KR102395047B1 - Electric Monorail System - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a overhead traveling type article transport system, and by attaching a separate rechargeable battery to an elevating cage to supply power and charging the rechargeable battery when the elevating cage is combined with the transfer body, a separate power cable is removed from the transfer body Since there is no need to connect to the elevating cage, the structure of the transport body and elevating cage can be simplified, and manufacturing and maintenance are easy. It provides a ceiling-running article transport system that enables more convenient and stable operation.

Description

Over-the-ceiling article transport system {Electric Monorail System}

[0001] The present invention relates to an overhead running type article transport system. More specifically, by attaching a separate rechargeable battery to the elevating cage to supply power and charging the rechargeable battery when the elevating cage is combined with the transfer body, there is no need to connect a separate power cable from the transfer body to the elevating cage side. And the structure of the elevating cage can be simplified, manufacturing and maintenance are easy, and in particular, the rechargeable battery can be automatically charged in the basic operation process without a special control process for charging the rechargeable battery, so more convenient and stable operation is possible. It relates to a overhead traveling type article transport system.

The term logistics is an abbreviation for physical distribution, and is a generic term for functions or activities that effectively move products and goods from producers to consumers. Generally refers to several activities such as packing, unloading, transport, storage and information.

In general, to transport products and goods, various processes such as packaging, storage, collection/loading, transportation, unloading/delivery, and storage are performed. It is impossible to move goods and goods without going through this process no matter which means of transport is used. Comprehensively looking at the whole of this movement is physical distribution (logistics).

In recent years, mass production, mass sales, and mass consumption have become the trend of the times, and the importance of logistics is gradually increasing because the need to streamline the flow of goods between them has increased.

Logistics warehouse refers to a storage warehouse for temporarily or long-term loading and storage of all items used in daily life, such as various foodstuffs, beverages, clothing, home appliances, miscellaneous goods, and industrial goods, which are generally mass-produced in factories or production areas. Due to the recent rapid development of the logistics industry, these logistics warehouses are designed and constructed so that they can create new businesses such as inventory management, as well as efficient warehousing, from arranging items in storage stock in the logistics warehouse beyond the simple logistics management dimension. .

These warehouses are equipped with mechanized or automated means for loading and unloading cargo, because the rapid warehousing and delivery of cargo is vital. Typically, automated facilities such as stacker cranes, shuttles, and lifts are used. In addition, RTV (Robotic Transfer Vehicle), which transports goods by moving the transport cart along the rails installed on the floor of a factory or warehouse, a ceiling-running goods transport system that transports goods by moving the transport cart along the monorail installed on the ceiling, various A sorter device that automatically sorts and transports cargo according to a specific classification standard set by a user is being used.

The overhead traveling type transport system is being installed in various places for various purposes, such as being installed for the purpose of loading and unloading and transporting goods in a warehouse or for the purpose of transporting a work according to the order of a manufacturing process in a factory.

The overhead moving article transport system is being developed in various forms, and is generally used in the form of an Electric Monorail System (EMS) that has low noise and vibration and can be implemented with simple components.

1 is a view schematically showing the configuration of a transport carrier of a general overhead traveling type article transport system.

As shown in FIG. 1 , in the overhead traveling type article transport system, the traveling rail 101 is installed on the ceiling, and the trolley electrode 102 for supplying power is formed on the side along the traveling rail 101 . The traveling rail 101 is formed to have various paths depending on the installation environment, and is generally formed to form a single closed-loop path.

The transport carrier moves along the traveling rail 101 , and the transport carrier is formed to mount the transport body 100 traveling along the traveling rail 101 , and an article, and elevating and moving from the transport body 100 . It is configured to include a cage 200 and a lift driving means 300 for driving the lift cage 200 up and down.

The transport body 100 is equipped with a trolley bar 120 that is supplied with power by contacting the trolley electrode 102 of the traveling rail 101, and receives power supplied through the trolley bar 120 to each of the transport carriers. A power supply (not shown) for supplying power to the parts is mounted. In addition, the main driving unit 110 for moving the transfer body 100 so that the transfer body 100 moves along the traveling rail 101 is mounted on the transfer body 100 .

As shown in FIG. 1 , the elevating driving means 300 is configured to include a elevating belt 310 that is drawn down or pulled upwards from the transfer body 100 , and the elevating cage 200 is the end of the elevating belt 310 . It is coupled to and moves up and down together with the elevating belt 310 . The elevating cage 200 is formed so as to be able to mount an article, and an article departure detection sensor 201 capable of detecting whether the mounted article is detached is mounted on one side of the elevating cage 200, and the lifting and lowering on the other side. An article detection sensor 202 capable of detecting whether an article is mounted on the cage 200 is mounted. In addition, a separate loading arm (not shown) capable of gripping and mounting an article may be mounted on the elevating cage 200 .

As such, the lifting cage 200 is equipped with an article departure detection sensor 201 and an article detection sensor 202 , and power must be supplied to the lifting cage 200 for their operation.

In order to supply such power, a separate power cable, etc., must be extended from the transfer main body 100 to the elevating cage 200 side. Due to this cable extension, the device becomes complicated, and when the elevating cage 200 is moved, the cable is It is twisted or damaged, and there is a problem that there is a risk of a safety accident due to interference with other parts.

Therefore, in order to prevent twisting of the cable and at the same time to prevent external sagging of the cable even during the lifting and lowering movement of the lifting cage 200, the transfer body 100 is provided with a reel-type cable supply device in which the cable is wound. In this case, there is a problem in that a separate driving device capable of operating the cable supply device in synchronization with the lifting and lowering movement of the lifting cage 200 is additionally required, thereby further complicating the configuration and control of the entire device.

Various methods are being studied to solve this problem, but the research results are still insignificant, such as dust generation due to a complex contact structure or friction structure.

Domestic Registered Patent No. 10-1158483

The present invention was invented to solve the problems of the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to supply power by attaching a separate rechargeable battery to the elevating cage and to charge the rechargeable battery when the elevating cage is combined with the transfer body. There is no need to connect the power cable from the transfer body to the elevating cage, simplifying the structure of the transfer body and elevating cage, making it easy to manufacture and maintain. The goal is to provide a ceiling-running goods transport system that allows for more convenient and stable operation as the rechargeable battery can be automatically charged.

Another object of the present invention is to display the amount of charge of the rechargeable battery or detect a contact defect of the charging terminal, thereby preventing a failure or malfunction, and allowing a quick recovery process to be easily recognized by an administrator or operator It is to provide a possible overhead traveling type article transport system.

The present invention, a transport body that travels along a traveling rail installed on the ceiling and is equipped with a power supply unit on one side; an elevating cage formed so as to mount an article and moving up and down from the transfer body by an elevating driving means mounted on the transfer body; and a rechargeable battery mounted on the elevating cage to supply power to the elevating cage, wherein a first charging terminal connected to the power supply is formed on the transfer body, and the elevating cage is connected to the rechargeable battery A second charging terminal is formed, and the first charging terminal and the second charging terminal are contacted and connected to each other in a state in which the lifting cage moves upward and is coupled to the transfer body, so that charging power is supplied to the rechargeable battery from the power supply unit It provides a overhead traveling type article transport system, characterized in that.

In this case, the first charging terminal and the second charging terminal may be respectively formed on opposite surfaces of the transfer body and the elevating cage.

In addition, the elevating driving means is mounted to be drawn downward or pulled upwards to the transfer body, and includes a plurality of elevating belts to which the elevating cage is coupled to the lower end, the first charging terminal and the second charging terminal are the elevating belt and may be respectively formed at adjacent positions.

On the other hand, the overhead traveling type article transport system, a charge detection unit capable of detecting a charge amount of the rechargeable battery; and a control unit receiving the charge amount of the rechargeable battery from the charge sensing unit and controlling the operation of the lift driving means according to the received charge amount of the rechargeable battery.

In this case, when the amount of charge of the rechargeable battery is less than or equal to a reference value, the control unit may control the operation of the lifting driving means so that the lifting cage is maintained in a state coupled to the transfer body.

In addition, the overhead traveling type article transport system, further comprising a contact sensing unit for detecting whether the contact state between the first charging terminal and the second charging terminal, the control unit in a state in which the elevating cage is coupled to the transfer body When it is detected that the first charging terminal and the second charging terminal are not in contact by the contact sensing unit, an operation may be controlled to output a warning state through a separate alarm output unit.

In addition, at least one of the transfer body and the elevating cage may be provided with a charging display unit capable of displaying the charge amount of the rechargeable battery.

According to the present invention, by attaching a separate rechargeable battery to the elevating cage to supply power and charging the rechargeable battery when the elevating cage is combined with the transfer body, there is no need to connect a separate power cable from the transfer body to the elevating cage side. The structure of the body and elevating cage can be simplified, manufacturing and maintenance are easy, and in particular, the rechargeable battery can be automatically charged in the basic operation process without a special control process for charging the rechargeable battery, so more convenient and stable operation is possible. There is a possible effect.

In addition, by displaying the charge amount of the rechargeable battery or detecting a contact defect of the charging terminal, failure or malfunction can be prevented, and the situation can be easily recognized by the manager or operator, thereby enabling rapid recovery processing. .

1 is a view schematically showing the configuration of a transport carrier of a general overhead traveling type article transport system;
2 is a view schematically showing a charging terminal arrangement position of the overhead traveling type article transport system according to an embodiment of the present invention;
3 is a view schematically showing a charging terminal contact structure of an overhead traveling type article transport system according to an embodiment of the present invention;
4 is a functional block diagram functionally illustrating a control-related configuration of the overhead traveling type article transport system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. First of all, in adding reference numerals to the components of each drawing, it should be noted that the same components are given the same reference numerals as much as possible even though they are indicated on different drawings. In addition, in describing the present invention, if it is determined that a detailed description of a related known configuration or function may obscure the gist of the present invention, the detailed description thereof will be omitted.

Figure 2 is a view schematically showing a charging terminal arrangement position of the overhead traveling type article transport system according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 3 is a charging terminal of the overhead traveling type article transport system according to an embodiment of the present invention It is a view schematically showing a contact structure, and FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram functionally showing a control-related configuration of the overhead traveling type article transport system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

First, in the overhead traveling article transport system according to an embodiment of the present invention, as described in the background art, the traveling rail 101 is installed on the ceiling, and the trolley electrode for supplying power to the side along the traveling rail 101 A 102 is formed and is configured to move the transport carrier along the running rail 101 . The transport carrier includes the transport body 100 running along the travel rail 101 , the lifting cage 200 that is formed to mount articles and that moves up and down from the transport body 100 , and the lifting cage 200 . It is configured to include a lift driving means 300 for driving.

The transport body 100 is equipped with a trolley bar 120 that is supplied with power by contacting the trolley electrode 102 of the traveling rail 101, and receives power supplied through the trolley bar 120 to each of the transport carriers. A power supply unit (not shown) for supplying power to the parts is mounted, and a main driving unit 110 for moving the transport body 100 so that the transport body 100 moves along the traveling rail 101 is mounted.

The elevating driving means 300 includes an elevating belt 310 mounted to be drawn downward or pulled upward from the transfer body 100, and an elevating driving unit (not shown) for moving the elevating belt 310 up and down, and the elevating cage ( 200 is coupled to the lower end of the elevating belt 310 and moves up and down together with the elevating belt 310 . The elevating driving means 300 may be configured by various mechanical elements such as a simple guide bar and a rack and pinion in addition to the elevating belt, and the elevating cage 200 is configured to move up and down by the elevating driving means 300 .

The elevating cage 200 is formed so as to be able to mount an article, and an article departure detection sensor 201 capable of detecting whether the mounted article is detached is mounted on one side of the elevating cage 200, and the lifting and lowering on the other side. An article detection sensor 202 capable of detecting whether an article is mounted on the cage 200 may be mounted.

The transfer body 100 is provided with a control unit 600 , and the control unit 600 operates the main driving unit 110 and the elevating driving means 300 to control the movement of the transfer main body 100 and the vertical movement of the elevating cage 200 . control movement. That is, by the control unit 600 operating and controlling the main driving unit 110 , the transfer body 100 moves along the traveling rail 101 , and the control unit 600 operates and controls the lifting driving means 300 , thereby elevating and lowering. The cage 200 moves up and down.

In addition, the control unit 600 transmits and receives a control signal to and from the article departure detection sensor 201 and the article detection sensor 202 of the elevating cage 200 , and stops or elevates the transfer body 100 according to the detection signals of the detection sensors The operation control of the main driving unit 110 and the lifting driving means 300 so that the stop operation of the cage 200 is performed.

As such, the lifting cage 200 is equipped with an article departure detection sensor 201 and an article detection sensor 202 , and power must be supplied to the lifting cage 200 for their operation.

In order to supply power to the elevating cage 200 as described above, in a conventional overhead traveling type article transfer system according to the prior art, the power cable connected to the power supply of the transfer body 100 is extended toward the elevating cage 200 to supply power. is configured to In this case, there is a problem in that manufacturing and maintenance are difficult due to twisting or damage of cables, complicated structures, and the like.

In an embodiment of the present invention, a separate rechargeable battery 800 is mounted on the elevating cage 200 rather than the power supply method using such a power cable, and the power of the rechargeable battery 800 is supplied to the elevating cage 200 side. is configured to At this time, the rechargeable battery 800 is a rechargeable secondary battery is applied, and various secondary battery types such as a nickel ion battery and a polymer battery can all be applied.

By mounting the rechargeable battery 800 in the elevating cage 200 in this way, there is no need to connect a separate power cable from the transfer body 100, thereby simplifying the structure of the transfer body 100 and the elevating cage 200 and , easy to manufacture and maintain.

In an embodiment of the present invention, a charging structure capable of charging the rechargeable battery 800 is required, and the charging power of the rechargeable battery 800 may be configured to be supplied from the power supply unit of the transfer body 100 .

For example, as shown in FIG. 2 , a first charging terminal 710 connected to a power supply is formed on the transfer body 100 , and a second charging terminal 710 connected to the charging battery 800 is connected to the lifting cage 200 . The terminal 720 is formed, and the first charging terminal 710 and the second charging terminal 720 are contacted and connected to each other in a state in which the lifting cage 200 moves upward and is coupled to the transfer body 100 from the power supply. It may be configured to supply charging power to the rechargeable battery 800 . Here, although not shown, the power supply unit may be configured as a separate power supply that is disposed inside the transfer body 100 and connected to the trolley bar 120 , and in addition, receives power from the trolley bar 120 and re- A variety of externally supplied devices may be applied.

The first charging terminal 710 and the second charging terminal 720 are the transfer body 100 and the lifting cage 200 so as to contact each other in a state in which the lifting cage 200 moves upward to be coupled to the transfer body 100 . They are formed at positions corresponding to each other on the mutually opposing surfaces. In addition, a contact error between the first charging terminal 710 and the second charging terminal 720 according to a change in the lifting state of the lifting cage 200 in a state in which the lifting cage 200 moves upward to be coupled to the transfer body 100 . The first charging terminal 710 and the second charging terminal 720 are respectively formed at positions adjacent to the lifting belt 310 so that .

That is, as shown in (a) of FIG. 2, the first charging terminal 710 is formed at a position adjacent to the elevating belt 310 on the lower surface of the transfer body 100, and shown in (b) of FIG. As shown, the second charging terminal 720 is formed at a position adjacent to the lifting belt 310 on the upper surface of the lifting cage 200 .

As such, since the first charging terminal 710 and the second charging terminal 720 are formed at a position adjacent to the lifting belt 310, even if a change occurs in the upward movement state such as the position and angle when the lifting cage 200 is ascended. Since the lifting distance and the position of the lifting belt 310 have relatively small changes, the contact error between the first charging terminal 710 and the second charging terminal 720 is relatively reduced compared to other positions, and thus a more stable rechargeable battery A charge of 800 is possible.

According to this structure, in the overhead traveling type article transport system according to an embodiment of the present invention, in the state in which the elevating cage 200 is moved down, as shown in FIG. The two charging terminals 720 do not contact each other, and in this state, various sensors are operated through the power of the rechargeable battery 800 mounted on the elevating cage 200 . In addition, as shown in (b) of FIG. 3, in the state in which the lifting cage 200 is moved upward, the first charging terminal 710 and the second charging terminal 720 are in contact with each other, and in this state, the transfer body ( Charging power is supplied to the rechargeable battery 800 of the elevating cage 200 through the first charging terminal 710 and the second charging terminal 720 from the power supply unit of the 100 , and the rechargeable battery 800 is charged.

Due to the operating characteristics of the overhead traveling type article transfer system, the elevating cage 200 moves upward while driving the traveling rail 101 and maintains a state coupled to the transfer body 100, and the elevating cage 200 in a specific area. Only while loading or discharging the article to the 200, the lifting cage 200 moves down and separates from the transfer body 100 .

Accordingly, the lifting cage 200 is coupled to the transfer body 100 for most of the time for the transfer of articles in the process of traveling the entire traveling rail 101, and accordingly, for most of the time. The first charging terminal 710 and the second charging terminal 720 are in contact, the charging process of the rechargeable battery 800 is progressed, and the lifting cage 200 is lowered only during the local time for loading and discharging the article to move the main body. Since it is separated from 100 , the first charging terminal 710 and the second charging terminal 720 do not come into contact and the power of the rechargeable battery 800 is used only for a local time.

That is, the first charging terminal 710 and the second charging terminal 720 come into contact with the first charging terminal 710 and the second charging terminal 720 for most of the time due to the operating characteristics of the overhead traveling type transport system, and the rechargeable battery 800 is charged, and the rechargeable battery 800 is charged only during a local time. ) is used, so unless there are special circumstances, the amount of charging power can always be sufficiently maintained.

Even though the amount of charge power can be sufficiently maintained as described above, it is desirable to detect the amount of charge of the rechargeable battery 800 , so in an embodiment of the present invention, a charge detection unit capable of detecting the amount of charge of the rechargeable battery 800 . 810 may be provided.

In this case, the control unit 600 may receive the charge amount of the rechargeable battery 800 from the charge detection unit 810 and control the operation of the lifting driving means 300 according to the received charge amount of the rechargeable battery 800 .

For example, when the amount of charge of the rechargeable battery 800 is less than the reference value, the power supply to the lifting cage 200 is not stable, so various sensors malfunction, etc. may occur. In this case, the control unit 600 is The lifting and lowering driving means 300 may be controlled so that the lifting cage 200 is maintained in a state coupled to the transfer body 100 . As such, when the lifting cage 200 is maintained coupled to the transfer body 100, the amount of charge of the rechargeable battery 800 increases, and then, when the charge amount of the rechargeable battery 800 is recovered to more than the reference value, lift The cage 200 may be controlled to descend.

In addition, at least one of the transfer body 100 and the elevating cage 200 may be provided with a charging display unit 830 capable of displaying the charge amount of the rechargeable battery 800 , through which the manager and the workers can use the elevating cage Since it is possible to easily recognize the amount of charge for the rechargeable battery 800 of 200 , safer driving is possible.

On the other hand, when the lifting cage 200 moves upward and is coupled to the transfer body 100 , in order to minimize the contact error between the first charging terminal 710 and the second charging terminal 720 , the first charging terminal 710 . And the second charging terminal 720 is located close to the lifting belt 310, in addition, as shown in the enlarged view of FIG. 3 (b), the first charging terminal 710 is connected to the second charging terminal 720 In order to maintain a stable contact state, it may be formed to be elastically supported downward in the form of an elastic plate. Of course, unlike this, the second charging terminal 720 may be formed to be elastically supported upward in the form of an elastic plate.

In addition, in an embodiment of the present invention, in order to detect a contact error between the first charging terminal 710 and the second charging terminal 720 , the first charging terminal 710 and the second charging terminal 720 are in contact A touch sensing unit 840 for detecting whether a state is present may be provided.

At this time, the control unit 600 is not in contact with the first charging terminal 710 and the second charging terminal 720 by the contact sensing unit 840 in a state in which the lifting cage 200 is coupled to the transfer body 100 . When it is detected that there is, an operation may be controlled to output a warning state through a separate alarm output unit 820 . The alarm output unit 820 may be formed in the transfer body 100 or the elevating cage 200 , and may be formed in the form of outputting visual information such as a warning light or auditory information such as a warning sound.

When a warning state is output by the alarm output unit 820 , the first charging terminal 710 and the second charging terminal 720 in such a way that the manager or operator adjusts the position of the corresponding lifting cage 200 . By quickly correcting the contact state to a normal state, a failure or malfunction can be prevented in advance.

The above description is merely illustrative of the technical spirit of the present invention, and various modifications and variations will be possible without departing from the essential characteristics of the present invention by those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains. Accordingly, the embodiments disclosed in the present invention are not intended to limit the technical spirit of the present invention, but to explain, and the scope of the technical spirit of the present invention is not limited by these embodiments. The protection scope of the present invention should be construed by the following claims, and all technical ideas within the scope equivalent thereto should be construed as being included in the scope of the present invention.

100: transfer body
101: running rail
200: elevating cage
300: elevating drive means
310: elevating belt
600: control unit
710: first charging terminal
720: second charging terminal
800: rechargeable battery
810: charge detection unit
820: alarm output unit
830: charging display unit
840: touch sensing unit

Claims (7)

a transport body that travels along a traveling rail installed on the ceiling, a power supply is mounted on one side, and a first charging terminal connected to the power supply is formed;
an elevating cage formed so as to mount an article and moving up and down from the transfer body by an elevating driving means mounted on the transfer main body and having a second charging terminal formed therein;
a rechargeable battery mounted on the elevating cage to supply power to the elevating cage and connected to the second charging terminal;
a contact sensing unit for detecting whether the first charging terminal and the second charging terminal are in contact;
a charge detection unit capable of detecting a charge amount of the rechargeable battery; and
A control unit that receives the charge amount of the rechargeable battery from the charge sensing unit and controls the operation of the elevating driving means according to the received charge amount of the rechargeable battery
including,
In a state in which the lifting cage moves upward and is coupled to the transfer body, the first charging terminal and the second charging terminal are connected to each other in contact with each other, and charging power is supplied to the rechargeable battery from the power supply,
In order to maintain a stable contact state between the first charging terminal and the second charging terminal in a state in which the elevating cage and the transfer body are coupled, the first charging terminal is formed to be downwardly supported in the form of an elastic plate, or the second charging terminal is formed to be supported upward in the form of an elastic plate,
The elevating cage maintains a state coupled to the transfer body while the transfer body travels along the traveling rail, and moves downward for loading or discharging an article in a specific area to separate from the transfer body,
When the amount of charge of the rechargeable battery is less than or equal to a reference value, the control unit operates and controls the elevating driving means so that the elevating cage is maintained in a state coupled to the transfer body,
When the control unit detects that the first charging terminal and the second charging terminal do not contact each other by the contact detection unit in a state in which the elevating cage is coupled to the transfer body, a warning state is output through a separate alarm output unit control the operation as much as possible,
An article departure detection sensor for detecting whether the loaded article is detached is mounted on one side of the lifting cage, and an article detection sensor for detecting whether the article is mounted on the lifting cage is mounted on the other side,
The control unit operates and controls the elevating driving means to perform a stop operation of the elevating cage based on the sensing signal received from the item departure detection sensor and the item detecting sensor.
The method of claim 1,
The first charging terminal and the second charging terminal are respectively formed on opposite surfaces of the transfer body and the elevating cage.
3. The method of claim 2,
The elevating driving means is
It is mounted to be drawn downward or towed upward to the transfer body, and includes a plurality of lifting belts to which the lifting cage is coupled to the lower end,
The overhead traveling type article transport system, characterized in that the first charging terminal and the second charging terminal are respectively formed at positions adjacent to the lifting belt.
delete delete delete The method of claim 1,
The overhead traveling type article transport system, characterized in that at least one of the transport body and the elevating cage is provided with a charging display unit capable of displaying the charge amount of the rechargeable battery.

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