Crown block system, crown block maintenance method and crown block maintenance device thereof

Abstract

The application discloses a crown block system, a crown block maintenance method and a crown block maintenance device, wherein a maintenance rail section of the crown block system is provided with the crown block maintenance device; the crown block maintenance device comprises a shell; when door leaves of a door mechanism on a side of the shell are closed, a closed space is formed in the shell; a blowing assembly and an air extraction device are arranged on the shell; and an electrostatic detection device and a dust concentration detection device are arranged in the shell and communicate with a maintenance controller of the crown block maintenance device; during maintenance, the maintenance controller controls the blowing assembly to blow electrostatic elimination wind when determining that a detection result of the electrostatic detection device is not lower than a first threshold value; otherwise, the blowing assembly blows non-electrostatic elimination wind or stops blowing wind according to a detection result of the dust concentration detection device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of automated material handling equipment, and in particular to overhead crane systems, overhead crane maintenance methods, and overhead crane maintenance equipment. Background Technology

[0002] Overhead hoist transport (OHT) systems are an important component of automated material handling systems (AMHS) and are widely used in automation projects such as semiconductor wafer fabs.

[0003] The overhead crane uses rubber wheels, while the tracks are made of steel. Therefore, during operation, the long-term friction between the wheels and the tracks causes dust to accumulate on both the track surface and the crane itself. Furthermore, the static electricity generated by friction between crane components further amplifies the dust particle adsorption. Prolonged lack of cleaning will affect the cleanliness of the cleanroom and, more seriously, lead to severe contamination of transported materials. Therefore, the overhead crane requires cleaning and maintenance after a period of operation.

[0004] Patent document CN221115746U discloses a crane maintenance device for cleaning cranes.

[0005] This type of overhead crane maintenance equipment uses an air shower to blow away dust. However, because the overhead crane carries a certain amount of static electricity, the adsorption of static electricity will increase the difficulty of blowing away the dust to some extent, reducing the efficiency and effectiveness of the blowing. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The purpose of this invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems existing in the prior art and to provide a crane system and crane maintenance equipment.

[0007] The objective of this invention is achieved through the following technical solution:

[0008] The overhead crane system includes a track and an overhead crane running on the track. The track includes a maintenance track section set at a designated location. An overhead crane maintenance device is set at the maintenance track section. The overhead crane maintenance device includes a housing. At least one door opening is provided on the side of the housing. A door mechanism for opening and closing the door opening is provided on the housing. When the door of the door mechanism is closed, a closed space is formed inside the housing.

[0009] The housing is provided with a purging assembly that can selectively blow static-eliminating air or non-static-eliminating air from the top of the crane inside the housing and / or from at least one side of the crane toward the crane, and the bottom and / or side of the housing is provided with an exhaust device.

[0010] The housing is equipped with an electrostatic detection device and a dust concentration detection device that communicate with the maintenance controller of the overhead crane maintenance equipment.

[0011] During maintenance, when the maintenance controller determines that the detection result of the electrostatic detection device is not lower than the first threshold, it controls the blowing assembly to blow electrostatic elimination air; when it determines that the detection result of the electrostatic detection device is lower than the first threshold, it controls the blowing assembly to blow non-electrostatic elimination air or to stop blowing air according to the detection result of the dust concentration detection device.

[0012] Preferably, an electrostatic sensor is provided in the predetermined intersection area of ​​the track. The electrostatic sensor communicates with the area access controller that controls the passage in the predetermined intersection area. When the crane passes through the electrostatic sensor in the predetermined intersection area, the area access controller feeds back the detection result of the electrostatic sensor to the transport controller.

[0013] Preferably, the purging assembly includes a set of first ion nozzles for purging the overhead crane from the top and a set of second ion nozzles for purging the overhead crane from the side, wherein the purging directions of the first and second ion nozzles are adjustable.

[0014] Preferably, the first ion nozzle is distributed along the width or length direction of the housing on the first vent pipe, and the first vent pipe is rotatably disposed inside the housing and connected to a first rotary drive mechanism that drives its rotation.

[0015] The second ion nozzle is distributed along the length or height of the housing on the second vent pipe, and the second vent pipe is rotatably disposed inside the housing and connected to a second rotary drive mechanism that drives its rotation.

[0016] Preferred,

[0017] The first vent pipe extends along the width direction of the housing and is connected to a first moving mechanism that drives it to move along the length direction of the housing.

[0018] The second vent pipe extends along the length of the housing, and the second ion nozzle on the second vent pipe can be rotated to a position to blow the top of the frame assembly of the crane on the internal track section.

[0019] Preferably, the door mechanism includes an upper door leaf and a lower door leaf that move and open / close in a vertical direction. When the upper door leaf and the lower door leaf are closed, they combine to form a closed door leaf. The closed door leaf has a hole that is adapted to an internal track section or a maintenance track section inside the housing. The internal track section is either a portion of the maintenance track section that extends into the housing or the end of the internal track section abuts against the end of the maintenance track section.

[0020] Preferably, the lower door leaf is rectangular and has a first sealing strip at its top, and the lower side of the upper door leaf has a clearance opening adapted to the shape of the maintenance track section or the internal track section, and the top of the clearance opening is provided with a second sealing strip.

[0021] Preferably, the upper and lower door panels are opened and closed by an opening and closing drive mechanism including a power source.

[0022] Preferably, a power supply cable for power supply is provided on the internal track section inside the housing, and the power supply cable is integrated with the power supply cable provided on the maintenance track section.

[0023] According to the crane maintenance method of any of the above-described crane systems, when the crane stops inside the crane maintenance equipment and the door of the door mechanism is closed, the maintenance controller controls the purging assembly to start blowing static electricity elimination air onto the crane.

[0024] The maintenance controller receives the detection results from the electrostatic detection device and the dust concentration detection device;

[0025] When the detection result of the electrostatic detection device is determined to be not lower than the first threshold, the maintenance controller controls the purging assembly to blow static electricity elimination air.

[0026] When the detection result of the electrostatic detection device is determined to be lower than the first threshold, the maintenance controller controls the blowing assembly to blow non-static elimination air or stop blowing air based on the detection result of the dust concentration detection device.

[0027] The overhead crane maintenance equipment includes a housing, with at least one door opening on the side of the housing, and a door mechanism for opening and closing the door opening on the housing. When the door of the door mechanism is closed, a closed space is formed inside the housing.

[0028] The housing is provided with a purging assembly that can selectively blow static-eliminating air or non-static-eliminating air from the top of the crane inside the housing and / or from at least one side of the crane toward the crane, and the bottom and / or side of the housing is provided with an exhaust device.

[0029] The housing is equipped with an electrostatic detection device and a dust concentration detection device that communicate with the maintenance controller of the overhead crane maintenance equipment.

[0030] During maintenance, when the maintenance controller determines that the detection result of the electrostatic detection device is not lower than the first threshold, it controls the blowing assembly to blow electrostatic elimination air; when it determines that the detection result of the electrostatic detection device is lower than the first threshold, it controls the blowing assembly to blow non-electrostatic elimination air or to stop blowing air according to the detection result of the dust concentration detection device.

[0031] The advantages of the technical solution of this invention are mainly reflected in:

[0032] The overhead crane maintenance equipment of this invention effectively removes static electricity from the overhead crane by blowing electrostatic elimination air onto it, reducing the adsorption of dust by static electricity. This allows the electrostatic elimination air to more easily blow dust away from various parts of the overhead crane. Combined with the bottom exhaust device, it can effectively extract dust from inside the shell to the outside, thereby improving cleaning quality and efficiency. Combined with electrostatic detection, it can promptly stop ion generation after the electrostatic elimination standard is met, reducing the energy consumption of the equipment and extending the service life of the blowing components, especially the ion generating components. Furthermore, combined with a dust concentration detection device, it can effectively ensure the removal effect of static electricity and dust. At the same time, the closed structure of the shell can effectively reduce dust overflow during cleaning, which is conducive to ensuring the cleanliness of the clean room.

[0033] This invention employs ion nozzles that are adjustable in angle and movable, allowing for more thorough coverage of all parts of the overhead crane when it is stationary, thus ensuring sufficient and efficient cleaning. Simultaneously, the ion nozzles occupy less space, which helps reduce the overall size of the overhead crane maintenance equipment and facilitates the installation of angle adjustment and movable structures.

[0034] This invention installs an electrostatic sensor at the area access controller in the predetermined intersection area of ​​the track, which can effectively detect the accumulation of static electricity on the crane in a timely manner during the operation of the crane, thereby controlling the crane to clean in a timely manner and ensuring the timeliness of cleaning. At the same time, it eliminates the need to install an electrostatic sensor on each crane, effectively reducing system costs.

[0035] This invention, when identifying overhead crane maintenance equipment, can determine whether to instruct the overhead crane to move to the corresponding maintenance equipment based on its status. This effectively avoids the problem of the overhead crane waiting for an extended period at an abnormal maintenance equipment, thus affecting its utilization efficiency. Furthermore, by controlling the overhead crane to perform self-checks based on the operating status of the maintenance equipment, the invention fully utilizes the time spent moving the crane to the maintenance equipment for self-checks, thereby reducing waiting time. The self-check operation also effectively ensures a clean environment inside the crane housing upon entry, preventing dust from contaminating the crane and affecting cleaning efficiency.

[0036] The door mechanism of this invention employs a structure in which an upper door leaf and a lower door leaf cooperate. When the upper and lower door leaves are closed, they form a hole that matches the track. This allows the internal track section within the housing to be either a portion of the maintenance track section or the ends of both to abut against each other, avoiding gaps and preventing damage to the overhead crane's wheels, thus reducing equipment failure rates and maintenance costs. Simultaneously, this door mechanism effectively ensures that a closed space is formed within the housing during cleaning, minimizing the leakage of dust into the cleanroom and contributing to maintaining the cleanliness level within the cleanroom.

[0037] This invention, through the design of the opening and closing drive mechanism, enables the simultaneous driving of upper and lower door panels of different sizes using a single power source, effectively reducing the number of drive sources and lowering equipment and operating costs.

[0038] The lower door leaf of this invention is rectangular, which allows the lower side of the upper door leaf to be specially shaped, reducing the difficulty of processing. Sealing strips are set at the top of the lower door leaf and the top of the clearance opening of the upper door leaf, which can effectively ensure their sealing when closed, and at the same time play a buffering role when the door is closed, reducing the positional accuracy requirements of the upper and lower door leaves when they are closed. Attached Figure Description

[0039] Figure 1 This is a partial top view of the overhead crane system of the present invention;

[0040] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the housing of the overhead crane maintenance equipment of the present invention, with the side plate on one side and the door mechanism on the other side omitted.

[0041] Figure 3 This is a top view of the overhead crane maintenance equipment of the present invention. The top plate and the second rotary drive mechanism for the rotation of the second ventilation pipe on the drive side are omitted from the figure.

[0042] Figure 4 This is an end view of the overhead crane maintenance equipment of the present invention. The door mechanism and the second rotary drive mechanism that drives the second ventilation pipe to rotate are omitted in the figure.

[0043] Figure 5 This is a side view of the overhead crane inside the overhead crane maintenance equipment in this invention. The figure shows two states in which the first ventilation pipe is moved to the outside of the frame assembly. The second ion nozzle is omitted from the figure.

[0044] Figure 6 This is an end view of the overhead crane within the overhead crane maintenance equipment in this invention;

[0045] Figure 7 This is an end view of one embodiment of the door mechanism of the overhead crane maintenance equipment of the present invention;

[0046] Figure 8 This is an end view of another embodiment of the door mechanism of the overhead crane maintenance equipment of the present invention;

[0047] Figure 9 This is a side view of another embodiment of the door mechanism of the overhead crane maintenance equipment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0048] The objectives, advantages, and features of this invention will be illustrated and explained through the following non-limiting description of preferred embodiments. These embodiments are merely typical examples of applying the technical solutions of this invention, and all technical solutions formed by equivalent substitutions or equivalent transformations fall within the scope of protection claimed by this invention.

[0049] In the description of the solution, it should be noted that the terms "center," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "front," "rear," "vertical," "horizontal," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicating the orientation or positional relationship, are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings and are only for the convenience and simplification of description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of the present invention. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," and "third" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0050] Example 1

[0051] The crane system disclosed in this invention will now be described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, as shown below. Figure 1 As shown, it includes a track 100 and a set of overhead cranes 200 running on the track 100, the overhead cranes 200 communicating with a transport controller 300.

[0052] The specific structure of the track 100, the overhead crane 200, and the conveying controller 300, as well as the specific working principle of the conveying controller 300 controlling the operation of the overhead crane 200, can be designed with reference to existing technologies and are not innovations of this invention, so they will not be elaborated here.

[0053] As attached Figure 1 As shown, the track 100 includes a maintenance track section 110 located at a designated position. The specific location of the maintenance track section 110 can be designed as needed, so as not to interfere with the passage of the overhead crane 200 in other areas of the track 100. That is, when the overhead crane 200 is in the maintenance track section 110, it will not affect the movement of other overhead cranes 200 in other areas of the track 100 other than the maintenance track section 110. For example, the track 100 of the overhead crane system includes at least one intermediate corridor section 120 and a production operation section 130 connected to the outside of the intermediate corridor section 120. In this case, the maintenance track section 110 can be connected to the side of the intermediate corridor section 120 or located on the side of the connecting section 140 connecting the intermediate corridor section 120.

[0054] As attached Figure 1 As shown, a crane maintenance device 400 is installed at the maintenance track section 110.

[0055] As attached Figure 2 Appendix Figure 3As shown, the overhead crane maintenance equipment 400 includes a housing 401, with at least one door opening on the side of the housing 401. A door mechanism 402 for opening and closing the door opening is provided on the housing 401. When the door of the door mechanism is closed, a closed space is formed inside the housing 401.

[0056] The shape of the housing 401 can be designed as needed; for example, in one embodiment, as shown in the attached figure... Figure 2 Appendix Figure 3 As shown, the overall outline of the housing 401 is approximately a cuboid, comprising a U-shaped main body 403. The main body 403 includes a top plate 4031, a bottom plate 4032, and side plates 4033 on both sides. The top plate 4031 is not mandatory. The direction perpendicular to the side plates 4033 is defined as the width direction Y of the housing 401, and the horizontal direction perpendicular to the width direction Y is defined as the length direction X of the housing. At least one end of the main body 403 has an opening that serves as a doorway. Preferably, the openings at both ends of the main body 403 are an inlet doorway and an outlet doorway, respectively, and the inlet doorway and outlet doorway are controlled to open and close by door mechanisms 402.

[0057] As attached Figure 3 Appendix Figure 4 As shown, the housing 401 is provided with a purging assembly 404 that can selectively blow electrostatic eliminating air or non-electrostatic eliminating air from the top of the overhead crane 200 inside the housing 401 and / or from at least one side of the overhead crane 200 toward the overhead crane 200. The bottom and / or sides of the housing 401 are provided with an exhaust device 405. The dust-containing gas extracted by the exhaust device 405 can be discharged to the outside of the cleanroom through a pipeline, or it can be filtered by an air filtration device and then directly discharged into the cleanroom.

[0058] The purging assembly 404 can adopt different structures as needed. For example, the purging assembly 404 can use devices such as ion air knives and ion fans to generate electrostatic elimination wind (ion wind). At the same time, the ion generators of the ion air knives and ion fans can be started and stopped independently. The ion air knives and ion fans can stop generating ions to blow non-electrostatic elimination wind without electrostatic neutralization ions. The ion air knives and ion fans with corresponding functions are known technologies and are not innovations of this invention, so they will not be described in detail here.

[0059] In a more preferred embodiment, to improve the purging effect and simplify the structure, as shown in the attached figure... Figure 3 Appendix Figure 4As shown, the purging assembly 404 includes a first ion nozzle 406 that blows air from the top of the crane 200 inside the housing 401 onto the crane 200, and a second ion nozzle 407 that sprays airflow from at least one side of the crane 200 onto the crane 200. The first and second ion nozzles 406 and 407 are connected to an air supply system (not shown in the figure). The ion nozzles can ionize air into a large number of positive and negative ions to neutralize static electricity through sharp electrodes electrically connected to a high-voltage power supply (not shown in the figure). The air supply system can be any known device that blows air or supplies compressed air, and is not limited here. By supplying air to the ion nozzles through the air supply system, the ion nozzles can blow out static-eliminating air or non-static-eliminating air, thereby achieving a better cleaning effect. When non-static-eliminating air is needed, the air supply system supplies air normally, and only the high-voltage power supply to the electrodes of the ion nozzle needs to be stopped.

[0060] As attached Figure 3 Appendix Figure 4 As shown, the first ion nozzles 406 are distributed along the width direction Y or length direction X of the housing 401 on the first vent pipe 408. Preferably, the first vent pipe 408 is a single pipe extending along the width direction Y of the housing 401, which effectively shortens the length of the first vent pipe 408. The axes of the first ion nozzles 406 are parallel, and the distance between adjacent first ion nozzles 406 is not less than 10 cm and not more than 20 cm, more preferably not more than 15 cm. The first vent pipe 408 is rotatably disposed within the housing 401 and connected to a first rotation drive mechanism 409 that drives its rotation. Thus, the blowing direction of the first ion nozzles 406 can be adjusted by repeatedly rotating the first vent pipe 408 within a predetermined angle.

[0061] As attached Figure 3 Appendix Figure 4 As shown, the first vent pipe 408 is a circular tube with both ends rotatably mounted on mounting seats 410 on the side plates 4033 and / or top plate 4031 on both sides of the housing 401. Meanwhile, the first rotary drive mechanism 409 includes a first motor 411 mounted at one end of the first vent pipe 408. The first motor 411 is, for example, a geared motor and is fixed on the bottom plate 4032 or side plate 4033. The power output shaft of the geared motor is coaxially connected to a friction wheel 412. The wheel surface of the friction wheel 412 is in close contact with the outer wall of the first vent pipe 408, thereby driving the first vent pipe 408 to rotate through the rotation friction of the friction wheel 412. Of course, the first motor 411 can also be connected to the first vent pipe 408 and drive the first vent pipe 408 to rotate through a known gear mechanism or synchronous belt mechanism, or the first motor 411 can be a geared motor and connected to one end of the first vent pipe through a coupling.

[0062] As attached Figure 3 Appendix Figure 4 As shown, the air hole of the first ion nozzle 406 can be connected to the inner cavity of the first air pipe 408. The two ends of the first air pipe 408 are closed, and the first air pipe 408 can be connected to the air supply system through a pipe, so that the air supply system does not need to be connected to multiple first ion nozzles 406 through multiple air pipes respectively.

[0063] Furthermore, since the crane 200 is stopped inside the housing 401, if the position of the first vent pipe 408 is fixed, it will be difficult to cover the entire top area of ​​the crane 200 by the rotation of the first vent pipe 408 alone, especially the two outer sides 211 of the inverted U-shaped frame assembly 210 of the crane 200.

[0064] Therefore, in order to cover more areas, the first vent pipe 408 is connected to a first moving mechanism 413 that drives it to move along a direction perpendicular to its axis; that is, when the first vent pipe 408 extends along the length direction X of the housing 401, the first moving mechanism 413 drives the first vent pipe 408 to move along the width direction Y of the housing 401; when the first vent pipe 408 extends along the width direction Y of the housing 401, the first moving mechanism 413 drives the first vent pipe 408 to move along the length direction X of the housing 401.

[0065] In practice, see the attached document. Figure 3 Appendix Figure 4 As shown, the first vent pipe 408 extends along the width direction Y of the housing 401, and the mounting bases 410 connected to both ends of the first vent pipe 408 are movably mounted on a guide rail, which is located at the bottom of the top plate 4031. Alternatively, it can be located on the inner side of the side plate. The first moving mechanism 413 employs a structure consisting of a motor and a lead screw, or can use known servo modules or other feasible devices. Furthermore, the first vent pipe 408 can move to the outer side 211 of the frame assembly 210 of the overhead crane 200, which is stopped inside the housing 401, as shown in the attached diagram. Figure 5 As shown. At this time, the first motor 411 that drives the first vent pipe 408 to rotate is mounted on the mounting base 410 at one end. At the same time, the first moving mechanism 413 is connected to the mounting base 410 on which the first motor 411 is mounted, so that the first vent pipe 408 can be moved more smoothly.

[0066] Correspondingly, as shown in the appendix Figure 3 Appendix Figure 4As shown, the second ion nozzle 407 is distributed along the length direction X or height direction of the housing 401 on the second vent pipe 414. The second vent pipe 414 is rotatably disposed within the housing 401 and connected to a second rotation drive mechanism 445 that drives its rotation. The rotation structure of the second vent pipe 414 and the second rotation drive mechanism 445 can refer to the rotation structure of the first vent pipe 408 and the first rotation drive mechanism 409, and will not be described in detail here.

[0067] Preferably, the second vent pipe 414 extends along the length direction X of the housing 401, and the height of the second vent pipe 414 is equivalent to the height of the internal track section 417, so that the second ion nozzle 407 on the second vent pipe 414 can be rotated to a position to blow the top of the frame assembly 210 of the crane 200 on the internal track section 417.

[0068] As attached Figure 4 As shown, the housing 401 is equipped with an electrostatic detection device 415 and a dust concentration detection device 416. The electrostatic detection device is mainly used to detect the charge on the overhead crane 200. It features non-contact measurement, high precision, and high stability. Based on the measurable distance, it can be classified into millimeter-level capacitive electrostatic sensors, centimeter-level inductive electrostatic sensors, meter-level photoelectric electrostatic sensors, and hundred-meter-level fiber optic electrostatic sensors. In this embodiment, an inductive electrostatic sensor is preferred. It utilizes changes in the electrostatic field to detect the amount of charge carried by the overhead crane 200 in real time. Its specific structure and detection principle are known technologies and not innovative in this invention; therefore, they will not be elaborated here.

[0069] The number and specific location of the electrostatic detection devices 415 can be set as needed. Preferably, the electrostatic detection devices 415 are located outside the internal track section 417 inside the housing 401, and multiple devices can be installed. This allows them to be as close as possible to the overhead crane, thereby accurately detecting the electrostatic condition on the crane. The internal track section 417 can be the portion of the maintenance track section 110 inserted into the housing 401. Alternatively, it can be a separate track section inside the housing 401, with both ends of the internal track section 417 separated from the maintenance track section 110 to facilitate the opening and closing of the door.

[0070] The dust concentration detection device 416 is located inside the housing near the air inlet of the exhaust device for more accurate detection. The specific location can be designed as needed, for example, it can be placed between two exhaust devices; no limitation is made here. Simultaneously, the dust concentration detection device 416 utilizes the principle of light scattering to detect dust concentration. When dust particles pass through a light beam, the light is scattered. By detecting parameters such as the intensity and angle of the scattered light, the dust concentration is calculated. It features fast response and high sensitivity. Its specific structure and detection principle are known technologies and not innovative in this invention; therefore, they will not be elaborated upon here.

[0071] The electrostatic detection device 415 and the dust concentration detection device 416 are connected to the maintenance controller 418 of the overhead crane maintenance equipment. The specific location of the maintenance controller 418 can be designed as needed, for example, it can be located outside or inside the housing. When the maintenance controller is located inside the housing, it can be placed in a position that does not obstruct airflow, or a groove can be provided on the side plate of the housing for the installation of the maintenance controller. No specific limitation is made here. The maintenance controller 418 controls the purging assembly to blow electrostatic elimination air or non-electrostatic elimination air or to start or stop, based on the detection results of the electrostatic detection device 415. At the same time, the maintenance controller 418 can also communicate with the conveying controller 300 through known communication methods.

[0072] To promptly determine whether each overhead crane 200 needs cleaning, when the number of cranes 200 in the system is small, an electrostatic discharge (ESD) sensor can be installed on each crane 200 to detect its static electricity level. However, for wafer fabs with a large number of cranes 200, installing an ESD sensor on each crane 200 is clearly uneconomical. Therefore, to reduce the number of ESD sensors and lower operating energy consumption, as shown in the attached... Figure 1 As shown, an electrostatic sensor 500 is installed in a predetermined intersection area 150 of the track 100. This predetermined intersection area 150 is, for example, the intersection area between the intermediate corridor section 120 and the production operation section 130. This is because the overhead crane needs to frequently pass through these predetermined intersection areas, and the crane's movement speed is relatively slow in these areas, allowing the electrostatic sensor 500 to detect static electricity more accurately. The electrostatic sensor 500 is the same as the electrostatic detection device in the crane maintenance equipment; however, it can also be other sensors capable of detecting static electricity, which is not limited here.

[0073] Simultaneously, the electrostatic sensor 500 communicates with the area access controller (ZCU controller) that controls passage through the predetermined intersection area 150. Preferably, the electrostatic sensor 500 and the area access controller are integrated together. When the overhead crane 200 passes through the predetermined intersection area it controls, the area access controller feeds back the detection result of the overhead crane 200 passing through the electrostatic sensor 500 to the transport controller 300. The transport controller 300 determines whether the overhead crane 200 that passed through the electrostatic sensor 500 needs to be cleaned based on the detection result of the electrostatic sensor 500. Of course, in other embodiments, cleaning can also be set to be performed once after each overhead crane 200 has traveled a predetermined distance or a predetermined time.

[0074] The crane maintenance method for the crane system is as follows:

[0075] When the conveying controller 300 determines that the detection result of the electrostatic sensor fed back by the area access controller is greater than the set value, it determines that the overhead crane 200 that has passed the electrostatic sensor needs to be cleaned. The conveying controller 300 then determines the overhead crane maintenance equipment 400 to which the overhead crane 200 should move and sends a feedback status message to the overhead crane maintenance equipment 400.

[0076] If the overhead crane maintenance device 400 does not provide feedback or sends a message to the conveyor controller indicating that it is undergoing manual maintenance or that there is an abnormality indicating that it cannot be cleaned normally, then the conveyor controller 300 re-determines the overhead crane maintenance device 400 to which the overhead crane 200 should move and sends a feedback status message to the re-determined overhead crane maintenance device 400.

[0077] If the maintenance controller 418 of the overhead crane maintenance equipment 400 to which the overhead crane 200 is to be moved determines that cleaning of the overhead crane 200 is currently underway, it sends a message of normal operation to the conveying controller 300.

[0078] If the maintenance controller 418 determines that cleaning is not currently being performed and the equipment is normal and requires no maintenance, it sends a message to the conveyor controller 300 indicating normal operation. Simultaneously, the maintenance controller 418 controls the overhead crane maintenance equipment to perform a self-check. This self-check includes determining whether the dust concentration inside the housing 401 is below a target value based on the detection results of the dust concentration detection device 416. If the dust concentration inside the housing 401 is determined to be above the target value, the blowing assembly 404 is activated to blow non-static eliminator air onto the inner wall of the housing 401 for cleaning. Simultaneously, the extraction device is controlled to extract air to achieve self-cleaning inside the housing 401. The self-check is completed when the dust concentration drops below the target value.

[0079] When the conveyor controller receives a message indicating normal operation from the overhead crane maintenance equipment 400, it determines that the overhead crane 200 can move to the overhead crane maintenance equipment 400 for cleaning. The conveyor controller 300 plans a movement path for the overhead crane 200 from its current position to the overhead crane maintenance equipment 400 and instructs the overhead crane 200 to stop at a designated position in the entry section 111 of the maintenance track section 110 where the overhead crane maintenance equipment 400 is located.

[0080] When the overhead crane 200 stops at the designated position of the entry section 111 of the maintenance track section 110, the overhead crane 200 requests the overhead crane maintenance equipment 400 to enter for cleaning.

[0081] At this time, the maintenance controller 418 of the overhead crane maintenance equipment 400 determines whether cleaning of the overhead crane 200 is currently possible. If it is currently cleaning another overhead crane 200 or undergoing self-check, it determines that the overhead crane 200 cannot be entered for cleaning, and the maintenance controller 418 sends a waiting message to the overhead crane 200. Of course, in other embodiments, the overhead crane maintenance equipment can perform the self-check operation only after receiving an entry request from the overhead crane.

[0082] When it is determined that another crane 200 has completed cleaning and the door of the exit doorway 402 has closed or completed its self-test, the maintenance controller 418 determines that the crane maintenance equipment 400 is ready to perform a new crane 200 cleaning. The maintenance controller 418 then controls the door of the entrance doorway 402 to open, and simultaneously or subsequently sends a message to the crane 200 outside the entrance doorway that it can enter. The crane 200 then begins to move into the crane maintenance equipment 400 and sends feedback to the transport controller 300 indicating that it has moved into the crane maintenance equipment 400. Communication between the crane 200 and the maintenance controller 418 can be achieved through known methods such as NFC communication, optical communication, or other wireless communication, which will not be elaborated here.

[0083] As attached Figure 3As shown, an entry detection sensor 600 can be installed at the entrance doorway to detect whether the overhead crane 200 has fully entered the overhead crane maintenance equipment 400. The entry detection sensor 600 can be, for example, a through-beam sensor or a proximity sensor, etc., and is not limited here. When the entry detection sensor 600 determines that the overhead crane 200 has fully entered the overhead crane maintenance equipment 400, the maintenance controller 418 controls the door of the door mechanism 402 at the entrance doorway to close. The overhead crane 200 moves to a stopping position on the internal track section 417 within the housing 401 and stops. The specific stopping position of the overhead crane 200 on the internal track section 417 is preferably such that the overhead crane 200 is located in the middle position within the housing 401. The overhead crane 200 can determine whether it has moved to the stopping position using known position confirmation methods such as code reading or tag reading, which will not be elaborated here. After the overhead crane 200 stops at the stop position, the overhead crane 200 can send a request to the maintenance controller 418 to start cleaning. Of course, other methods can also be used to trigger the overhead crane maintenance equipment to start cleaning. For example, a position detection sensor is set on the internal track section 417 to detect whether the overhead crane 200 has stopped at the parking position.

[0084] When the maintenance controller 418 receives a request to start cleaning or the positioning detection sensor detects a signal that the crane has stopped, it controls the purging assembly 404 to start blowing static electricity eliminating air onto the crane 200. Specifically, during purging, the traveling mechanism and the outer surface of the crane 200's frame assembly 210 are purged by the reciprocating movement and rotation of the first vent pipe, and the top and sides of the frame assembly 210 are purged by the reciprocating rotation of the second vent pipe. Furthermore, when the first vent pipe moves horizontally, it stops rotating. When the first vent pipe moves from one outer surface of the frame assembly 210 to the other, it rotates, causing the outlet of the first ion nozzle 406 on the first vent pipe to blow air towards the other outer surface of the frame assembly 210. The process is repeated by moving the first vent pipe in the opposite direction.

[0085] During maintenance, the electrostatic detection device 415 and the dust concentration detection device 416 continuously perform detection. The maintenance controller receives the detection results from the electrostatic detection device 415 and the dust concentration detection device 416. When it is determined that the detection result of the electrostatic detection device 415 is not lower than a first threshold, the blowing assembly 404 blows electrostatic elimination air. When it is determined that the detection result of the electrostatic detection device 415 is lower than the first threshold, if it is determined that the detection result of the dust concentration detection device 416 is not lower than a second threshold, the maintenance controller 418 controls the blowing assembly 404 to switch to blowing non-electrostatic elimination air. If it is determined that the detection result of the dust concentration detection device 416 is lower than the second threshold, the maintenance controller 418 controls the blowing assembly 404 to stop blowing and controls the exhaust device 405 to stop exhausting, thus confirming that cleaning is complete.

[0086] At this time, the maintenance controller 418 controls the door of the door mechanism 402 at the exit doorway to open, and the maintenance controller 418 notifies the overhead crane 200 to leave. The overhead crane 200 then starts to move out of the overhead crane maintenance equipment 400, as shown in the attached diagram. Figure 3 As shown, a departure sensor 700 can be installed at or outside the exit doorway of the overhead crane maintenance equipment 400 to detect whether the overhead crane 200 has left the overhead crane maintenance equipment 400. The departure sensor 700 can also be a through-beam sensor, proximity sensor, etc., and is not limited here. When it is determined that the overhead crane 200 has completely passed the departure sensor 700, the maintenance controller 418 controls the door of the door mechanism 402 at the exit doorway to close, waiting for the next cleaning.

[0087] The crane 200, having left the crane maintenance equipment 400, reports its position to the conveyor controller 300 and waits for the conveyor controller 300 to schedule it.

[0088] The door mechanism 402 at the entrance and exit door openings can be a known lifting door. For example, the door mechanism 402 includes a vertical door leaf that can cover the entrance or exit door opening. The door leaf opens and closes by moving up and down. The two sides of the door leaf are slidably arranged in the guide grooves 431 on both sides of the side plate 4033 and connected to an opening and closing drive structure that drives its up and down movement. The opening and closing drive mechanism 425 can be a structure composed of a motor and a lead screw, or it can be a known servo module or other device. It is not limited here. Moreover, preferably, the door leaf moves downward to open and moves upward to close.

[0089] However, in this embodiment, since there is only one door leaf, and an internal track section 417 needs to be installed inside the housing 401 for the crane 200 to move and stop, a certain gap needs to be maintained between the two ends of the internal track section 417 and the entry section 111 and exit section 112 of the maintenance track section 110 to allow the door leaf to move up and down to open and close. This gap between the internal track section 417 and the maintenance track section 110 can cause significant damage to the crane 200's wheels, increasing the equipment failure rate.

[0090] Therefore, in a more preferred manner, the inner track segment 417 needs to be seamless with the entry segment 111 and the exit segment 112.

[0091] Correspondingly, as shown in the appendix Figure 2 Appendix Figure 7 As shown, the door mechanism 402 includes an upper door leaf 419 and a lower door leaf 420 that move and open and close in a vertical direction. When the upper door leaf 419 and the lower door leaf 420 are closed, they combine to form a closed door leaf. A hole 421 is formed on the closed door leaf to fit the maintenance track section 110 or the internal track section 417. At this time, the maintenance track section 110 can pass through the housing 401 through the hole 421. Thus, the part of the maintenance track section 110 located inside the housing 401 is the internal track section 417. Of course, in another embodiment, the internal track segment 417 may not be integrally formed with the maintenance track segment 110, but may be an independently suspended track segment inside the housing 401. In this case, both ends of the internal track segment 417 may abut against the ends of the entry segment 111 and exit segment 112 of the maintenance track segment 110, and the entry segment 111 and exit segment 112 may extend into the housing 401 through the hole 421. Alternatively, both ends of the internal track segment 417 may extend out of the housing 401 through the hole 421. When the maintenance track segment 110 passes through the hole 421 or the internal track segment 417 passes through the hole 421, a closed space is formed inside the housing 401.

[0092] The shapes of the upper door leaf 419 and the lower door leaf 420 can be designed as needed. In a preferred embodiment, in order to facilitate processing and maintain sealing, the lower door leaf 420 is rectangular and has a first sealing strip 422 on its top. The lower side of the upper door leaf 419 forms a clearance opening 423 that matches the shape of the maintenance track section 110, and a second sealing strip 424 is provided on the top of the clearance opening. When the upper door leaf 419 and the lower door leaf 420 are closed, the bottom of the upper door leaf 419 and the inner track section 417 or the maintenance track section 110 are in contact with the first sealing strip on the top of the lower door leaf 420, and the second sealing strip on the top of the clearance opening is attached to the top of the inner track section 417 or the maintenance track section 110.

[0093] In one embodiment, the upper door leaf 419 and the lower door leaf 420 of each door mechanism 402 can be driven to move separately by two drivers. That is, the upper door leaf 419 can be driven to move up and down by a driver provided on the top plate 4031 or the side plate 4033, and the lower door leaf 420 can be driven to move up and down by another driver provided on the bottom plate 4032 or the side plate 4033. The driver can be, for example, a structure composed of a motor and a lead screw, or a known servo module or other feasible device, which is not limited here.

[0094] In a preferred embodiment, the upper door 419 and the lower door 420 are driven to open and close by an opening and closing drive mechanism 425 including a power source 426.

[0095] In one embodiment, as shown in the appendix Figure 2 Appendix Figure 7 As shown, the opening and closing drive mechanism 425 can adopt a structure of motor and lead screw cooperation. In this case, the motor is the power source, which can be fixed on the side plate 4033, the bottom plate, or the top plate. The lead screw extends in the vertical direction, and its screw includes an upper threaded section 427 and a lower threaded section 428. The extension length of the upper threaded section 427 is less than the extension length of the lower threaded section 428. At the same time, the upper threaded section 427 and the lower threaded section 428 are reverse threads, and the pitch of the lower threaded section 428 is greater than the pitch of the upper threaded section 427. Therefore, when the motor drives the lead screw to rotate, the upper nut 429 at the upper threaded section 427 and the lower nut 430 at the lower threaded section 428 move in opposite directions, which can drive one of the upper door leaf 419 and the lower door leaf 420 to move upward and the other to move downward, thereby realizing the opening and closing of the upper door leaf 419 and the lower door leaf 420. Furthermore, due to the different pitches, the travel of the lower nut 430 is greater than that of the upper nut 429. By reasonably setting the pitches of the lower thread section 428 and the upper thread section 427, the upper door leaf 419 and the lower door leaf 420 can be closed to form a closed door leaf when the motor stops.

[0096] As attached Figure 2 Appendix Figure 7As shown, the top plate 4031 and the bottom plate are provided with through holes or notches that are directly opposite to the through slots on the guide grooves 431 on both sides of the upper and lower door panels, so that the upper and lower door panels can pass through. At the same time, the top of the top plate 4031 is provided with 90° turning guide grooves 432 corresponding to the two guide grooves 431 respectively. The upper door panel 419 can be a plate with bending ability. The plate can be made of metal or plastic, etc., which is not limited here. When the upper door is opened, the two sides of the upper door 419 are slidably embedded between the grooves of the two 90° turning guide grooves 432. Thus, the 90° turning guide grooves 432 cause the part of the upper door 419 extending above the top plate 4031 to bend and extend horizontally instead of extending vertically upward. This can effectively reduce the height space required when the upper door 419 is opened, and can effectively reduce the height difference requirement between the track and the ceiling or ceiling, thereby helping the overhead crane maintenance equipment 400 to be effectively expanded and used on the existing track 100.

[0097] In another embodiment, as shown in the appendix Figure 8 Appendix Figure 9 As shown, the power source 426 of the opening and closing drive mechanism 425 is also a motor, which can be set on the side plate 4033 or other feasible positions. Preferably, the motor can be a known brake motor. The power source 426 is set on the inner side of the side plate 4033 on one side, and the power source 426 is biased towards the lower side of the side plate 4033. The power output shaft of the power source 426 is perpendicular to the side plate 4033, and a first gear 433 is coaxially connected to the power output shaft of the power source 426. The first gear 433 meshes with a first rack 434 extending vertically on the lower door leaf 420. The first rack 434 is cylindrical and movably set on the lower guide sleeve 435 on the bottom plate 4032. The upper end of the first rack 434 is connected to the lower door leaf 420 through a connector.

[0098] Meanwhile, the power output shaft of the power source 426 is also connected to the first rotating shaft 437 via a synchronous belt mechanism 436. The first rotating shaft is rotatably mounted inside the housing, and a second gear 438 is coaxially mounted on the first rotating shaft 437. The second gear 438 meshes with a third gear 439. The outer diameter of the third gear 439 is larger than that of the first gear. The third gear 439 is mounted on a second rotating shaft 440, which is rotatably mounted on a side plate 4033. A fourth gear 441 is coaxially mounted on the second rotating shaft, and the fourth gear 441 meshes with a second rack 442 on the upper door leaf 419. The second rack 442 is also cylindrical, and its side facing away from the upper door leaf 419 has teeth that mesh with the fourth gear 441. The lower end of the second rack 442 is connected to the upper door leaf 419 via a connector. The second rack 442 is movably mounted in the upper guide sleeve 443 mounted on the top plate 4031.

[0099] During operation, the power source 426 drives the first gear 433 to rotate, which in turn drives the first rack 434 to move up and down. Simultaneously, the power source 426 drives the first rotating shaft 437 to rotate via the synchronous belt mechanism 436. The second gear 438 on the first rotating shaft 437 drives the third gear, which in turn drives the fourth gear to rotate. The fourth gear drives the second rack 442 to move up and down. The movements of the first rack 434 and the second rack 442 are opposite, that is, when the first rack 434 moves up, the second rack 442 moves down, and when the first rack 434 moves down, the second rack 442 moves up. In the same amount of time, the travel distance of the first rack 434 is greater than that of the second rack 442.

[0100] By reasonably setting the outer diameter of different gears, it is possible to effectively achieve different strokes for the upper door leaf 419 and the lower door leaf 420 when the power source 426 is started, and to achieve a closed door leaf when the power source 426 drives the upper door leaf 419 and the lower door leaf 420 to close, and when the power source 426 stops.

[0101] Furthermore, the movement of the crane 200 within the housing 401 requires a certain power supply structure. The existing power supply method involves setting a power cable on the track 100 and installing a power source on the crane 200 to achieve wireless power supply. To simplify the power supply structure, as shown in the attached diagram... Figure 4 As shown, the inner sides of the two monorails of the internal track section 417 are respectively provided with power supply cables 444 for power supply, and the power supply cables 444 are integrated with the power supply cables provided on the two monorails of the maintenance track section 110.

[0102] This invention has many other embodiments, and all technical solutions formed by equivalent transformation or equivalent transformation fall within the protection scope of this invention.

Claims

1. A crane system, comprising a track and a crane running on the track, the track including a maintenance track section set at a designated location, a crane maintenance device being provided at the maintenance track section, the crane maintenance device including a housing, at least one doorway being provided on the side of the housing, and a door mechanism for opening and closing the doorway being provided on the housing, characterized in that: When the door of the door mechanism is closed, a closed space is formed inside the housing; The housing is provided with a purging assembly that can selectively blow static-eliminating air or non-static-eliminating air from the top of the crane inside the housing and / or from at least one side of the crane toward the crane, and the bottom and / or side of the housing is provided with an exhaust device. The housing is equipped with an electrostatic detection device and a dust concentration detection device that communicate with the maintenance controller of the overhead crane maintenance equipment. During maintenance, when the maintenance controller determines that the detection result of the electrostatic detection device is not lower than the first threshold, it controls the blowing assembly to blow electrostatic elimination air; when it determines that the detection result of the electrostatic detection device is lower than the first threshold, it controls the blowing assembly to blow non-electrostatic elimination air or to stop blowing air according to the detection result of the dust concentration detection device.

2. The overhead crane system according to claim 1, characterized in that: An electrostatic sensor is installed in the predetermined intersection area of ​​the track. The electrostatic sensor communicates with the area access controller that controls the passage in the predetermined intersection area. When the crane passes through the electrostatic sensor in the predetermined intersection area, the area access controller feeds back the detection result of the electrostatic sensor to the transport controller.

3. The overhead crane system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The purging assembly includes a set of first ion nozzles for purging the overhead crane from the top and a set of second ion nozzles for purging the overhead crane from the side. The purging directions of the first and second ion nozzles are adjustable.

4. The overhead crane system according to claim 3, characterized in that: The first ion nozzle is distributed along the width or length of the housing and is disposed on the first vent pipe. The first vent pipe is rotatably disposed inside the housing and is connected to a first rotary drive mechanism that drives its rotation. The second ion nozzle is distributed along the length or height of the housing on the second vent pipe, and the second vent pipe is rotatably disposed inside the housing and connected to a second rotary drive mechanism that drives its rotation.

5. The overhead crane system according to claim 4, characterized in that: The first vent pipe extends along the width direction of the housing and is connected to a first moving mechanism that drives it to move along the length direction of the housing. The second vent pipe extends along the length of the housing, and the second ion nozzle on the second vent pipe can be rotated to a position to blow the top of the frame assembly of the crane on the internal track section.

6. The overhead crane system according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that: The door mechanism includes an upper door leaf and a lower door leaf that move and open / close in a vertical direction. When the upper door leaf and the lower door leaf are closed, they combine to form a closed door leaf. The closed door leaf has holes that are adapted to an internal track section or a maintenance track section inside the housing. The internal track section is either a portion of the maintenance track section that extends into the housing or the end of the internal track section abuts against the end of the maintenance track section.

7. The overhead crane system according to claim 6, characterized in that: The lower door leaf is rectangular and has a first sealing strip at its top. The lower side of the upper door leaf has a clearance opening that matches the shape of the maintenance track section or the internal track section, and the top of the clearance opening has a second sealing strip.

8. The overhead crane system according to claim 6, characterized in that: The upper and lower door panels are opened and closed by an opening and closing drive mechanism including a power source.

9. The overhead crane system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The internal track section inside the housing is equipped with a power supply cable for power supply, and the power supply cable is integrated with the power supply cable on the maintenance track section.

10. The crane maintenance method for the crane system according to any one of claims 1-9, characterized in that: When the crane stops inside the crane maintenance equipment and the door of the door mechanism is closed, the maintenance controller controls the purging assembly to start blowing static electricity elimination air onto the crane; The maintenance controller receives the detection results from the electrostatic detection device and the dust concentration detection device; When the detection result of the electrostatic detection device is determined to be not lower than the first threshold, the maintenance controller controls the purging assembly to blow static electricity elimination air. When the detection result of the electrostatic detection device is determined to be lower than the first threshold, the maintenance controller controls the blowing assembly to blow non-static elimination air or stop blowing air based on the detection result of the dust concentration detection device.

11. A crane maintenance device, comprising a housing, wherein at least one doorway is provided on the side of the housing, and a door mechanism for opening and closing the doorway is provided on the housing, characterized in that: When the door of the door mechanism is closed, a closed space is formed inside the housing; The housing is provided with a purging assembly that can selectively blow static-eliminating air or non-static-eliminating air from the top of the crane inside the housing and / or from at least one side of the crane toward the crane, and the bottom and / or side of the housing is provided with an exhaust device. The housing is equipped with an electrostatic detection device and a dust concentration detection device that communicate with the maintenance controller of the overhead crane maintenance equipment. During maintenance, when the maintenance controller determines that the detection result of the electrostatic detection device is not lower than the first threshold, it controls the blowing assembly to blow electrostatic elimination air; when it determines that the detection result of the electrostatic detection device is lower than the first threshold, it controls the blowing assembly to blow non-electrostatic elimination air or to stop blowing air according to the detection result of the dust concentration detection device.

Images