JPH0725407A - Traveling carriage system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a traveling carriage system which can carry baggage without a central controller by providing a loading station with a means for reading destination information of the baggage so as to write it down on a traveling carriage, a means for controlling a transmission operation means based on the read results, and a means for erasing destination information of an empty carriage. CONSTITUTION:When a loading station controller detects approach of an empty traveling carriage 1 of which data are not written down on an ID tag 11, by means of antennae 13, cams 7 are projected so as to stop the carriage in the front face, bar codes on the label of loaded baggage W are read, and the data are transmitted to the loading station controller 3. The loading station controller 3 designates a delivery station of baggage W so as to write it down on the ID tag and the baggage W is transferred to the traveling carriage 1 to be dispatched. The delivary station 4 reads the data so as to transmit them to the delivery station controller, projects cams 7, stops the traveling carriage 1, receives the baggage W, and starts the carriage after erasing the data.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a traveling vehicle for transporting a load from a loading station to a unloading station, and more particularly to a traveling vehicle system having a simplified control structure.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In factories, warehouses, etc., a drive device is not mounted, but a drive shaft that rotates around an axis arranged along a track is brought into contact with a transmission device, for example, a disk, to run on the track. Traveling trucks are used. The loading station and the unloading station are equipped with control cams for operating the start and stop of the traveling carriage by bringing the disks into and out of contact with each other.

[0003]

A traveling carriage is designated as a loading station and a discharging station and conveys a load between them. That is, the loading station stops only the empty traveling carriage at the front of the loading station to load the cargo, and the discharging station stops at the front when the relevant traveling carriage comes in and discharges the cargo. Let Therefore, it is essential to exchange data between stations, and it is also necessary to manage the state and position of each traveling vehicle unit. Therefore, a central control device for controlling and managing each traveling carriage and station is required, but this increases the cost and hinders the realization of non-tracking.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a traveling vehicle system which enables transportation by a traveling vehicle without requiring a central control unit.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides information on a destination of a load in a system for controlling a traveling vehicle by operating a transmission state with a drive shaft arranged along a track. A loading station having a reading means and a means for writing the destination information into the traveling carriage, a means for reading the destination information of the traveling carriage, a means for controlling the transmission operation means based on the reading result, and a traveling carriage for discharging the cargo. The traveling vehicle system is configured with a payout station having means for deleting destination information.

[0006]

Since the present invention has the above-mentioned structure, it has the following effects.

In the traveling vehicle system according to the present invention, the loading station is provided with means for reading the destination information of the load, and the destination information of the load placed on the traveling vehicle is read. The read destination information is written in the traveling carriage on which the load is placed. Load,
The traveling vehicle in which the destination information is written travels, and when it reaches the payout station corresponding to the destination information, the destination information is read, and the transmission operation means is controlled based on the read result to stop the traveling vehicle, To pay out. The destination information written in the traveling carriage that has discharged the load is deleted.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The embodiments shown in the drawings will be described below.

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an embodiment of a traveling vehicle system according to the present invention.

In FIG. 1, a plurality of traveling carriages 1 travel on loop-shaped tracks 2 and 2 and convey a load W from a loading station 3 to a unloading station 4. A drive shaft 5 that rotates about an axis is disposed between the tracks 2 and 2. The drive vehicle 5 is driven by bringing a disk 6 provided on the bottom surface of the drive vehicle 1 into contact with the drive shaft 5. . Further, since the load W is transferred between the traveling vehicle 1 and each of the stations 3 and 4 by the delivery device provided on the side of each of the stations 3 and 4, it is not necessary to supply the traveling vehicle 1 with electric power. .

FIG. 2 is an enlarged plan view showing the vicinity of the loading station 3 in the traveling carriage system of FIG. At a position below the bottom surface of the traveling carriage 1 on the front surface of the loading station 3, a control cam 7 having an inverted V-shape in plan view that can be reciprocated by a driving device (not shown) so as to move toward and away from the loading station 3. Is provided. The control cam 7 reciprocates under the control of a loading station control device (not shown) that controls the loading station 3.

When the traveling vehicle 1 approaches the loading station 3 when the control cam 7 is arranged in the direction away from the loading station 3, the traveling vehicle 1
The cam follower 8 provided on the bottom surface of the abuts on the side surface of the control cam 7. The cam follower 8 is movable in the left-right direction with respect to the traveling direction of the traveling carriage 1 together with the shaft that pivotally supports the disk 6, and the disk 6 is biased in a direction approaching the loading station 3.

The cam follower 8 follows the traveling of the traveling carriage 1.
Is gradually moved by the control cam 7 in the direction away from the loading station 3, and accordingly the disc 6 is moved.
Also moves. Since the disc 6 can obtain the driving force by contacting the drive shaft 5 at an appropriate angle, the cam follower 8 reaches the apex of the inverted V-shape of the control cam 7 as shown in the figure, and the central axis of the disc 6 is reached. When the straight line connecting the drive shaft 5 and the drive shaft 5 coincides with the axis of the drive shaft 5 in a plan view, no driving force is generated and the traveling carriage 1 stops in front of the loading station 3. When the control cam 7 is moved in the state of approaching the loading station 3 in this state, the disc 6 is also moved in the direction of approaching the loading station 3 due to the bias, and a driving force is generated to start the traveling carriage 1.

A bar code reader 10 for reading the bar code of the bar code label 9 provided on the load W is disposed beside the loading station 3. Further, an antenna 12 for writing data to an ID tag 11 attached to the side surface of the traveling carriage 1 is provided in front of the loading station 3 with the tracks 2 and 2 therebetween, and the antenna 12 is provided upstream in the traveling direction of the traveling carriage. Is provided with an antenna 13 for reading data. The bar code reader 10 and the antennas 12 and 13 are connected to the loading station control device.

FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the vicinity of the payout station 4 of the traveling vehicle system of FIG. A control cam 7 similar to that of the loading station 3 is also provided on the front surface of the dispensing station 4, so that the traveling carriage 1 can be stopped and started on the front surface of the dispensing station 4.

Further, an antenna 14 for erasing the data of the ID tag 11 is provided in front of the orbits 2 and 2 of the payout station 4, and an antenna 14 for reading the data of the ID tag 11 is provided upstream of the antenna 14. An antenna 15 is provided. The antennas 14 and 15 are connected to a payout station controller (not shown) that controls the operation of the control cam 7 and the delivery device.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described.

When the loading station control device detects that the traveling vehicle 1 in which no data is written in the ID tag 11 by the antenna 13, that is, the traveling vehicle 1 having an empty load is approaching, the control cam 7 is ejected. Stop the traveling carriage 1 in front of the station. Then, the barcode of the barcode label 9 of the load W placed at the load delivery position of the loading station 3 is read by the barcode reader 1
0 reads and sends the read data to the loading station controller.

The data represented by the bar code of the bar code label 9 enables the loading station control device to know the destination of the load W, designates any of the delivery stations 3 corresponding to the destination, and uses the antenna 12 to specify. ID
Write to tag 11. At the same time, the delivery device is operated to transfer the load W onto the traveling carriage 1. When the transfer is completed, the control cam 7 is retracted and the traveling carriage 1 is started.

The antenna 15 provided in the payout station 4 reads the data written in the ID tag 11 of the traveling carriage 1 and sends it to the payout station controller. If the destination of the load W in the data is that station, the payout station controller causes the control cam 7 to stick out and stops the traveling carriage 1. The delivery station control device operates the delivery device to receive the load W, erases data from the antenna 14, and then retracts the control cam 8 to start the traveling carriage 1.

As described above, according to the traveling vehicle system of this embodiment, when the traveling vehicle system is operated, the data exchange between the loading station and the discharging station and the state and position of the traveling vehicle 1 can be grasped. Since it is not necessary, the controller of each station does not need a simple sequencer or a central controller which has a complicated control structure and is expensive.

The embodiment of the present invention has been described above.
It is needless to say that the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments and can be appropriately modified within the scope of the gist of the present invention.

[0023]

As described above, according to the traveling vehicle system of the present invention, it is not necessary to exchange data between the loading station and the unloading station and to grasp the state or position of the traveling vehicle, which is simple. Since the traveling carriage system can be operated by the sequence control, the control structure is complicated and an expensive central controller is not required.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an embodiment of a traveling vehicle system according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged plan view showing the vicinity of a loading station in the embodiment of FIG.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged plan view showing the vicinity of a payout station in the embodiment of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Traveling vehicle 3 Loading station 4 Discharging station 5 Drive shaft 6 Disc 7 Control cam 10 Bar code reader 11 ID tag 12, 13, 14, 15 Antenna

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A system for controlling a traveling vehicle by operating a transmission state with a drive shaft arranged along a track,
A loading station having a means for reading the destination information of the load and a means for writing the destination information in the traveling carriage, a means for reading the destination information of the traveling carriage, a means for controlling the transmission operation means based on the reading result, and a load. A traveling vehicle system including a delivery station having means for erasing destination information of the delivered traveling vehicle.