JPH09142655A - Capsule type transportation method and device for both air and linear motor drive - Google Patents

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to provide an air / linear motor drive type capsule type transportation method and a device therefor, which can be efficiently transported at low construction cost. In a transportation line (1) between stations, an air flow generated by a blower (2) causes a capsule (5).
In the moving lines such as the firing line 13 and the braking line 12 in the station, the synchronous linear motor drive system having the position sensor 18 of the capsule 5 gives a predetermined thrust or a braking force to the capsule 5, It is designed to carry 5 items.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention transports capsules by fluid force in a transportation line between stations and transports capsules by electromagnetic force by a linear motor in a moving line such as a firing line and a braking line in a station. The present invention relates to an air and linear motor drive type capsule type transportation method and a device therefor capable of performing two driving methods.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a system for transporting materials by using a capsule inserted in a transport pipe, as a method of driving the capsule, a fluid drive method in which fluid power is used and an electromagnetic force by a linear motor are used. A linear motor drive system is known in which the capsule is driven using (= current force).

An example of a fluid-driven capsule transportation system is that disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 63-136622. This is because the capsule is run in the pipeline by the air flow generated by the blower and the loaded materials are transported to the destination.Because the air flow is used to run the capsule, the whole system has an airtight structure. Has become. That is, when loading with a load on a capsule and starting it, the capsule is temporarily sucked into a rotatable cylinder, is rotated and connected to a traveling line, and the gate valve is opened to the main line by air flow. It was sent in, the gate valve was closed, and it was pressure fed by the blower in the main line. In addition, when stopping the capsule that arrived at the destination,
A braking line is provided to dispose a plurality of air supply pipes, the passage sensor detects the position and speed of the capsule, the opening of the air supply valve is adjusted to apply reverse wind pressure for braking, and a braking device using a damper or the like. I was trying to stop at. In addition, the capsules that arrive arrive at the loading and unloading line, and are pulled on the line using a towing device with a hook attached to the chain, etc., stopped at a predetermined position in the unloading line, and then unloading. It was By repeating this, it is possible to transfer a large amount of goods.

An example of a capsule transport system using a linear motor drive system is that disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 3-111331. This consists of winding a coil on a tube at predetermined intervals, attaching an annular permanent magnet to the capsule on the movable body side at a predetermined position, and controlling the current flowing through the coil while detecting the position of the capsule with a sensor, An electric current is applied to the inside of the tube to run, and the loaded materials are transported. The capsule has a capsule body that has the permanent magnet and serves as a bed, and an inner capsule on which luggage is loaded and loaded on the capsule body. In the unloading line, the inner capsules loaded with luggage are unloaded.

[0005]

As described above, the conventional capsule transportation system has the following problems because the capsule transportation is performed only by the one drive system.

Fluid-driven capsule transport system
Since the fluid resistance of air is used to run the capsule, not only the pipeline between stations,
An airtight structure is required for the firing line, the braking line, and the drive unit in the station, which inevitably complicates the structural equipment. That is, when the capsule is fired, the capsule loaded with luggage is sucked into the rotatable cylinder by vacuum pressure, rotated to connect to the traveling line, and sealed with the sealing device before the gate valve is opened. After opening and pumping to the main line, the gate valve is closed and the blower of the main line is used to pump, so the equipment becomes bulky and the drive unit also needs a sealing device. When stopping a capsule that has arrived at the destination, a braking line is provided, multiple air supply pipes are installed to stop the capsule, and the passage sensor detects the position and speed of the capsule to determine the opening of the air supply valve. Adjust and apply reverse wind pressure to brake. However, the braking conditions differ depending on the load weight, etc., it takes time to brake while measuring the speed, and a long-distance braking line is required, which requires large adjustments such as adjusting the opening of the air supply valve and opening / closing the gate valve. Braking equipment was needed. Further, since braking is performed using air pressure (back wind pressure), fine adjustment cannot be performed, and there are cases where braking is stopped too much and the vehicle stops before this, and a moving device for moving this is required. In addition, the vehicle may not be able to brake completely and may collide and be damaged. As described above, when the capsule is stopped before the regular stop position, that is, the position where loading and unloading of the load on the capsule is stopped, as a moving device for moving the capsule to the regular stop position, a chain, etc. It used a completely different moving system such as a traction device with a hook attached to it, which made the equipment more complicated and caused many failures. In addition, it took a relatively long time from braking to loading and unloading.

Capsule transportation by linear motor drive system
System problems To run the capsule, the current force by the linear motor consisting of the permanent magnet attached to the capsule on the movable body side and the coil wound on the tube at a predetermined interval is used,
Since the sensor controls the current flowing through the coil while detecting the position of the capsule to control the capsule at a predetermined speed, a sensor for position detection and a transistor or thyristor for section switching that switches between sections are required. However, it was not possible to directly bury the tube for these maintenances, and the laying was limited to the inside of tunnels and overpasses where a working space could be secured. It is inevitable that the cost is increased because the coils are attached and the expensive non-magnetic tube is used over the entire line.

In view of the above points, the present invention provides a system that utilizes the advantages of both of the two types by transporting the capsules using a fluid drive system and a linear motor drive system. It is an object of the present invention to provide an air and linear motor driving type capsule type transportation method and its device that are inexpensive and can be efficiently transported.

[0009]

According to the capsule-type transportation method for both air and linear motor drive according to the present invention, in the transportation line between the stations, the capsules are transported by the air flow generated by the blower, and On moving lines such as launch lines and braking lines,
A feature of the present invention is that the synchronous linear motor drive system having a position sensor for the capsules provides a predetermined thrust or braking force to the capsules to transport the capsules.
In addition, the device used in this method includes a pipe forming a transportation line between the stations, a non-magnetic tube forming a firing line and a braking line in the station, and an air flow in the pipe to generate a propulsive force on the capsule. Based on the output of each position sensor, the position sensor arranged between these cylindrical type exciting coils, the cylindrical type exciting coil wound around the non-magnetic tube at equal intervals, the permanent magnet attached to the capsule, and each position sensor. And a synchronous linear motor drive system including a controller for controlling the movement of the capsule. In this device, for example, a capsule with wheels (three or more in the circumferential direction) with a seal is used, and when air is sent from the blower to the rear of the capsule traveling direction in the pipe forming the transportation line between the stations, the wind speed will increase. Due to the difference in speed between the capsule and the air, air flows around the capsule, causing air pressure loss. As a result, a pressure difference (about 0.3 to 0.5 kg / cm ² ) is generated before and after the capsule, and thrust is generated. Since a line pipe can be directly buried in a transportation line using this fluid drive system, it is easy to lay the pipe, the construction period can be shortened, the construction cost can be kept low, and the maintenance can be reduced. it can. Therefore, the long-distance transportation line connecting the stations is of this fluid drive type. Further, the portion of the station where the capsule needs to be driven and moved, such as the firing line and the braking line, has an exciting coil attached to the non-magnetic tube at equal intervals and, for example, a two-ring permanent magnet attached to the capsule which is a movable body. And a synchronous linear motor consisting of a position sensor placed between the exciting coils, and the controller sends a current to a predetermined exciting coil based on the output of each position sensor to contact the permanent magnet of the capsule without contact. A linear motor drive system that uses current force to obtain thrust by adsorption or repulsion is used. To do this, permanent magnets are attached to the capsule with a predetermined interval (coil pitch (W), W (N + 0.5) as the number of coils (N = 2 or more)). That is, when, for example, two permanent magnets are attached to the capsule, when the front permanent magnet is at the front coil position, the rear permanent magnet is set at an intermediate position between the rear adjacent coils. This smoothes the ripple of thrust, and facilitates control during braking / stopping and starting. Since the position of the capsule, that is, the permanent magnet is detected by the position sensor, the stop position can be controlled so as to come to the intermediate position between the adjacent coils.
Therefore, the intended purpose can be achieved even with a single permanent magnet. Further, if the pipes forming the transportation line and the non-magnetic tube forming the firing line and the braking line are set to have the same inner diameter, these can be easily connected by a flange or the like.

Further, according to the capsule-type transportation method for both air and linear motor drive according to the present invention, the current supplied to the exciting coil is measured by the synchronous linear motor drive system while measuring the speed of the capsule based on the output from the position sensor. It is characterized in that it is controlled by an inverter and the capsule is given a predetermined thrust or braking force to control the speed. Also, in the device used in this method, the controller controls the current flowing through the exciting coil with the inverter so as to attract and repel the magnet of the capsule while measuring the speed of the capsule based on the output from the position sensor. However, the speed is controlled by applying a predetermined thrust or braking force to the capsule. In this device, the control of braking and firing of the capsule is performed by calculating the speed from the interval and the detection time of the position sensor arranged between the exciting coils, and controlling the speed by the inverter control and the feedback control. Acceleration / deceleration control and stop positioning are easy and highly accurate. Therefore, the structure is simplified and the collision can be avoided.

Further, the air and linear motor driving type capsule type transportation method according to the present invention is characterized in that loading and unloading of cargo on the capsules in the moving line is carried out by the traverse device in the line crossing direction. Further, the device used in this method, between the firing line and the braking line, arrange the loading and unloading line consisting of a half non-magnetic tube to which a saddle type coil is attached, and in the loading and unloading line crossing direction, A traverse device for loading and unloading cargo to and from the capsule is provided, and at the exit of the firing line, a first gate valve opened when the capsule starts from within the station, and at the entrance of the braking line, A second gate valve that is opened when the capsule enters the station is provided. In this device, since the loading and unloading line is composed of a half non-magnetic tube to which a saddle type coil is attached,
Capsule position control in this loading / unloading line can be easily and highly accurately performed by linear motor control as in the firing line and braking line. Therefore, the capsule moving method is unified in the station, which simplifies the equipment and significantly reduces the occurrence of failures. Further, the braking line can be shortened, and the synergistic effect of this line shortening effect and the effect of facilitating movement and position control within the braking line can significantly reduce the time required from braking to unloading. While you can
The traverse device can increase the efficiency of loading and unloading. In addition, the firing line and braking line that employs the linear motor drive system and the transport line that employs the fluid drive system can be shut off by a gate valve so that the fluid drive system transport line can be cut in half. It is possible to prevent the influence of the loading and unloading line consisting of (such as air leakage). It is needless to say that the braking line and the firing line do not necessarily have to be provided separately, and one line can be used in common, and in this case, the gate valve can be shared. This is particularly effective at the starting station and the terminating station, and contributes to reducing the size of the station.

[0012]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, an air and linear motor driving type capsule type transportation method according to an embodiment of the present invention and an apparatus used for this method will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram showing an air and a linear motor drive type capsule type transportation device according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a relationship between a half-divided non-magnetic tube forming a loading / unloading line and a capsule, Figure 3 is a front view of the capsule,
FIG. 4 is a side view of the capsule, FIG. 5 is a wiring diagram of a cylindrical exciting coil and a position sensor of one section in a non-magnetic tube that constitutes a firing line and a braking line, and FIG. 6 is a wheel attached to the capsule and its suspension. FIG. 7 is an enlarged front view, FIG. 7 is a side view of FIG. 6, and FIG. 8 is a description of the relationship between the cargo bed of the capsule and the wheel-side member that supports it and the lock mechanism of the luggage (inner capsule) placed on the cargo bed FIG. 9 is a plan view showing an unloading line, a luggage unloading traverse device, and a line changing traverse device, and FIG. 10 is a front view showing a stopping device which is an auxiliary device for stopping a capsule. FIG. 11 is a front view of a traverse device for loading and unloading luggage, and FIG. 12 is a schematic view showing an arrangement example of an unloading line section in a station.

In the capsule transporting apparatus for both air and linear motor drive according to the present embodiment, a transport line 1 connecting stations is formed from a pipe 1a made of a normal steel pipe, a concrete tube or the like. A blower 2 for generating an air flow and applying a propulsive force to the capsule 5 is installed in the pipe 1 to construct a fluid drive system. In addition, the braking line 12 in the station
And the firing line 13 are respectively formed from the non-magnetic tube 10 made of SUS304 or the like, and the cylindrical exciting coil 4 is wound around the non-magnetic tube 10 at equal intervals,
A position sensor 18 such as a proximity sensor or a magnetic sensor is arranged between these exciting coils 4, and a predetermined interval (coil pitch (W), number of coils (N = 2 or more) and W (N + 0.
5)) is opened and annular or half-divided permanent magnets 6a and 6b that match the shape of the non-magnetic tube 10 are attached, thereby constructing a synchronous linear motor drive system. The exciting coil 4 attached to the non-magnetic tube 10 at equal intervals has a small number of windings in the horizontal tube and a large number of windings in the inclined portion so that the current force is large in the inclined portion.

As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the capsule 5 has a semi-cylindrical loading platform 35 attached to a main body having permanent magnets 6a and 6b, and a loading platform for accommodating luggage (for example, small parcels or separated trash). A plurality of inner capsules 37 are placed on the body 35, and a plurality of them are provided at the front and rear ends of the main body (6 in this case).
The wheels 8 are radially installed in the circumferential direction in equal divisions.
Both ends of each rotating shaft 8a of these wheels 8 are shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 7, each wheel 8 is attached via a pair of suspensions 32, 32 having rubber, a leaf spring 31, etc., and each wheel 8 can be expanded and contracted in the radial direction, whereby the main body is elastically supported. As a result, the capsule 5 can freely travel in the transportation line 1. Shafts 34, 34 (only one shaft 34 is shown in FIG. 8) are provided at both ends of the loading platform 35, and are configured as a pendulum centering on these shafts. That is, the loading platform 35 is rotatably attached to the shafts 34, 34 with the center of gravity lowered, and the opening is set so as to always face upward. Further, the loading platform 35 is provided with a lock mechanism for the inner capsule 37. As shown in FIG. 8, this lock mechanism is composed of a crank-shaped lever 50 whose intersections are pivotally attached to a cargo bed 35. When the inner capsule 37 is housed in the cargo bed 35, one end 50a of the lever 50 is loaded by the weight of the inner capsule 37. Is pushed down, and the other end 50b of the lever 50 presses the end face of the inner capsule 37 to lock it. Further, the lock mechanism is provided with a spring 51 that constantly urges one end 50a of the lever 50 in a counterclockwise direction so that the other end 50b of the lever 50 interferes with the inner capsule 37 when the inner capsule 37 is stored. In addition, the lock is automatically released when the weight is lost when the inner capsule 37 is taken out. Also, on the side surface of the inner capsule 37,
A wireless response recognition device for transmitting / receiving a signal to / from a wireless signal determination means (ID, tag) 53B (see FIG. 9) installed on the unloading line 15 (details of this line will be described later) side. When the (ID) 53A (see FIG. 2) is attached and the inner capsule 37 is stored in the loading platform 35, data such as the type of luggage stored in the inner capsule 37 and the destination is exchanged with the line side. It is supposed to be done automatically between. A plurality of the capsules 5 configured as described above can be connected in series by the connector 70.

The non-magnetic tube 10 forming the braking line 12 and the firing line 13 is entirely wound and covered with a heat-resistant insulating tape 29 to insulate the connecting portion of cables as shown in FIG. By winding the iron plate 30, the exciting coil 4 is protected and magnetically shielded.

The braking line 12 and the firing line 13 are shown in FIG.
It is divided into multiple sections 19 as shown in
As shown in FIG. 5, for each section 19, from the multi-phase cables 20a, 20b, 20c for driving power source to the cables 22a, 2 via the switching device 21 composed of power transistors and the like.
2b and 22c are wired in parallel. The wiring of the cables 22a, 22b, 22c to the respective exciting coils 4 in the section 19 is a series connection for each phase and a multi-phase star connection for connecting the terminals. The position sensor 18 is also series-connected by cables 24a, 24b, and 24c for each phase, amplified by an amplifier 25, and sent to the controller 17. Further, the signals gathered by the OR logic circuit 26 for each section 19 are output to the switch 21 and the signal converter 27, converted into digital signals by the signal converter 27 and sent to the controller 17, so that the capsule 5 is currently used. It is possible to know where the section is, and the switch 21 of the section 19 in which the capsule 5 is running is connected to allow current to flow. When the capsule 5 is disconnected from the section 19, the power to the section 19 is cut off. That is, the controller 17 outputs the output from each position sensor 18 and each previously known position sensor 18
The speed of the capsule 5 is measured from the distance between them and the detection interval, and the current supplied to each exciting coil 4 is controlled by an inverter so as to attract and repel the permanent magnets 6a and 6b of the capsule 5, and the capsule 5 is controlled. Predetermined thrust (constant speed increase /
Deceleration) or braking force is applied to control the speed. FIG.
As shown in (1), position sensors 28A and 28B for section detection may be newly provided at the entrance and the exit of the section 19 to turn the switch 21 on and off.

Between the braking line 12 and the firing line 13, a saddle-shaped coil 41 and a position sensor (not shown) are attached at equal intervals as shown in FIGS. An unloading line 15 composed of a non-magnetic tube 40 is arranged, and the position control of the capsule 5 in the unloading line 15 is also performed by linear motor control similarly to the braking line 12 and the firing line 13.

Stoppers 45A and 45B each having a damper 44 and capable of moving up and down are arranged at both ends of the unloading line 15 as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, and the capsule 5 is electrically operated by a linear motor control. It is possible to accurately stop the loading / unloading line 15 at a predetermined position by mechanical braking and mechanical braking by the stop device 45A or 45B. In the stop devices 45A and 45B, each damper 44 is loaded and unloaded by the lifting mechanism.
Since it is configured so that it can appear in and out of the device 5, it does not hinder the movement of the capsule 5 if it is retracted, and the stopping device 45
A is used when it is necessary to keep the capsule 5 on standby, and the stop device 45B is used when stopping the capsule 5 at the loading / unloading position.

In the crossing direction of the loading / unloading line 15, as shown in FIG.
Further, as shown in FIG. 11, the traverse device 14 for loading and unloading the inner capsule 37 by lateral movement is installed on the bed 35 of the capsule 5. The traverse device 14 is
Protrusions 4 for transporting the loaded inner capsule 37 to the vicinity of the unloading line 15 or for discharging the unloaded inner capsule 37 from the loading platform 35 of the capsule 5.
7. Belt conveyor 48 with 7 and gate-type crane 4 that crosses the loading and unloading line 15 from the tip of belt conveyor 48
9, the crane 4 that transfers the inner capsule 37 between the belt conveyor 48 and the loading platform 35 of the capsule 5.
It is composed of a plurality of vacuum pads 49a, and the inner pad 37 can be adsorbed and conveyed by the vacuum pad 49a. Although the vacuum pad 49a is described as an example of the gripping means of the inner capsule 37 here, this may be directly hooked (in this case, a locking portion is provided on the inner capsule side) or via a sling rope. Needless to say, it may be lifted up.

At the exit of the firing line 13, a first gate valve 58A which is opened when the capsule 5 starts from within the station is provided, and the braking line 1 is also provided.
A second gate valve 58B that is opened when the capsule 5 enters the station is installed at the entrance of 2.
As a result, the firing line 13 and the braking line 12 that employ the linear motor drive system and the transport line 1 that employs the fluid drive system can be cut off by the gate valves 58A and 58B so that they can communicate with each other. It is possible to prevent 1 from being affected by the loading / unloading line 15 (air leakage, etc.) that is composed of the non-magnetic tube 40 divided in half.

By the way, the braking line 12 and the firing line 1
The number 3 may be a serial arrangement method or a parallel arrangement method depending on the position of the station with respect to the transportation line 1. FIG. 1 is an example in which a series arrangement method is adopted, and auxiliary gate valves 58C and 58D are installed at the outlet and inlet of the loading / unloading line 15, respectively, and FIG. 9 adopts a parallel arrangement method, and auxiliary gate valve 58C.
In this example, the auxiliary gate valves 58C and 58D are not always necessary. In the case of the parallel arrangement method, another traverse device 56 for connecting the lines is required.

The traverse device 56 for connecting between lines is
A pair of parallel rails 54a and 54b and a parallel rail 54
a and 54b are driven by a geared motor (not shown) to move the half-divided non-magnetic tube 57, and the capsule 5 is placed on the extension line of the loading and unloading line 15 to the half-divided non-magnetic tube 57. Stop device 45C
And half-divided non-magnetic tube 57 positioning stop devices 45D and 45E, which are spaced apart by a predetermined distance in the rail extension direction between the parallel rails 54a and 54b, and are cut in half at the stop device 45D position. If the magnetic tube 57 is stopped, this half non-magnetic tube 57 can be connected to the firing line 13 arranged in parallel with the braking line 12, and the half non-magnetic tube 57 can be connected at the stop device 45E position. When stopped, this half non-magnetic tube 57 can be connected to the maintenance line 16 arranged in parallel outside the firing line 13. The maintenance line 16 is provided for maintenance of the capsule 5 and repair of failure, but like the loading / unloading line 15, the saddle is a saddle on a non-magnetic tube so that it can be used as a standby line. The mold coil 41 and a position sensor (not shown) are attached.

As shown in FIG. 12, when entering / exiting from the transport line 1 to the loading / unloading station 15A in the direction orthogonal thereto, it is necessary to branch from the transport line 1. For that purpose, a branching device 60 is provided between the transportation line 1 and the braking line 12 or the firing line 13. As the branching device 60, a traverse (slide) system or a revolver (rotation) system can be adopted. That is, the branching device 60 has a short tube portion 61 made of a tube and a bend portion 62, and these are moved between the wheel feeding line connection position and the standby position by a slide mechanism or a rotation mechanism, and the bend portion 62 is When connected to the transport line 1, the branch line 63 and the transport line 1 are connected, and the capsule 5 transported in the transport line 1 can enter the branch line 63 through the bend portion 62. In addition, when the short pipe portion 61 is connected to the transport line 1, the branching is not performed, and the capsule 5 transported in the transport line 1 has the short pipe portion 61 in the branching device 60. It is designed to go straight through. The connecting portion between the branch device 60 and the branch line 63 is sealed by an airtight device driven by a fluid pressure cylinder (not shown). However, if the branch line 63 is constructed in a linear motor drive system composed of a non-magnetic tube around which cylindrical exciting coils are wound at equal intervals as in the braking line 12 and the firing line 13,
The airtight mechanism can be eliminated in the branch line 63 portion.

Next, a method for transporting capsules by the air and linear motor driving type capsule transporting apparatus according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 12. First, the driving of the capsule 5 in the non-magnetic tube 10 in the braking line 12 and the firing line 13 is performed by the position sensor 18
The position of the capsule 5 is detected by the respective cables 22a, 2 so that the polarity is such that it is attracted to one of the permanent magnets 6a of the capsule 5 in the propulsion direction and repelled after passing through.
A current is passed through the exciting coil 4 by 2b and 22c. After another half cycle, the other permanent magnet 6 of the capsule 5
Similarly, a current is applied to each exciting coil 4 so that it is attracted to b in the propulsion direction and repelled after passing. By repeating this, a relatively uniform thrust can be applied to the capsule 5 in a predetermined direction, and the capsule 5 can be smoothly run.

The driving of the capsule 5 in the non-magnetic tube 40 divided in half in the loading / unloading line 15 is a saddle type while detecting the position of the capsule 5 by a position sensor (not shown) like the braking line 12 and the firing line 13. Coil 4
Control the current flowing to 1. When stopping, it is stopped at a predetermined position on the unloading line 15 by electric braking by the linear motor control and mechanical braking by the stop device 45.

When the capsules 5 stop at the unloading position in the unloading line 15, the traverse device 14 loads the cargo, that is, the inner capsule 3 on the loading platform 35 of the capsules 5.
Start loading 7. For loading by the traverse device 14, first, the inner capsule 37 on the belt conveyor 48 is adsorbed and lifted by a plurality of vacuum pads 49a of a crane 49, and in that state, the trolley supporting the vacuum pads 49a travels to the loading platform 35. By doing so, the inner capsule 37 is moved laterally, and when it reaches the position of the loading platform 35, the vacuum pad 49a is lowered, and the inner capsule 37 is housed in the pendulum type loading platform 35. When the inner capsule 37 is stored in the luggage carrier 35, the lock mechanism including the lever 50 is operated by its own weight to fix the inner capsule itself in the luggage carrier 35.

Since the wireless signal determination means 53B is installed at the unloading position in the unloading line 15, when the inner capsule 37 is stored in the loading platform 35, the wireless response recognition device 53A on the inner capsule side is provided. Data such as the type of baggage stored in the inner capsule 37 and the destination is exchanged between them and registered. Thereby, the destination (station) of the inner capsule 37
Is confirmed, and the transportation of the capsule 5 is started toward this destination.

The firing of the capsule 5 from the station is
Explaining the parallel arrangement method of FIG. 9 as an example, first, the capsule 5 on the unloading line 15 is moved to the half non-magnetic tube 57 of the traverse device 56 for connecting between lines, and the stopping device 45C is used. Stop. Then, a geared motor (not shown) is driven to halve the non-magnetic tube 5
7 is moved laterally on the parallel rails 54a and 54b, stopped by the stop device 45D, positioned, and connected to the firing line 13 arranged in parallel with the braking line 12. When the half non-magnetic tube 57 of the traverse device 56 is connected to the firing line 13, the auxiliary gate valve 58C is opened to put the capsule 5 on the half non-magnetic tube 57 into the non-magnetic tube 10 of the firing line 13. Sending in, closing the auxiliary gate valve 58C, opening the gate valve 58A at the exit of the firing line 13, accelerating by generating thrust on the capsule 5 by the linear motor and sending it to the transportation line 1, closing the gate valve 58A and from the blower 2 Compressed air is supplied to start pneumatic transportation. in this way,
By accelerating the capsule 5 by the linear motor in the launch line 13 and sending it to the transport line 1, the transport line 1
In this case, the pressure loss generated before and after the capsule 5 can be reduced, the transfer connection from the firing line 13 to the transportation line 1 can be smoothly performed, and the capsule can be fired in a short time.

Air driving of the capsule 5 is carried out by sending air from the blower 2 to the rear of the capsule 1 in the pipe 1a forming the transportation line 1 in the advancing direction of the capsule. As a result, air flows around the capsule 5 due to the wind speed (for example, 10 m / s) and the speed difference between the capsules, causing air pressure loss, and a pressure difference (about 0.3 to 0.5 kg / cm ² ) before and after the capsule 5. Occurs and thrust is generated. The velocity of the capsule 5 in the transportation line 1 finally becomes almost the same as the fluid velocity (10 m / s).

When the capsule 5 is pneumatically transported to the vicinity of a target station (for example, FIG. 12) and enters the unloading station 7A, the capsule 5 branches off from the transportation line 1. This is performed by connecting the bend portion 62 of the branching device 60 on the side where the capsule 5 advances to the transportation line 1. As a result, the capsule 5 that has been transported in the transportation line 1 enters the branch line 63 through the bend portion 62. Capsule 5 arrives at the target station,
The gate valve 58B (see FIG. 1) is closed when entering the braking line 12 composed of the non-magnetic tube 10 from the transportation line 1. The compressed air used for transportation up to this point is branched from the transportation line 1 and exhausted through the silencer 67.

The traveling control of the capsule 5 in the braking line 12 is controlled from the outside by supplying a current to the exciting coil 4. That is, the output from each position sensor 18,
The speed of the capsule 5 is measured from the distance between the position sensors 18 and the detection interval which are known in advance, and the current flowing through each exciting coil 4 is detected so as to attract and repel the permanent magnets 6a and 6b of the capsule 5. Controlled by an inverter,
The speed of the capsule 5 is controlled. While the speed of the capsule 5 is being measured, the capsule 5 is braked by a linear motor and dropped to a predetermined speed. After that, it is fed into the unloading line 15 consisting of the non-magnetic tube 40 divided in half, and is accurately stopped at a predetermined position by the stop device 45B (see FIG. 9), and the traverse device 14 removes the inner capsule 37 from the loading platform 35 of the capsule 5 It is taken out and transferred onto the belt conveyor 48. Further, when there is a baggage to be transported from this station to another station, that is, an inner capsule, the inner capsule is loaded onto the bed 35 of the empty capsule 5 and sent to the firing line 13. The above operation is repeated to transport the goods between the stations.

When maintenance of the capsule 5 or repair of trouble or standby is required, the traverse device 56 is used.
Is moved horizontally to connect to the maintenance line 16, and the capsule 5 is moved to the maintenance line 16 for inspection and repair, or in a standby state.

[0033]

As described above, according to the present invention, as a drive system in the transportation line between stations, it is composed of a pipe and a blower for generating an air flow in the pipe to give a driving force to the capsule. In addition to adopting a fluid drive system, as a drive system in the firing line and braking line in the station, a non-magnetic tube and a cylindrical exciting coil wound around the non-magnetic tube at equal intervals, and between these cylindrical exciting coils, respectively. A linear motor drive system with a synchronous linear motor drive system consisting of a position sensor placed, a permanent magnet attached to the capsule, and a controller that controls the movement of the capsule based on the output of each position sensor was adopted, so the construction period was shortened. Therefore, the construction cost can be kept low and the maintenance can be reduced. It will be easy to control when the capsule is braked / stopped at the station or when it starts.

Further, according to the present invention, the controller causes the inverter to supply a current to the exciting coil so as to attract and repel the magnet of the capsule while measuring the speed of the capsule based on the output from the position sensor. Since the capsules are controlled to give a predetermined thrust (constant speed increase / deceleration) or braking force to the speed control, acceleration / deceleration control and stop positioning of the capsules can be facilitated and highly accurate. Therefore, the structure is simplified and the collision can be avoided.

Further, according to the present invention, an unloading line consisting of a half non-magnetic tube to which a saddle type coil is attached is arranged between the firing line and the braking line, and the unloading line is arranged in the crossing direction of the unloading line. , A traverse device for lateral loading and unloading of capsules is provided, and the exit of the launch line is equipped with a first gate valve that is opened when the capsule starts from within the station, and the entrance of the braking line is located at the entrance of the braking line. Since a second gate valve that opens when the capsule enters the station is provided, the capsule position control in the loading and unloading line is simple and highly accurate by the linear motor control as in the firing line and braking line. It can be carried out. Therefore, the capsule moving method is unified in the station, which simplifies the equipment and significantly reduces the occurrence of failures. Furthermore, the braking line can be shortened, and the synergistic effect of this line shortening effect and the effect of facilitating movement and position control within the braking line can significantly reduce the time required from braking to unloading. While you can
The traverse device can increase the efficiency of loading and unloading. In addition, since it is possible to disconnect the firing line and braking line that employs the linear motor drive system and the transport line that employs the fluid drive system so that they can communicate with each other by a gate valve, the fluid drive system transport line is halved. It is possible to prevent the influence of the loading and unloading line made of non-magnetic tubes (air leakage, etc.).

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram showing an apparatus used in an air and linear motor driving type capsule type transportation method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a relationship between a capsule and a non-magnetic tube that is a half of a loading / unloading line according to the apparatus of this embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a front view of a capsule according to the device of the present embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a side view of a capsule according to the device of the present embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a wiring diagram of a cylindrical exciting coil and a position sensor in one section of a non-magnetic tube forming a firing line and a braking line according to the device of the present embodiment.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged front view showing a wheel attached to the capsule according to the device of the present embodiment and its suspension.

FIG. 7 is a side view of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the relationship between the carrier of the capsule and the wheel-side member that supports the carrier according to the device of the present embodiment, and the locking mechanism of the inner capsule that is placed on the carrier.

FIG. 9 is a plan view showing an unloading line, a luggage unloading traverse device, and a line changing traverse device according to the device of the present embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a front view showing a stopping device which is an auxiliary device for stopping the capsule according to the device of the present embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a front view of a traverse device for loading and unloading luggage according to the device of the present embodiment.

FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram showing an arrangement example of an unloading line section in a station according to the device of the present embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Transport Line 1a Pipe 2 Blower 4 Excitation Coil 5 Capsule 6a, 6b Permanent Magnet 10 Non-Magnetic Tube 12 Braking Line 13 Launch Line 14 Traverse Device 15 Unloading Line 17 Controller 18 Position Sensor 37 Inner Capsule (Luggage) 40 Half-divided Non-magnetic tube 41 Saddle coil 58A First gate valve 58B Second gate valve

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Takashi Sansa 1-2-1, Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo Nihon Kokan Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Fumikazu Sugiyama 200-84 Higashidahara, Hadano, Kanagawa (72) ) Inventor Yoshihiro Aoki 3100 2-210 Kamimiyata, Minamishitaura-cho, Miura City, Kanagawa Prefecture

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A transportation method for transporting goods using a capsule inserted in a transportation pipe, wherein in a transportation line between stations, the capsules are transported by an air flow generated by a blower, and a firing line in the station, In a moving line such as a braking line, a synchronous linear motor drive system having a position sensor for a capsule applies a predetermined thrust force or a braking force to the capsule to transport the capsule. Capsule type transportation method. 2. A synchronous linear motor drive system controls the current flowing through an exciting coil by an inverter while measuring the speed of a capsule based on the output from a position sensor, and gives a predetermined thrust or braking force to the capsule to control the speed. The air and linear motor driving combined capsule type transportation method according to claim 1, wherein 3. A capsule type for both air and linear motor drive according to claim 1 or 2, wherein loading and unloading of cargo to and from a capsule in a moving line is performed by a traverse device from a line crossing direction. Transportation method. 4. A transport device for transporting goods using a capsule inserted in a transport pipe, comprising: a pipe forming a transport line between stations; a non-magnetic tube forming a firing line and a braking line in the station; A blower for generating an air flow in the pipe to apply a propulsive force to the capsule, a cylindrical exciting coil wound around the non-magnetic tube at equal intervals, and position sensors respectively arranged between the cylindrical exciting coils. A synchronous linear motor drive system including a permanent magnet attached to the capsule and a controller that controls the movement of the capsule based on the output of each of the position sensors. Type capsule type transportation device. 5. The controller controls the current flowing through the exciting coil with an inverter so as to attract and repel the magnet of the capsule while measuring the speed of the capsule based on the output from the position sensor, and a predetermined value is given to the capsule. The capsule type transportation device for both air and linear motor drive according to claim 4, characterized in that the speed is controlled by applying a thrust force or a braking force. 6. An unloading line consisting of a half-divided non-magnetic tube fitted with a saddle-shaped coil is arranged between the launching line and the braking line, and the load of the capsule is loaded in the crossing direction of the unloading line. Provided with a traverse device for lateral loading and unloading, and at the exit of the launch line,
The first opening when the capsule is launched from within the station
5. The gate valve according to claim 4, further comprising a second gate valve at the entrance of the braking line, which is opened when the capsule enters the station.
Alternatively, the capsule-type transportation device for both air and linear motor drive described in claim 5.