Travel restriction device

Abstract

A travel limiting device (1) for limiting the travel of a transport vehicle in a transport facility provided with a travel track (20) and the transport vehicle traveling along the travel track, the transport vehicle being provided with wheels that roll on a travel surface (21) of the travel track, a drive device for the wheels, and a bumper (14), the travel limiting device being provided with a main body section (3), a locking section (4), and a connecting section (5), the main body portion is provided with an opposing surface (31) disposed at a position facing the bumper in a state of being placed on the traveling surface, and a supported portion (34) formed in a portion supported by the traveling surface when the opposing surface is pressed by the bumper, and the locking portion is configured so as to lock the opposing surface (31) and the supported portion (34) when the opposing surface is pressed by the bumper. And a contact portion (29) that contacts the rail lower surface (29) at a position closer to the travel direction than the facing surface and the supported portion.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a driving restriction device. Background Art

[0002] For example, International Publication No. 2014 / 129066 (Patent Document 1) discloses a technique related to a driving restriction device. In the following description of the background art, the reference numerals in parentheses are the reference numerals of Patent Document 1.

[0003] In the automatic warehouse of patent document 1, a transport vehicle (stacker crane 2) is used as a transport device for transporting articles. The transport vehicle comprises: a lower trolley (4) guided by a lower rail (12); an upper trolley (6) guided by an upper rail (14); a column (8) fixed to the lower trolley (4) and connecting the lower trolley (4) and the upper trolley (6); and a transfer device (10) provided on the column (8). The lower trolley (4) comprises wheels (driving wheels 22) rolling on the upper surface of the lower rail (12) and a support portion (28) located at a position away from the wheels. In addition, a displacement mechanism is provided on the lower trolley (4). The displacement mechanism causes the support portion (28) to rise and fall between a grounded position supported by the lower rail (12) and a retreat position floating upward from the lower rail (12). Furthermore, when the transport vehicle is used, the support portion (28) is raised to the retreat position. Furthermore, when the transport vehicle is mounted on the lower rail (12) and the upper rail (14), or when the transport vehicle is stopped for maintenance, the support portion (28) is lowered to the grounding position.

[0004] In the automatic warehouse of patent document 1, by lowering the support part (28) to the ground position, the posture of the lower trolley (4) and the column (8) can be stabilized. Therefore, it is easy to install the conveying vehicle on the track and perform maintenance on the conveying vehicle. On the other hand, in such operations, the operator sometimes has to move the conveying vehicle, but during the movement of the conveying vehicle, the conveying vehicle may accidentally start to move. In this case, from the perspective of ensuring the safety of the operator and avoiding damage to the equipment, the conveying vehicle needs to be stopped immediately, but patent document 1 does not mention this aspect. Summary of the invention

[0005] Therefore, a travel restriction device that can quickly and urgently stop a transport vehicle even when the transport vehicle starts traveling unintentionally is desired.

[0006] The travel restriction device disclosed in the present invention is used to restrict the travel of a transport vehicle in a conveying device, the conveying device comprising a travel track and the transport vehicle, the travel track comprising a travel surface facing upward and a track lower surface arranged at a position lower than the travel surface and facing downward, the transport vehicle travels along the travel track and comprises wheels, a driving device for the wheels, and a bumper, the wheels roll on the travel surface of the travel track, the bumper is arranged at a position higher than the travel surface and stops the driving device by colliding with an obstacle, the travel restriction device comprises a main body, a locking portion, and a connecting portion,

[0007] The main body is placed on the running surface.

[0008] The locking portion is arranged to be opposite to the lower surface of the rail,

[0009] The direction along the travel track is defined as the travel direction, and the direction perpendicular to the travel direction when viewed from the top and bottom is defined as the width direction. The connecting portion integrally connects the main body and the locking portion on the outside of the travel surface in the width direction.

[0010] The side away from the bumper in the driving direction is defined as the driving direction away side, and the side close to the bumper in the driving direction is defined as the driving direction approaching side.

[0011] The main body includes a facing surface and a supported portion, wherein the facing surface is arranged at a position facing the bumper from a side away from the traveling direction when placed on the traveling surface, and the supported portion becomes a portion supported by the traveling surface when the facing surface is pressed by the bumper toward a side away from the traveling direction.

[0012] The locking portion is configured to come into contact with the rail lower surface at a position closer to the traveling direction than the opposing surface and the supported portion when the opposing surface is pressed toward the farther side in the traveling direction by the bumper.

[0013] Effects of the Invention

[0014] According to this structure, when the transport vehicle is accidentally traveling and the opposite surface is pressed by the bumper, the main body is supported by the traveling surface at the supported portion, and the stopper abuts against and is pressed against the lower surface of the track at a position closer to the traveling direction than the opposite surface and the supported portion. In this way, the travel restriction device can be fixed on the traveling track by the friction force between the stopper and the traveling track generated by the pressing force of the bumper on the opposite surface and the pressing force of the stopper on the lower surface of the track. Therefore, since the bumper can be pushed back by the opposite surface, the driving device of the transport vehicle can be reliably stopped in an emergency.

[0015] Furthermore, according to this configuration, the travel restriction device can be easily installed on the travel rail by placing the main body on the travel surface and making the locking portion face the rail lower surface.

[0016] Furthermore, according to the present structure, since the driving restriction device is fixed to the travel track by the pressing force of the bumper on the opposite surface through the friction with the travel track, even after the transport vehicle is stopped by the driving restriction device, the driving restriction device can be easily removed from the travel track by simply disengaging the locking portion from the lower surface of the track.

[0017] Further features and advantages of the travel restriction device will become apparent from the following description of exemplary and non-limiting embodiments with reference to the attached drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] Figure 1 It is a plan view schematically showing the traveling carriage portion of the transport vehicle.

[0019] Figure 2 It is a control block diagram.

[0020] Figure 3 It is a perspective view of the travel restriction device.

[0021] Figure 4 This is the rear view of the travel restriction device

[0022] Figure 5 It is a side view schematically showing a state in which the bumper presses the opposing surface of the travel restriction device.

[0023] Figure 6 It is a rear view of the running restriction device in another embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] An example in which an embodiment of the travel restriction device is applied to a transport device will be described below based on the drawings.

[0025] like Figures 1 to 4 As shown, the conveying device 9 includes a travel track 20 and a conveying vehicle 10 that travels along the travel track 20. In the present embodiment, the conveying device 9 is configured to convey articles. Specifically, the conveying vehicle 10 is an article conveying vehicle that conveys articles, and conveys the articles to a predetermined conveying destination by traveling along the travel track 20. The conveying device 9 is, for example, disposed inside an automatic warehouse having a storage rack for storing a plurality of articles, and carries out the entry and exit of articles between the inside and outside of the storage rack.

[0026] In this embodiment, if Figures 3 to 5As shown, the travel track 20 includes a travel surface 21 facing upward and a track lower surface 29 arranged at a position lower than the travel surface 21 and facing downward. In this example, the travel track 20 includes a track body 20a and a track support 20b supporting the track body 20a from the lower side. The track support 20b is provided on the ground of the conveying equipment 9, etc. Here, the travel surface 21 is a surface facing the upper side of the track body 20a. The track lower surface 29 is a surface facing the lower side of the track body 20a. In the example shown in the figure, the track lower surface 29 is formed in an area other than the connection portion between the track body 20a and the track support 20b. Specifically, the dimension of the width direction Y of the track body 20a is larger than the dimension of the width direction Y of the track support 20b, and the track lower surface 29 is separated in the width direction Y to form a pair across the connection portion. Further, in the example shown in the figure, a pair of track lower surfaces 29 are respectively formed with a groove 61 recessed toward the upper side. The groove portion 61 is formed along the extending direction of the travel rail 20 .

[0027] In this example, if Figure 1 and Figure 4 As shown, a pair of travel rails 20 are provided separately in the width direction Y. Furthermore, the transport vehicle 10 is configured to be guided by the pair of travel rails 20 and travel in the travel direction X. Hereinafter, the direction along the travel rails 20 is referred to as the travel direction X, and the direction orthogonal to the travel direction X as viewed in the vertical direction is referred to as the width direction Y. In addition, the side away from the first bumper 14 in the travel direction X is referred to as the travel direction away side X2, the side close to the first bumper 14 in the travel direction X is referred to as the travel direction approaching side X1, one side in the width direction Y is referred to as the width direction first side Y1, and the opposite side is referred to as the width direction second side Y2.

[0028] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the transport vehicle 10 includes wheels 11 rolling on a running surface 21 of a running track 20, a driving device 12 of the wheels 11, and a first bumper 14 disposed at a position higher than the running surface 21 and stopping the driving device 12 by colliding with an obstacle. In this embodiment, the transport vehicle 10 further includes a second bumper 18. In addition, the first bumper 14 is equivalent to a "bumper".

[0029] In this example, if Figure 1 As shown, a plurality of wheels 11 (here, four wheels) are separately provided on the transport vehicle 10 along the travel direction X and the width direction Y, corresponding to the pair of travel rails 20. Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, the transport vehicle 10 includes a travel carriage 17 that is guided and moved by a travel rail 20, a transfer device 28 that transfers articles to be transported, a lifting unit 27 that lifts and lowers the articles, and a control unit H that controls the entire transport vehicle 10. The travel carriage 17 is provided with the above-mentioned wheels 11, and the drive device 12 that drives the wheels 11 and the control unit H are also stored.

[0030] The driving device 12 is configured to drive at least one of the plurality of wheels 11. Figure 1 As shown, the drive device 12 includes a driving motor M and a transmission mechanism 19 for transmitting the driving force of the driving motor M to the wheels 11. In the example shown in the figure, a plurality of drive devices 12 are provided corresponding to the wheels 11 arranged separately in the driving direction X (i.e., the wheels 11 on the front side and the wheels 11 on the rear side of the driving direction X). Figure 1 In the example of , a plurality of guide wheels 24 corresponding to a pair of travel rails 20 are provided on the travel cart portion 17. In addition, the side surfaces on both sides of the travel rail 20 in the width direction Y are respectively set as rail side surfaces 23, and the plurality of guide wheels 24 are configured to roll on the rail side surfaces 23 on both sides of the width direction Y. In the present embodiment, the rail side surfaces 23 are the side surfaces on both sides of the width direction Y of the rail body portion 20a. In the present example, wheel support components 71 are respectively provided corresponding to the plurality of wheels 11. Figure 1 In the example of , the wheel support member 71 is provided on the traveling carriage portion 17. In addition, the wheel support member 71 supports the wheel 11 rotatably around the axis P along the width direction Y. Here, the wheel support member 71 is formed to cover both outer sides of the wheel 11 in the traveling direction X and the outer side in the width direction Y (the side where the traveling carriage portion 17 is not arranged).

[0031] The transfer device 28 is configured to hold the articles being transported and to transfer the articles between the transfer target parts. The transfer device 28 carries and holds the articles and transfers the articles to the transfer target parts by moving the articles in and out along the width direction Y. In this example, the transfer device 28 is a conveyor belt type, but it can also be a sliding fork type. Here, the transfer device 28 is set on the lifting part 27. In this example, the transport vehicle 10 is a stacking crane. Therefore, the columns not shown in the figure are set in the travel trolley part 17 in the up-down direction. The lifting part 27 is configured to be able to rise and fall along the columns.

[0032] In addition, the transport vehicle 10 is not limited to a stacker crane, and may also be a transport vehicle (so-called shuttle vehicle) that carries and transports articles. In this case, the transfer device 28 may also be provided on the traveling vehicle portion 17. In addition, the transport vehicle 10 may be a mother vehicle that travels in the width direction Y and can carry a child vehicle that transports articles, or may be a ceiling transport vehicle that is suspended from the ceiling and travels guided by a supported track.

[0033] The first bumper 14 is configured in correspondence with a plurality of (here, 4) wheels 11. The first bumper 14 is configured on the outside of the driving direction X (the driving direction away from the side X2) relative to the wheel 11. In this example, the first bumper 14 is fixed to the wheel support member 71 via the bumper support member 76. The first bumper 14 is configured to protrude in the driving direction away from the side X2 relative to the driving trolley portion 17 when viewed in the up and down direction. In this embodiment, the first bumper 14 is configured at a position higher than the driving track 20 (more specifically, the driving surface 21). Moreover, when an object such as an obstacle is placed on the driving track 20 in front of the driving direction of the transport vehicle 10, in principle, the first bumper 14 contacts the object.

[0034] like Figure 2 As shown, the transport vehicle 10 also has a switch unit 7. The switch unit 7 is configured to be opened when an obstacle on the travel track 20 located in front of the travel direction of the transport vehicle 10 hits the first bumper 14, for example. By switching the switch unit 7 from the closed state to the open state, the power supply to the drive device 12 is disconnected, and the transport vehicle 10 stops. In this example, the first bumper 14 has a switch function. That is, the first bumper 14 itself is the switch unit 7. Specifically, during the travel of the transport vehicle 10, if the end of the first bumper 14 contacts with other objects and is pressed into the inner side (the travel direction approaches the side X1), the transport vehicle 10 stops. In this way, since the first bumper 14 has a switch function, when the transport vehicle 10 collides with an object on the travel track 20, in addition to the original function of protecting the wheel 11, the wheel support member 71 and the travel trolley unit 17 from the impact, the function of emergency stopping the transport vehicle 10 is also realized. In addition, the switch unit 7 and the first bumper 14 can also be set separately. For example, the switch unit 7 may be provided on the traveling carriage unit 17 , the wheel support member 71 , or the like.

[0035] The second bumpers 18 are disposed on both outer sides of the traveling carriage portion 17 in the traveling direction X. In addition, the second bumpers 18 are disposed so as to be sandwiched between the pair of traveling rails 20. Figure 1 In the example of , the second bumper 18 is arranged between a pair of first bumpers 14 that are separated and arranged along the width direction Y. Here, the second bumper 18 has the same function as the first bumper 14. Specifically, when the transport vehicle 10 collides with an obstacle, the second bumper 18 has a function of protecting the traveling trolley portion 17 and the like from the impact and a switch function of making the transport vehicle 10 stop urgently. Specifically, it is configured so that during the travel of the transport vehicle 10, if the end of the second bumper 18 contacts with other objects and is pressed into the inner side (the travel direction approaches the side X1), the transport vehicle 10 stops. In addition, the second bumper 18 may not necessarily have a switch function.

[0036] For example, if the control unit H receives command information from a higher-level controller that controls the entire automatic warehouse (not shown), it controls the lifting unit 27, the transfer device 28, and the drive device 12 based on the command information. In addition, if the first bumper 14 is switched from the closed state to the open state, the control unit H cuts off the power supply to the drive device 12 to stop the transport vehicle 10. The control unit H has a processor such as a microcomputer and peripheral circuits such as a memory, and realizes the above-mentioned functions through the cooperation of these hardware and the program executed on the hardware such as the processor.

[0037] like Figures 3 to 5 As shown, the travel restriction device 1 restricts the travel of the transport vehicle 10. The travel restriction device 1 is configured to prevent the transport vehicle 10 from traveling beyond the travel restriction device 1 by supporting the travel surface 21 on the travel track 20. Specifically, the travel restriction device 1 is arranged on the side X2 away from the first bumper 14 in the travel direction in a manner that it faces the first bumper 14 of the transport vehicle 10. For example, when an operator performs maintenance work on the transport vehicle 10, the travel restriction device 1 is placed on the travel track 20.

[0038] like Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the travel restriction device 1 includes a main body 3 placed on the travel surface 21, a stopper 4 arranged to face the rail lower surface 29, and a connecting portion 5 integrally connecting the main body 3 and the stopper 4 on the outer side of the travel surface 21 in the width direction Y. In the present embodiment, the connecting portion 5 is supported by the main body 3, and connects the main body 3 and the stopper 4 to support the stopper 4.

[0039] like Figures 3 to 5 As shown, the main body 3 includes a relative surface 31 and a supported portion 34. The relative surface 31 is arranged at a position facing the first bumper 14 away from the side X2 in the traveling direction when placed on the traveling surface 21. The supported portion 34 becomes a portion supported by the traveling surface 21 when the relative surface 31 is pressed by the first bumper 14 toward the side X2 in the traveling direction. In addition, the main body 3 includes a bottom surface 33, and the bottom surface 33 is configured to be parallel to the traveling surface 21 when the relative surface 31 is pressed by the first bumper 14 and the locking portion 4 is in contact with the lower surface 29 of the rail. In the present embodiment, the main body 3 is a columnar component extending in the width direction Y. In this example, the main body 3 is formed so that the dimension in the width direction Y is larger than the dimension in the width direction Y of the traveling rail 20. In addition, in the following, the posture in which the traveling restriction device 1 is appropriately installed on the traveling rail 20 ( Figure 5 The right side of the paper) is used as the reference posture T1 for explanation. In this example, Figure 5As shown in FIG. 1 , the reference posture T1 is a posture of the travel restriction device 1 in which the supported portion 34 is in contact with the travel surface 21 and the bottom surface 33 is not in contact with the travel surface 21 but is inclined. In addition, in the following, the posture of the travel restriction device 1 in which the first bumper 14 presses the opposing surface 31 and the bottom surface 33 is in contact with the travel surface 21 as a whole ( Figure 5 The left side of the paper) is illustrated as the overturned posture T2.

[0040] The facing surface 31 is the surface of the main body 3 facing the approaching side X1 in the travel direction in the reference posture T1. The facing surface 31 is the surface that contacts the first bumper 14 when the transport vehicle 10 is traveling. Figure 3 and Figure 5 As shown, the opposing surface 31 is formed into a concave shape that is recessed toward the side X2 away from the traveling direction, so that the end portion 16 of the first bumper 14 away from the side X2 in the traveling direction can be inserted. Figure 3 and Figure 5 As shown, the opposing surface 31 is formed into a concave shape matching the shape of the terminal portion 16 of the first bumper 14. Here, the opposing surface 31 has a plurality of surfaces (here, inclined surfaces). In more detail, the opposing surface 31 has an upper opposing surface 31a and a lower opposing surface 31b. The upper opposing surface 31a is formed as an inclined surface extending in the width direction Y and inclined toward the side X2 away from the traveling direction as it moves toward the lower side. The lower opposing surface 31b is formed continuously from the lower side end of the upper opposing surface 31a, and is formed as an inclined surface inclined toward the side X1 approaching the traveling direction as it moves toward the lower side. That is, the opposing surface 31 is formed into a concave shape in which the connecting portion of the upper opposing surface 31a and the lower opposing surface 31b is most recessed toward the side X2 away from the traveling direction. In the example shown in the figure, the first bumper 14 is formed into an arc shape protruding toward the side X2 away from the traveling direction when viewed in the width direction Y. When the transport vehicle 10 travels, the tip portion 16 of the first bumper 14 and a portion above the tip portion 16 come into contact with and press the upper facing surface 31a. The facing surface 31 may not have a plurality of surfaces, but may be, for example, a single curved surface.

[0041] The bottom surface 33 is a surface that contacts the running surface 21 in the overturned posture T2 of the running restriction device 1. That is, the bottom surface 33 is a surface facing the lower side of the main body 3 in the overturned posture T2 (the surface arranged at the lowermost side). In the overturned posture T2, the bottom surface 33 is ideally in surface contact with the running surface 21, but it does not have to be strictly in surface contact. In this example, the bottom surface 33 is formed in the area of ​​the main body 3 that overlaps with the running surface 21 when viewed in the up and down direction, and is not formed at the two end portions of the main body 3 (in the illustrated example, the two outer portions arranged in the width direction Y of the running rail 20).

[0042] In this embodiment, if Figure 3 and Figure 5As shown, the supported portion 34 is formed by the end edge of the bottom surface 33 close to the side X1 in the running direction. When the opposite surface 31 is pressed against the first bumper 14, the main body 3 rotates around the axis along the width direction Y with the supported portion 34 as a fulcrum. In this example, in the reference posture T1, the bottom surface 33 is formed as an inclined surface that tilts upward as it moves away from the side X2 in the running direction, and the area of ​​the bottom surface 33 other than the supported portion 34 does not abut against the running surface 21. And, if the opposite surface 31 is pressed by the first bumper 14, the main body 3 rotates with the supported portion 34 as a fulcrum, thereby, the entire bottom surface 33 rotates and abuts against the running surface 21. In this way, the bottom surface 33 forms a parallel posture with respect to the running surface 21 in the overturned posture T2.

[0043] In both the reference posture T1 and the overturned posture T2 of the driving restriction device 1, the stopper 4 is arranged at a position lower than the driving surface 21 and arranged on the driving direction approaching side X1 relative to the main body 3. In addition, the stopper 4 is arranged to overlap with the driving track 20 (for example, the driving surface 21, the track lower surface 29, etc.) when viewed in the vertical direction. Here, when the opposing surface 31 is pressed by the first bumper 14 toward the driving direction away side X2, the stopper 4 is configured to abut against the track lower surface 29 at a position closer to the driving direction approaching side X1 than the opposing surface 31 and the supported portion 34. The stopper 4 rotates around the axis along the width direction Y with the supported portion 34 as a fulcrum. In addition, the stopper 4 rotates integrally with the above-mentioned main body 3. In this embodiment, the driving restriction device 1 has a pair of such stopper 4. The pair of stopper 4 is arranged separately in the width direction Y. In this example, the pair of stopper 4 is arranged to correspond to the pair of track lower surfaces 29 formed separately in the width direction Y. And the pair of locking parts 4 is comprised so that it may contact|abut with the pair of rail lower surfaces 29 from the lower side. Here, the pair of locking parts 4 has mutually the same structure.

[0044] like Figures 3 to 5As shown, in this embodiment, the portion of the stopper 4 that abuts against the lower surface 29 of the rail is made into the abutment portion 42, and at least the abutment portion 42 is freely detachable relative to the object portion 40, which is a portion of the connecting portion 5 and the stopper 4 other than the abutment portion 42 (hereinafter referred to as the "stopper main body portion 43"). In this example, the stopper 4 is provided with the abutment portion 42 and the stopper main body portion 43 supporting the abutment portion 42. Here, the object portion 40 is formed as the stopper main body portion 43. That is, the abutment portion 42 is freely detachable relative to the stopper main body portion 43. The stopper main body portion 43 connects the abutment portion 42 and the connecting portion 5 and supports the abutment portion 42. In the example shown in the figure, the stopper main body portion 43 supports the abutment portion 42 from the lower side. In addition, the abutment portion 42 can also be fixed relative to the stopper main body portion 43 by a fastening member or the like. In addition, the abutment portion 42 can be fixed to the stopper main body portion 43 by a fitting mechanism, or by a combination thereof. In the present embodiment, the abutment portion 42 is formed of an elastic member (for example, synthetic rubber, etc.). Furthermore, the abutment portion 42 is formed into a shape corresponding to the lower surface 29 of the track. In the illustrated example, the lower surface 29 of the track is formed with a groove portion 61 as described above. The abutment portion 42 is formed into a convex shape to engage with the groove portion 61. In addition, the abutment portion 42 may be, for example, a metal product that has been knurled. In addition, the shape of the abutment portion 42 can be appropriately changed according to the shape of the lower surface 29 of the track.

[0045] exist Figures 3 to 5 In the example of , the contact portion 42 contacts the rail lower surface 29 in the reference posture T1 and is locked in the groove portion 61. Here, the contact portion 42 is an elastic member formed in a convex shape whose dimension in the width direction Y decreases as it goes upward. The dimension in the width direction Y of the upper end of the contact portion 42 is formed to be slightly larger than the dimension in the width direction Y of the groove portion 61. Therefore, in the reference posture T1, the upper end portion of the contact portion 42 contacts the rail lower surface 29 and is locked in the groove portion 61.

[0046] like Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the travel restriction device 1 is provided with a pair of connecting parts 5 corresponding to the pair of locking parts 4, respectively. The pair of connecting parts 5 are arranged on the two outer sides in the width direction Y relative to the travel rail 20. The pair of connecting parts 5 are respectively provided to connect the end parts in the width direction Y of the main body 3 and the corresponding locking parts 4. Hereinafter, the connecting part 5 on the first side Y1 in the width direction of the pair of connecting parts 5 is referred to as the first connecting part 54, and the connecting part 5 on the second side Y2 in the width direction is referred to as the second connecting part 53. In the present embodiment, the pair of connecting parts 5 is configured to clamp the travel rail 20 from both sides in the width direction Y when the main body 3 is placed on the travel surface 21. In this example, the connecting part 5 faces the side surface 23 of the rail and has a small gap in the width direction Y ( Figure 5 ). Therefore, when the main body 3 is placed on the travel surface 21, it is possible to avoid the pair of connection parts 5 from interfering with the travel rails 20.

[0047] The connecting portion 5 is configured to be inclined downward toward the approaching side X1 in both the reference posture T1 and the overturned posture T2. In addition, when viewed in the width direction Y, the connecting portion 5 is formed as a component that continuously extends from the lower side of the rail lower surface 29 to the upper side of the running surface 21. In this example, the first connecting portion 54 is fixed to the end of the first side Y1 in the width direction of the main body 3. In addition, the locking main body part 43 of the locking portion 4 is connected to the terminal end (lower end) of the first connecting portion 54. Here, the first connecting portion 54 and the locking main body part 43 are formed integrally. The locking main body part 43 is configured to protrude from the terminal end of the first connecting portion 54 toward the inner side of the width direction Y (here, the first side Y1 in the width direction). In addition, the abutting portion 42 is installed on the upper surface of the locking main body part 43 (here, the surface facing the upper side and facing the approaching side X1 in the running direction). In the present embodiment, at least one of the pair of connecting parts 5 is configured to be freely assembled and disassembled relative to the main body 3. Here, the second connecting part 53 is configured to be freely assembled and disassembled relative to the main body 3. In this example, the second connecting part 53 is freely assembled and disassembled fixed to the end of the second side Y2 in the width direction of the main body 3. In addition, the structure of the second connecting part 53 other than this is the same as the structure of the first connecting part 54, so the description is omitted. In the following, the structure in which the second connecting part 53 is freely assembled and disassembled relative to the main body 3 is described. Figure 4 In the example shown in FIG. 5 , the first connection portion 54 is fixed to the main body portion 3 by a fastening member, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and the first connection portion 54 may be fixed by welding or the like, for example.

[0048] exist Figures 3 to 5 In the example shown in the figure, a fitting groove 64 is formed at the upper end of the second connecting portion 53, which is open in the width direction Y and upward. The end of the second side Y2 in the width direction of the main body 3 is fitted into the fitting groove 64. In the example shown in the figure, when the main body 3 is fitted into the fitting groove 64, the second connecting portion 53 and the main body 3 are fixed by fastening the fastening member 52 ( Figure 5 ). A hole for inserting the fastening member 52 is formed in the fitting groove 64 and the end of the second side Y2 in the width direction of the main body 3. In addition, a handle is installed on the fastening member 52. Therefore, by using the handle of the fastening member 52, the second connecting portion 53 is removed from the main body 3, so that the travel restriction device 1 in the overturned posture T2 can be easily removed from the travel rail 20. Therefore, the work efficiency after stopping the transport vehicle 10 that is accidentally traveling can be improved.

[0049] In the present embodiment, the travel restriction device 1 further includes a pair of width direction guides 44, which are fixed integrally with the main body 3, and are arranged to face the pair of rail side surfaces 23 from both outer sides in the width direction Y to restrict the movement of the main body 3 in the width direction Y, and at least one of the pair of width direction guides 44 also functions as a connecting portion 5. In this example, both of the pair of width direction guides 44 function as connecting portions 5. That is, among the pair of width direction guides 44, the width direction guide 44 on the first side Y1 in the width direction is the first connecting portion 54, and the width direction guide 44 on the second side Y2 in the width direction is the second connecting portion 53. The pair of width direction guides 44 (here, the pair of connecting portions 5) face the rail side surface 23, and have a small gap in the width direction Y. Therefore, when the main body 3 is placed on the travel surface 21, the main body 3 can be easily positioned in the width direction Y. In addition, when the main body 3 is placed in the reference posture T1, the movement of the travel restriction device 1 in the width direction Y is restricted. Therefore, when the opposing surface 31 is pressed by the first bumper 14 and the posture is changed from the reference posture T1 to the overturned posture T2, the travel restriction device 1 can be restricted from falling from the travel rail 20. In this example, as described above, the second connecting portion 53 is configured to be freely attached to and detached from the main body 3. Therefore, it can also be said that the width direction guide portion 44 on the second width direction side Y2 of the pair of width direction guide portions 44 is configured to be freely attached to and detached from the main body 3.

[0050] like Figure 5As shown, in the reference posture T1 of the travel restriction device 1, the supported portion 34 abuts against the travel surface 21, and the stopper 4 (here, a pair of stopper portions 4) abuts against and stops against the lower surface 29 of the rail. Thus, the reference posture T1 of the travel restriction device 1 is maintained. Here, if the opposing surface 31 (here, the upper opposing surface 31a) is pressed by the first bumper 14 due to the travel of the transport vehicle 10, the travel restriction device 1 moves away from the side X2 in the travel direction, and changes from the reference posture T1 to the overturned posture T2 by rotating around the axis along the width direction Y with the supported portion 34 as a fulcrum. In the overturned posture T2, the bottom surface 33 of the main body 3 abuts against the travel surface 21 as a whole. In addition, the abutting portion 42 of the stopper 4 is locked in a manner of biting into the groove 61 of the lower surface 29 of the rail. Therefore, if the travel restriction device 1 is in the overturned posture T2, the rotation of the travel restriction device 1 stops. As a result, the upper relative surface 31a becomes an upright posture compared to the reference posture T1. And, the first bumper 14 is relatively pressed into the relative surface 31 toward the travel direction approaching side X1 by the reaction force generated by the upper relative surface 31a, thereby stopping the drive device 12 of the transport vehicle 10. In addition, in this example, the abutment portion 42 of the locking portion 4 is configured to contact the lower surface 29 of the track and be locked with the groove portion 61, but is not limited to this. For example, it can also be configured so that when the groove portion 61 is not formed on the lower surface 29 of the track, the abutment portion 42 as an elastic member contacts the lower surface 29 of the track, and the abutment portion 42 is elastically deformed and presses the lower surface 29 of the track from the bottom, so that the locking portion 4 is locked with the lower surface 29 of the track.

[0051] [Other implementation methods]

[0052] (1) In the above-mentioned embodiment, the traveling carriage 17 is guided by a pair of traveling rails 20 , but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the traveling carriage 17 may be guided by a single traveling rail 20 .

[0053] (2) In the above-mentioned embodiment, the main body 3 and the connecting portion 5 are constituted by separate parts from each other, and the abutting portion 42 of the locking portion 4 is constituted by a separate part from the connecting portion 5. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the main body 3, the connecting portion 5, and the locking portion 4 may be respectively provided as separate parts, or may be all formed integrally.

[0054] (3) In the above-mentioned embodiment, the structure in which the opposing surface 31 is formed into a concave shape that is recessed toward the side X2 away from the traveling direction is described as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this. The opposing surface 31 may be formed into a flat surface along the vertical direction and the width direction Y. The shape of the opposing surface 31 can be appropriately changed in this way.

[0055] (4) In the above-mentioned embodiment, the supported portion 34 is described as an example in which the edge of the end portion of the bottom surface 33 close to the side X1 in the travel direction is used, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the supported portion 34 may be formed using the edge of the end portion of a different surface that is not adjacent to the bottom surface 33. Figure 5 In the reference posture T1, the shape of the supported portion 34 can be set to a surface that contacts the running surface 21. In this case, it is preferable to set the dimension of the supported portion 34 in the running direction X to be small so that the running restriction device 1 can easily change its posture. The shape and position of the supported portion 34 can be appropriately changed in this way.

[0056] (5) In the above-mentioned embodiment, the structure in which the contact portion 42 is freely attachable to and detachable from the portion other than the contact portion 42 of the locking portion 4 is described as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the entire locking portion 4 (here, the contact portion 42 and the locking body portion 43) may be freely attachable to and detachable from the connecting portion 5. In this case, the target portion 40 is the connecting portion 5.

[0057] (6) In the above embodiment, the pair of width direction guides 44 both function as the connection portion 5 , but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the pair of width direction guides 44 may be provided as components separate from the connection portion 5 .

[0058] (7) In the above-mentioned embodiment, the structure in which at least one of the pair of connecting parts 5 is freely attachable to and detachable from the main body 3 is described as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this. Both of the pair of connecting parts 5 may be freely attachable to and detachable from the main body 3, or both of the pair of connecting parts 5 may not be freely attachable to and detachable from the main body 3.

[0059] (8) In the above-mentioned embodiment, the driving restriction device 1 is described by taking the structure in which the pair of connecting parts 5 are provided corresponding to the pair of locking parts 4, but the present invention is not limited to this. Figure 6 As shown, the connecting portion 5 may be provided only on one side in the width direction Y relative to the running surface 21 and may be formed integrally with the main body 3. In this example, the running restriction device 1 is provided with a stopper 4 that is engaged with the lower surface 29 of the track on the first side Y1 in the width direction, and no stopper 4 is provided that is engaged with the lower surface 29 of the track on the second side Y2 in the width direction. Therefore, the first connecting portion 54 that connects the stopper 4 and the main body 3 is provided on the first side Y1 in the width direction, and no second connecting portion 53 is provided. In addition, as Figure 6As shown, a width-direction guide portion 44 fixed integrally with the main body portion 3 is provided on the other side of the width direction Y relative to the traveling surface 21, and the connecting portion 5 and the width-direction guide portion 44 are configured to clamp the traveling rail 20 from both sides of the width direction Y when the main body portion 3 is placed on the traveling surface 21. In this example, the width-direction guide portion 44 is provided on the side where the locking portion 4 is not provided relative to the traveling surface 21, that is, on the second side Y2 in the width direction. Specifically, the width-direction guide portion 44 is fixed to the end of the second side Y2 in the width direction of the main body 3. Furthermore, the traveling rail 20 (here, the rail main body 20a) is clamped from both sides in the width direction Y by the first connecting portion 54 and the width-direction guide portion 44. Figure 6 In the example of FIG. 5 , the first connection portion 54 functions as the width direction guide portion 44. Therefore, the travel restriction device 1 can also be provided with a pair of width direction guide portions 44 that are spaced apart in the width direction Y.

[0060] (9) In addition, the structures disclosed in the above-mentioned embodiments can also be combined with the structures disclosed in other embodiments (including the combination between the embodiments described as other embodiments) as long as no contradiction occurs. With regard to other structures, the embodiments disclosed in this specification are merely examples in all aspects. Therefore, various changes can be appropriately made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0061] [Summary of the above-mentioned implementation methods]

[0062] Hereinafter, a summary of the above-described driving restriction device will be described.

[0063] The travel restriction device disclosed in the present invention is used for restricting the travel of a transport vehicle in a transport facility having a travel track and a transport vehicle traveling along the travel track, wherein the travel track has a travel surface facing upward and a track lower surface arranged at a position lower than the travel surface and facing downward, the transport vehicle has wheels, a driving device for the wheels, and a bumper, the wheels roll on the travel surface of the travel track, the bumper is arranged at a position higher than the travel surface and stops the driving device by colliding with an obstacle, the travel restriction device has a main body, a locking portion, and a connecting portion,

[0064] The main body is placed on the running surface.

[0065] The locking portion is configured to face the lower surface of the track,

[0066] The connecting portion defines a direction along the travel track as a travel direction, defines a direction perpendicular to the travel direction as a width direction when viewed from top to bottom, and integrally connects the main body and the locking portion on the outer side of the travel surface in the width direction.

[0067] The side away from the bumper in the driving direction is defined as the driving direction away side, and the side close to the bumper in the driving direction is defined as the driving direction approaching side.

[0068] The main body includes a facing surface and a supported portion, wherein the facing surface is arranged at a position facing the bumper from a side away from the driving direction when placed on the driving surface, and the supported portion becomes a portion supported by the driving surface when the facing surface is pressed by the bumper toward a side away from the driving direction.

[0069] The locking portion is configured to come into contact with the rail lower surface at a position closer to the traveling direction than the opposing surface and the supported portion when the opposing surface is pressed toward the farther side in the traveling direction by the bumper.

[0070] According to this structure, when the transport vehicle is accidentally traveling and the opposite surface is pressed by the bumper, the main body is supported by the traveling surface on the supported portion, and the stopper abuts and presses against the lower surface of the track at a position closer to the traveling direction than the opposite surface and the supported portion. In this way, the travel restriction device can be fixed on the travel track by the friction force between the stopper and the travel track generated by the pressing force of the bumper on the opposite surface and the friction force between the stopper and the travel track. Therefore, since the bumper can be pushed back by the opposite surface, the drive device of the transport vehicle can be reliably stopped in an emergency.

[0071] Furthermore, according to this configuration, the travel restriction device can be easily installed on the travel rail by placing the main body on the travel surface and making the locking portion face the rail lower surface.

[0072] Furthermore, according to the present structure, since the driving restriction device is fixed to the travel track by the pressing force of the bumper on the opposite surface through the friction with the travel track, even after the transport vehicle is stopped by the driving restriction device, the driving restriction device can be easily removed from the travel track by only disengaging the locking portion from the lower surface of the track.

[0073] It is preferred that the facing surface is formed in a concave shape that is recessed toward the side away from the traveling direction so that a terminal end portion of the bumper on the side away from the traveling direction fits in.

[0074] According to this structure, when the bumper presses the opposite surface, the possibility that the end of the bumper will be disengaged from the opposite surface and cannot properly press the opposite surface can be reduced. Therefore, the pressing force of the bumper on the opposite surface can be used to improve the reliability of the action of fixing the driving restriction device on the driving track.

[0075] In addition, it is preferred that the main body has a bottom surface, and the bottom surface is configured to be parallel to the running surface in a state where the opposing surface is pressed by the bumper and the locking portion is in contact with the lower surface of the rail.

[0076] The supported portion is formed by an edge of an end portion of the bottom surface on the side close to the traveling direction.

[0077] According to this configuration, since the supported portion can be constituted by the edge of the end portion on the traveling direction approaching side of the bottom surface of the main body portion, it is easy to simplify the structure of the main body portion.

[0078] In addition, according to this structure, since the bottom surface of the main body is parallel to the running surface when the locking portion is in contact with the lower surface of the rail, it is easy to ensure a large friction force between the bottom surface of the main body and the running surface. Therefore, it is easier to increase the force that fixes the travel restriction device on the running track.

[0079] In addition, according to this structure, since the main body is formed into a shape that is easy to rotate with the supported part as a fulcrum, it is easy to increase the force of the locking part contacting the lower surface of the rail. Therefore, the force of fixing the travel restriction device to the travel rail can be effectively increased.

[0080] In addition, it is preferred that the portion of the locking portion that abuts against the lower surface of the rail is used as the abutment portion, and at least the abutment portion is configured to be freely detachable relative to an object portion, and the object portion is a portion of the connecting portion and the locking portion other than the abutment portion.

[0081] According to this structure, even when the abutting part is damaged due to abutment with the lower surface of the track, it can be replaced with another abutting part. In this way, by making the abutting part that is more easily damaged free for assembly and disassembly, it is not necessary to replace the entire travel restriction device due to the damage of the abutting part.

[0082] In addition, it is preferred that the side surfaces on both sides of the travel track in the width direction are respectively used as track side surfaces.

[0083] A pair of width direction guides are also provided, the width direction guides are fixed integrally with the main body, and are arranged from two outer sides in the width direction to a pair of rail side surfaces to restrict movement of the main body in the width direction.

[0084] At least one of the pair of width-direction guide portions is configured to also function as the connection portion.

[0085] According to this structure, the travel restriction device can be easily arranged at an appropriate position in the width direction relative to the travel track, and even when the opposite surface is pressed by the bumper, the travel restriction device can be restricted from deviating in the width direction. Therefore, when the opposite surface is pressed by the bumper, the locking portion can be made to abut against the lower surface of the track with high reliability.

[0086] In addition, it is preferable that a pair of the locking portions is provided, and a pair of the connecting portions is provided corresponding to the pair of the locking portions, respectively.

[0087] The pair of connecting parts is configured to sandwich the travel rail from both sides in the width direction when the main body is placed on the travel surface.

[0088] At least one of the pair of connecting parts is configured to be attachable to and detachable from the main body.

[0089] According to this structure, since a pair of connecting parts and a pair of stopper parts connected to the main body part via each connecting part are provided, when the opposing surface is pressed by the bumper, the stopper parts on both sides in the width direction can evenly support the load in the width direction. Therefore, even when the pressing force of the bumper on the opposing surface deviates in the width direction, the load of the bumper can be stably supported and the travel restriction device can be fixed on the travel track.

[0090] In addition, according to this structure, since a pair of connecting parts are configured to clamp the travel rail from both sides in the width direction, the travel restriction device can be easily arranged at an appropriate position in the width direction relative to the travel rail, and when the opposite surface is pressed by the bumper, the travel restriction device can be restricted from deviating in the width direction.

[0091] Furthermore, according to this configuration, by removing at least one of the pair of connection portions from the main body portion, the travel restriction device in a state pressed by the bumper can be easily removed from the travel rail.

[0092] In addition, it is preferred that the connecting portion is provided only on one side in the width direction with respect to the running surface and is formed integrally with the main body portion.

[0093] A width direction guide portion fixed integrally with the main body portion is provided on the other side of the running surface in the width direction.

[0094] The connection portion and the width direction guide portion are configured to sandwich the travel rail from both sides in the width direction in a state where the main body portion is placed on the travel surface.

[0095] According to this configuration, since the connecting portion and the locking portion are provided only on one side in the width direction, it is easier to provide the travel restriction device on the travel rail than in a configuration in which they are provided on both sides in the width direction.

[0096] In addition, according to this structure, since the connecting portion and the width-direction guiding portion are configured to clamp the travel rail from both sides in the width direction, the travel restriction device can be easily configured at a suitable position in the width direction relative to the travel rail, and when the opposite surface is pressed by the bumper, the travel restriction device can be restricted from deviating in the width direction.

[0097] Therefore, according to this configuration, it is possible to achieve both the convenience of installing the travel restriction device on the travel rail and the stability of the position of the travel restriction device when the opposing surface is pressed by the bumper.

[0098] The running restriction device of the present disclosure only needs to achieve at least one of the above-mentioned effects.

[0099] Description of Reference Numerals

[0100] 1: Driving restriction device

[0101] 3: Main body

[0102] 4: Stopper

[0103] 5: Connection

[0104] 9: Conveying equipment

[0105] 10: Transport vehicle

[0106] 11: Wheel

[0107] 12: Drive device

[0108] 16: terminal part

[0109] 20: Driving track

[0110] 21: Driving surface

[0111] 23: Track side

[0112] 29: Lower surface of track

[0113] 31: Opposite side

[0114] 33: Bottom surface

[0115] 34: Supported part

[0116] 40: Object

[0117] 42: Abutment part

[0118] 44: Width direction guide

[0119] X: Driving direction

[0120] X1: Approaching side in driving direction

[0121] X2: Driving direction away from the side

[0122] Y: width direction.

Claims

1. A travel restriction device, for restricting the travel of a transport vehicle in a transport facility having a travel track and a transport vehicle, wherein the travel track comprises a travel surface facing upward and a lower surface of the track arranged at a position lower than the travel surface and facing downward, the transport vehicle travels along the travel track, comprises wheels, a driving device for the wheels, and a bumper, the wheels roll on the travel surface of the travel track, the bumper is arranged at a position higher than the travel surface and stops the driving device by colliding with an obstacle, the travel restriction device comprises a main body, a locking portion, and a connecting portion, The main body is placed on the running surface. The locking portion is configured to face the lower surface of the track, The direction along the travel track is defined as the travel direction, and the direction perpendicular to the travel direction when viewed from the top and bottom is defined as the width direction. The connecting portion integrally connects the main body and the locking portion on the outside of the travel surface in the width direction. The side away from the bumper in the driving direction is defined as the driving direction away side, and the side close to the bumper in the driving direction is defined as the driving direction approaching side. The main body includes a facing surface and a supported portion, wherein the facing surface is arranged at a position facing the bumper from a side away from the driving direction when placed on the driving surface, and the supported portion becomes a portion supported by the driving surface when the facing surface is pressed by the bumper toward a side away from the driving direction. The locking portion is configured to come into contact with the rail lower surface at a position closer to the traveling direction than the opposing surface and the supported portion when the opposing surface is pressed toward the farther side in the traveling direction by the bumper.

2. The travel restriction device according to claim 1, wherein: The facing surface is formed in a concave shape that is recessed toward the side away from the traveling direction so that a distal end portion of the bumper on the side away from the traveling direction fits therein.

3. The running restriction device according to claim 1, wherein: The main body has a bottom surface, and the bottom surface is configured to be parallel to the running surface in a state where the opposing surface is pressed by the bumper and the locking portion is in contact with the lower surface of the rail. The supported portion is formed by an edge of an end portion of the bottom surface on the side close to the traveling direction.

4. The running restriction device according to claim 1, wherein: The portion of the locking portion that contacts the lower surface of the rail is defined as a contact portion, and at least the contact portion is configured to be detachable from a target portion, which is a portion of the connecting portion and the locking portion other than the contact portion.

5. The running restriction device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: The side surfaces on both sides of the travel track in the width direction are respectively regarded as track side surfaces. A pair of width direction guides are also provided, the width direction guides are fixed integrally with the main body, and are arranged from two outer sides in the width direction to a pair of rail side surfaces to restrict movement of the main body in the width direction. At least one of the pair of width-direction guide portions is configured to also function as the connection portion.

6. The running restriction device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: A pair of the locking portions is provided, and a pair of the connecting portions is provided corresponding to the pair of the locking portions, respectively. The pair of connecting parts is configured to sandwich the travel rail from both sides in the width direction when the main body is placed on the travel surface. At least one of the pair of connecting parts is configured to be attachable to and detachable from the main body.

7. The running restriction device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: The connecting portion is provided only on one side in the width direction relative to the running surface and is formed integrally with the main body. A width direction guide portion fixed integrally with the main body portion is provided on the other side of the running surface in the width direction. The connection portion and the width direction guide portion are configured to sandwich the travel rail from both sides in the width direction in a state where the main body portion is placed on the travel surface.

Images