JPS61181085A - Power feed system for moving body - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention supplies electric power or electrical signals for control to a moving object such as a robot or a mobile vehicle that moves freely within a fixed movement area. Regarding power supply method.

[Conventional technology]

BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, power is supplied to a freely moving mobile body such as a robot by connecting a power cable to the mobile body or by mounting a storage battery on the mobile body. Furthermore, for supplying power such as control electric signals to this type of moving body, a wired method in which a signal cable is connected to the moving body, or a wireless method in which signals are transmitted using radio waves without using a cable is adopted.

[Problems to be solved]

However, in the former method of conventional power supply systems, the cable often obstructs the free movement of the moving object, and since the power cable with Xt is routed, a large load is placed on the moving object. I had a problem.

On the other hand, the latter method is equipped with a storage battery, which increases the size and weight of the moving object and requires a large amount of electric power to drive it, and the operating time is limited by the capacity of the storage battery.
Moreover, it has the problem of requiring a predetermined photoelectric time.

In addition, the former method of conventional transmission methods for control electrical signals, etc. has the same problem as the above-mentioned power supply method, in that the cable obstructs the movement of the moving object; Although this method does not hinder the movement of mobile objects, it is more susceptible to noise than the former method, and has problems in that transmission is uncertain and lacks reliability.

[Means for solving problems]

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and is a power supply system for supplying power or electrical signals to a moving object that freely moves within a fixed moving area, and in which a large number of electrical signals are provided on the ceiling of the moving area. electrode plates are arranged at predetermined intervals, each of the electrode plates is connected to a power source or a control device with different polarity, and a plurality of mutually insulated electrodes are provided on the upper part of the moving body. A current collector is provided so as to be able to be pressed against the electrode plate, and a plurality of rectifying elements are connected to each of the electrodes in different directions, and the other end of each rectifying element is connected to a moving body. The configuration is such that they are connected to the power supply terminal or signal terminal of the terminal in a manner that corresponds to their polarity.

By configuring it in this way, it is possible to reliably supply power or electrical signals for control without connecting cables that would impede movement, and it also eliminates the need to install heavy storage batteries. It is.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, the present invention will be explained in detail based on embodiments shown in the drawings.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment applied to a mobile vehicle, Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the current collector, and Fig. 3 is a cutaway view of the main parts of the current collector.
Figure 4 is a sectional view showing the relationship between the guide path and the current collector, Figure 5 is a circuit diagram, Figure 6 is an enlarged view of the insulator, and Figure 7 is a diagram showing the contact relationship between the electrode plate and the current collector. be.

The mobile object power supply system of the present embodiment shown in these drawings is based on a mobile vehicle 11 which is a mobile object 10 that freely moves on a predetermined moving area surface 1.
This relates to a power feeding method for supplying power, in which a large number of electrode plates 2 are installed and arranged on the ceiling of the moving area surface 1, and
A plurality of electrodes 13a, . . . , L are provided on the top of the mobile vehicle 11.
3e is installed in the current collector 13.

The electrode plate 2 is made of a conductor plate made of iron, copper, etc. formed into a band shape.
A large number of them are arranged in parallel on the moving area surface 1 with insulators 3 made of synthetic resin or the like sandwiched therebetween.

The distance between adjacent electrodes is set to be at least as long as the maximum width of the contact surfaces of the electrodes, in order to prevent one of the electrodes (described later) from simultaneously contacting adjacent electrode plates 2, 2 and causing a short circuit. Further, the sum of this interval and the width of the electrode plate 2 is set so that a group of electrode elements, which will be described later, can simultaneously contact the electrode plates 2, 2 having different polarities. These electrode plates 2, 2 are integrally installed on the ceiling of a building such as a factory or a warehouse by a supporting edge 6.

Further, these electrode plates 2, 2 are each connected to a power source 4 by a cable supported by an insulator 5. in this case,
In order to make adjacent electrode plates 2, 2 have different polarities, the parallel electrode plates 2 are alternately connected to the anode and cathode of a power source 4.

Note that the electrode plate 2 is not limited to a band shape, but may be rectangular to square, elliptical to circular, or ring-shaped or any other suitable shape. These can be arranged in a matrix or concentrically.

Alternatively, the portion of the insulator 3 may be configured simply as a gap.

Further, the insulator 5 is attached to the support edge 6 of the electrode plates 2, 2. As shown in FIG. 5, the main body of the insulator 5 is made of a transparent insulating material such as acrylic, and if a light bulb or the like is housed inside, the insulator 5 can be used as a lighting fixture.

A guide path 7 is continuously provided on the ceiling of the movement area surface l. This guide path 7 is for connecting the moving area plane 1 to another moving area plane or a warehouse or the like. The joint part of the guide path 7 with the ceiling is shaped like a wedge that widens toward the end, so that the current collector [3] can move smoothly from the ceiling part to the guide path 7.

Moreover, two electrode plates 7a are provided on the ceiling plate of the guide path 7.

A reed 7a is provided, and the sleeper plates 7a, 7a are connected to terminals of a power source having different polarities, respectively.

These two 'wL electrode plates 7a, 7a are the current collector 1 which will be described later.
The distance between each electrode element 13a, . . . , 13e of 3. On both sides of the ceiling board of this guideway 7,
A guide piece 7b is provided to prevent the current collector L3 from coming off the guide path 7.

Note that a plurality of guide paths 7 may be provided in series on one moving area surface.

The current collector L3 includes a plurality of electrodes L3a, ..., [3e
The ball 12 is mounted on the upper end of the ball 12 erected on the mobile vehicle 11 so as to be rotatable and pressable against the electrode plate 2 via a pressure spring 12a. Each electrode [3a,...
, L3e is made of a roll-shaped rotatable conductor, and is attached to the case body of the current collector 13 in a state where they are insulated from each other. [4 is a roll-shaped electrode element L3a inside the case body of the current collector L3.

. . . with a brush that comes into contact with 13e, current collector 1l
Power is led from L3 to the mobile vehicle 11. Note that the current collector [3 or the electrodes [3a, ..., L3e] are not limited to those described above, and may be, for example, the current collector 1t13 in a pantograph shape, the number of electrodes 13a, ..., L3e, etc. Of course, it is also possible to change the shape, or to make the shape a pole type or just a protrusion.

Diodes 15 a and 45 b are connected to each of the electrodes 13 a, . . . , 13 e. Diary 5a.

15b is connected in opposite directions to each electrode 13a, . 16 power terminals 17a and 17b are connected with corresponding polarity. However, each diode 1
5a and 15b are connected individually to the power terminals 17a and 15b without being commonly connected.
17b.

Next, the operation of the above embodiment will be explained.

Now, the moving vehicle 11 is placed at a suitable position on the moving area surface 1 via the guide path 7. In this case, the current collector of the moving vehicle 11 [
13 is located at the position shown in FIG. 6, and the polarity distribution of the electrode plate 2.2 is as shown in FIG.
a, l:3c, and L3e are in contact with the anode electrode plate 2, respectively, and electrode elements L3b and 13d are in contact with the cathode electrode plate 2, respectively, and are in an energized state.

Here, to explain by taking out an arbitrary pair of electrodes 13a and 13d from the electrode on the anode side and the electrode on the cathode side, first, in the electrode 13a, the diode 15b is connected to the power source 4. is in the opposite direction, and the diode 15a is in the 1 direction, so a current flows to the power supply terminal 17a via the diode 15a. On the other hand, in the electrode element 13d, a diode 15 is connected to the power source 4.
b is in the forward direction), and the diode 15a is in the reverse direction, so current flows from the power supply terminal 17b via the diode 15b. Also, the electrode element 13a,! = 13 d
If the polarity of the diodes 15b and 15a is reversed, the relationship between the diodes 15b and 15a will be reversed to the above, but even in this case, the power terminal 1
The polarities at 7a and 17b remain unchanged.

The above relationship is exactly the same for other electrode elements.

That is, the diodes 15a and 15b are connected between arbitrary electrodes having different polarities (13a in the above case).

Configure a bridge rectifier circuit in [3d). Therefore, even if the polarity of the electrode plate that contacts each electrode element changes as the movable body 11 moves, the power supply terminal 17a.

17b, DC power of constant polarity can be obtained at all times. Furthermore, even if the power source 4 is an alternating current source, it can be used in the same way as a direct current power source because it is rectified by this bridge rectifier circuit.

When the predetermined work is completed, the moving vehicle 10 moves to another moving area or another location such as a warehouse via the guide path 7.

In addition to the above embodiments, the present invention also includes the following modifications.

[11 When the moving object is a traveling robot or a crane.

(2) When a magnet is built into the current collector to ensure contact between the electrode plate 2 and the electrodes [3a, . . . , 13e].

(3) When transmitting and receiving electrical signals for controlling the mobile body 100. In this case, connect the electrode plates 2, 2 to the control device,
Electrode L3a of current collector L3, . . .

13e is connected to the signal terminal for controlling the mobile body 100.

(4) The moving object 10 is a manned moving vehicle 11 or the like.

Furthermore, it is also possible to simultaneously supply power to the mobile body 11 and send and receive control signals. in this case,
Connecting the electrode plates 2, 2 to a power and control signal coupling means,
The electrode elements 13a, . . . , L3e are connected to power and control signal separation means.

〔Effect of the invention〕

According to the present invention configured as described above, it is possible to supply power or control electrical signals to a movable body moving at an arbitrary position within a moving region. Furthermore, there is no need to connect cables 9 or mount a heavy storage battery that would impede movement, and the moving body can be made smaller and lighter.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The drawings show an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the embodiment applied to a mobile vehicle, FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of a current collector O, and FIG. 3 is a main part of the current collector. Cutaway diagram, Figure 4 is a sectional view showing the relationship between the guide path and current collector, Figure 5 is a circuit diagram, and Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view showing the relationship between the guide path and current collector.
The figure is an enlarged view of the insulator, and FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the contact relationship between the electrode plate and the current collector.

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) A power feeding system that supplies power or electrical signals to a moving object that moves freely within a fixed moving area, in which a large number of electrode plates are arranged at predetermined intervals on the ceiling of the moving area, and A current collector is provided, in which each of the electrode plates is connected to a power source or a control device with the polarity alternately changed, and a plurality of mutually insulated electrodes are appropriately arranged on the upper part of the moving body. The electrode plate is provided so as to be press-contactable, and a plurality of rectifying elements are connected to each of the electrodes with their orientations changed;
A mobile body power feeding system characterized in that the other end of each rectifying element is connected to a power supply terminal or a signal terminal of the mobile body with corresponding polarity. (2) A power feeding system that supplies power or electrical signals to a moving object that moves freely within a certain moving area surface, which comprises disposing a large number of electrode plates at predetermined intervals on the ceiling of the moving area surface, and A current collector is provided, in which each of the electrode plates is connected to a power source or a control device with the polarity alternately changed, and a plurality of mutually insulated electrodes are appropriately arranged on the upper part of the moving body. The electrode plate is provided so as to be press-contactable, and a plurality of rectifying elements are connected to each of the electrodes with their orientations changed;
The other end of each rectifying element is connected to the power supply terminal or signal terminal of the movable body with corresponding polarity, and a guide path is provided that is continuous with the ceiling of the moving area surface, and an electrode plate is arranged in this guide path. This is a mobile power supply system that is characterized by: