WO2015022812A1

WO2015022812A1 - Transport vehicle system

Info

Publication number: WO2015022812A1
Application number: PCT/JP2014/066441
Authority: WO
Inventors: 誉幸本
Original assignee: 村田機械株式会社
Priority date: 2013-08-13
Filing date: 2014-06-20
Publication date: 2015-02-19
Also published as: TW201516604A; JP5967312B2; JPWO2015022812A1

Abstract

Provided is a transport vehicle system such that the transport capability of the system as a whole can be increased while an increase in load applied to a power supply unit is suppressed. A transport vehicle system (1) is provided with: a power feeding unit (21) disposed in a section along a track (11); a power supply unit (23) that supplies electric power to the power feeding unit; a plurality of transport vehicles (40) that include an electricity storage unit (55) for storing the electric power supplied from the power feeding unit, and that transport a transported item (X) while moving around a track in one direction; and a management controller (3) that manages the transport vehicles. The management controller includes a stored electricity status acquisition unit (31) that acquires a stored electricity status of the transport vehicles present in a power feeding section (20) in which the power feeding unit is disposed, and an entry management unit (33) that limits the number of the transport vehicles that enter the power feeding section. The entry management unit, on the basis of the stored electricity status acquired by the stored electricity status acquisition unit, limits the number of the transport vehicles that enter the power feeding section to the number eliminating the transport vehicles of which the stored electricity amount is not less than a first stored electricity amount.

Description

Transport vehicle system

The present invention relates to a transport vehicle system for transporting an object to be transported by a transport vehicle.

2. Description of the Related Art A transport vehicle system that transports objects to be transported such as semiconductor wafers, glass substrates, and general parts by a transport vehicle that travels along a track is known. A transport vehicle in such a transport vehicle system travels with electric power supplied from a power supply unit such as a power supply line arranged along the track.

Among the transport vehicle systems, there is a transport vehicle system that transports an object to be transported by a transport vehicle including a chargeable power storage unit, as shown in Patent Document 1, for example. A transport vehicle in such a transport vehicle system stores power supplied from a power supply unit in a power storage unit when traveling on a power supply unit disposed in a partial section along the track, and the power supply unit uses the stored power. It runs on the track of the section where is not arranged.

JP 2012-038134 A

In such a transport vehicle system, it is necessary to keep the load of the power supply unit that supplies an alternating current to the power supply unit below an allowable amount. For this reason, it has been conventionally performed to limit the number of transport vehicles that can enter the power feeding section. On the other hand, it is also demanded to increase the transport capability of the transport vehicle system.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a transport vehicle system that can increase the transport capability of the transport vehicle system while suppressing an increase in the load on the power supply unit.

A transport vehicle system according to one aspect of the present invention includes a power supply unit provided in a partial section along a track, a power supply unit that supplies power to the power supply unit, and a power storage unit that stores power supplied from the power supply unit. And a plurality of transport vehicles that transport the object to be transported while circling the track in one direction, and a management controller that manages the transport vehicles. The management controller includes a power storage status acquisition unit that acquires a power storage status of a transport vehicle that exists in a power feeding section in which the power supply unit is disposed, and an entry management unit that limits the number of transport vehicles entering the power supply section. Based on the power storage status acquired by the power storage status acquisition unit, the approach management unit limits the number of vehicles entering so that the number of vehicles excluding transport vehicles whose power storage amount is greater than or equal to the first power storage amount is equal to or less than a predetermined number.

Among the transport vehicles traveling in the power feeding section, for example, there may be a transport vehicle that does not require further power supply because it has already reached a predetermined storage amount. According to this conveyance vehicle system, on the basis of the number of conveyance vehicles excluding the conveyance vehicles in which the amount of stored electricity is not less than the first accumulation amount without supply of electric power in the supply section, the conveyance vehicles enter the supply section. Is limited. Thereby, a new conveyance vehicle can be made to enter into an electric power feeding area, without raising the load of a power supply part. Thereby, the conveyance capability of the whole conveyance vehicle system can be improved, suppressing that the load concerning a power supply part becomes high.

In one embodiment, an entry restriction area in which entry of the conveyance vehicle is restricted by the entry management unit is provided on the upstream side in one direction of the power feeding section, and the management controller next transfers the entry vehicle to the entry restriction area. A comparison unit that compares the first time until the power reaches the power supply section and the second time until the power storage amount first exceeds the first power storage amount among the transport vehicles traveling in the power supply section; You may have. In this case, when the comparison unit determines that the second time is equal to or less than the first time, the approach management unit enters the entry restricted area of the next vehicle to enter the entry restricted area. May be allowed.

According to such a transport vehicle system, even in a transport vehicle system having a configuration in which an entry restriction area is provided, a transport vehicle that excludes a transport vehicle that does not supply power in a power feeding section and that has a storage amount equal to or greater than a predetermined value. Based on the number of vehicles, entry of the transport vehicle to the power feeding section is restricted. In addition, according to such a transport vehicle system, a new transport vehicle can be entered into the power feeding section at a timing at which the power storage amount of one transport vehicle traveling in the power feeding section becomes equal to or greater than a predetermined value. Thereby, the conveyance capability of the whole conveyance vehicle system can be improved efficiently, suppressing that the load concerning a power supply part becomes high.

Note that the comparison between the first time and the second time mentioned here includes comparing the distance and speed at which the first time and the second time can be calculated.

In one embodiment, the transport vehicle further includes a power storage amount acquisition unit that acquires a power storage amount in the power storage unit, and power supply to the transport vehicle is started in the power supply section with respect to the transport vehicle that is about to enter the power supply section. The management controller further includes a controller including a traveling speed control unit that sets a traveling speed in the power feeding section so that the power storage amount after passing through the power feeding section becomes the first power storage amount based on the previous power storage amount. If there is a transport vehicle that is about to enter the vehicle, the transport amount of the transport vehicle system is acquired. If it is determined that the acquired transport amount is equal to or greater than the specified value, the storage amount after passing through the power feeding section is And further comprising a busyness determination unit that causes a transport vehicle traveling on the most downstream side in the power feeding section to travel at a speed faster than the traveling speed on condition that the second storage capacity is smaller than the first storage capacity. It may be.

The second power storage amount may be a charge amount that can return to the power feeding section by orbiting at a predetermined speed after the transport vehicle exits the power feeding section. According to this transport vehicle system, in a normal state, the power storage section travels at a travel speed set so that the amount of power stored after passing through the power supply section becomes the first power storage amount. If the number of vehicles is increased and there is a vehicle to enter the power supply section, the speed of the vehicle in the power supply section is made relatively higher than the above traveling speed, Ability can be increased.

According to the present invention, it is possible to increase the transport capability of the transport vehicle system while suppressing an increase in the load on the power supply unit.

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram illustrating the configuration of the transport vehicle system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing a functional configuration of the transport vehicle system of FIG. FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram showing a functional configuration of the transport vehicle system according to the second embodiment.

Hereinafter, an embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. In the description of the drawings, the same elements are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted. The dimensional ratios in the drawings do not necessarily match those described.

(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a transport vehicle system 1 according to the first embodiment. The transport vehicle system 1 is a system for transporting an object to be transported X using an overhead traveling vehicle 40 that is movable along a track. Here, for example, a description will be given of a transport vehicle system in which an unmanned overhead traveling vehicle configured to transfer a general article as a transported object travels along a track in a factory or the like. Note that examples of the object to be conveyed include a semiconductor wafer, a glass substrate, a general component, and the like. As shown in FIG. 1, the transport vehicle system 1 mainly includes a management controller 3, a track 11, a power feeding unit 21, and an overhead traveling vehicle (transport vehicle) 40.

The track 11 is a portion that causes the overhead traveling vehicle 40 to travel, and is suspended from the ceiling. As shown in FIG. 1, the track 11 in the transport vehicle system 1 includes a straight portion, a curved portion, a branching portion, a merging portion, and the like, and at least an overhead traveling vehicle 40 that departs from a power feeding section 20 described below. It has a circulating portion that can return to the power feeding section 20 again. Further,

stations

15A, 15B, and 15C for delivering the object to be conveyed X are provided along the track 11.

In a partial section along the track 11, a power feeding section 20 in which a power feeding section 21 that supplies power to the overhead traveling vehicle 40 is provided. The power supply unit 21 of the first embodiment is a non-contact power supply system that supplies electric power to the overhead traveling vehicle 40 in a non-contact manner using electromagnetic induction. The power feeding unit 21 is supplied with an alternating current from the power supply unit 23.

The power feeding unit 21 is a part that supplies power to the power receiving unit 53 (see FIG. 2) of the overhead traveling vehicle 40. Specifically, electric power is generated for the power receiving unit 53 adjacent to the power feeding unit 21 by using a change in a magnetic field generated when an alternating current is supplied to the power feeding unit 21 from the power supply unit 23. In the transport vehicle system 1 of the first embodiment, when the overhead traveling vehicle 40 enters the power feeding section 20, charging of the power storage unit 55 (see FIG. 2) and supply of power to the traveling motor 57 (see FIG. 2) Are started at the same time. Further, in the transport vehicle system 1 of the first embodiment, charging is automatically stopped when the amount of power stored in the power storage unit 55 reaches the first power storage amount (for example, full charge). The full charge in the power storage unit 55 may be a state where the battery can be charged to the maximum under a predetermined environment such as temperature and humidity (capacity full charge), or the maximum charge stored based on the product specifications. It may be in a state (full charge in specification).

FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing a functional configuration of the transport vehicle system 1. As shown in FIG. 2, the management controller 3 controls the overhead traveling vehicle 40, which will be described in detail later, from, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), and the like. It is an electronic control unit. The management controller 3 outputs a conveyance command mainly to the overhead traveling vehicle 40. The transport command includes various information related to the work performed by the overhead traveling vehicle 40, and includes, for example, information on a station that delivers the transported object X.

The management controller 3 includes at least a power storage status acquisition unit 31, an approach management unit 33, and a comparison unit 35 as further processing units. Each function such as the power storage status acquisition unit 31, the approach management unit 33, and the comparison unit 35 is configured as software that is executed by the CPU after a program stored in the ROM is loaded onto the RAM. Each processing unit may be configured as hardware.

The power storage status acquisition unit 31 is a part that acquires the power storage status of the overhead traveling vehicle 40 existing in the power supply section 20 in which the power supply unit 21 shown in FIG. 1 is arranged. Specifically, the overhead traveling vehicle is based on the information on the storage amount in the power storage unit 55 for each overhead traveling vehicle 40 transmitted from the vehicle body controller 41 including the power storage amount acquisition unit 45 that detects the power storage amount of the power storage unit 55. The amount of electricity stored for every 40 is acquired. Based on the information on the number of overhead traveling vehicles 40 existing in the power feeding section 20 transmitted from the management controller 3, for example, the overhead traveling vehicle that exists in the power feeding section 20 and has a power storage amount equal to or greater than the first power storage amount. Forty units can be extracted.

In addition, the power storage status acquisition unit 31 monitors the inverter output current of the power supply unit 23 or the input current on the primary side of the power supply unit 23 shown in FIG. 1, for example, the number of overhead traveling vehicles 40 receiving power, that is, It is possible to extract the number of overhead traveling vehicles 40 that are being charged without satisfying the first power storage amount. Based on the information on the number of overhead traveling vehicles 40 existing in the power feeding section 20 transmitted from the management controller 3, the overhead traveling vehicle 40 that exists in the power feeding section 20 and has a power storage amount equal to or greater than the first power storage amount. The number can be extracted.

The approach management unit 33 is a part that manages the number of overhead traveling vehicles 40 traveling in the power feeding section 20 in which the power feeding unit 21 is disposed to be equal to or less than a specified number (predetermined number). In other words, the approach management unit 33 restricts the entry of the overhead traveling vehicle 40 into the power feeding section 20 so that the number of overhead traveling vehicles 40 traveling in the power feeding section 20 does not exceed a prescribed number (for example, four). .

The approach management unit 33 according to the first embodiment is based on the power storage status acquired by the power storage status acquisition unit 31, and the overhead traveling of the overhead traveling vehicle 40 traveling in the power feeding section 20 has a power storage amount equal to or higher than the first power storage amount. The number of overhead traveling vehicles 40 entering the power feeding section 20 is limited so that the number of vehicles 40 excluded is equal to or less than the prescribed number. In other words, the approach management unit 33 according to the first embodiment does not count the overhead traveling vehicle 40 whose power storage amount is equal to or greater than the first power storage amount as one vehicle entering the power feeding section 20. For example, even if the four overhead traveling vehicles 40 that are the prescribed number have already traveled in the power feeding section 20, if the power storage amount of one of the overhead traveling vehicles 40 is greater than or equal to the first power storage amount, power feeding is performed. A new overhead traveling vehicle 40 is allowed to enter the section 20.

Next, the overhead traveling vehicle 40 will be described. As shown in FIG. 2, the overhead traveling vehicle 40 mainly includes a vehicle body controller 41, a power receiving unit 53, a power storage unit 55, and a traveling motor 57. The overhead traveling vehicle 40 is driven in one direction along the track 11 (arrows shown in FIG. 1) by a traveling motor 57 driven by at least one of the electric power stored in the power storage unit 55 and the electric power supplied from the power feeding unit 21. ).

The power reception unit 53 is a part that receives power supply from the power supply unit 21. As described above, the power receiving unit 53 according to the first embodiment generates electric power by using a change in the magnetic field generated when an alternating current flows through the power feeding unit 21.

The power storage unit 55 is a part that stores the power supplied from the power supply unit 21, that is, the power generated by the power receiving unit 53. An inverter or the like (not shown) is disposed between the power receiving unit 53 and the power storage unit 55. Examples of power storage unit 55 include capacitors such as electric double layer capacitors, secondary batteries such as lithium ion batteries and nickel metal hydride batteries.

The vehicle body controller 41 is a part that controls the overhead traveling vehicle 40 and is, for example, an electronic control unit including a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, and the like. The vehicle body controller 41 mainly controls general traveling of the overhead traveling vehicle 40. Specifically, the vehicle body controller 41 mainly controls the traveling motor 57 of the overhead traveling vehicle 40 so as to travel at a traveling speed set in advance for each section. The section here includes a feeding section 20 including the feeding section 21 shown in FIG. 1, a straight section, a curved section, and the like. For example, the speed at which the overhead traveling vehicle 40 that has entered the power feeding section 20 with the power storage amount being almost zero reaches the first power storage amount after passing through the power feeding section 20 is set as the traveling speed of the power feeding section 20. Also good. Acceleration / deceleration up to the set speed is performed at a set constant acceleration.

The vehicle body controller 41 has at least a power storage amount acquisition unit 45 as a further processing unit. The function of the power storage amount acquisition unit 45 in the vehicle body controller 41 is configured as software that is executed by the CPU after a program stored in the ROM is loaded onto the RAM, for example. Note that the power storage amount acquisition unit 45 may be configured as hardware.

The power storage amount acquisition unit 45 is a part that acquires the power storage amount in the power storage unit 55. The power storage amount acquisition unit 45 can acquire the power storage amount of the power storage unit 55 by measuring the electromotive force, temperature, internal resistance, and the like of the power storage unit 55, for example. Further, the power storage amount acquisition unit 45 may acquire the power storage amount by calculating the amount of power used from the driving situation or the like.

Next, the operation of the transport vehicle system 1 will be described. In the transport vehicle system 1 in which the track 11 as shown in FIG. 1 is arranged, the overhead traveling vehicle 40 is based on a transport command from the management controller 3 while circling in one direction (the direction of the arrow shown in FIG. 1). The conveyed object X is conveyed. In such a transport vehicle system 1, the management controller 3 transmits a transport request.

Among the plurality of overhead traveling vehicles 40 traveling on the track 11, a transportation command is assigned to the overhead traveling vehicle 40 that first responds to the transportation request. The transport command includes, for example, information related to a station where the transported object X to be transported exists and information related to a transport destination station of the transported object X. When the overhead traveling vehicle 40 receives the above-described conveyance command, the overhead traveling vehicle 40 travels at a traveling speed set in advance for each of the power feeding section 20, the straight section, the curved section, and the like.

When the overhead traveling vehicle 40 approaches the power feeding section 20, the approach management unit 33 included in the management controller 3 determines whether or not it is possible to enter the power feeding section 20. Specifically, when the overhead traveling vehicle 40 approaches the power feeding section 20, the approach management unit 33 confirms whether the number of overhead traveling vehicles 40 existing in the power feeding section 20 is equal to or less than the specified number. To do. When the number of the overhead traveling vehicles 40 existing in the power feeding section 20 is equal to or less than the prescribed number, the approach management unit 33 sends the overhead traveling vehicle 40 that is about to enter the power feeding section 20 to the power feeding section 20. Allow the entry of.

When the number of overhead traveling vehicles 40 existing in the power feeding section 20 is larger than the prescribed number, the power storage status acquisition unit 31 included in the management controller 3 calculates the amount of power stored in the power storage unit 55 for each overhead traveling vehicle 40. get. The approach management unit 33 checks whether or not the number of the overhead traveling vehicles 40 existing in the power feeding section 20 excluding the overhead traveling vehicle 40 having the charged amount equal to or larger than the first charged amount is smaller than the prescribed number. . When the number of overhead traveling vehicles 40 existing in the power feeding section 20 excluding the overhead traveling vehicles 40 having a power storage amount equal to or greater than the first power storage amount is smaller than the specified number, the approach management unit 33 The overhead traveling vehicle 40 that is about to enter the inside 20 is allowed to enter the power feeding section 20.

On the other hand, when the number of the overhead traveling vehicles 40 existing in the power feeding section 20 excluding the overhead traveling vehicles 40 having the power storage amount equal to or higher than the first power storage amount is equal to or more than the above-mentioned prescribed number, the approach management unit 33 The overhead traveling vehicle 40 that is about to enter the power feeding section 20 is not allowed to enter the power feeding section 20 and is placed on standby at a position in front of the power feeding section 20.

In this transport vehicle system 1, the overhead traveling vehicle 40 to the power feeding section 20 is based on the number excluding the overhead traveling vehicle 40 in which the power supply is not performed in the power feeding section 20 and the storage amount is equal to or greater than the first storage amount. Access is restricted. Thereby, the overhead traveling vehicles 40 corresponding to the number of overhead traveling vehicles 40 to which power is not supplied in the power feeding section 20 can be newly entered into the power feeding section 20 without increasing the load of the power supply unit 23. Thereby, the conveyance capability in the conveyance vehicle system 1 can be improved, suppressing that the load concerning the power supply part 23 becomes high.

As shown in FIG. 1, an entry restriction area A <b> 1 where entry of the overhead traveling vehicle 40 is restricted by the approach management unit 33 is provided on the upstream side in one direction (the arrow direction shown in FIG. 1) of the power feeding section 20. May be. The management controller 3 has the first storage time T1 until the overhead traveling vehicle 40 that enters the entry restriction area A1 next reaches the power feeding section 20 and the charged amount of the overhead traveling vehicle 40 that travels in the power feeding section 20. You may further have the comparison part 35 which compares 2nd time T2 until it becomes more than the 1st electrical storage amount initially. The first time T1 is calculated based on the traveling speed controlled by the vehicle body controller 41 described later. Then, when the comparison unit 35 determines that the second time T2 is equal to or less than the first time T1, the approach management unit 33 of the overhead traveling vehicle 40 that is about to enter the entry restriction area A1 next. You may permit entry into the entry restriction area A1.

The operation of the transport vehicle system 1 in this case will be described. When the overhead traveling vehicle 40 approaches the entry restriction area A1, the entry management unit 33 included in the management controller 3 determines whether or not the entry to the entry restriction area A1 is possible. Specifically, when the overhead traveling vehicle 40 approaches the entry restriction area A1, the approach management unit 33 determines whether the number of overhead traveling vehicles 40 existing in the power feeding section 20 is equal to or less than the prescribed number. Check. When the number of overhead traveling vehicles 40 existing in the power feeding section 20 is equal to or less than the above prescribed number, the approach management unit 33 performs the entry restriction area A1 for the overhead traveling vehicle 40 that is about to enter the power feeding section 20. Allow entry to.

When the number of overhead traveling vehicles 40 existing in the power feeding section 20 is larger than the prescribed number, the power storage status acquisition unit 31 included in the management controller 3 calculates the amount of power stored in the power storage unit 55 for each overhead traveling vehicle 40. get. The approach management unit 33 checks whether or not the number of the overhead traveling vehicles 40 existing in the power feeding section 20 excluding the overhead traveling vehicle 40 having the charged amount equal to or larger than the first charged amount is smaller than the prescribed number. . When the number of overhead traveling vehicles 40 existing in the power feeding section 20 excluding the overhead traveling vehicles 40 having a power storage amount equal to or greater than the first power storage amount is less than the prescribed number, the entry management unit 33 enters the entry restriction unit 33. The overhead traveling vehicle 40 that is about to enter the area A1 is allowed to enter the entry restricted area A1.

On the other hand, when the number of overhead traveling vehicles 40 existing in the power feeding section 20 excluding the overhead traveling vehicles 40 having the charged amount equal to or greater than the first charged amount is equal to or greater than the specified number, it is included in the management controller 3. Of the overhead traveling vehicle 40 that travels in the power feeding section 20 and the first traveling time 40 until the overhead traveling vehicle 40 that is about to enter the entry restricted area A1 reaches the power feeding section 20, the amount of power storage is First, the second time T2 until the first charged amount becomes equal to or greater is calculated, and the calculated first time T1 is compared with the second time T2.

When the comparison unit 35 determines that the second time T2 is equal to or less than the first time T1, the entry management unit 33 enters the entry restriction area A1 of the overhead traveling vehicle 40 that is about to enter the entry restriction area A1. Allow entry to. That is, entry of the target overhead traveling vehicle 40 into the power feeding section 20 is permitted. By controlling in this way, when the overhead traveling vehicle 40 approaches the entry restricted area A1, even if the specified number of overhead traveling vehicles 40 are traveling in the power feeding section 20, the target overhead traveling is performed. When the car 40 enters the power feeding section 20, a state in which one overhead traveling vehicle 40 traveling in the power feeding section 20 has reached the first power storage amount, that is, the number of power feeding sections 20 smaller than the prescribed number When the overhead traveling vehicle 40 is traveling, the target overhead traveling vehicle 40 can be entered.

On the other hand, when the comparison unit 35 determines that the second time T2 is longer than the first time T1, the entry management unit 33 enters the entry restricted area of the overhead traveling vehicle 40 that is about to enter the entry restricted area A1. The entry to A1 is not permitted, and the vehicle waits at a position P1 in the entry restriction area A1. That is, entry of the target overhead traveling vehicle 40 into the power feeding section 20 is not permitted. Note that, for example, the approach management unit 33 performs the overhead traveling at the target position P1 in the entry restriction area A1 only for a time T3 (T3 = T2-T1) obtained by subtracting the first time T1 from the second time T2. The vehicle 40 may be put on standby and then entered into the entry restriction area A1.

In addition, according to the transport vehicle system 1, a new overhead traveling vehicle 40 enters the power feeding section 20 at a timing when the power storage amount of one overhead traveling vehicle 40 traveling in the power feeding section 20 becomes equal to or higher than the first power storage amount. It can also be made. Thereby, the conveyance capability in the conveyance vehicle system 1 can be improved efficiently, suppressing that the load concerning the power supply part 23 becomes high.

(Second Embodiment)
Next, a second embodiment will be described mainly with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram illustrating a configuration of the transport vehicle system 101 according to the second embodiment. The difference between the transport vehicle system 101 and the transport vehicle system 1 according to the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1 is that, as shown in FIG. And a vehicle body controller (controller) 141 including 47. Here, the management controller 103 and the vehicle body controller 141 will be described in detail, and descriptions of points that are common to the transport vehicle system 1 of the first embodiment will be omitted.

The management controller 103 has a busyness determination unit 37 as a further processing unit. The busyness determination unit 37 acquires the transport amount in the transport vehicle system 101 when there is an overhead traveling vehicle 40 that is about to enter the power feeding section 20. Next, when it is determined that the acquired transport amount is greater than or equal to the specified value, the busy / bad determination unit 37 has a power storage amount after passing through the power feeding section 20 that is equal to or greater than a second power storage amount that is smaller than the first power storage amount. On the condition that the vehicle travels on the most downstream side in the power feeding section 20, in other words, the overhead traveling vehicle 40 traveling at the head of the power feeding section 20 travels at a speed higher than the speed set as the traveling speed. The transport amount of the transport vehicle system 101 can be compared using, for example, the number of transport commands managed by the management controller 103 as an index. It can be determined that the greater the number of conveyance commands, the greater the conveyance amount.

Note that the management controller 103 may determine whether or not there is an overhead traveling vehicle 40 that is about to enter the power feeding section 20 by focusing on the overhead traveling vehicle 40 that is transporting the transported object X. Whether or not the object X is being conveyed can be determined based on information such as a conveyance command.

The vehicle body controller 141 has at least a storage amount acquisition unit 45 and a travel speed control unit 47 as further processing units. The traveling speed control unit 47 is a part that sets the traveling speed in the power feeding section 20 of the overhead traveling vehicle 140 and causes the overhead traveling vehicle 40 to travel at the set traveling speed. Specifically, the traveling speed control unit 47 determines the amount of power stored in the power storage unit 55 after passing through the power feeding section 20 based on the amount of power stored before the power feeding to the overhead traveling vehicle 40 is started in the power feeding section 20. A traveling speed that achieves one charged amount (for example, full charge) is calculated, and the traveling motor 57 is mainly controlled to travel in the power feeding section 20 at the calculated traveling speed.

Next, the operation of the transport vehicle system 101 will be described. The entry restriction of the overhead traveling vehicle 140 to the entry restricted area A1 and the power feeding section 20 is the same as that in the first embodiment, and thus the description thereof is omitted here. In the transport vehicle system 101 of the second embodiment, the travel speed when traveling through the power feeding section 20 is set based on the amount of power stored before entering the power feeding section 20. This is different from the transport vehicle system 1 of the first embodiment in which the speed is set uniformly.

When the overhead traveling vehicle 140 approaches the entry restriction area A1, the traveling speed control unit 47 included in the vehicle body controller 41 supplies power based on the amount of power stored in the power feeding section 20 before power supply to the overhead traveling vehicle 40 is started. The traveling speed V1 in the power feeding section 20 is determined so that the charged amount after passing through the section 20 becomes the first charged amount. Note that the determination timing of the traveling speed V1 in the power feeding section 20 is not limited to the timing described above, and may be, for example, a timing immediately before entering the power feeding section 20.

The busyness determination unit 37 included in the management controller 3 monitors the presence / absence of the overhead traveling vehicle 40 that is about to enter the power feeding section 20 and the transport amount of the transport vehicle system 101. The presence / absence of the overhead traveling vehicle 40 that is about to enter the power feeding section 20 is monitored, for example, by monitoring the presence or absence of the overhead traveling vehicle 40 that approaches the power feeding section 20 within a predetermined distance. The conveyance amount of the conveyance vehicle system 101 is monitored, for example, by monitoring the number of conveyance instructions managed by the management controller 3. When the busyness determination unit 37 detects that there is an overhead traveling vehicle 40 that is about to enter the power feeding section 20 and that the number of the transport commands is equal to or more than a predetermined value, the overhead traveling that travels at the head of the power feeding section 20 The traveling speed of the car 40 may be controlled. Specifically, the speed of the overhead traveling vehicle 40 traveling at the head of the power feeding section 20 is currently set on condition that the power storage amount after passing through the power feeding section 20 is equal to or greater than the second power storage amount smaller than the first power storage amount. The vehicle travels at a speed faster than the traveling speed V1. The second power storage amount is, for example, a charge amount that allows the overhead traveling vehicle 40 to go around the track at a predetermined speed after exiting the power feeding section 20 and return to the power feeding section 20 again.

According to the transport vehicle system 101, in an ordinary state, the overhead traveling vehicle 40 in the power feeding section 20 is caused to travel at a traveling speed V1 for setting the storage amount after passing through the feeding section 20 as the first storage amount. Further, according to the transport vehicle system 101, when there is a transport vehicle that is going to enter the power feeding section, the transport amount in the transport vehicle system 101 is acquired, and when the transport amount is larger than a specified value, The overhead traveling vehicle 40 in the power feeding section 20 can be made relatively faster than the traveling speed V <b> 1 so that the transport capability as the transport vehicle system 101 can be enhanced.

As mentioned above, although 1st Embodiment and 2nd Embodiment of this invention were described, this invention is not limited to the said embodiment. The present invention can be variously modified without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the transport vehicle system 101 of the above-described embodiment, the traveling speed control unit 47 that sets the traveling speed in the power feeding section 20 has been described as an example of the vehicle body controller 141. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, For example, the management controller 103 may be implemented.

In the transport vehicle system 101 of the above-described embodiment, the charged amount after passing through the feeding section 20 becomes the first charged amount based on the charged amount before the feeding to the overhead traveling vehicle 40 is started in the feeding section 20. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a speed at which the overhead traveling vehicle 40 that has entered the power feeding section 20 with the power storage amount being substantially zero may pass the power feeding section 20 and become the first power storage amount may be set uniformly as the travel speed. . The vehicle body controller 141 has a function of automatically stopping the supply of electric power to the power storage unit 55 when the amount of power stored in the power storage unit 55 reaches the first power storage amount (full charge). For this reason, even if the overhead traveling vehicle 40 in a state where the amount of stored electricity enters the power supply section 20, the amount of stored electricity after passing through the power supply section 20 can be set as the first stored amount of electricity.

In the

transport vehicle systems

1 and 101 of the above-described embodiment, the overhead traveling vehicle 40 has been described as an example of the transport vehicle. However, other examples of the transport vehicle include unmanned vehicles that travel on a track disposed on the ground or a gantry. Includes transport vehicles and stacker cranes.

In the

transport vehicle systems

1 and 101 of the above-described embodiment, an example in which a non-contact power feeding system is employed as the power feeding unit 21 has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this and directly contacts a trolley wire or the like. Electric power may be supplied to the power storage unit 55 by a method.

In the

transport vehicle systems

1 and 101 of the above-described embodiment, the example in which the power feeding section 20 in which the power feeding unit 21 is disposed is provided only at one place has been described, but the power feeding section 20 is provided at a plurality of places such as two places or three places. Also good.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Conveyance vehicle system, 3 ... Management controller, 11 ... Track, 15A, 15B, 15C ... Station, 20 ... Feeding section, 21 ... Feeding part, 23 ... Power supply part, 31 ... Power storage condition acquisition part, 33 ... Approach management part 35 ... Comparison unit, 37 ... Treatment determination unit, 40 ... Overhead traveling vehicle, 41 ... Body controller, 45 ... Accumulated energy acquisition unit, 47 ... Running speed control unit, 53 ... Power receiving unit, 55 ... Power storage unit, 57 ... Running Motor 101, Conveying vehicle system 103, Management controller 140, Overhead vehicle, 141 Car body controller (controller).

Claims

A power feeding section provided in a partial section along the track,
A power supply unit for supplying power to the power supply unit;
A power storage unit that stores the power supplied from the power supply unit, and a plurality of transport vehicles that transport a transported object while circling the track in one direction;
A management controller for managing the transport vehicle;
With
The management controller is
A power storage status acquisition unit that acquires a power storage status of the transport vehicle existing in a power supply section in which the power supply unit is disposed;
An entry management unit for managing the number of the vehicles entering the power feeding section;
Have
The approach management unit restricts the number of approaching vehicles based on the power storage status acquired by the power storage status acquisition unit so that the number of vehicles excluding transport vehicles whose power storage amount is greater than or equal to the first power storage amount is equal to or less than a predetermined number. Car carrier system.
On the upstream side in the one direction of the power feeding section, an entry restriction area where entry of the transport vehicle is restricted by the entry management unit is provided,
The management controller sets the storage amount of the first time until the transport vehicle that next enters the entry restricted area reaches the power feeding section and the transport vehicle traveling in the power feeding section first. A comparison unit that compares the second amount of time until the first storage amount becomes equal to or greater than the first storage amount;
When the comparison unit determines that the second time is equal to or less than the first time, the entry management unit is configured to enter the entry restriction area of the transport vehicle that is about to enter the entry restriction area next time. The conveyance vehicle system according to claim 1 which permits entry into a car.
The transport vehicle further includes a storage amount acquisition unit that acquires a storage amount in the storage unit,
For the transport vehicle that is about to enter the power feeding section, a power storage amount after passing through the power feeding section is a first power storage amount based on a power storage amount before power feeding to the transport vehicle is started in the power feeding section. A controller including a traveling speed control unit for setting the traveling speed in the power feeding section so as to be,
The management controller acquires the transport amount of the transport vehicle system when there is the transport vehicle that is about to enter the power feeding section, and when it is determined that the acquired transport amount is equal to or greater than a specified value. The transport vehicle traveling on the most downstream side in the power feeding section is moved on the condition that the power storage amount after passing through the power feeding section is equal to or more than a second power storage amount smaller than the first power storage amount. The transport vehicle system according to claim 1, further comprising a busyness determination unit that travels at a faster speed.