, and a state in which a guide roller on the main road side is sandwiched between one of the guide surfaces and a guide surface on the track main road side; The state of the switching rail is switched between a state where the guide roller on the main road side is guided by the other guide surface. Here, of the left and right guide rollers, the one near the main road is referred to as a main roadside guide roller, and the one near the branch road is referred to as a branch roadside guide roller. The invention according to claim 3 is characterized in that a guide for guiding the guide roller on the main road side to the guide surface on the track main road side is provided on the upstream side of the branch.

[0005]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, a switching rail is provided at the branch to switch between a state in which the guide roller of the linear transport vehicle is guided to the main road side and a state in which the guide roller is guided to the branch road side. For this reason, the guide roller can be reliably guided even at the branch position, and the linear transport vehicle can be branched smoothly. For this reason, a track other than the orbital track can be provided even in a linear carrier system using guide rollers,
The track can be laid out freely. In the invention of claim 2, 1
The two switching rails are used as guide surfaces on both sides. A state in which the guide roller on the main road side of the linear carrier is guided between the one guide surface of the switching rail and the guide surface on the track main road side, and the other guide surface of the switching rail guides the linear carrier on the main road side. Is switched to the state of guiding the guide roller. Then, when traveling on the main road side, the guide roller on the main road side of the linear transport vehicle is guided with both sides sandwiched between the guide surfaces, and the other guide roller is free. When branching, the guide roller on the main road side is guided by the other guide surface of the switching rail, and the guide roller on the branch road side is guided by the guide surface on the branch road side of the track. Thus, the linear transport vehicle can be branched with certainty and smoothness by one guide roller. According to the third aspect of the present invention, the guide roller on the main road side is guided in advance on the guide surface on the track main road side by the guide on the upstream side of the branch, so that the guide roller can be reliably sandwiched when traveling to the main road side. In addition, the fluctuation at the branch can be eliminated.

[0006]

1 to 4 show an embodiment, and FIG. 5 shows a modification. 1 and 2 show the linear transport vehicle 2 and the track 20. Reference numeral 4 denotes a wheel frame of the linear transport vehicle, and reference numeral 6 denotes a secondary conductor. Reference numeral 8 denotes a pair of left and right running wheels, which are rolling wheels having no power and support the own weight of the linear transport vehicle 2. Reference numeral 10 denotes a pair of front and rear guide rollers and a pair of right and left guide rollers for regulating the left and right positions of the linear transport vehicle 2. Reference numeral 12 denotes a loading platform, which is bogie-connected to the front and rear linear transport vehicles, and which constitutes one set of linear transport vehicles.

The track 20 is provided in a clean room or the like,
Reference numeral 22 denotes the primary coil, which accelerates or stops the linear carrier 2 by electromagnetic induction to the secondary conductor 6. 24 are guide surfaces provided on both side surfaces of the track 20, and the guide rollers 2
Guide 4 Reference numeral 26 denotes a base, reference numeral 28 denotes a fan, and reference numeral 30 denotes a duct.
And exhaust from the duct 30. 32 is the loading platform 1
The opening for passing the two bearings is narrowed to narrow the opening 32 to prevent the contaminated air in the track 20 from being released to the outside.

FIG. 3 shows the structure near the branch 38.
Numeral 3 denotes a primary coil which is also used for stopping acceleration, and other primary coils 22.
And a stronger primary coil. The distinction between the primary coils 22 and 23 is not important, and only one type of primary coil may be provided. With respect to the branch 38, the side that goes straight ahead is called the main path 34, and the side that branches is called the branch path 36. Further, among the left and right guide rollers 10, the right side guide roller as viewed from the traveling direction is referred to as a main roadside guide roller, and the left side guide roller is referred to as a branch road side guide roller.

Reference numeral 40 denotes a switching rail whose structure is shown in FIG.
Shown in Guide surfaces 41, both sides of switching rail 40
In the branch 38, the guide surfaces 44, 4 are provided on both sides of the track.
5 and the side leading to the main path 34 is the main road side guide surface 44.
The side leading to the branch path 36 is the branch path side guide surface 45. Reference numeral 43 denotes a drive unit of the switching rail 40, which moves the switching rail 40 between a position indicated by a solid line (in a straight line to the main road) and a position indicated by a chain line (in a branch) in FIG. 46,4
Numeral 6 denotes an opening communicating with the opening 32 in FIG. 1, and a pair of openings is provided in a branch path 38 to reduce the opening area and reduce the emission of contaminated air to the outside. The switching rail 40 only needs to have the same height as the guide surface 24, and only the guide surfaces 41 and 42 for guiding the guide roller 10 need surface accuracy.

A guide 48 in FIG. 3 is located upstream of the branch 38, and guides the guide roller on the main road side of the linear transport vehicle 2 from the guide surface 24 to the main road side guide surface 44. As shown in FIG. 3, a curved portion formed of a taper or R is provided at the upstream end of the guide 48 so that the guide roller on the main road side can be smoothly guided. Also in the switching rail 40, a curvature portion made of a taper or R is provided at the upstream end on the guide surface 41 side, so that the guide roller on the main road side can be smoothly guided.

The operation of the embodiment will be described. The linear carrier 2 is accelerated / decelerated by electromagnetic induction to the secondary conductor 6 by the primary coils 22 and 23, and is branched by the switching rail 40. The solid line in FIG. 3 shows the state of the switching rail 40 at the time of branching, and the guide rollers on the main road side of the linear transport vehicle are guided by the guide surface 42 of the switching rail 40 and the guide surface 45 on the branch road side, respectively. Since the two guide rollers 10, 10 are guided together, the branch path 36
Branches smoothly to

When the vehicle travels straight on the main path 34, the switching rails are in the state shown by a chain line in FIG. 3, and the guide roller on the main path is guided by the guide 48 to the guide surface 24 of the track upstream of the branch 38. The guide surface 24 becomes the main road side guide surface 44 at the branch, and the main road side guide rollers are connected to the guide surface 41 of the switching rail 40 and the main road side guide surface 4.
4 and is guided. During this time, the other guide roller is free. As described above, the guide roller on the main road side is guided by the guide 48 at the time of branching, and the guide roller on the main road side is guided by being sandwiched by the two guide surfaces 41 and 44 at the branching time, so that the vehicle can travel straight ahead smoothly. Also, when the vehicle travels straight on the main road side, the state where both the left and right guide rollers are guided upstream of the branch and the state where the main road side guide rollers are sandwiched is not changed by the guide 4.
Since the guide roller on the main road side is guided to the guide surface 44 side in advance at 8, the vehicle can go straight without wobble.

FIG. 5 shows a branch in a modification. In the modification of FIG. 5, the left and right guide rollers are guided by the guide surface 42 of the first switching rail 40 and the branch road side guide surface 45 of the track to branch at the time of branching using the second switching rail 50. . When the vehicle travels straight, the switching rails 40 and 50 are changed to the state shown by the chain line in FIG. At 44, the guide roller on the main road side is guided to go straight. As described above, in the modification of FIG. 5, only one side surface of the switching rails 40 and 50 is used as a guide surface, so a pair of switching rails 40 and 50 are used. When the embodiment and the modified example are compared with each other, the embodiment can use a simple mechanism because only one switching rail 40 is used.
In the modified example, two guide rails 4050 are required.
In the embodiment, only one switching rail 40 is used. However, when the vehicle travels straight to the main road side, the guide 48 prevents the wobble in advance, so that the vehicle can travel straight forward smoothly as in the modification of FIG.

According to the features of the embodiment, the linear transfer vehicle 2 can be branched reliably and smoothly by using one switching rail 40. Further, both sides of the switching rail 40 are used as guide surfaces, and the linear transport vehicle 2 is guided left and right by the two guide surfaces both at the time of branching and when traveling straight to the main road side. Further, the guide 48 upstream of the branch can prevent wobble during switching from a state in which the left and right guide rollers are each guided to a state in which only the main roadside guide rollers are sandwiched. Further, the structure of the switching rail 40 is much simpler than that of the track 20, and the guide surfaces 41 and 42 provided on both side surfaces may be exposed. In the embodiment, the traveling to the main road side is straight, but may be a Y-shaped branch, for example.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a linear transportation vehicle and a track in an embodiment at a location where there is no branch.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a linear carrier used in the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a configuration of a branch in the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing a trajectory at a branch position in the embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a configuration of a branch in a modified example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 linear carrier 4 frame 6 secondary conductor 8 running wheel 10 guide roller 12 carrier 20 track 22 and 23 primary coil 24 guide surface 26 base 28 fan 30 duct 32,46 opening 34 main path 36 branch path 38 branch 40,50 Switching rail 41, 42 Guide surface 43 Drive unit 44 Main road side guide surface 45 Branch road side guide surface 48 Guide

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ Identification code FI B65G 54/02 B65G 54/02

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. The left and right guide rollers of a linear carrier are
A system for traveling while being in contact with a guide surface of a track, wherein a branch provided with a switching rail for switching between a state in which the guide roller is guided to a main road side and a state in which the guide roller is guided to a branch road side is provided. Car carrier system. 2. A state in which guide surfaces are provided on both side surfaces of the switching rail, and a guide roller on the main road side is sandwiched between one of the guide surfaces and a guide surface on the track main road side; 2. The linear carrier system according to claim 1, wherein a state of the switching rail is switched between a state in which the guide roller on the main road side is guided by a surface. 3. The linear transport vehicle system according to claim 2, wherein a guide for guiding a guide roller on a main road side to a guide surface on a track main road side is provided upstream of the branch.