Conveyance trolley system

Abstract

The present application relates to a kind of conveying trolley systems, with: conveying trolley, along track travel;Control device, control conveying trolley;And power supply device, for the multiple intervals of track being divided into each interval setting.For multiple power supply devices respectively have the monitoring device of monitoring the state of this power supply device, and the communication device of the monitoring result of monitoring device is sent to control device.Control device controls conveying trolley according to monitoring result.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] One aspect of the present invention relates to a conveying trolley system. Background Technology

[0002] As a conveyor trolley system, there are known systems that have a conveyor trolley that travels along a track and a control device for controlling the conveyor trolley (for example, see Patent Document 1).

[0003] Existing technical documents

[0004] Patent documents

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2013-35670 Summary of the Invention

[0006] The problem that the invention aims to solve

[0007] In the aforementioned technologies, for example, if the system's power supply malfunctions, it is possible for the entire system to fail (become unable to operate normally).

[0008] Therefore, one objective of the present invention is to provide a conveyor trolley system capable of preventing system failure.

[0009] One embodiment of the present invention provides a conveying trolley system comprising: a conveying trolley that travels along a track; a control device for controlling the conveying trolley; and power supply devices provided for each of the multiple sections into which the track is divided. Each power supply device has a monitoring device for monitoring the status of the power supply device and a communication device for sending the monitoring results of the monitoring device to the control device. The control device controls the conveying trolley based on the monitoring results.

[0010] In this conveyor trolley system, a power supply device is installed for each of the multiple sections. The status of each power supply device is monitored by a monitoring device, and the conveyor trolley is controlled by a control device based on the monitoring results. Therefore, in the event of a power supply malfunction, the control device can perform actions that prevent a complete system failure, only causing a partial system failure. This prevents the conveyor trolley system from collapsing.

[0011] In one embodiment of the conveyor trolley system of the present invention, the control device determines whether the status of multiple power supply devices is abnormal based on monitoring results, prohibits the conveyor trolley from entering the section corresponding to the power supply device determined to be in an abnormal state, and causes the conveyor trolley present in that section to retreat from that section. This effectively suppresses the adverse effects of power supply device malfunctions from affecting the entire system.

[0012] In one embodiment of the conveyor trolley system of the present invention, the control device can further control the power supply device and stop the power supply device that is determined to be in an abnormal state. This effectively suppresses the adverse effects of a malfunctioning power supply device from affecting the entire system.

[0013] In one embodiment of the conveyor trolley system of the present invention, the control device may determine, based on monitoring results, whether the status of multiple power supply devices is a warning state with a lower degree of abnormality than an abnormal state, and limit the acceleration of the conveyor trolley in the section corresponding to the power supply device determined to be in a warning state. This effectively suppresses the adverse effects of power supply device malfunctions from affecting the entire system.

[0014] In one embodiment of the conveyor trolley system of the present invention, if the control device determines that the power supply device is in an abnormal state, and if the abnormal state is a temperature abnormality, information related to the temperature distribution within the power supply device that is determined to be in an abnormal state is sent from the communication device to the control device. Thus, the user can easily grasp the temperature distribution within the power supply device that indicates a temperature abnormality in the control device.

[0015] In one embodiment of the conveyor trolley system of the present invention, the monitoring result may include: first information, comprising at least one of temperature data and power data of the power supply device; and second information related to whether the power supply device is in an abnormal state. The first information is transmitted from the communication device to the control device at a first cycle, and when the power supply device is normal, the second information is transmitted from the communication device to the control device at a second cycle shorter than the first cycle. Thus, when the first and second information are periodically transmitted from the power supply device to the control device, the communication cycle of the first information, which has a larger data capacity than the second information, is longer than the communication cycle of the second information. Therefore, the communication load of the communication device can be suppressed.

[0016] The effects of the invention

[0017] According to one aspect of the present invention, a conveyor trolley system capable of preventing system failure can be provided. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a conveyor trolley system in one implementation.

[0019] Figure 2 Viewed from the direction of travel Figure 1 A top view of the conveyor trolley.

[0020] Figure 3 It means Figure 1 A block diagram illustrating the composition of the power supply device.

[0021] Figure 4 It means to make Figure 1 The diagram shows an example of a display unit on the control device.

[0022] Figure 5 (a) means Figure 1 A flowchart of the periodic monitoring process for the conveyor trolley system. Figure 5 (b) means Figure 1 A flowchart of the manual image acquisition process for the conveyor trolley system.

[0023] Figure 6 It means Figure 1 A flowchart of the abnormal monitoring process of the conveyor trolley system. Detailed Implementation

[0024] Hereinafter, one embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Furthermore, in the description of the drawings, the same or equivalent elements are labeled with the same symbols, and repeated descriptions are omitted. The terms "up" and "down" correspond to the vertical direction, the terms "front" and "rear" correspond to the forward direction of the vehicle, and the terms "left" and "right" correspond to directions orthogonal to the vertical and forward / backward directions.

[0025] like Figure 1 as well as Figure 2 As shown, the conveyor trolley system 1 is, for example, a system in a factory or similar facility that uses a conveyor trolley 6 to transport items 10 between multiple loading sections 9. The conveyor trolley system 1 includes a conveyor trolley 6 that travels along a track 4, multiple loading sections 9 that hold items 10, a control device 5 that controls the conveyor trolley 6, and a power supply device 8 that supplies power to the conveyor trolley 6. Items 10 include, for example, containers such as FOUPs (Front Opening Unified Pods) that hold multiple semiconductor wafers and intermediate mask boxes that hold glass substrates, as well as general components.

[0026] Track 4 is, for example, a track laid in the overhead space near the ceiling. Track 4 is suspended from the ceiling. Track 4 is a predetermined travel path for the transport trolley 6 to travel on. Track 4 is divided into multiple sections. In the illustrated example, track 4 is divided into section 1 4X and section 2 4Y.

[0027] The track 4 is supported by a support column 40A. The track 4 has a C-shaped track body 40 with a cross-section formed by a pair of lower surface portions 40B, a pair of side portions 40C, and a top portion 40D, a power supply unit 40E, and a magnetic plate 40F. The lower surface portions 40B extend along the travel direction of the conveyor trolley 6, forming the lower surface of the track body 40. The lower surface portions 40B are plate-shaped components that allow the travel rollers 51 of the conveyor trolley 6 to roll. The side portions 40C extend along the travel direction of the conveyor trolley 6, forming the side surfaces of the track body 40. The top portion 40D extends along the travel direction of the conveyor trolley 6, forming the upper surface of the track body 40.

[0028] The power supply unit 40E supplies power to the receiving core 57 of the conveyor trolley 6 and transmits and receives signals with the conveyor trolley 6. The power supply unit 40E consists of power supply lines fixed to each of a pair of side sections 40C and extending along the extension direction of the track 4. The power supply unit 40E supplies power to the receiving core 57 in a non-contact manner. The power supply unit 40E is provided for each of the multiple sections of the track 4. The power supply unit 40E includes a first power supply unit 40EX extending along the track 4 in the first section 4X, and a second power supply unit 40EY extending along the track 4 in the second section 4Y.

[0029] The magnetic plate 40F generates a magnetic force for the LDM (Linear DC Motor) 59 of the transport trolley 6 to move or stop. The magnetic plate 40F is fixed to the top surface 40D and extends along the direction of travel. In addition, the length, shape and layout of the track 4 are not limited to the example shown in the figure, and can be of various lengths, shapes and layouts.

[0030] The transport trolley 6 travels along the track 4 to transport items 10. The transport trolley 6 is configured to carry items 10. The transport trolley 6 is an elevated, unmanned vehicle. There is no particular limitation on the number of transport trolleys 6 in the transport trolley system 1; there can be one or more. The transport trolley 6 is also referred to as a transport vehicle, an elevated vehicle, an overhead transport vehicle, or a traveling trolley. The transport trolley 6 has a main body 7, a traveling unit 50, and a traveling controller 35. The main body 7 has a main frame 22, a lateral feed unit 24, a theta driver 26, a lifting drive unit 28, a lifting platform 30, and front and rear frames 33.

[0031] The lateral feed unit 24 feeds the θ driver 26, the lifting drive unit 28, and the lifting platform 30 laterally in a direction perpendicular to the travel direction of the track 4. The θ driver 26 causes at least one of the lifting drive unit 28 and the lifting platform 30 to rotate within a predetermined angle range in the horizontal plane. The lifting drive unit 28 raises and lowers the lifting platform 30 by winding or unwinding a belt, wire, rope, or other sling. A chuck is provided on the lifting platform 30, allowing for easy gripping and release of the item 10. For example, a pair of front and rear frames 33 are provided at the front and rear of the conveyor trolley 6 in the travel direction. The front and rear frames 33 allow claws (not shown) to engage and disengage to prevent the item 10 from falling during transport.

[0032] The traveling unit 50 causes the transport trolley 6 to travel along the track 4. The traveling unit 50 includes a traveling roller 51, side rollers 52, a power receiving core 57, and an LDM 59. The traveling roller 51 is disposed at the left and right ends of the traveling unit 50. The traveling roller 51 rolls on a pair of lower surface portions 40B of the track 4. The side rollers 52 are configured to clamp the traveling roller 51 in the front-to-back direction. The side rollers 52 are configured to contact the side surface portion 40C of the track 4. The power receiving core 57 is disposed at the front and rear of the traveling unit 50, clamping the LDM 59 in the left-to-right direction. The power receiving core 57 performs non-contact power receiving from the power supply unit 40E disposed on the track 4, and non-contact transmission and reception of various signals with the traveling unit controller 35. The LDM 59 is disposed at the front and rear of the traveling unit 50. The LDM 59 generates magnetic force for travel or stopping.

[0033] The carriage controller 35 is an electronic control unit composed of a CPU (Central Processing Unit), ROM (Read Only Memory), and RAM (Random Access Memory). The carriage controller 35 controls various movements of the transport carriage 6. Specifically, the carriage controller 35 controls the traveling unit 50, the lateral feed unit 24, the θ driver 26, the lifting drive unit 28, and the lifting platform 30. The carriage controller 35 can be configured as software, for example, loading a program stored in ROM onto RAM for execution by the CPU. The carriage controller 35 can also be configured as hardware based on circuitry. The carriage controller 35 communicates with the control device 5 via a power supply unit 40E, etc.

[0034] The loading section 9 is configured along the track 4. The loading section 9 is located at a position where the items 10 can be transferred via the transport trolley 6. The loading section 9 includes a buffer for temporarily storing the items 10 and a loading port for transferring the items 10 relative to the processing device (not shown).

[0035] The control device 5 is an electronic control unit composed of a CPU, ROM, and RAM. The control device 5 can be configured as software that loads a program stored in ROM onto RAM and is executed by the CPU. The control device 5 can also be configured as hardware based on circuits, etc. The control device 5 controls various operations of the conveyor trolley system 1. The control device 5 controls the conveyor trolley 6 and the power supply device 8. The control device 5 includes a display unit 5A such as a monitor that displays various information, an input unit 5B such as a keyboard and mouse that accepts various operation inputs from the user, and a storage unit 5C that stores various information.

[0036] Control device 5 is connected to communication device 3. Communication device 3 is a device for communicating with power supply device 8. Communication device 3 outputs various information received from power supply device 8 to control device 5. Communication device 3 also sends various information input from control device 5 to power supply device 8. There are no particular limitations on communication device 3; for example, a known communication converter can be used.

[0037] Control device 5 requests the transmission of temperature and power information (first information) related to the temperature and power data of each power supply device 8 to multiple power supply devices 8 via communication device 3. Control device 5 obtains the temperature and power information transmitted from the power supply devices 8 according to the request via communication device 3. Control device 5 also requests the transmission of device status information (second information) related to whether the power supply device 8 is in an abnormal, warning, or normal state to the multiple power supply devices 8 via communication device 3. Control device 5 obtains the device status information transmitted from the power supply devices 8 according to the request via communication device 3. Control device 5 stores the obtained temperature and power information and device status information in storage unit 5C.

[0038] The power supply device 8 is provided for each of the multiple sections of track 4. Here, the power supply device 8 includes a power supply device 8X provided corresponding to the first section 4X of track 4 and a power supply device 8Y provided corresponding to the second section 4Y of track 4. The power supply device 8X is connected to the first power supply unit 40EX of the first section 4X. The power supply device 8Y is connected to the second power supply unit 49EY of the second section 4Y.

[0039] like Figure 3As shown, the power supply unit 8 includes multiple non-contact temperature sensors 81, a current sensor 82, a power supply unit control unit 83, and a communication device 84. The non-contact temperature sensors 81 are sensors that monitor the temperature of the power supply unit 8. For example, a thermopile array sensor is used as a non-contact temperature sensor 81. The multiple non-contact temperature sensors 81 measure the temperature of several different areas within the power supply unit 8 in a non-contact manner. Each non-contact temperature sensor 81 detects the temperature distribution of its area and outputs information related to this temperature distribution as temperature data to the power supply unit control unit 83. For example, in the temperature data, the temperature distribution is associated with the identification number of each non-contact temperature sensor 81. The current sensor 82 is a sensor that monitors the current at a predetermined measurement point within the power supply unit 8. The current sensor 82 detects the current at the predetermined measurement point and outputs information related to this current as current data to the power supply unit control unit 83.

[0040] The power supply control unit 83 is an electronic control unit composed of a CPU, ROM, and RAM. The power supply control unit 83 controls various operations of the power supply device 8. For example, the power supply control unit 83 can be configured as software that loads a program stored in ROM into RAM and is executed by the CPU. The power supply control unit 83 can also be configured as hardware based on circuits, etc.

[0041] The power supply control unit 83 determines whether the power supply device 8 is in an abnormal state, a warning state, or a normal state based on temperature data and power data. A warning state is a state where the degree of abnormality is lower than that of an abnormal state. For example, if the power data is above a first power threshold, the power supply control unit 83 sets the power supply device 8 to a warning state. Similarly, if the power data is above a second power threshold that is greater than the first power threshold, the power supply control unit 83 sets the power supply device 8 to an abnormal state. For example, if any of the highest temperatures in the temperature data distributions is above the first temperature threshold, the power supply control unit 83 sets the power supply device 8 to a warning state. For example, if any of the highest temperatures in the temperature data distributions is above a second temperature threshold that is greater than the first temperature threshold, the power supply control unit 83 sets the power supply device 8 to an abnormal state (temperature abnormality). In all other cases, the power supply control unit 83 sets the power supply device 8 to a normal state.

[0042] Based on a request from the control device 5, the power supply control unit 83 outputs the result of determining whether the power supply device 8 is in an abnormal, warning, or normal state as device status information to the communication device 84. The data size of the device status information is, for example, 20 to 80 bytes. The device status information can also be composed of an error log. Based on a request from the control device 5, the power supply control unit 83 outputs temperature data and power data as temperature-power information to the communication device 84. The data size of the temperature-power information is, for example, 80 to 204 bytes.

[0043] In addition, the non-contact temperature sensor 81 and the current sensor 82 constitute a monitoring device for monitoring the status of the power supply device 8. Furthermore, the temperature and power information and the device status information constitute the monitoring result of the status of the power supply device 8 monitored by the monitoring device (hereinafter also referred to as "the monitoring result of the power supply device 8").

[0044] The communication device 84 is a device that communicates with the control device 5 via the communication device 3. The communication device 84 outputs various received information to the power supply control unit 83. The communication device 84 also sends various information input from the power supply control unit 83 to the control device 5. Furthermore, the communication device 84 sends monitoring results of the power supply 8 to the control device 5 (details will be described later). There are no particular limitations on the communication device 84; for example, a known communication converter can be used.

[0045] In this embodiment, the control device 5 controls the conveyor trolley 6 based on the monitoring results of the power supply device 8. The control device 5 determines whether the states of the multiple power supply devices 8 are abnormal based on the monitoring results of the power supply devices 8. If the control device 5 determines that at least one of the multiple power supply devices 8 is abnormal, it prohibits the conveyor trolley 6 from entering the section of track 4 corresponding to the power supply device 8 that is determined to be abnormal, and causes the conveyor trolley 6 present in that section to retreat from that section. The control device 5 stops the power supply device 8 that is determined to be abnormal. Stopping the power supply device 8 includes at least stopping the supply of power to the power supply unit 40E connected to the power supply device 8.

[0046] The control device 5 determines whether the status of the multiple power supply devices 8 is a warning state based on the monitoring results of the power supply devices 8. If the control device 5 determines that at least one of the multiple power supply devices 8 is in a warning state, the control device 5 limits the acceleration of the conveyor trolley 6 in the section of track 4 corresponding to the power supply device 8 that is determined to be in a warning state.

[0047] If the control device 5 determines that at least one of the multiple power supply devices 8 is in an abnormal state, it further determines whether the abnormal state is a temperature abnormality. If the control device 5 determines that the abnormal state is a temperature abnormality, it sends the temperature data of the power supply device 8 in the abnormal state to the control device 5 from the communication device 84 of the power supply device 8. Then, the control device 5 generates a temperature distribution image indicating a temperature abnormality based on the sent temperature data and displays the temperature distribution image on the display unit 5A. Details of the various processes accompanying the processing of the control device 5 will be described later.

[0048] Figure 4 This is a diagram showing an example of a display that is displayed by the display unit 5A of the control device 5. Figure 4 The example shown illustrates a scenario where a temperature anomaly occurs in the power supply unit 8 of PSP2 (PSP1 and PSP2). Display unit 5A displays a temperature distribution image G1 related to the temperature distribution of the temperature anomaly in the power supply unit 8 of PSP2, along with the time of its acquisition. Simultaneously, display unit 5A displays various information about the power supply unit 8 of PSP2 that experienced the temperature anomaly. This information displayed on display unit 5A includes, for example, the power supply unit 8's number, status, whether it is in operation, power data, and the highest temperature of each temperature distribution detected by each non-contact temperature sensor 81.

[0049] Furthermore, in the display unit 5A, for example, when the user clicks the "PSP1" button via the input unit 5B, various information about the power supply device 8 of the PSP1 can be displayed. Additionally, in the display unit 5A, for example, when the user clicks "Image" via the input unit 5B, image data of the temperature distribution of the corresponding non-contact temperature sensor 81 can be displayed. Furthermore, in the display unit 5A, for example, the user can set the "temperature bar" of the temperature distribution image G1 via the input unit 5B.

[0050] Next, the various processes performed by the conveyor trolley system 1 of this embodiment will be described.

[0051] [Regular monitoring process]

[0052] In the conveyor trolley system 1, the following periodic monitoring process is repeatedly executed periodically in the first cycle (e.g., 10 seconds). During the periodic monitoring process, such as Figure 5As shown in (a), firstly, the temperature and power of all power supply devices 8 are confirmed by the control device 5 (step S1). Specifically, in step S1, the control device 5 requests temperature and power information from all power supply devices 8 via the communication device 3. Each power supply device 8 receives the request via the communication device 84 and sends the temperature and power information to the communication device 3 accordingly. The control device 5 obtains the temperature and power information via the communication device 3 and saves the obtained temperature and power information to the storage unit 5C.

[0053] Next, the display of the display unit 5A is updated by the control device 5 to display the acquired temperature and power information (step S2). The display method and format of the display unit 5A are not particularly limited and can be various (the same applies below). Afterwards, the process moves to the next cycle of step S1 above, and the temperature and power of all power supply devices 8 are checked again. That is, temperature and power information is sent from the communication device 84 to the control device 5 in the first cycle.

[0054] [Manual Image Acquisition Process]

[0055] In the conveyor trolley system 1, when a user operates the input unit 5B to display a temperature distribution image on the display unit 5A, detected by a non-contact temperature sensor 81 of a certain power supply device 8, a manual image acquisition process is performed as follows. During the manual image acquisition process, as follows... Figure 5 As shown in (b), firstly, the temperature distribution image of the object to be displayed is obtained by the control device 5 (step S11).

[0056] In step S11, specifically, based on the operation received by the input unit 5B, the control device 5 requests temperature and power information from the object's power supply device 8 via the communication device 3. The object's power supply device 8 receives the request via the communication device 84 and sends the temperature and power information to the communication device 3 accordingly. The control device 5 obtains the temperature and power information via the communication device 3, obtains the object's temperature distribution based on the temperature data in the temperature and power information, and generates and obtains a temperature distribution image based on the obtained temperature distribution, for example, using a known method.

[0057] Next, the display of the display unit 5A is updated by the control device 5 to display the acquired temperature distribution image. At the same time, the acquired temperature distribution image is saved to the storage unit 5C (step S12). The manual image acquisition process ends thereafter. Furthermore, the priority of the manual image acquisition process is set lower than the priority of the aforementioned periodic monitoring process; therefore, while the processes of the periodic monitoring process are being executed, the processes of the manual image acquisition process are not executed.

[0058] [Anomaly Monitoring Process]

[0059] In the conveyor trolley system 1, the anomaly monitoring process described below is periodically and repeatedly executed. During the anomaly monitoring process, such as... Figure 6 As shown, firstly, the control device 5 confirms the device status of all power supply devices 8 (step S21). Specifically, in step S21, the control device 5 requests device status information from all power supply devices 8 via the communication device 3. Each power supply device 8 receives the request via the communication device 84 and sends its device status information to the communication device 3 accordingly. The control device 5 obtains the device status information via the communication device 3 and saves the obtained device status information to the storage unit 5C.

[0060] Next, the control device 5 determines the device status of each power supply device 8 based on the acquired device status information (step S22). In step S22, the control device 5 determines whether each power supply device 8 is in an abnormal state, a warning state, or a normal state by referring to the device status information.

[0061] If all power supply devices 8 are neither in an abnormal state nor a warning state (in the case of "No" in step S23 and "No" in step S24), the series of processes in the current cycle ends, and the process of step S21 described above in the next cycle is transferred to a second cycle (e.g., 1 second) that is shorter than the first cycle. That is, when the power supply devices 8 are normal, device status information is sent from the communication device 84 to the control device 5 in a second cycle that is shorter than the first cycle.

[0062] On the other hand, if at least one power supply device 8 is in an abnormal state (the case is "yes" in step S23), the temperature and power of the abnormal power supply device 8 are confirmed (step S25). Specifically, in step S25, the control device 5 requests temperature and power information from the abnormal power supply device 8 via the communication device 3. The abnormal power supply device 8 receives the request via the communication device 84 and sends the temperature and power information to the communication device 3 accordingly. The control device 5 obtains the temperature and power information via the communication device 3 and saves the obtained temperature and power information to the storage unit 5C.

[0063] Next, the display of the display unit 5A is updated by the control device 5 to display the acquired temperature and power information, and the abnormal section in track 4 corresponding to the power supply device 8 that is determined to be in an abnormal state is closed (step S26). In the path closure in step S26, the transport trolley 6 is prohibited from entering the abnormal section of track 4, and the transport trolley 6 existing in the abnormal section is moved away from the abnormal section. For example, in the path closure in step S26, if a certain instruction (e.g., a travel instruction or a transport instruction) is assigned to the transport trolley 6, an instruction is assigned not to pass through the abnormal section. For example, in the path closure in step S26, an instruction is assigned to the transport trolley 6 existing in the abnormal section to move it out of the abnormal section. In addition, in step S26, the power supply device 8 that is determined to be in an abnormal state is stopped by the control device 5.

[0064] Next, the control device 5 determines whether the abnormal state of the power supply device 8 is a temperature abnormality based on the device status information of the power supply device 8 in an abnormal state (step S27). If the abnormal state of the power supply device 8 is a temperature abnormality (the case is "yes" in step S27), the control device 5 obtains a temperature distribution image related to the temperature distribution that causes the temperature abnormality (step S28).

[0065] In step S28, specifically, the control device 5 requests temperature and power information from the power supply device 8 in an abnormal state via the communication device 3. The power supply device 8 in an abnormal state receives the request via the communication device 84 and sends the temperature and power information to the communication device 3 accordingly. The control device 5 obtains the temperature and power information via the communication device 3 and obtains the temperature distribution indicating a temperature anomaly based on the temperature data in the temperature and power information. The control device 5 generates and obtains a temperature distribution image based on the obtained temperature distribution, for example, using a known method. That is, in step S28, if the control device 5 determines that the state of the power supply device 8 is abnormal, and the abnormal state is a temperature anomaly, information (temperature and power information) related to the temperature distribution within the power supply device 8 in the abnormal state is sent from the communication device 84. Next, the control device 5 updates the display of the display unit 5A to display the obtained temperature distribution image and saves the obtained temperature distribution image to the storage unit 5C (step S29).

[0066] On the other hand, if all power supply devices 8 are not in an abnormal state, and at least one power supply device 8 is in a warning state (the case is "No" in step S23 and "Yes" in step S24), the temperature and power of the power supply device 8 in the warning state are checked (step S30). In step S30, specifically, the control device 5 requests temperature and power information from the power supply device 8 in the warning state via the communication device 3. The power supply device 8 in the warning state receives the request via the communication device 84 and sends the temperature and power information to the communication device 3 according to the request. The control device 5 obtains the temperature and power information via the communication device 3 and saves the obtained temperature and power information to the storage unit 5C.

[0067] Next, the control device 5 updates the display of the display unit 5A to display the acquired temperature and power information, and limits the acceleration of the transport trolley 6 in the section of track 4 corresponding to the power supply device 8 that is determined to be in a warning state, i.e., the warning section (step S31). As an example, in limiting the acceleration in step S31, the maximum acceleration of the command assigned to the transport trolley 6 in the warning section is set to below a preset acceleration.

[0068] If "No" is selected in step S27, the series of processes in the current cycle ends after step S29 or step S31, and the process moves to the process in step S21 of the next cycle. Furthermore, the priority of the anomaly monitoring process is set lower than the priority of the periodic monitoring process and the manual image acquisition process. Therefore, if any process in the periodic monitoring process or the manual image acquisition process is being executed, the processes of the anomaly monitoring process are not executed.

[0069] In the above-described conveyor trolley system 1, a power supply device 8 is installed for each of the multiple sections divided by the track 4. The status of each power supply device 8 is monitored by a non-contact temperature sensor 81 and a current sensor 82. The control device 5 controls the conveyor trolley 6 based on the monitoring results of the power supply device 8. Therefore, in the event of a malfunction in a power supply device 8, the control device 5 can perform a process that prevents a complete system failure, only causing a partial system failure. Thus, system failure of the conveyor trolley system 1 can be prevented.

[0070] In the conveyor trolley system 1, the control device 5 determines whether the status of multiple power supply devices 8 is abnormal based on the monitoring results of the power supply devices 8. The control device 5 prohibits the conveyor trolley 6 from entering the abnormal zone corresponding to the power supply device 8 that is determined to be abnormal, and causes the conveyor trolley 6 existing in the abnormal zone to retreat from the abnormal zone. This effectively suppresses the adverse effects caused by the malfunction of the power supply device 8 from affecting the entire system. The conveyor trolley system 1 can continue to operate with reduced conveying capacity.

[0071] In the conveyor trolley system 1, the control device 5 stops the power supply device 8, which is determined to be in an abnormal state. This effectively prevents the adverse effects of the malfunctioning power supply device 8 from spreading to the entire system. It also prevents the malfunction of the power supply device 8 from worsening and facilitates the rapid recovery of the power supply device 8 from its abnormal state.

[0072] In the conveyor trolley system 1, the control device 5 determines whether the status of multiple power supply devices 8 is in a warning state based on the monitoring results of the power supply devices 8, and limits the acceleration of the conveyor trolley 6 within the warning range corresponding to the power supply device 8 that is determined to be in a warning state. This effectively suppresses the adverse effects of malfunctioning power supply devices 8 from affecting the entire system. The conveyor trolley system 1 can then continue operation with reduced conveying capacity.

[0073] In the conveyor trolley system 1, when the control device 5 determines that the power supply device 8 is in an abnormal state, and if the abnormal state is a temperature abnormality, temperature and power information related to the temperature distribution within the power supply device 8 that is determined to be in an abnormal state is sent from the communication device 84 to the control device 5. As a result, the control device 5 can display the temperature distribution that indicates the temperature abnormality in the power supply device 8 as a temperature distribution image on the display unit 5A. The user can easily grasp the temperature distribution that indicates the temperature abnormality in the power supply device 8 from the control device 5.

[0074] In the conveyor trolley system 1, temperature and power information is transmitted from the communication device 84 to the control device 5 in a first cycle. When the power supply device 8 is functioning normally, device status information is transmitted from the communication device 84 to the control device 5 in a second cycle, shorter than the first cycle. Therefore, when both temperature and power information and device status information are periodically transmitted from the power supply device 8 to the control device 5, the communication cycle for temperature and power information, which has a larger data capacity than the device status information, is longer than the communication cycle for the device status information. This reduces the communication load on the communication device 84. Furthermore, it reduces communication load.

[0075] In the conveyor trolley system 1, desired temperature and power information, as well as device status information, can be easily displayed on the display unit 5A. Furthermore, the display on the display unit 5A can be easily set and operated. Additionally, through user operation or in the event of an abnormal state in the power supply device 8, a temperature distribution image related to the temperature anomaly can be displayed on the display unit 5A.

[0076] The above describes one embodiment, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0077] In the above embodiments, the monitoring device is not limited to the non-contact temperature sensor 81 and the current sensor 82, and may also be other sensors capable of monitoring the state of the power supply device 8. In the above embodiments, the power supply device 8 may also include only either the non-contact temperature sensor 81 or the current sensor 82. In the above embodiments, the area where the non-contact temperature sensor 81 in the power supply device 8 measures temperature is not limited and can be various areas. In the above embodiments, the measurement point where the current sensor 82 in the power supply device 8 measures current is not limited and can be various measurement points.

[0078] In the above embodiments, the first cycle when the communication device 84 transmits temperature and power information and the second cycle when the communication device 84 transmits device status information are not particularly limited, as long as the second cycle is shorter than the first cycle. The first cycle and the second cycle can be fixed values ​​or variable values ​​that vary depending on the situation. In the above embodiments, when the control device 5 determines that the power supply device 8 is in an abnormal state or a warning state, it can also issue a notification to draw attention to the power supply device 8 (for example, an attention alert on the display unit 5A).

[0079] In the above embodiments, an example with two power supply devices 8 has been illustrated, but the number of power supply devices 8 is not limited, as long as there are multiple devices. The above embodiments may also include multiple units composed of multiple power supply devices 8 and control devices 5. In this case, a higher-level control device that oversees and controls multiple control devices 5 may also be included. The above embodiments may also include a data server that manages the overall data of the system. The above embodiments may also include an overall control device that controls the overall system. In the above embodiments, some or all of the communication may be wireless or wired communication. In the above embodiments, some or all of the communication may, for example, utilize a LAN line in a facility equipped with a conveyor trolley system 1.

[0080] In the above embodiments, the power supply device 8 in an abnormal state is stopped, the conveyor trolley 6 is prohibited from entering the abnormal zone, the conveyor trolley 6 existing in the abnormal zone is retreated from the abnormal zone, and the acceleration of the conveyor trolley 6 existing in the warning zone is limited, but only one of these needs to be performed.

[0081] The components in the above embodiments and modifications are not limited to the materials and shapes described above, and various materials and shapes can be used. The components in the above embodiments or modifications can be arbitrarily applied to the components in other embodiments or modifications. A portion of the components in the above embodiments or modifications can be appropriately omitted without departing from the spirit of one aspect of the invention.

[0082] Explanation of symbols

[0083] 1: Conveying trolley system; 4: Track; 4X: Section 1; 4Y: Section 2; 5: Control device; 6: Conveying trolley; 8, 8X, 8Y: Power supply device; 81: Non-contact temperature sensor (monitoring device); 82: Current sensor (monitoring device); 84: Communication device.

Claims

1. A conveyor trolley system, wherein, Possessing: a transport cart that travels along a track; a control device that controls the transport cart; and a power supply device that is provided for each of a plurality of sections into which the track is divided, the plurality of power supply devices each have a monitoring device that monitors a state of the power supply device and a communication device that transmits a monitoring result of the monitoring device to the control device, the control device controls the transport cart based on the monitoring result, the control device is, determines whether the state of the plurality of power supply devices is an abnormal state based on the monitoring result, prevents the transport cart from entering the section corresponding to the power supply device determined to be in the abnormal state and causes the transport cart present in the section to retreat from the section.

2. The transport cart system according to claim 1, wherein the control device further controls the power supply device such that the power supply device determined to be in the abnormal state is stopped.

3. The transport cart system according to claim 1, wherein the control device is, determines whether the state of the plurality of power supply devices is a warning state in which the degree of abnormality is lower than the abnormal state based on the monitoring result, causes the acceleration of the transport cart present in the section corresponding to the power supply device determined to be in the warning state to be reduced.

4. The transport cart system according to claim 2, wherein the control device is, determines whether the state of the plurality of power supply devices is a warning state in which the degree of abnormality is lower than the abnormal state based on the monitoring result, causes the acceleration of the transport cart present in the section corresponding to the power supply device determined to be in the warning state to be reduced.

5. The transport cart system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein in a case where it is determined by the control device that the state of the power supply device is an abnormal state, in a case where the abnormal state is a temperature abnormality, information related to a temperature distribution in the power supply device determined to be in the abnormal state is transmitted from the communication device to the control device.

6. A conveyor trolley system wherein, Possessing: a transport cart that travels along a track; a control device that controls the transport cart; and a power supply device that is provided for each of a plurality of sections into which the track is divided, the plurality of power supply devices each have a monitoring device that monitors a state of the power supply device and a communication device that transmits a monitoring result of the monitoring device to the control device, the control device controls the transport cart based on the monitoring result, the monitoring result includes: first information that includes at least either temperature data or power data of the power supply device; and second information related to whether the state of the power supply device is an abnormal state, the first information is transmitted from the communication device to the control device at a first period, in a case where the power supply device is normal, the second information is transmitted from the communication device to the control device at a second period shorter than the first period.

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