Monitoring device, monitoring method and production system

Abstract

This invention relates to a monitoring device, comprising a first monitoring element, a second monitoring element, a third monitoring element, and a control mechanism. The first monitoring element is disposed on one side of a closed-loop path and is used to detect the position information of a transport vehicle. The second monitoring element is disposed on the opposite side of the closed-loop path away from the first monitoring element and is used to detect the position information of the transport vehicle. The third monitoring element is disposed on the side of a straight path facing the conveying direction of a hopper and is used to detect the position information of the hopper. By configuring the above-mentioned monitoring device, the control mechanism can control the transport vehicle or the hopper to preferentially pass through the intersection area based on the position information detected by the first, second, and third monitoring elements, thereby avoiding collisions between the transport vehicle and the hopper in the intersection area and improving safety. This invention also relates to a monitoring method and a production system.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of prefabricated component production technology, and in particular to a monitoring device, monitoring method and production system. Background Technology

[0002] In the prefabricated component production process, the mixed materials at the mixing plant are conveyed through hoppers, while the finished components are transported by transport vehicles. Multiple hoppers transport materials to their corresponding production lines, unload them, and then return to the mixing plant to await further material. Therefore, the hoppers form a closed loop. The transport vehicles, on the other hand, transport the components from the component unloading area to the finished product stacking area and then back to the component unloading area. The transport vehicles follow a straight line.

[0003] Currently, there is an intersection and interference area between the circular conveying route of the feeding hopper and the straight conveying route of the transport vehicle. When the feeding hopper and the transport vehicle travel to the intersection and interference area at the same time, a collision is likely to occur, posing a significant safety hazard. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a monitoring device, monitoring method, and production system to prevent collisions between existing hoppers and transport vehicles and improve safety, in order to address the problem that existing hoppers and transport vehicles are prone to collisions.

[0005] A monitoring device is used to monitor a transport vehicle and a hopper, wherein the straight path of the transport vehicle moving back and forth intersects the closed-loop path of the hopper moving in a circular motion to form an intersection area, the monitoring device comprising:

[0006] The first monitoring device is disposed on one side of the closed-loop path, and the first monitoring device is used to detect the position information of the transport vehicle;

[0007] The second monitoring device is disposed on the opposite side of the closed-loop path from the first monitoring device, and the second monitoring device is used to detect the position information of the transport vehicle.

[0008] A third monitoring element is disposed on the side of the straight path facing the conveying direction of the hopper; the third monitoring element is used to detect the position information of the hopper; and

[0009] A control mechanism is connected to the feeding hopper, the transport vehicle, and the first monitoring element, the second monitoring element, and the third monitoring element, respectively.

[0010] The control mechanism is used to control one of the feeding hopper and the transport vehicle to pass through the intersection area preferentially based on the position information obtained by the first monitoring device, the second monitoring device and the third monitoring device.

[0011] By setting up the aforementioned monitoring devices, when the transport vehicle moves to the vicinity of the intersection area first, the first or second monitoring element will detect the position information of the transport vehicle first, and the control mechanism will control the transport vehicle to pass through the intersection area first based on the position information; when the hopper and the transport vehicle move to the vicinity of the intersection area at the same time, the first or second monitoring element detects the position information of the transport vehicle, and the third monitoring element also detects the position information of the hopper, and the control mechanism will control the hopper to pass through the intersection area first based on the position information; when the hopper moves to the vicinity of the intersection area first, the third monitoring element detects the position information of the hopper first, and the control mechanism will control the hopper to pass through the intersection area first based on the position information.

[0012] In this way, the control mechanism can control the transport vehicle or the feeding hopper to pass through the intersection area preferentially based on the position information detected by the first monitoring device, the second monitoring device and the third monitoring device, thereby avoiding collisions between the transport vehicle and the feeding hopper in the intersection area and improving safety.

[0013] In one embodiment, the monitoring device further includes a fourth monitoring element and a fifth monitoring element connected to the control mechanism. The first monitoring element and the fourth monitoring element are disposed on the same side of the closed-loop path, and the first monitoring element is located on the side of the fourth monitoring element away from the closed-loop path. The fourth monitoring element is used to detect the position information of the transport vehicle.

[0014] The second monitoring element and the fifth monitoring element are disposed on the same side of the closed-loop path, and the second monitoring element is located on the side of the fifth monitoring element away from the closed-loop path. The fifth monitoring element is used to detect the position information of the transport vehicle.

[0015] The control mechanism is used to control the transport vehicle to stop moving based on the location information obtained by the fourth or fifth monitoring device.

[0016] In one embodiment, the monitoring device further includes a sixth monitoring element connected to the control mechanism. The third monitoring element and the sixth monitoring element are disposed on the same side of the straight path, and the third monitoring element is located on the side of the sixth monitoring element away from the straight path. The sixth monitoring element is used to detect the position information of the feeding hopper, and the control mechanism is used to control the feeding hopper to stop moving based on the position information obtained by the sixth monitoring element.

[0017] In one embodiment, the monitoring device further includes a seventh monitoring element connected to a control mechanism. The seventh monitoring element is disposed on the opposite side of the straight path from the third monitoring element. The seventh monitoring element is used to detect the position information of the feed hopper, and the control mechanism is used to control the movement of the transport vehicle based on the position information obtained by the seventh monitoring element.

[0018] A monitoring method for monitoring a transport vehicle and a hopper, wherein the straight path of the transport vehicle moving back and forth intersects the closed-loop path of the hopper moving in a circular motion to form an intersection area, the monitoring method comprising the steps of:

[0019] Obtain the location information of the transport vehicle;

[0020] Obtain the position information of the feeding hopper;

[0021] Based on the acquired location information, one of the feeding hopper and the transport vehicle is controlled to preferentially pass through the intersection area.

[0022] In one embodiment, when the first or second monitoring element detects the position information of the transport vehicle before the third monitoring element detects the position information of the hopper, the control mechanism controls the transport vehicle to pass through the intersection area first.

[0023] When the third monitoring device detects the position information of the hopper before the first monitoring device or the second monitoring device detects the position information of the transport vehicle, the control mechanism controls the hopper to pass through the intersection area first.

[0024] When the third monitoring device detects the position information of the hopper at the same time that the first monitoring device or the second monitoring device detects the position information of the transport vehicle, the control mechanism controls the hopper to pass through the intersection area first.

[0025] In one embodiment, the step of obtaining the location information of the transport vehicle includes:

[0026] The location information of the transport vehicle is detected by the first or fourth monitoring device; or

[0027] The location information of the transport vehicle is detected by a second or fifth monitoring device.

[0028] In one embodiment, the step of obtaining the position information of the feeding hopper includes:

[0029] The position information of the feed hopper is detected by a third or sixth monitoring device.

[0030] A production system includes a transport vehicle, a feeding hopper, and a monitoring device as described above;

[0031] The transport vehicle is configured to move back and forth along a straight path for transporting the first material;

[0032] The feeding hopper is cyclically movable along a closed-loop path for conveying a second material, and the straight path intersects the closed-loop path to form an intersection area.

[0033] In one embodiment, the production system includes a plurality of transport vehicles, each of which has a straight path, all of which are parallel to each other and each of which intersects the closed-loop path to form two intersection areas.

[0034] The monitoring device includes multiple first monitoring elements, multiple second monitoring elements, and multiple third monitoring elements. The corresponding first monitoring elements, corresponding second monitoring elements, and corresponding third monitoring elements are disposed outside a corresponding intersection area to detect the position information of the transport vehicle or the feed hopper passing through the corresponding intersection area. Attached Figure Description

[0035] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0036] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a production system provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 2 for Figure 1 Enlarged view of point A in the middle;

[0038] Figure 3 for Figure 2 A structural schematic diagram of the transport vehicle and feeding hopper from another angle;

[0039] Figure 4 for Figure 2 A structural diagram of the transport vehicle and feeding hopper from another angle. Detailed Implementation

[0040] To make the above-mentioned objects, features, and advantages of the present invention more apparent and understandable, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Many specific details are set forth in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, the present invention can be practiced in many other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar modifications without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0041] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "clockwise," "counterclockwise," "axial," "radial," and "circumferential" indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the 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. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this invention.

[0042] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this invention, "a plurality of" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0043] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components, unless otherwise explicitly limited. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0044] In the present invention, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, when a first feature is "above" or "below" a second feature, it may mean that the first and second features are in direct contact, or that the first and second features are in indirect contact through an intermediary. Furthermore, when a first feature is "above," "above," or "above" a second feature, it may mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is at a higher level than the second feature. When a first feature is "below," "below," or "below" a second feature, it may mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is at a lower level than the second feature.

[0045] It should be noted that when an element is referred to as being "fixed to" or "set on" another element, it can be directly on the other element or there may be an intervening element. When an element is considered to be "connected to" another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or there may be an intervening element. The terms "vertical," "horizontal," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," and similar expressions used herein are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the only possible implementation.

[0046] like Figure 1 As shown, an embodiment of the present invention provides a production system 100, including a transport vehicle 12 and a feeding hopper 22.

[0047] The transport vehicle 12 is arranged to move back and forth along a straight path, that is, the movement path of the transport vehicle 12 is a straight path. The transport vehicle 12 is used to transport the first material. The feeding hopper 22 is arranged to move cyclically along a closed loop path, that is, the movement path of the feeding hopper 22 is a closed loop path. The feeding hopper 22 is used to transport the second material. The straight path and the closed loop path intersect each other to form an intersection area.

[0048] It should be noted that, Figure 1 In the middle, the feeding hopper 22 moves in a clockwise direction along the closed loop path, while the transport vehicle 12 moves back and forth from left to right and from right to left.

[0049] Please also refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4 Furthermore, the production system also includes a first track 11 and a second track 21. The first track 11 is a straight track, while the second track 21 is a ring track with its ends connected to form a loop. The transport vehicle 12 is reciprocally mounted on the first track 11, and the feeding hopper 22 is cyclically mounted on the second track 21.

[0050] It is understandable that a straight path is the path along which the transport vehicle 12 moves on the first track 11, while a closed-loop path is the path along which the hopper 22 moves on the second track 21. In practical applications, the first track 11 is located below the second track 21.

[0051] also, Figure 4 Area B in the diagram represents the area where the transport vehicle 12 and the feeding hopper 22 collide.

[0052] Please see Figure 2 In some embodiments, the production system further includes a monitoring device, which includes a first monitoring element 31, a second monitoring element 32, a third monitoring element 33, and a control mechanism.

[0053] The first monitoring element 31 is set on one side of the closed-loop path and is used to detect the position information of the transport vehicle 12.

[0054] The second monitoring element 32 is located on the opposite side of the closed-loop path from the first monitoring element 31. The second monitoring element 32 is used to detect the position information of the transport vehicle 12.

[0055] The third monitoring element 33 is located on the side of the straight path facing the conveying direction of the feed hopper 22. The third monitoring element 33 is used to detect the position information of the feed hopper 22.

[0056] The control mechanism is connected to the transport vehicle 12, the feeding hopper 22, the first monitoring element 31, the second monitoring element 32 and the third monitoring element 33 respectively. The control mechanism is used to control one of the transport vehicle 12 and the feeding hopper 22 to pass through the intersection area first, based on the position information detected by the first monitoring element 31, the second monitoring element 32 and the third monitoring element 33.

[0057] The transport vehicle 12 can move back and forth on a straight path. The first monitoring element 31 and the second monitoring element 32 are located on both sides of the closed-loop path, respectively, and can be used to detect the position information of the transport vehicle 12 when it moves in two directions on the straight path. The feeding hopper 22 moves cyclically in one direction on the closed-loop path. The third monitoring element 33 is located on the side of the straight path facing the conveying direction of the feeding hopper 22. That is, the feeding hopper 22 will pass the third monitoring element 33 before moving to the intersection area.

[0058] By setting up the aforementioned monitoring devices, when the transport vehicle 12 moves to the vicinity of the intersection area first, the first monitoring element 31 or the second monitoring element 32 will detect the position information of the transport vehicle 12 first, and the control mechanism will control the transport vehicle 12 to pass through the intersection area first based on the position information; when the hopper 22 and the transport vehicle 12 move to the vicinity of the intersection area at the same time, the first monitoring element 31 or the second monitoring element 32 detects the position information of the transport vehicle 12, and the third monitoring element 33 also detects the position information of the hopper 22, and the control mechanism will control the hopper 22 to pass through the intersection area first based on the position information; when the hopper 22 moves to the vicinity of the intersection area first, the third monitoring element 33 detects the position information of the hopper 22 first, and the control mechanism will control the hopper 22 to pass through the intersection area first based on the position information.

[0059] Based on the position information detected by the first monitoring element 31, the second monitoring element 32 and the third monitoring element 33, the control mechanism can control the transport vehicle 12 or the feeding hopper 22 to pass through the intersection area first, thereby avoiding collisions between the transport vehicle 12 and the feeding hopper 22 in the intersection area and improving safety.

[0060] It should be noted that when the first monitoring element 31 or the second monitoring element 32 detects the position information of the transport vehicle 12 while the third monitoring element 33 detects the position information of the feeding hopper 22, since the moving speed of the feeding hopper 22 is faster than that of the transport vehicle 12, and the material conveying frequency of the transport vehicle 12 is lower than that of the feeding hopper 22, the feeding hopper 22 is prioritized to pass through the intersection area, and the transport vehicle 12 stops moving at this time. In this way, both the high efficiency of material conveying by the feeding hopper 22 and the low frequency of transport by the transport vehicle 12 are taken into account, thereby improving the efficiency of material conveying.

[0061] Meanwhile, the first monitoring element 31 and the second monitoring element 32 are located on both sides of the closed-loop path, respectively, and are used to detect the transport vehicle 12 moving back and forth in two directions. When the transport vehicle 12 moves to the corresponding position near the intersection area, the first monitoring element 31 or the second monitoring element 32 is triggered to obtain the position information of the transport vehicle 12. Similarly, the third monitoring element 33 is also triggered when the hopper 22 moves to the corresponding position near the intersection area to obtain the position information of the hopper 22.

[0062] Furthermore, the third monitoring element 33 is located on the side of the straight path facing the conveying direction of the hopper 22. This means that the hopper 22 will first pass the third monitoring element 33 during its movement, and then pass through the intersection area. The side of the straight path facing the conveying direction of the hopper 22 is... Figure 2 The upper side of the middle.

[0063] It should be explained that when the transport vehicle 12 moves to the position where the first monitoring element 31 or the second monitoring element 32 is triggered, it will not collide with the hopper 22 moving on the closed-loop path; and when the hopper 22 moves to the position where the third monitoring element 33 is triggered, it will also not collide with the transport vehicle 12 moving back and forth on the straight path.

[0064] In other words, when the transport vehicle 12 passes through the intersection area first, the hopper 22 can continue to move. However, when the hopper 22 moves to the position where the third monitoring element 33 is triggered, the hopper 22 needs to stop moving to avoid colliding with the transport vehicle 12. Similarly, when the hopper 22 passes through the intersection area first, the transport vehicle 12 also needs to stop moving after moving to the position where the first monitoring element 31 or the second monitoring element 32 is triggered.

[0065] It needs to be further explained that, assuming the transport vehicle 12 moves from right to left, if the transport vehicle 12 passes through the intersection area first, the transport vehicle 12 will first trigger the first monitoring device 31, and then trigger the second monitoring device 32. If the second monitoring device 32 detects the position information of the transport vehicle 12 first, and then no longer detects the position information of the transport vehicle 12, it means that the transport vehicle 12 has left the intersection area, and the hopper 22 can pass through the intersection area at this time.

[0066] Similarly, assuming the transport vehicle 12 moves from left to right, if the first monitoring component 31 detects the position information of the transport vehicle 12 first, and then no longer detects the position information of the transport vehicle 12, it means that the transport vehicle 12 has left the intersection area, and the hopper 22 can pass through the intersection area.

[0067] In some embodiments, the monitoring device further includes a fourth monitoring element 34 connected to the control mechanism. The first monitoring element 31 and the fourth monitoring element 34 are disposed on the same side of the closed-loop path, and the first monitoring element 31 is located on the side of the fourth monitoring element 34 away from the closed-loop path. The fourth monitoring element 34 is used to detect the position information of the transport vehicle 12, and the control mechanism is used to control the transport vehicle 12 to stop moving based on the position information obtained by the fourth monitoring element 34.

[0068] Combination Figure 2 It should be explained that, assuming the transport vehicle 12 moves from right to left, the first monitoring element 31 will detect the position information of the transport vehicle 12 before the fourth monitoring element 34. When the first monitoring element 31 detects the position information of the transport vehicle 12, it means that the transport vehicle 12 has entered the vicinity of the intersection area.

[0069] When the transport vehicle 12 has priority to pass through the intersection area, the transport vehicle 12 can pass through the intersection area directly; however, when the hopper 22 has priority to pass through the intersection area, once the transport vehicle 12 moves to the position that triggers the fourth monitoring element 34, the fourth monitoring element 34 is triggered, and the control mechanism immediately controls the transport vehicle 12 to stop moving.

[0070] Furthermore, the monitoring device also includes a fifth monitoring element 35 connected to the control mechanism. The second monitoring element 32 and the fifth monitoring element 35 are located on the same side of the closed-loop path, and the second monitoring element 32 is located on the side of the fifth monitoring element 35 away from the closed-loop path. The fifth monitoring element 35 is used to detect the position information of the transport vehicle 12, and the control mechanism is used to control the transport vehicle 12 to stop moving based on the position information obtained by the fifth monitoring element 35.

[0071] Combination Figure 2It is understood that the first monitoring element 31 and the fourth monitoring element 34 are used to function when the transport vehicle 12 moves from right to left, that is, to obtain the position information of the transport vehicle 12 and determine whether the transport vehicle 12 should pass through the intersection area first based on the position information. When the hopper 22 passes through the intersection area first, the transport vehicle 12 is controlled to stop moving based on the position information detected by the fourth monitoring element 34. The second monitoring element 32 and the fifth monitoring element 35 are used to function when the transport vehicle 12 moves from left to right.

[0072] Meanwhile, assuming the transport vehicle 12 moves from left to right, the second monitoring element 32 will detect the position information of the transport vehicle 12 before the fifth monitoring element 35. When the second monitoring element 32 detects the position information of the transport vehicle 12, it means that the transport vehicle 12 has entered the vicinity of the intersection area.

[0073] When the transport vehicle 12 has priority to pass through the intersection area, the transport vehicle 12 can pass through the intersection area directly; however, when the hopper 22 has priority to pass through the intersection area, once the transport vehicle 12 moves to the position that triggers the fifth monitoring element 35, the fifth monitoring element 35 is triggered, and the control mechanism immediately controls the transport vehicle 12 to stop moving.

[0074] Furthermore, correspondingly, assuming the transport vehicle 12 moves from right to left, when the fifth monitoring element 35 first detects the position information of the transport vehicle 12 and then no longer detects the position information of the transport vehicle 12, the feeding hopper 22 can pass through the intersection area; similarly, when the transport vehicle 12 moves from left to right, the fourth monitoring element 34 plays the same role.

[0075] In some embodiments, the monitoring device further includes a sixth monitoring element 36 connected to the control mechanism. The third monitoring element 33 and the sixth monitoring element 36 are disposed on the same side of the straight path, and the third monitoring element 33 is located on the side of the sixth monitoring element 36 away from the straight path. The sixth monitoring element 36 is used to detect the position information of the feeding hopper 22, and the control mechanism is used to control the feeding hopper 22 to stop moving based on the position information obtained by the sixth monitoring element 36.

[0076] Similarly, when the hopper 22 moves near the intersection area, the third monitoring element 33 will detect the position information of the hopper 22 before the sixth monitoring element 36. When the transport vehicle 12 passes through the intersection area first, once the hopper 22 moves to the position that triggers the sixth monitoring element 36, the sixth monitoring element 36 will be triggered, and the control mechanism will immediately control the hopper 22 to stop moving; when the hopper 22 passes through the intersection area first, the hopper 22 can pass through the intersection area directly.

[0077] Furthermore, the monitoring device also includes a seventh monitoring element 37 connected to the control mechanism. The seventh monitoring element 37 is located on the other side of the straight path away from the third monitoring element 33, and the seventh monitoring element 37 is also used to detect the position information of the feed hopper 22. The control mechanism is used to control the movement of the transport vehicle 12 based on the position information obtained by the seventh monitoring element 37.

[0078] During the movement of the hopper 22, if the seventh monitoring element 37 detects the position information of the hopper 22 first and then stops detecting the position information of the hopper 22, it means that the hopper 22 has left the intersection area and the transport vehicle 12 can pass through the intersection area.

[0079] In some embodiments, the first monitoring element 31, the second monitoring element 32, the third monitoring element 33, the fourth monitoring element 34, the fifth monitoring element 35, the sixth monitoring element 36, and the seventh monitoring element 37 are all infrared sensors or photoelectric sensors, which are triggered when the transport vehicle 12 or the feed hopper 22 moves to a preset position.

[0080] This explains why the aforementioned monitoring device detects the position information of the transport vehicle 12 or the hopper 22. It means that when the transport vehicle 12 or the hopper 22 moves to the corresponding position, the monitoring device is triggered, thereby obtaining the position information of the transport vehicle 12 or the hopper 22 at this time.

[0081] In some embodiments, the first monitoring element 31, the fourth monitoring element 34, the fifth monitoring element 35 and the second monitoring element 32 are arranged at intervals along a straight path, while the third monitoring element 33, the sixth monitoring element 36 and the seventh monitoring element 37 are arranged at intervals along a closed-loop path.

[0082] Please see Figure 3 and Figure 4 In some embodiments, the production system further includes a first mounting frame 13, which is disposed on one side of the straight path and located below the second track 21. The first monitoring element 31, the fourth monitoring element 34, the fifth monitoring element 35 and the second monitoring element 32 are all mounted on the first mounting frame 13.

[0083] Furthermore, the production system also includes a second mounting frame 23, which is located on one side of the closed-loop path and above the first track 11 and the transport vehicle 12. That is, the transport vehicle 12 will not collide with the second mounting frame 23 during movement. The third monitoring element 33, the sixth monitoring element 36 and the seventh monitoring element 37 are all mounted on the second mounting frame 23.

[0084] Please see Figures 1-4In some embodiments, the control mechanism includes a monitoring and control assembly 41, which is connected to a first monitoring element 31, a second monitoring element 32, a third monitoring element 33, a fourth monitoring element 34, a fifth monitoring element 35, a sixth monitoring element 36, and a seventh monitoring element 37. After the monitoring and control assembly 41 obtains the position information detected by the monitoring elements, it controls the transport vehicle 12 or the hopper 22 to pass through the intersection area first and the hopper 22 or the transport vehicle 12 to stop moving.

[0085] Furthermore, the control mechanism also includes a transport vehicle control assembly 42 and a hopper controller 43. The transport vehicle control assembly 42 is mounted on the transport vehicle 12, and the hopper controller 43 is mounted on the hopper 22. The monitoring and control assembly 41 is connected to the transport vehicle control assembly 42 and the hopper controller 43 respectively.

[0086] After the monitoring and control assembly 41 obtains the location information of the monitored component, it sends the instructions for the transport vehicle 12 or the hopper 22 to pass through the intersection area first and for the hopper 22 or the transport vehicle 12 to stop moving to the transport vehicle control assembly 42 and the hopper controller 43. Then, the transport vehicle control assembly 42 controls the transport vehicle 12 to move according to the instructions, and the hopper controller 43 controls the hopper 22 to move according to the instructions.

[0087] In practical applications, the control mechanism also includes a hopper control assembly 44. The monitoring and control assembly 41 is wirelessly connected to the transport vehicle control assembly 42 and the hopper control assembly 44, respectively. The hopper control assembly 44 is wirelessly connected to the hopper controller 43. After the monitoring and control assembly 41 obtains the position information of the monitored component, it sends instructions to the transport vehicle control assembly 42 and the hopper control assembly 44 to prioritize the passage of the transport vehicle 12 or the hopper 22 through the intersection area and to stop the movement of the hopper 22 or the transport vehicle 12. Then, the transport vehicle control assembly 42 controls the transport vehicle 12 to move according to the instructions, and the hopper control assembly 44 sends the corresponding instructions to the hopper controller 43 to control the movement of the hopper 22.

[0088] Specifically, the connection between the monitoring and control assembly 41 and the hopper control assembly 44, the connection between the hopper controller 43 and the hopper control assembly 44, and the connection between the monitoring and control assembly 41 and the transport vehicle control assembly 42 can all be WiFi connection.

[0089] Assume transport vehicle 12 moves from right to left:

[0090] When the first monitoring element 31 detects the position information of the transport vehicle 12, the monitoring and control assembly 41 acquires the position information and sends instructions to the transport vehicle control assembly 42 and the hopper control assembly 44 respectively. The hopper control assembly 44 sends instructions to the hopper controller 43. The transport vehicle control assembly 42 controls the transport vehicle 12 to continue moving to pass directly through the intersection area. The hopper controller 43 will prevent the hopper 22 from passing through the intersection area, for example, by controlling the hopper 22 to stop at the position that triggers the third monitoring element 33.

[0091] Once the feed hopper 22 moves to the position that triggers the sixth monitoring element 36, the monitoring and control assembly 41 obtains the position information and sends a command to the feed hopper control assembly 44. The feed hopper control assembly 44 then sends a command to the feed hopper controller 43. The feed hopper controller 43 will directly disconnect the power supply that drives the feed hopper 22 to move, thereby forcibly stopping the movement of the feed hopper 22 to avoid collision.

[0092] When the third monitoring element 33 first detects the position information of the hopper 22, the monitoring and control assembly 41 acquires the position information and sends instructions to the transport vehicle control assembly 42 and the hopper control assembly 44 respectively. The hopper control assembly 44 sends instructions to the hopper controller 43, which controls the hopper 22 to continue moving to pass directly through the intersection area. The transport vehicle control assembly 42 will prevent the transport vehicle 12 from passing through the intersection area, for example, by controlling the transport vehicle 12 to stop at the position that triggered the first monitoring element 31.

[0093] Once the transport vehicle 12 moves to the position that triggers the fourth monitoring element 34, the monitoring and control assembly 41 obtains the position information and sends a command to the transport vehicle control assembly 42. The transport vehicle control assembly 42 will directly disconnect the power supply that drives the transport vehicle 12 to move, thereby forcibly stopping the movement of the transport vehicle 12 to avoid a collision.

[0094] At the same time that the first monitoring element 31 detects the position information of the transport vehicle 12, the third monitoring element 33 detects the position information of the feeding hopper 22. The control method is the same as when the third monitoring element 33 first detects the position information of the feeding hopper 22.

[0095] When the transport vehicle 12 malfunctions, the transport vehicle control assembly 42 sends fault information to the monitoring control assembly 41. The monitoring control assembly 41 then sends a command to the hopper control assembly 44, which in turn sends a command to the hopper controller 43. The hopper controller 43 directly disconnects the power supply to the hopper 22, forcibly stopping its movement. Similarly, when the hopper 22 malfunctions, the hopper controller 43 sends fault information to the monitoring control assembly 41 via the hopper control assembly 44. The monitoring control assembly 41 then sends a command to the transport vehicle control assembly 42, which directly disconnects the power supply to the transport vehicle 12, forcibly stopping its movement. This is done to prevent collisions.

[0096] Please see Figure 1 In some embodiments, the production system includes multiple transport vehicles 12, each of which has a straight path. All straight paths are parallel to each other, and each straight path intersects a closed-loop path to form two intersection areas.

[0097] In other words, there are multiple transport vehicles 12 and multiple first tracks 11. Each first track 11 intersects with the second track 21 in two areas, that is, each first track 11 and the second track 21 has two intersecting areas.

[0098] Furthermore, there are multiple first monitoring elements 31, second monitoring elements 32 and third monitoring elements 33. The corresponding first monitoring element 31, the corresponding second monitoring element 32 and the corresponding third monitoring element 33 are set outside the corresponding intersection area to detect the position information of the transport vehicle 12 or the feed hopper 22 passing through the corresponding intersection area, thereby avoiding collision between the transport vehicle 12 and the feed hopper 22 passing through the corresponding intersection area.

[0099] In practical applications, there are also multiple fourth monitoring elements 34, fifth monitoring elements 35, sixth monitoring elements 36 and seventh monitoring elements 37. The corresponding fourth monitoring elements 34, fifth monitoring elements 35, sixth monitoring elements 36 and seventh monitoring elements 37 are set outside the corresponding intersection area to cooperate with the corresponding first monitoring element 31, second monitoring element 32 and third monitoring element 33 to detect the position information of the transport vehicle 12 or the feeding hopper 22.

[0100] In some embodiments, the production system includes multiple feeding hoppers 22, which are cyclically movable on a second track 21 in the same direction and are spaced apart from each other. Further, there are multiple transport vehicle control assemblies 42 and multiple feeding hopper controllers 43. Each transport vehicle 12 is equipped with a corresponding transport vehicle control assembly 42, and each feeding hopper 22 is equipped with a corresponding feeding hopper controller 43. All feeding hopper controllers 43 are connected to the feeding hopper control assembly 44, and both the feeding hopper control assembly 44 and the transport vehicle control assembly 42 are wirelessly connected to the monitoring and control assembly 41.

[0101] It should be noted that when the front feed hopper 22 stops moving, the rear feed hopper 22 will also stop moving simultaneously if the distance is too close, to avoid collisions between the feed hoppers 22. Furthermore, Figure 1 The diagram only shows the structure outside the intersection area at point A in detail; the structures outside the intersection areas at other locations can be set accordingly.

[0102] The present invention also provides a monitoring method, comprising the steps of:

[0103] S110, obtain the location information of transport vehicle 12.

[0104] S120, obtain the position information of the feed hopper 22.

[0105] S130, based on the acquired location information, control one of the transport vehicle 12 and the hopper 22 to pass through the intersection area first.

[0106] Specifically, when the first monitoring element 31 or the second monitoring element 32 detects the position information of the transport vehicle 12 before the third monitoring element 33 detects the position information of the feed hopper 22, the control mechanism controls the transport vehicle 12 to preferentially pass through the intersection area of ​​the movement path of the feed hopper 22 and the movement path of the transport vehicle 12.

[0107] When the third monitoring element 33 detects the position information of the feeding hopper 22 before the first monitoring element 31 or the second monitoring element 32 detects the position information of the transport vehicle 12, the control mechanism controls the feeding hopper 22 to pass through the intersection area first.

[0108] When the third monitoring element 33 detects the position information of the transport vehicle 12 at the same time as the first monitoring element 31 or the second monitoring element 32 detects the position information of the hopper 22, the control mechanism controls the hopper 22 to pass through the intersection area first.

[0109] By employing the aforementioned monitoring method, when the transport vehicle 12 moves to the vicinity of the intersection area first, the first monitoring element 31 or the second monitoring element 32 will detect the position information of the transport vehicle 12 first, and the control mechanism will control the transport vehicle 12 to pass through the intersection area first based on the position information; when the hopper 22 and the transport vehicle 12 move to the vicinity of the intersection area at the same time, the first monitoring element 31 or the second monitoring element 32 detects the position information of the transport vehicle 12, and the third monitoring element 33 also detects the position information of the hopper 22, and the control mechanism will control the hopper 22 to pass through the intersection area first based on the position information; when the hopper 22 moves to the vicinity of the intersection area first, the third monitoring element 33 detects the position information of the hopper 22 first, and the control mechanism will control the hopper 22 to pass through the intersection area first based on the position information.

[0110] Thus, the control mechanism can control the transport vehicle 12 or the hopper 22 to pass through the intersection area preferentially based on the position information detected by the first monitoring component 31, the second monitoring component 32 and the third monitoring component 33, thereby avoiding collisions between the transport vehicle 12 and the hopper 22 in the intersection area and improving safety.

[0111] In some embodiments, step S110 further includes:

[0112] The location information of the transport vehicle 12 is detected by the first monitoring element 31 or the fourth monitoring element 34; or

[0113] The location information of the transport vehicle 12 is detected by the second monitoring element 32 or the fifth monitoring element 35.

[0114] Specifically, when the first monitoring element 31 detects the position information of the transport vehicle 12 before the third monitoring element 33 detects the position information of the feed hopper 22, the control mechanism controls the transport vehicle 12 to pass through the intersection area first.

[0115] When the third monitoring element 33 detects the position information of the hopper 22 before the first monitoring element 31 detects the position information of the transport vehicle 12, the control mechanism controls the hopper 22 to pass through the intersection area first. Then, when the fourth monitoring element 34 detects the position information of the transport vehicle 12, the control mechanism controls the transport vehicle 12 to stop moving.

[0116] When the third monitoring element 33 detects the position information of the transport vehicle 12 at the same time as the first monitoring element 31 detects the position information of the hopper 22, the control mechanism controls the hopper 22 to pass through the intersection area first. Then, when the fourth monitoring element 34 detects the position information of the transport vehicle 12, the control mechanism controls the transport vehicle 12 to stop moving.

[0117] It should be noted that the working methods of the second monitoring element 32 and the fifth monitoring element 35 have been described in the above embodiments and will not be repeated here.

[0118] As can be seen from the above embodiments, under normal circumstances, when the feeding hopper 22 passes through the intersection area first, the transport vehicle 12 stops moving under the control of the transport vehicle control assembly 42. However, once the transport vehicle 12 does not stop moving and moves to the position that triggers the fourth monitoring element 34, the transport vehicle control assembly 42 will disconnect the power supply that drives the transport vehicle 12 to move, thereby forcibly stopping the movement of the transport vehicle 12.

[0119] In some embodiments, step S120 further includes:

[0120] The position information of the feed hopper 22 is detected by the third monitoring element 33 or the sixth monitoring element 36.

[0121] Specifically, when the first monitoring element 31 or the second monitoring element 32 detects the position information of the transport vehicle 12 before the third monitoring element 33 detects the position information of the hopper 22, the control mechanism controls the transport vehicle 12 to pass through the intersection area first, and then when the sixth monitoring element 36 detects the position information of the hopper 22, the control mechanism controls the hopper 22 to stop moving.

[0122] When the third monitoring element 33 detects the position information of the feeding hopper 22 before the first monitoring element 31 or the second monitoring element 32 detects the position information of the transport vehicle 12, the control mechanism controls the feeding hopper 22 to pass through the intersection area first.

[0123] When the third monitoring element 33 detects the position information of the transport vehicle 12 at the same time as the first monitoring element 31 or the second monitoring element 32 detects the position information of the hopper 22, the control mechanism controls the hopper 22 to pass through the intersection area first.

[0124] Similarly, under normal circumstances, when the transport vehicle 12 passes through the intersection area first, the feeding hopper 22 stops moving under the control of the feeding hopper controller 43. However, once the feeding hopper 22 does not stop moving and moves to the position that triggers the sixth monitoring element 36, the feeding hopper controller 43 will disconnect the power supply that drives the feeding hopper 22 to move, thereby forcibly stopping the movement of the feeding hopper 22.

[0125] It should be noted that when the movement of the transport vehicle 12 or the feed hopper 22 is forcibly stopped, the monitoring and control assembly 41 will issue an alarm signal to remind the operator and facilitate the operator to perform subsequent recovery operations.

[0126] In practice, when the transport vehicle 12 triggers the fourth monitoring element 34 or the fifth monitoring element 35, the monitoring and control assembly 41 first issues an alarm signal, and then the transport vehicle control assembly 42 receives the forced stop command sent by the monitoring and control assembly 41 to forcibly stop the movement of the transport vehicle 12. Correspondingly, the control method for the forced stop of the feed hopper 22 is similar and will not be described in detail here.

[0127] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any way. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0128] The embodiments described above are merely illustrative of several implementations of the present invention, and while the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention patent. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of the present invention, and these all fall within the protection scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of this invention patent should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A monitoring device for monitoring a transport vehicle and a hopper, wherein the straight path of the transport vehicle's reciprocating movement intersects with the closed-loop path of the hopper's cyclic movement to form an intersection area, characterized in that, The monitoring device includes: The first monitoring device is disposed on one side of the closed-loop path, and the first monitoring device is used to detect the position information of the transport vehicle; The second monitoring device is disposed on the opposite side of the closed-loop path from the first monitoring device, and the second monitoring device is used to detect the position information of the transport vehicle. A third monitoring element is disposed on the side of the straight path facing the conveying direction of the hopper; the third monitoring element is used to detect the position information of the hopper; and A control mechanism is connected to the feeding hopper, the transport vehicle, and the first monitoring element, the second monitoring element, and the third monitoring element, respectively. The control mechanism is used to control one of the feeding hopper and the transport vehicle to pass through the intersection area preferentially based on the position information obtained by the first monitoring device, the second monitoring device and the third monitoring device; The control mechanism is also used to control the transport vehicle to pass through the intersection area preferentially when the first monitoring element or the second monitoring element detects the position information of the transport vehicle before the third monitoring element detects the position information of the hopper. If the third monitoring device detects the position information of the hopper before the first or second monitoring device detects the position information of the transport vehicle, the hopper is controlled to pass through the intersection area preferentially. If the third monitoring device detects the position information of the hopper at the same time as the first or second monitoring device detects the position information of the transport vehicle, it controls the hopper to pass through the intersection area first.

2. The monitoring device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The monitoring device further includes a fourth monitoring element and a fifth monitoring element connected to the control mechanism. The first monitoring element and the fourth monitoring element are disposed on the same side of the closed-loop path, and the first monitoring element is located on the side of the fourth monitoring element away from the closed-loop path. The fourth monitoring element is used to detect the position information of the transport vehicle. The second monitoring element and the fifth monitoring element are disposed on the same side of the closed-loop path, and the second monitoring element is located on the side of the fifth monitoring element away from the closed-loop path. The fifth monitoring element is used to detect the position information of the transport vehicle. The control mechanism is used to control the transport vehicle to stop moving based on the location information obtained by the fourth or fifth monitoring device.

3. The monitoring device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The monitoring device further includes a sixth monitoring element connected to the control mechanism. The third monitoring element and the sixth monitoring element are disposed on the same side of the straight path, and the third monitoring element is located on the side of the sixth monitoring element away from the straight path. The sixth monitoring element is used to detect the position information of the feeding hopper, and the control mechanism is used to control the feeding hopper to stop moving based on the position information obtained by the sixth monitoring element.

4. The monitoring device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The monitoring device further includes a seventh monitoring element connected to the control mechanism. The seventh monitoring element is located on the opposite side of the straight path from the third monitoring element. The seventh monitoring element is used to detect the position information of the feeding hopper. The control mechanism is used to control the movement of the transport vehicle based on the position information obtained by the seventh monitoring element.

5. A monitoring method applied to the monitoring device as described in claim 1, used to monitor a transport vehicle and a feeding hopper, wherein the straight path of the reciprocating movement of the transport vehicle intersects with the closed-loop path of the cyclic movement of the feeding hopper to form an intersection area, characterized in that, The monitoring method includes the following steps: Obtain the location information of the transport vehicle; Obtain the position information of the feeding hopper; Based on the acquired location information, one of the feeding hopper and the transport vehicle is controlled to preferentially pass through the intersection area.

6. The monitoring method according to claim 5, characterized in that, The monitoring device further includes a fourth monitoring element and a fifth monitoring element connected to the control mechanism. The first monitoring element and the fourth monitoring element are disposed on the same side of the closed-loop path, and the first monitoring element is located on the side of the fourth monitoring element away from the closed-loop path. The second monitoring element and the fifth monitoring element are disposed on the same side of the closed-loop path, and the second monitoring element is located on the side of the fifth monitoring element away from the closed-loop path. The steps for obtaining the location information of the transport vehicle include: The location information of the transport vehicle is detected by the first or fourth monitoring device; or The location information of the transport vehicle is detected by a second or fifth monitoring device.

7. The monitoring method according to claim 5, characterized in that, The monitoring device further includes a sixth monitoring element connected to the control mechanism. The third monitoring element and the sixth monitoring element are disposed on the same side of the straight path, and the third monitoring element is located on the side of the sixth monitoring element away from the straight path. The steps for obtaining the position information of the feeding hopper include: The position information of the feed hopper is detected by a third or sixth monitoring device.

8. A production system, characterized in that, Includes a transport vehicle, a feeding hopper, and a monitoring device as described in any one of claims 1-4; The transport vehicle is configured to move back and forth along a straight path for transporting the first material; The feeding hopper is cyclically movable along a closed-loop path for conveying a second material, and the straight path intersects the closed-loop path to form an intersection area.

9. The production system according to claim 8, characterized in that, The production system includes multiple transport vehicles, each of which has a straight path. All the straight paths are parallel to each other, and each straight path intersects the closed loop path to form two intersection areas. The monitoring device includes multiple first monitoring elements, multiple second monitoring elements, and multiple third monitoring elements. The corresponding first monitoring elements, the corresponding second monitoring elements, and the corresponding third monitoring elements are disposed outside a corresponding intersection area. The corresponding first monitoring elements and the corresponding second monitoring elements are used to detect the position information of the transport vehicle passing through the corresponding intersection area, and the corresponding third monitoring element is used to detect the position information of the feed hopper passing through the corresponding intersection area.

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