WO2024190182A1 - 走行車システム - Google Patents

走行車システム Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2024190182A1
WO2024190182A1 PCT/JP2024/003920 JP2024003920W WO2024190182A1 WO 2024190182 A1 WO2024190182 A1 WO 2024190182A1 JP 2024003920 W JP2024003920 W JP 2024003920W WO 2024190182 A1 WO2024190182 A1 WO 2024190182A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
traveling
running
stopper
pusher
track
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Ceased
Application number
PCT/JP2024/003920
Other languages
English (en)
French (fr)
Japanese (ja)
Inventor
誠 小林
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Murata Machinery Ltd
Original Assignee
Murata Machinery Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Murata Machinery Ltd filed Critical Murata Machinery Ltd
Priority to JP2025506578A priority Critical patent/JPWO2024190182A1/ja
Priority to CN202480015211.4A priority patent/CN120813511A/zh
Publication of WO2024190182A1 publication Critical patent/WO2024190182A1/ja
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Ceased legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B61—RAILWAYS
    • B61B—RAILWAY SYSTEMS; EQUIPMENT THEREFOR NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • B61B13/00—Other railway systems
    • B61B13/04—Monorail systems
    • B61B13/06—Saddle or like balanced type
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65G—TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
    • B65G1/00—Storing articles, individually or in orderly arrangement, in warehouses or magazines
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H10—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H10P—GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H10P72/00—Handling or holding of wafers, substrates or devices during manufacture or treatment thereof
    • H10P72/30—Handling or holding of wafers, substrates or devices during manufacture or treatment thereof for conveying, e.g. between different workstations

Definitions

  • One aspect of the present invention relates to a traveling vehicle system.
  • An overhead traveling vehicle that includes a traveling section that travels along a track, a hanging section that hangs from the traveling section, and a lifting section that has a gripping section that grips an object and that rises and falls relative to the hanging section as multiple hanging members are wound up and unwound.
  • the traveling section of such a traveling vehicle runs on a track that includes a pair of left and right side walls and a base that connects the upper ends of the pair of side walls.
  • the track is formed in a C-shape in cross section to form a space that accommodates the traveling section.
  • a power supply section that supplies power to the traveling vehicle is provided along the extension direction on each of the pair of side walls.
  • the traveling part may be stopped at a predetermined position on the work track, and each part of the traveling part may be inspected, for example, by a sensor provided at that stopping position.
  • the movement mechanism of the above-mentioned conventional traveling vehicle system is configured to pinch and move the suspended part suspended from the traveling part, it is difficult to accurately stop the traveling part of the traveling vehicle at a predetermined position on the work track.
  • the traveling part is in a state where it can move on its own, there is a limit to the positioning accuracy with which the driving part of the traveling part can be controlled to stop the traveling part at a predetermined position.
  • the object of one aspect of the present invention is to provide a traveling vehicle system that can improve the positioning accuracy when stopping the traveling part of a traveling vehicle at a predetermined position on a work track.
  • a traveling vehicle system is a traveling vehicle system in which a traveling vehicle travels on a traveling track having a main body part that forms an internal space along which the traveling part of the traveling vehicle travels and that extends along the traveling path of the traveling vehicle, the traveling vehicle system being equipped with a working track that is connected to the traveling track and has an open part that exposes at least a part of the traveling part to the external space, a stopper that is a member against which a roller that is rotatably provided around an axis extending vertically in the traveling part is pressed, the stopper being provided so as to be able to advance and retreat with respect to the movement area of the traveling part on the working track, and a pusher that moves the traveling part in one direction and positions the traveling part at a predetermined position on the working track by pressing the roller against the stopper from one direction.
  • a stopper and a pusher are provided for positioning the traveling part at a predetermined position on the work track.
  • the pusher presses a roller provided on the traveling part in one direction against a stopper that is provided so as to be able to advance and retreat relative to the movement area of the traveling part, thereby positioning the traveling part at a predetermined position.
  • the stopper and pusher may be provided so as to be movable forward and backward along a width direction perpendicular to both the direction of travel of the traveling part and the vertical direction relative to the movement area of the traveling part on the work track.
  • both the stopper and pusher are provided so as to be movable forward and backward along the width direction.
  • the stopper can be switched between an advanced state in which the rollers are pressed against it and a retracted state in which the traveling part can pass through, with a simple configuration of one-way movement
  • the pusher can be switched between an advanced state in which the rollers push out and a retracted state in which the traveling part can pass through, with a simple configuration of one-way movement.
  • the traveling vehicle system further includes a movement mechanism that moves the traveling vehicle in one direction along the work track, a first drive unit that drives the stopper, a second drive unit that drives the pusher, and a controller that controls the movement mechanism, the first drive unit, and the second drive unit, and the controller may control the movement mechanism so that the traveling part moves to a predetermined upstream position upstream of the predetermined position, control the first drive unit so that the stopper advances to a position where the roller can be pressed, and control the second drive unit so that the pusher pushes the roller in one direction.
  • the movement mechanism can move the traveling part roughly to the predetermined upstream position, and then the stopper and pusher can move the traveling part accurately to the predetermined position on the work track. As a result, positional accuracy can be maintained with simple control.
  • the controller when positioning the traveling part at a predetermined position, may advance the stopper and then the pusher into the movement area, and when moving the traveling part from the predetermined position, may move the pusher and then the stopper out of the movement area.
  • the stopper advances first, preventing the roller and therefore the traveling part from going too far. Furthermore, in this configuration, the stopper retracts after the pressing force of the pusher on the roller becomes smaller, eliminating the possibility of the stopper being withdrawn under an unintended force.
  • the rollers may be side rollers that contact the inner side walls of the main body.
  • the components of the traveling part can be effectively used when moving the traveling part.
  • the traveling vehicle system further comprises a plurality of sensors that are arranged above a predetermined position and measure the height position at various positions on the top surface of the traveling part, the plurality of sensors being arranged at positions corresponding to the traveling part positioned at the predetermined position, and the plurality of sensors may start measuring simultaneously when the traveling part is positioned at the predetermined position.
  • measurements can be performed simultaneously by the plurality of sensors with a single positioning.
  • FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view showing a traveling vehicle system according to an embodiment.
  • FIG. 2 is a schematic front view of the overhead traveling vehicle of FIG. 1 as viewed from the front in the traveling direction.
  • FIG. 3 is a front view showing the running section of the traveling vehicle running on the work track.
  • FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the work track and the running portion of the traveling vehicle in FIG.
  • Fig. 5(A) is a cross-sectional view showing a working track and a running portion of a traveling vehicle
  • Fig. 5(B) is a plan view showing a movement mechanism of one embodiment.
  • FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a working track.
  • FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the positioning mechanism.
  • Fig. 1 is a schematic plan view showing a traveling vehicle system according to an embodiment.
  • FIG. 2 is a schematic front view of the overhead traveling vehicle of FIG. 1 as viewed from the front in the traveling direction.
  • FIG. 3 is a front view showing
  • Fig. 8A is a plan view showing the stopper and the pusher retracted to the retracted position
  • Fig. 8B is a plan view showing the stopper and the pusher advanced to the advanced position
  • Fig. 9A is a plan view showing the stopper advanced to the advanced position and the pusher starting to advance to the advanced position
  • Fig. 9B is a plan view showing the stopper and the pusher advanced to the advanced position
  • Fig. 10A is a rear view showing a state of the side roller in contact with the stopper
  • Fig. 10B is a rear view showing a state of the side roller in contact with the pusher.
  • the traveling vehicle system 1 is a system for transporting items 10 between mounting sections 9, 9 using an overhead traveling vehicle 6 that can move along a traveling track 4.
  • the items 10 include, for example, FOUPs (Front Opening Unified Pods) that store multiple semiconductor wafers, containers that store glass substrates, containers such as reticle pods, and general parts.
  • the traveling vehicle system 1 includes an area controller 2, a traveling track 4, multiple traveling vehicles 6, multiple mounting sections 9, a working track 41, a moving mechanism 60, a positioning mechanism 80, an inspection device 90, and a maintenance controller 95.
  • the area controller 2 is an electronic control unit consisting of a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), and a RAM (Random Access Memory).
  • the area controller 2 is provided so as to be able to communicate with the trolley controller 35 and the maintenance controller 95 in the traveling vehicle 6.
  • the area controller 2 can be configured as software in which a program stored in the ROM is loaded onto the RAM and executed by the CPU, for example.
  • the area controller 2 may also be configured as hardware consisting of electronic circuits, etc.
  • the area controller 2 transmits a transport command to cause the traveling vehicle 6 to transport the item 10.
  • the running track 4 is installed, for example, near the ceiling, which is the space above the worker's head.
  • the running track 4 is suspended from the ceiling, for example.
  • the running track 4 is a predetermined running path for the running vehicle 6 to run on.
  • the running track 4 is supported by supports 40A, 40A.
  • the running vehicle system 1 has a main line section 4A that travels in one direction in a specified area, and an evacuation section 4B in which a work track 41 is provided with a work area 160 for maintenance of the running vehicle 6. Note that even in the evacuation section 4B, the running vehicle 6 moves in one predetermined direction.
  • the running track 4 has a cylindrical rail main body (main body) 40 consisting of a pair of bottom surface portions 40B, 40B, a pair of side surface portions 40C, 40C, and a top surface portion 40D, a power supply portion 40E, and a magnetic plate 40F.
  • the rail main body 40 houses (contains) the running portion 50 of the running vehicle 6.
  • the rail main body 40 has an internal space (movement area) R1 in which the running portion 50 runs.
  • the bottom surface portion 40B extends in the running direction of the running vehicle 6 and constitutes the bottom surface of the rail main body 40.
  • the bottom surface portion 40B is a plate-shaped member that rolls the running roller 51 of the running vehicle 6.
  • the side surface portion 40C extends in the running direction of the running vehicle 6 and constitutes the side surface of the rail main body 40.
  • the side surface portion 40C is a plate-shaped member that rolls the side roller 52 of the running vehicle 6.
  • the top surface 40D extends in the direction in which the traveling vehicle 6 travels and forms the upper surface of the rail main body 40.
  • the power supply unit 40E supplies power to the power supply core 57 of the traveling vehicle 6 and transmits and receives signals to and from the power supply core 57.
  • the power supply unit 40E is fixed to each of the pair of side portions 40C, 40C and extends along the traveling direction.
  • the power supply unit 40E supplies power to the power supply core 57 in a non-contact state.
  • the magnetic plate 40F generates a magnetic force for the LDM (Linear DC Motor) 59 of the traveling vehicle 6 to make it run or stop.
  • the magnetic plate 40F is fixed to the top surface portion 40D and extends along the traveling direction.
  • the traveling vehicle 6 travels on the traveling track 4 and transports the article 10.
  • the traveling vehicle 6 is configured to be able to transfer the article 10.
  • the traveling vehicle 6 is an unmanned overhead traveling vehicle.
  • the number of traveling vehicles 6 provided in the traveling vehicle system 1 is not particularly limited and may be more than one.
  • the traveling vehicle 6 has a suspension unit (main body) 7, a traveling unit 50, and a cart controller 35.
  • the suspension unit 7 has a main body frame 22, a lateral feed unit 24, a ⁇ drive 26, a lifting drive unit 28, a lifting platform 30, and a cover 33.
  • the main frame 22 is connected to the running section 50 and supports the lateral feed section 24, the ⁇ drive 26, the lifting drive section 28, the lifting platform 30, and the cover 33.
  • the lateral feed section 24 collectively feeds the ⁇ drive 26, the lifting drive section 28, and the lifting platform 30 laterally in a direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the running track 4 (the running direction of the running vehicle 6).
  • the ⁇ drive 26 rotates at least one of the lifting drive section 28 and the lifting platform 30 within a predetermined angle range in a horizontal plane.
  • the lifting drive section 28 raises and lowers the lifting platform 30 by winding or unwinding a suspending material such as a wire, rope, or belt.
  • the lifting platform 30 is provided with a chuck that can freely grip or release the article 10.
  • a pair of covers 33 are provided, for example, at the front and rear of the running direction of the running vehicle 6.
  • the cover 33 has protruding claws (not shown) to prevent the item 10 from falling during transport.
  • the running unit 50 causes the running vehicle 6 to run along the running track 4. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the running unit 50 has running rollers 51, side rollers 52, branch rollers 53, auxiliary rollers 54, inclined rollers 55, a power supply core 57, and an LDM 59. Note that in Fig. 2, the branch rollers 53, auxiliary rollers 54, and inclined rollers 55 are not shown.
  • the running rollers 51 are a pair of rollers consisting of an outer wheel 51A as a running wheel and an inner wheel 51B as a running auxiliary wheel.
  • the running rollers 51 are arranged at the front, rear, left and right ends of the running section 50.
  • the running rollers 51 roll on a pair of lower surface portions 40B, 40B (or lower support portions 43 in FIG. 3 described later) of the running track 4.
  • the side rollers 52 are arranged so that they can come into contact with the side surface portions 40C (or lateral support portions 45 in FIG. 3 described later) of the running track 4.
  • the branch rollers 53 are arranged so that they sandwich each of the side rollers 52 in the vertical direction.
  • the side rollers 52 are arranged so that they can come into contact with guides (not shown) arranged at the connection portions or branch portions of the running track 4.
  • the auxiliary rollers 54 are a set of three rollers provided at the front and rear of the running section 50.
  • the auxiliary rollers 54 are provided to prevent the LDM 59 and power supply core 57, etc. from contacting the magnetic plate 40F arranged on the upper surface of the running track 4 when the running section 50 tilts forward or backward due to acceleration or deceleration while running.
  • the inclined rollers 55 are provided at the four corners of the LDM 59.
  • the inclined rollers 55 are arranged in a state where they are inclined from the front to rear direction.
  • the inclined rollers 55 are provided to prevent the running section 50 from tilting due to centrifugal force when running on a curved section.
  • the power supply cores 57 are arranged at the front and rear of the running section 50, sandwiching the LDM 59 in the left-right direction. They perform non-contact power supply and non-contact transmission and reception of various signals with the power supply unit 40E arranged on the running track 4.
  • the power supply core 57 exchanges signals with the bogie controller 35.
  • the LDM 59 is provided at the front and rear of the running section 50.
  • the LDM 59 generates magnetic force for running or stopping by using an electromagnet between it and the magnetic plate 40F arranged on the top surface of the running track 4.
  • the placement section 9 is disposed along the travel track 4 and is provided at a position where the article 10 can be handed over to and from the travelling vehicle 6.
  • the placement section 9 includes a buffer and a transfer port.
  • the buffer is a placement section where the article 10 is temporarily placed.
  • the buffer is a placement section where the article 10 is temporarily placed when the article 10 being transported by the travelling vehicle 6 cannot be transferred to the intended transfer port, for example, because another article 10 is placed at the intended transfer port.
  • the transfer port is a placement section for transferring the article 10 to and from a semiconductor processing device (not shown), such as a cleaning device, a film forming device, a lithography device, an etching device, a heat treatment device, or a planarization device.
  • the processing device is not particularly limited and may be various devices.
  • the placement unit 9 is disposed to the side of the running track 4.
  • the running vehicle 6 transfers the article 10 between the placement unit 9 by using the lateral feed unit 24 to laterally feed the lifting drive unit 28 and the like, and slightly raising and lowering the lifting platform 30.
  • the placement unit 9 may also be disposed directly below the running track 4. In this case, the running vehicle 6 transfers the article 10 between the placement unit 9 by raising and lowering the lifting platform 30.
  • the bogie controller 35 is an electronic control unit consisting of a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, etc.
  • the bogie controller 35 controls various operations of the traveling vehicle 6. Specifically, the bogie controller 35 controls the traveling section 50, the lateral feed section 24, the ⁇ drive 26, the lifting drive section 28, and the lifting platform 30.
  • the bogie controller 35 can be configured as software in which a program stored in the ROM is loaded onto the RAM and executed by the CPU, for example.
  • the bogie controller 35 may also be configured as hardware consisting of electronic circuits, etc.
  • the bogie controller 35 communicates with the area controller 2 using the power supply section 40E (feeder line) of the traveling track 4, etc.
  • the work area 160 is provided in part of the evacuation section 4B, and is an area where maintenance is carried out on each part of the traveling section 50 included in the traveling vehicle 6.
  • the work area 160 is provided with a work track 41 (see FIGS. 3, 4 and 6), a moving mechanism 60 (see FIGS. 4, 5(A) and 5(B)), a positioning mechanism 80 (see FIGS. 6 and 7), and an inspection device 90 (see FIG. 4).
  • the working track 41 extends in one direction so that both ends are continuous (connected) to the running tracks 4, 4, and forms an open section 47 that exposes at least a portion of the running section 50 (e.g., the auxiliary rollers 54, the inclined rollers 55, the power supply core 57, and the LDM 59, etc.) as shown in Figures 3 and 6.
  • the working track 41 does not have the side section 40C, the power supply section 40E, and the top surface section 40D that are provided on the running track 4, and the portions corresponding to the side section 40C, the power supply section 40E, and the top surface section 40D of the running track 4 form the open section 47.
  • the working track 41 does not have the power supply section 40E, the running vehicle 6 cannot run on its own.
  • the working track 41 has a frame 42 arranged at both ends of the working track 41, a pair of lower support parts 43, 43, and a pair of lateral support parts 45, 45.
  • the frame 42 has a pair of side portions 42A, 42A and a top surface portion 42B.
  • the pair of side portions 42A, 42A are arranged opposite each other in the left-right direction and are plate-like members extending in the vertical direction.
  • the side portion 42A is fixed to the ceiling via a bracket (not shown) and a support (not shown).
  • the top surface portion 42B is a plate-like member that connects the pair of side portions 42A, 42A at the upper ends of the pair of side portions 42A, 42A.
  • Each of the pair of lower support parts 43, 43 supports the running part 50 from below. More specifically, the lower support part 43 is a member that supports the outer ring 51A and the inner ring 51B of the running roller 51 of the running part 50 from below and causes the outer ring 51A and the inner ring 51B to roll.
  • the lower support part 43 is fixed to the lower end of the side part 42A of the frame 42 and is connected to the pair of frames 42, 42.
  • the lower support part 43 arranged on the right side is formed with an inner part 43A that causes the outer ring 51A and the inner ring 51B to roll, as well as an outer part 43B on which devices such as the positioning mechanism 80 and the maintenance controller 95 are placed.
  • the outer part 43B is formed in the outer area R2 of the movement area R1 of the running part 50 on the working track 41.
  • the side support part 45 is a member that comes into contact with the side roller 52 of the running part 50.
  • the side support part 45 is a square piece of timber that extends along the direction of movement of the running part 50.
  • the side support part 45 is fixed to the side part 42A of the frame 42, and is connected to the pair of frames 42, 42, and is fixed to the upper surface of the inner part 43A of the lower support part 43.
  • the side support part 45 located on the right side has two slits formed in it to allow the stopper 81 and pusher 85, which will be described in detail later, to move forward and backward from the outside of the movement area R1 to the inside of the movement area R1.
  • the moving mechanism 60 shown in Figures 4, 5(A) and 5(B) is a mechanism for moving the traveling vehicle 6 on the working track 41 on which the traveling vehicle 6 cannot move by itself.
  • the moving mechanism 60 moves the suspension part 7 along the extension direction of the working track 41. More specifically, the traveling vehicle 6 is moved by moving the suspension part 7 between the connection part with the traveling track 4, which is one end of the working track 41, and the connection part with the traveling track 4, which is the other end.
  • the moving mechanism 60 includes a base plate 70, a moving plate 71, a pair of arms consisting of a first arm part 61 and a second arm part 65, a first rotation drive part 62, a second rotation drive part 66, a first movement drive part 64 and a second movement drive part 68.
  • the base plate 70 is a plate-shaped member that supports the moving plate 71, the first arm portion 61, the second arm portion 65, the first rotation drive portion 62, the second rotation drive portion 66, the first moving drive portion 64, and the second moving drive portion 68.
  • the base plate 70 is suspended from the ceiling by a hanging member 75.
  • the base plate 70 is positioned below the working track 41 and to the side of the suspension portion 7 of the traveling vehicle 6 that moves on the working track 41.
  • the moving plate 71 is a plate-like member that supports the first arm portion 61, the second arm portion 65, the first rotation drive portion 62, the second rotation drive portion 66, the first movement drive portion 64, and the second movement drive portion 68.
  • the moving plate 71 is provided so as to be movable along the movement direction of the suspension portion 7 relative to the base plate 70. More specifically, the moving plate 71 is provided so as to be movable along the movement direction of the suspension portion 7 relative to the base plate 70 by the second movement drive portion 68, which is composed of an LM guide (Linear Motion Guide) 68A and a drive motor 68B, etc.
  • LM guide Linear Motion Guide
  • the first arm portion 61 is disposed upstream of the second arm portion 65 in the movement direction of the suspension portion 7. That is, when the suspension portion 7 is moved, the first arm portion 61 comes into contact with the rear end (cover 33) of the suspension portion 7.
  • the upstream and downstream sides here refer to directions determined based on a preset movement direction of the suspension portion 7 in one direction.
  • the first arm portion 61 moves between a position where the suspension portion 7 is sandwiched (contact position) and a position where the suspension portion 7 is retracted (retracted position) by the first rotation drive portion 62.
  • the first arm portion 61 and the first rotation drive portion 62 are provided so as to be movable in the movement direction of the suspension portion 7 relative to the moving plate 71 by the first movement drive portion 64.
  • first arm portion 61 and the first rotation drive portion 62 are provided so as to be movable in the movement direction of the suspension portion 7 relative to the moving plate 71 by the first movement drive portion 64, which is composed of an LM guide 64A and a drive motor 64B.
  • the second arm portion 65 is disposed downstream of the first arm portion 61 in the movement direction of the suspension portion 7. That is, the second arm portion 65 comes into contact with the front end of the suspension portion 7 when the suspension portion 7 is moved.
  • the second arm portion 65 is moved by the second pivot drive portion 66 between a position where it clamps the suspension portion 7 and a position where it retreats from the suspension portion 7.
  • the second arm portion 65 and the second pivot drive portion 66 are arranged so as not to be able to move in the movement direction of the suspension portion 7 relative to the moving plate 71.
  • the positioning mechanism 80 moves and positions the running part 50 of the running vehicle 6 to a predetermined position on the work track 41, on which the running vehicle 6 cannot move on its own. More specifically, the positioning mechanism 80 moves the running part 50 so that the part to be inspected of the running part 50 is located at the inspection position of the inspection device 90 arranged on the work track 41.
  • the positioning mechanism 80 includes a stopper 81 and a pusher 85.
  • the parts to be inspected in this embodiment are, for example, the auxiliary roller 54, the inclined roller 55, the power supply core 57, and the LDM 59.
  • the stopper 81 is a member against which the side roller 52, one of the rollers rotatably mounted on the running part 50 around an axis extending in the vertical direction, is pressed.
  • the stopper 81 is mounted so as to be movable forward and backward along a width direction (left and right direction) perpendicular to both the movement direction (front-back direction) and the vertical direction (up-down direction) of the running part 50 relative to the movement area R1 of the running part 50 on the work track 41.
  • the stopper 81 is positioned downstream of the pusher 85 in the one direction (the movement direction of the running part 50).
  • the pusher 85 moves the side rollers 52 of the running part 50 in one direction and presses the side rollers 52 against the stopper 81 from one direction, thereby positioning the running part 50 at a predetermined position on the work track 41.
  • the pusher 85 is provided so as to be able to advance and retreat along the width direction (left and right direction) with respect to the movement area R1 of the running part 50 on the work track 41.
  • the pusher 85 is disposed upstream of the stopper 81 in one direction.
  • the stopper 81 and the pusher 85 can press or push the running part 50 when the running part 50 advances into the movement area R1, and the running part 50 can move freely in the movement area R1 when the running part 50 retreats from the movement area R1.
  • the stopper 81 and the pusher 85 will be described in more detail.
  • the stopper 81 has a pressed member 81A against which the side roller 52 is pressed, a first support member 81B fixed to the lower support portion 43, a first linear guide 81C that supports the pressed member 81A so that it can slide along the width direction relative to the first support member 81B, a first drive portion 81D that moves the pressed member 81A back and forth along the width direction, and a first side wall portion 81E that becomes the rolling surface of the side roller 52 when the pressed member 81A is in the retracted position.
  • the pressed member 81A is a member that moves between an advanced position (see FIG. 8(B)) and a retracted position (see FIG. 8(A)) in the stopper 81.
  • the pressed member 81A is formed in an L-shape in a plan view seen from above.
  • the pressed member 81A has a pressed surface 81Aa formed on a surface perpendicular to the moving direction of the running part 50, and a guide surface 81Ab formed on a surface parallel to the moving direction of the running part 50.
  • the pressed surface 81Aa is a surface that comes into contact with the side roller 52 pushed in one direction by the stopper 81 when the pressed member 81A is located in the advanced position.
  • the guide surface 81Ab is a surface that rolls and guides the side roller 52 when the pressed member 81A is located in the advanced position and the running part 50 moves in one direction.
  • the pressed member 81A advances to the advanced position so that the guide surface 81Ab is flush with the guide surface 45a of the side support portion 45.
  • the guide surface 81Ab of the pressed member 81A and the guide surface 45a of the side support portion 45 have the same distance from the center position in the width direction of the work track 41.
  • the rolling surface 81Ea of the first side wall portion 81E is formed at a position further back than the guide surface 81Ab of the pressed member 81A (i.e., a position farther away from the center position in the width direction of the work track 41).
  • the distance G1 between the guide surface 81Ab and the rolling surface 81Ea is, for example, 1 mm.
  • the pusher 85 has a pressing member 85A pushed in one direction by the side roller 52, a second support member 85B fixed to the lower support portion 43 by a bolt or the like, a second linear guide 85C that supports the pressing member 85A so that it can slide along the width direction relative to the second support member 85B, a second drive portion 85D that moves the pressing member 85A back and forth along the width direction, and a second side wall portion 85E that serves as the rolling surface of the side roller 52.
  • the pressing member 85A is a member that advances and retreats between an advanced position and a retracted position in the pusher 85.
  • the pressing member 85A has a pressing surface 85Aa that is a surface that is inclined with respect to a plane perpendicular to the movement direction of the running part 50.
  • the pressing surface 85Aa is formed at the downstream end of the pressing member 85A in the movement direction of the running part 50, and in a plan view seen from above, the portion between the base end side and the tip end side is inclined toward the downstream side.
  • the pressing surface 85Aa is formed so that it can advance in the advance direction to rotate the side roller 52 while pushing the side roller 52 downstream in the movement direction of the running part 50.
  • the second side wall portion 85E is positioned such that the rolling surface 85Ea of the second side wall portion 85E is positioned further back than the guide surface 45a of the side support portion 45.
  • the rolling surface 85Ea of the second side wall portion 85E is positioned farther from the center position in the width direction of the work track 41 than the guide surface 45a of the side support portion 45.
  • the distance G2 between the guide surface 45a and the rolling surface 85Ea is, for example, 1 mm.
  • the inspection device 90 is disposed above the position where the running part 50 is positioned on the work track 41 by the stopper 81 and the pusher 85.
  • the inspection device 90 has a moving body 91 configured to be movable in the vertical direction, and a plurality of contact sensors (sensors) 92 that are provided on the moving body 91 and detect the presence or absence of contact with each part of the running part 50.
  • the moving body 91 is supported directly or indirectly on the work track 41 or a ceiling, etc., so that it can move up and down.
  • the moving body 91 is driven up and down by a drive unit 93 such as a motor. Note that the inspection device 90 of this embodiment does not have a mechanism for moving the moving body horizontally.
  • the amount of vertical movement (amount of descent) of the moving body 91 and the detection result of the contact sensor 92 are acquired by the maintenance controller 95.
  • the amount of descent of the moving body 91 can be acquired, for example, based on the amount of drive of the drive unit 93, or by a sensor that measures the position of the moving body 91.
  • the inspection device 90 configured in this manner can detect the height position of each part (part that is the target of contact with the contact sensor 92) of the running part 50.
  • the stopping position of the running part 50 can be precisely determined, so that multiple contact sensors 92 can perform measurements simultaneously.
  • the inspection device 90 of this embodiment can measure the height positions of multiple points with one descent of the moving body 91.
  • the maintenance controller 95 shown in FIG. 6 mainly controls the moving mechanism 60, the positioning mechanism 80, and the inspection device 90.
  • the maintenance controller 95 is disposed, for example, on the outer portion 43B of the lower support portion 43 of the working track 41.
  • the maintenance controller 95 is an electronic control unit consisting of a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), and the like.
  • the maintenance controller 95 is also provided so as to be able to communicate with the carriage controller 35 and the area controller 2 in the traveling vehicle 6.
  • the maintenance controller 95 can be configured, for example, as software in which a program stored in the ROM is loaded onto the RAM and executed by the CPU.
  • the maintenance controller 95 may also be configured as hardware consisting of electronic circuits, and the like.
  • the maintenance controller 95 of this embodiment controls the movement mechanism 60 so that the traveling part 50 moves upstream of the predetermined position, controls the drive part (first drive part 81D) of the stopper 81 so that the stopper (pushed member 81A) advances to a position where the side roller 52 can be pressed, and controls the drive part (second drive part 85D) of the pusher 85 so that the pusher 85 pushes the side roller 52 in one direction.
  • the maintenance controller 95 of this embodiment positions the traveling part 50 at a predetermined position, it advances the stopper 81 and the pusher 85 in this order into the movement region R1, and when the traveling part 50 is moved from the predetermined position, it retreats the pusher 85 and the stopper 81 in this order from the movement region R1.
  • the maintenance controller 95 of this embodiment controls the inspection device 90 so that measurement begins after the traveling part 50 is stopped at the predetermined position by the stopper 81 and the pusher 85.
  • the moving mechanism 60 advances the second arm unit 65 into the movement area of the traveling vehicle 6 (suspended unit 7) and waits until the suspended unit 7 moves to a position where it contacts the second arm unit 65.
  • the first rotation drive unit 62 rotates the first arm unit 61
  • the first moving drive unit 64 moves the first arm unit 61 and the first rotation drive unit 62 forward (to the downstream side in the moving direction of the traveling vehicle 6).
  • the moving mechanism 60 clamps the suspended unit 7 of the traveling vehicle 6 between the first arm unit 61 and the second arm unit 65.
  • the moving mechanism 60 advances the moving plate 71 (i.e., the moving mechanism 60 advances the first arm portion 61, the first rotation drive portion 62, the second arm portion 65, and the second rotation drive portion 66 while maintaining the distance between the first arm portion 61 and the second arm portion 65).
  • the moving mechanism 60 advances the suspended portion 7 while it is sandwiched between the first arm portion 61 and the second arm portion 65, and moves it to a predetermined upstream position that is upstream of a predetermined position on the working track 41.
  • the predetermined upstream position is an upstream position within a distance range in which the pusher 85 can push the side roller 52, with the predetermined position being the reference position, and is, for example, a position within a range of 4 m upstream of the predetermined position.
  • the moving mechanism 60 releases the sandwiching of the suspended portion 7 between the first arm portion 61 and the second arm portion 65.
  • both the stopper 81 and the pusher 85 are located in the retracted position as shown in FIG. 8(A).
  • the stopper 81 advances into the movement area R1 of the running part 50.
  • the pusher 85 advances into the movement area R1 of the running part 50.
  • the side roller 52 rotates left (counterclockwise) (in the direction of the arrow shown in FIG. 9(A)) as the pusher 85 advances, and is simultaneously pushed forward. Then, as shown in FIG.
  • the inspection device 90 lowers the moving body 91 and brings the contact sensor 92 into contact with each part of the running part 50. As a result, the inspection device 90 obtains the height position of each part of the running part 50.
  • the pusher 85 retreats from the movement area R1 of the traveling unit 50, and then the stopper 81 retreats from the movement area R1 of the traveling unit 50. This releases the restraint of the traveling unit 50 by the positioning mechanism 80.
  • the moving mechanism 60 clamps the suspended unit 7 between the first arm unit 61 and the second arm unit 65 in a predetermined position by the above-mentioned procedure. After that, the moving mechanism 60 advances the suspended unit 7 while it is clamped between the first arm unit 61 and the second arm unit 65, and moves the suspended unit 7 to the downstream end of the working track 41.
  • the traveling vehicle 6 When the traveling vehicle 6 reaches the downstream end of the working track 41 (the upstream end of the traveling track 4), it becomes capable of receiving power from the power supply unit 40E and becomes capable of self-propelling.
  • the traveling vehicle 6 receives a transport command from the area controller 2 and moves to the destination included in the transport command.
  • a stopper 81 and a pusher 85 are provided for positioning the traveling unit 50 at a predetermined position on the work track 41.
  • the pusher 85 presses the side roller 52 provided on the traveling unit 50 in one direction against the stopper 81, which is provided so as to be able to advance and retreat with respect to the movement area R1 of the traveling unit 50, thereby positioning the traveling unit 50 at a predetermined position.
  • rollers are components that are subject to wear. Therefore, they have superior durability compared to when the stoppers and pushers come into contact with other parts of the traveling section 50. Furthermore, such rollers are easier to replace compared to other parts even if they become worn or distorted, and are also superior in terms of maintenance.
  • both the stopper 81 and the pusher 85 are provided so as to be movable forward and backward along the width direction relative to the movement area R1 of the traveling part 50 on the work track 41.
  • This allows the stopper 81 to switch, with a simple configuration, between an advanced state in which the side rollers 52 are pressed against it and a retracted state in which the traveling part 50 can pass through.
  • the pusher 85 can switch, with a simple configuration, between an advanced state in which the side rollers 52 push out and a retracted state in which the traveling part 50 can pass through.
  • the movement mechanism 60 moves the traveling unit 50 to a predetermined upstream position upstream of the predetermined position, the stopper 81 advances to an advanced position where the side roller 52 can be pressed against it, and the pusher 85 advances to the advanced position so as to push the side roller 52 in one direction.
  • the stopper 81 and the pusher 85 can accurately move the traveling unit 50 to a predetermined position on the work track 41.
  • the stopper 81 and the pusher 85 enter the movement area R1 in that order, and when the running unit 50 is moved from the predetermined position, the pusher 85 and the stopper 81 exit the movement area R1 in that order.
  • the stopper 81 advances first, preventing the side roller 52 and therefore the running unit 50 from going too far.
  • the stopper 81 retracts after the pressing force of the pusher 85 on the side roller 52 becomes smaller, so the stopper 81 is not retracted while an abnormal force is acting on it. As a result, the side roller 52 does not slide on the stopper 81, reducing wear on the side roller 52.
  • the rollers pressed against the stopper 81 and pushed out by the pusher 85 are the side rollers 52, so that the components of the running part 50 can be effectively utilized when moving the running part 50. Furthermore, in a configuration in which the stopper 81 and the pusher 85 advance along the width direction, it is necessary to advance the stopper 81 and the pusher 85 to the position of the side rollers 52, but in the above embodiment, the side rollers 52 are positioned on the outside in the width direction, so that the stroke of each drive part 81D, 85D of the stopper 81 and the pusher 85 can be reduced.
  • multiple contact sensors 92 that measure the height position at various points on the top surface of the traveling part 50 are arranged at positions corresponding to the traveling part 50 positioned at a predetermined position, and measurements are started simultaneously when the traveling part 50 is positioned at the predetermined position. Therefore, measurements can be performed simultaneously by multiple contact sensors 92 with a single positioning.
  • the pusher 85 provided on the lower support portion 43 pushes the side roller 52 in one direction to press the side roller 52 against the stopper 81, but the present invention is not limited to this.
  • the pusher 85 may use the first arm portion 61 of the moving mechanism 60 as a pusher, or a pair of arms consisting of the first arm portion 61 and the second arm portion 65 as a pusher.
  • the side roller 52 of the traveling portion 50 is pressed against the stopper 81 by moving the suspension portion 7 forward using the first arm portion 61 or the pair of arms consisting of the first arm portion 61 and the second arm portion 65. Even in this case, positioning is performed based on the traveling portion 50 itself (side roller 52). As a result, the positioning accuracy when stopping the traveling portion 50 of the traveling vehicle 6 at a predetermined position on the working track 41 can be improved.
  • the stopper 81 and the pusher 85 are arranged to be able to advance and retreat along the width direction perpendicular to both the movement direction and the vertical direction of the traveling vehicle 6, but this is not limited to the above.
  • an opening may be provided in the lower support portion 43, and the pusher 85 and the stopper 81 may advance into the movement region R1 from below.
  • the stopper 81 may advance from the front, and the pusher 85 may advance from the rear. In this way, the advance directions of the stopper 81 and the pusher 85 may be freely combined.
  • the side roller 52 has been described as an example of a roller that is rotatable around an axis extending in the vertical direction, but it may be, for example, a branch roller 53 provided on the traveling section 50, or a new roller provided to be positioned on the side of the traveling section 50. Even in this case, the stopper 81 and pusher 85 configured as described above can be used.
  • the moving mechanism 60 has a pair of arms consisting of a first arm portion 61 and a second arm portion 65, and the pair of arms sandwich the suspension portion 7 to move the traveling vehicle 6, but this is not limited to the above example.
  • the moving mechanism may be configured to include a block member that sandwiches the branch roller 53 provided on the traveling portion 50, and a drive portion that moves the block member along the extension direction of the working track 41. Even in this case, it is possible to move the traveling portion 50 to the above-mentioned predetermined upstream position, and it is also possible to move the side roller 52 on the traveling portion 50 to a position where it is pressed against the stopper 81.
  • the reason why the traveling vehicle 6 cannot move on its own is that the power supply unit 40E is not provided on the working track 41, but this is not limited to the above.
  • the reason why it cannot move on its own may be that the magnetic plate 40F is not provided on the working track 41.
  • the positioning mechanism 80 described above may be disposed on the working track 41 configured so that the traveling unit 50 can move on its own.
  • the traveling unit 50 can be positioned at a desired position on the working track 41 after the traveling unit 50 has stopped. This makes it possible to position the traveling unit 50 with high precision relative to inspection equipment disposed on the working track 41.
  • a traveling vehicle system in which a traveling vehicle travels on a traveling track having a main body portion that forms an internal space in which a traveling part of the traveling vehicle travels and extends along a traveling route of the traveling vehicle, a working track connected to the running track and having an opening that exposes at least a portion of the running section to an external space;
  • a stopper is a member against which a roller rotatably provided around an axis extending vertically in the running section is pressed, the stopper being provided so as to be capable of advancing and retreating with respect to a movement area of the running section in the working track; a pusher that moves the running unit in the one direction and presses the roller against the stopper from the one direction, thereby positioning the running unit at a predetermined position on the work track.
  • the stopper and the pusher are arranged to be movable forward and backward along a width direction perpendicular to both the movement direction of the running part and the vertical direction relative to the movement area of the running part on the work track.
  • a movement mechanism that moves the traveling vehicle in one direction along the work track; A first drive unit that drives the stopper; A second driving unit that drives the pusher; a controller for controlling the moving mechanism, the first driving unit, and the second driving unit; The controller controls the moving mechanism so that the running part moves to a predetermined upstream position upstream of the predetermined position, controls the first drive unit so that the stopper advances to a position where the roller can be pressed against it, and controls the second drive unit so that the pusher pushes the roller in the one direction.
  • [6] a plurality of sensors arranged above the predetermined position and configured to measure height positions at various positions on the upper surface of the running portion; the plurality of sensors are disposed at positions corresponding to the traveling portion positioned at the predetermined position,
  • the traveling vehicle system according to any one of [1] to [5], wherein the plurality of sensors start measuring simultaneously when the traveling part is positioned at the predetermined position.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Transportation (AREA)
  • Platform Screen Doors And Railroad Systems (AREA)
PCT/JP2024/003920 2023-03-14 2024-02-06 走行車システム Ceased WO2024190182A1 (ja)

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CN202480015211.4A CN120813511A (zh) 2023-03-14 2024-02-06 行驶车系统

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Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JP2003182569A (ja) * 2001-12-19 2003-07-03 Press Kogyo Co Ltd 搬送用台車の位置決め装置
JP2010215209A (ja) * 2009-03-19 2010-09-30 Honda Motor Co Ltd ドア搬送設備
WO2020202856A1 (ja) * 2019-04-03 2020-10-08 村田機械株式会社 走行車システム

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JP2003182569A (ja) * 2001-12-19 2003-07-03 Press Kogyo Co Ltd 搬送用台車の位置決め装置
JP2010215209A (ja) * 2009-03-19 2010-09-30 Honda Motor Co Ltd ドア搬送設備
WO2020202856A1 (ja) * 2019-04-03 2020-10-08 村田機械株式会社 走行車システム

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JPWO2024190182A1 (https=) 2024-09-19
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