Cleaning device for crown block rails

Abstract

The technical scheme of the present application provides a walking device and a cleaning device for a crown block track, which comprises a walking assembly, the walking assembly comprises at least one set of supporting wheels arranged oppositely on the two sides of the walking device, and the supporting wheels roll along the walking direction of the walking device; a guide assembly comprises at least one guide wheel arranged on one side of the upward surface of the walking device, the guide wheel can roll along the walking direction, the guide wheel can move laterally and is kept at at least two specific positions. The cleaning device for the crown block track comprises at least one set of walking devices for the crown block track, and the cleaning device for the crown block track can realize automatic cleaning of AMHS without power failure.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of track conveying equipment technology, and more specifically to a cleaning device for overhead crane tracks. Background Technology

[0002] In semiconductor manufacturing plants, the Automated Material Handling System (AMHS) is a crucial part of the production line organization. The overhead cranes (OHTs) generate dust on the tracks as they travel, causing the tracks to blacken. Each stage of semiconductor manufacturing requires a high degree of cleanliness. Furthermore, dust and other deposits on the track surface can affect the stable operation of the OHT, potentially leading to excessive vibration. Dust also affects the coefficient of friction on the track surface, resulting in higher stopping accuracy and longer emergency braking distances for the OHT. Therefore, regular cleaning of the AMHS tracks is necessary. Traditional manual cleaning methods are inefficient and require working at height, posing significant risks. Summary of the Invention

[0003] To achieve efficient cleaning of the AMHS system, this application provides a cleaning device for crane tracks.

[0004] This application provides a traveling device for a crane track, comprising: A traveling assembly, comprising at least one set of support wheels disposed opposite to each other on both sides of the traveling device, the support wheels rolling along the traveling direction of the traveling device; The guide assembly includes at least one guide wheel disposed on one side of the upper surface of the walking device, the guide wheel being capable of rolling in the walking direction, being capable of lateral movement, and being held at at least two specific positions.

[0005] Preferably, a plurality of the guide wheels are disposed on a laterally movable guide seat. Preferably, the guide seat is slidably disposed on a laterally extending slide rail.

[0006] Preferably, the guide seat is driven to move laterally by a rotary drive device, and the rotary drive device is connected to the guide seat by a rocker arm; one end of the rocker arm is fixed to the rotating end of the rotary drive device, and the other end slides and rotates on the guide seat. Preferably, the other end of the rocker arm slides and rotates within a groove in a specific direction on the guide seat.

[0007] Preferably, the slide rail is provided with limiting blocks at both ends for restricting the lateral position of the guide seat. Preferably, the two extreme positions when the rocker arm is laterally parallel to the walking device are the first position and the second position, and the guide seat can be held at the first position and the second position respectively.

[0008] Preferably, the guide wheel is driven to move laterally by a rotation drive device, the guide wheel is rotatably connected to one end of the rocker arm, and the other end of the rocker arm is fixedly connected to the rotating end of the rotation drive device.

[0009] Preferably, the traveling assembly further includes auxiliary wheels, which are disposed on one side of the lower bottom surface of the support wheel, and at least one is disposed on each side of the lower bottom surface of the traveling device in the lateral direction, with each auxiliary wheel rolling along the inner side of the track on that side in the traveling direction.

[0010] Preferably, the number of auxiliary wheels on at least one side is not less than two; or, the number of auxiliary wheels on each side is not less than two.

[0011] Preferably, the device further includes a connecting assembly disposed below the walking device. The connecting assembly has a first connecting member and a second connecting member that are coaxially rotatably connected, one of which connects to the walking device. Alternatively, it may also include a connecting component disposed between an auxiliary wheel on one side and an auxiliary wheel on the other side of the walking device.

[0012] Preferably, it also includes a cleaning chamber, which is suspended below the walking device. Alternatively, it may also include a cleaning housing, which is suspended below the walking device and is hinged to the walking device; Alternatively, it may also include a cleaning box, which is suspended below the walking device and is rotatably connected to the walking device; Alternatively, it may also include a cleaning housing suspended below the walking device. When the walking device further includes a connecting assembly disposed below the walking device, the connecting assembly has a first connecting member and a second connecting member that are coaxially rotatably connected, one of which is connected to the walking device and the other is connected to the cleaning housing.

[0013] Preferably, the cleaning box includes a vacuum cleaner, and the vacuum port is connected to the vacuum cleaner via a pipe. The vacuum port is located at the track. Preferably, the cleaning box includes a cleaning brush and a dust collection box disposed below the cleaning brush, wherein the cleaning brush is disposed at the location of the track; Preferably, the suction port is located in front of the cleaning brush along the forward direction of the cleaning device.

[0014] Preferably, it further includes an obstacle avoidance component and / or a power supply component. Preferably, the power supply component includes a barcode reader and an obstacle avoidance sensor. The barcode reader reads the barcode on the track, and the obstacle avoidance sensor detects whether there are obstacles in front of the traveler.

[0015] The cleaning device for the overhead crane track in this application enables automatic cleaning of AMHS (Advanced Mobility Handling System) without power interruption. The traveling unit can run on curved tracks via the reversing wheels above. When encountering an OHT (Outgoing Loading Turbine) with a transport task, it can automatically travel to an empty track to give way, prioritizing the transport of materials by OHTs on the track and improving overall transport performance. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the cleaning device for the overhead crane track in this application; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the walking device 1 along the walking direction; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the walking device 1 on track 8; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the walking device 1 along the direction of gravity; Figure 5 A schematic diagram of another arrangement embodiment of the auxiliary wheel 112 of the walking device 1; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram showing the movement of the walking device 1 and the cleaning device 9 along the direction of gravity. Figure 7 A schematic diagram of guide component 13; Figure 8 A schematic diagram of another embodiment of the guide component 13; Figure 9 A schematic diagram of another embodiment of the guide component 13; Figure 10 This is a side view of the cleaning device 9; Figure 11 This is a lateral view of the guide component 13.

[0017] In the picture: 1: Walking device; 11: Walking assembly; 111: Support wheel; 112: Auxiliary wheel; 113: Power source; 12: Connecting assembly; 121: First connecting piece; 122: Second connecting piece; 13: Guide assembly; 131: Guide seat; 132: Slide rail; 133: Rotation drive device; 134: Rocker arm; 135: Guide wheel; 136: Limit block; 137: Cover plate; 138: Bearing; 8: Track; 81: Upper surface; 82: Inner side; 83: Guide rail; 84: Support rail; 9: Cleaning device; 91: Cleaning box; 911: Vacuum cleaner; 912: Dust collection box; 913: Cleaning brush; 914: Suction port; 915: Pipe; 916: Adapter; 92: Obstacle avoidance assembly; 921: Barcode reader; 922: Obstacle avoidance sensor; 93: Power supply assembly. Detailed Implementation

[0018] The technical solution of this application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. In this specification, the dimensions in the drawings do not represent actual scale. The drawings are only used to illustrate the relative positional and connection relationships between the components. Components with the same name or reference numerals represent similar or identical structures, and are limited to illustrative purposes. The coordinate system indications in the drawings are set to facilitate the correspondence between the viewpoints of the drawings. Unless explicitly stated in the specification, they do not necessarily indicate a specific directional meaning.

[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the cleaning device for the overhead crane track of this application. Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the traveling device of the overhead crane track along the operating direction of cleaning device 9. (See also...) Figure 2 The walking device 1 includes at least a walking component 11 and a guiding component 13, and preferably, a connecting component 12. The walking component 11 is used for stable movement on the track 8. The connecting component 12 is used to connect the corresponding main body parts; in the cleaning device 9, it connects to the cleaning housing 91. The guiding component 13 is used to guide the walking component 11 to move along the track 8 in the required direction.

[0020] It should also be noted that the track in AMHS is generally suspended, while OHT can only move suspended. Therefore, for ease of description, we define two directions. One is the direction of travel, which is obviously the direction of the local track 8 where the walking device 1 is located, or more precisely defined as the tangent direction of the local track 8. The other is the direction of gravity (the direction of gravity in this application does not have a precise azimuth meaning and can be upward or downward). In addition, this application also includes lateral direction, which in this application refers to the line connecting the left and right directions when facing the direction of travel. For clarity, the above directions have been shown in some of the accompanying drawings.

[0021] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the walking device 1 along the walking direction. Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the walking device 1 on the track 8. The walking device 1 mainly includes a walking assembly 11 to achieve basic walking functions. The walking assembly 11 firstly includes at least one set of support wheels 111 arranged opposite each other on both sides of the walking device 1. A single support wheel 111 can be supported on the upper surface of the track 8 on one side, thereby suspending the walking device 1 on the support rail 84 of the track 8. The support wheel 111 rolls on the upper surface 81 of the track 8 along the walking direction, and depending on the direction, the walking device 1 moves forward or backward on the support rail 84 accordingly along the walking direction. In practice, the walking assembly 11 also includes a power assembly 113 for driving the support wheels 111. The power assembly 113 is usually an electric motor, and naturally, other energy-driven power devices with the same driving effect are also acceptable. In practice, the use of an electric drive scheme is the preferred embodiment, providing the possibility of obtaining power during travel along the track. The component for obtaining power can optionally be set on the walking device 1 or on the cleaning housing 91 of the cleaning device 9.

[0022] The display shows that simply providing support wheels 111 is insufficient. Due to the lack of lateral restraint, the traveling device 1 may deviate to one side of the track in the lateral direction. In severe cases, this can cause one side of the support wheels 111 to detach from the support rail 84, leading to derailment of the traveling device 1. The traveling assembly 11 is also preferably provided with auxiliary wheels 112 to solve the lateral restraint problem of the traveling device 1. The auxiliary wheels 112 are located on one side of the lower bottom surface of the traveling device 1, and at least one set is provided on each side of the traveling device 1 in the lateral direction. They are recessed relative to the support wheels 111 on the same side. When the traveling device 1 rolls along the traveling direction on the upper surface 81 of the support rail 84, the auxiliary wheels 112 on each side can roll along the traveling direction against the inner surface 82 of the support rail 84. The auxiliary wheels 112 on each side achieve lateral restraint of the traveling device 1 by abutting against the inner surface 82.

[0023] It is particularly important to note that at least one side should have at least two auxiliary wheels 112, which should preferably be arranged along the direction of travel. This arrangement is to ensure the directional stability of the traveling device 1 in the direction of travel, that is, to prevent the traveling device 1 from veer off course due to any reason, which may occur automatically or due to the restraint of external components.

[0024] Figure 4This is a schematic diagram of the traveling device 1 along the direction of gravity. The traveling assembly 11 has two sets of auxiliary wheels 112 on either side along the traveling direction. At this time, the two auxiliary wheels 112 on each side roll against the inner surface 82 of the support rail 84 along the traveling direction, with each side having two points of contact with the inner surface 82. This restricts the overall rotation of the traveling device 1 around the vertical axis, thus limiting the yaw of the traveling device 1, which only occurs when turning in the direction of the support rail 84 itself, guided by the auxiliary wheels 112. The technical solution of this application does not exclude... Figure 5 The illustrated embodiment has at least two auxiliary wheels 112 along the travel direction on one side and only one auxiliary wheel 112 on the other side. Although it is not as stable as the optimal embodiment, it is usable in most cases.

[0025] During the operation of AMHS, such as Figure 6 As shown, due to the needs of the actual system, track 8 has a branching structure to form different transport paths. Track 8 typically has corresponding guide rails 83 at the branch points to guide the traveling device 1 to multiple branch tracks. The traveling device 1 needs to independently select which branch path to take within the branch area. Therefore, guide components 13 need to be installed on the traveling device 1. For example... Figure 2 As shown, the guide assembly 13 includes a plurality of (at least one) guide wheels 135. The guide wheels 135 are disposed on one side of the upper surface of the traveling device 1 and are controllably movable laterally. When the guide wheels 135 are held in a specific position, they cooperate with the guide rails 83 in the track 8 to guide the traveling device 1 to the corresponding track; more precisely, the guide wheels 135 can roll on the surface of the guide rails 83 along the traveling direction. More preferably, the lateral movement of the guide wheels 135 causes the guide wheels 135 to have a first position and a second position in the lateral direction. The first position and the second position correspond to two branches of the track 8, so that the switching of the traveling device 1 to the two branches of the track 8 can be achieved by controlling the position of the guide wheels 135.

[0026] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the guide component 13. Figure 11This is a side view of the guide assembly 13. At least one guide wheel 135 is disposed on a laterally movable guide seat 131, and controlling the movement of the guide seat 131 controls the lateral movement of the guide wheel 135. Specifically, the guide seat 131 may be slidably disposed on a laterally extending slide rail 132, and controlled by a drive control device to be held at a specific position on the slide rail 132. The drive control device may be a rotary drive device 133 as shown in the figure, such as a motor. The rotary drive device 133 and the guide seat 131 are connected by a rocker arm 134. Specifically, one end of the rocker arm 134 is fixed to the rotating end of the rotary drive device 133, and the other end slides and rotates on the guide seat 131. The figure shows a scheme in which the other end of the rocker arm 134 slides along a groove in a specific direction on the guide seat 131, where the specific direction is the travel direction in the figure, but should not constitute a complete limitation of this scheme. As the rocker arm 134 swings, the guide wheel 135 is positioned at the specific position. The guide wheel 135 is rotatably mounted on the guide seat 131 via the cover plate 137 and the bearing 138.

[0027] Optionally, limit blocks 136 are also provided at both ends of the slide rail 132 to limit the guide seat 131 and prevent the guide seat 131 from moving too far away from the guide rail 83, thus causing guide failure. On the other hand, as Figure 8 The scheme shown is preferred. At this time, the first position and the second position are defined as the two extreme positions of the rocker arm 134 and the side parallel, which not only can accurately control the positional accuracy of the guide wheel 135, but also eliminates the need for the limit block 136.

[0028] Figure 9 In another embodiment of the guide assembly 13, if necessary, the guide assembly 13 can also be configured as shown in the figure. A guide wheel 135 is directly rotatably mounted at the movable end of the rocker arm 134. When the rotation drive device 133 controls the rocker arm 134 to rotate, the rocker arm 134 correspondingly changes its lateral position to achieve the purpose of selecting the branch. A significant advantage of this design is that since the slide rail 132 is not required, dust is avoided on 132, which is beneficial for maintaining the cleanliness of the AMHS system. Of course, this solution is not mandatory. For example, when used with the cleaning device 9, whether or not there is a slide rail 132 is not important, because the cleaning device 9 itself will perform the cleaning function. Figure 2 As shown, the walking device 1 may optionally include a connecting assembly 12. The connecting assembly 12 is disposed below the walking device 1 to connect the walking device 1 to external components, such as a transport box, a cleaning box, etc. The connecting assembly 12 should preferably be disposed between auxiliary wheels 112 on one side and auxiliary wheels 112 on the other side to avoid interference with the auxiliary wheels 112. The connecting assembly 12 has a first connecting member 121 and a second connecting member 122 that are coaxially rotatably connected; one connects to the walking device 1, and the other connects to the corresponding external component.

[0029] Based on the aforementioned walking device 1, the following are provided: Figure 1 The cleaning device for the overhead crane track is shown. Figure 10 This is a side view of the cleaning device 9. The cleaning device 9 includes at least one set of walking devices 1 arranged along the walking direction and a cleaning housing 91 suspended below the walking devices 1. For stability, two sets of walking devices 1 are preferably used in the cleaning device 9. The cleaning device 9 is hinged or rotatably connected to the walking devices 1. In a specific embodiment, the cleaning housing 91 is connected to the walking devices 1 via a connecting assembly 12. The cleaning housing 91 can be fixedly connected to the second connecting member 122 of the connecting assembly 12, in which case the cleaning housing 91 is rotatably connected to the walking devices 1. Similarly, the cleaning device 9 can also be hinged to the second connecting member 122.

[0030] The cleaning device 9 has a cleaning housing 91 containing a vacuum cleaner 911 and a dust collection box 912, with a suction port 914 located at the track 8. All three are connected by a pipe 915. During operation, as the vacuum cleaner 911 moves, dust on the track 8 is sucked in through the suction port 914 and stored in the dust collection box 912, thus achieving track cleaning. Preferably, a cleaning brush 913 is located at the track 8 to ensure effective cleaning. Preferably, the cleaning brush 913 and the suction port 914 are arranged with the suction port 914 in front and the cleaning brush 913 behind along the forward direction. The vacuum cleaner 911 generates negative pressure during operation, which is transmitted to the suction port 914 through the pipe 915 and the adapter 916. The suction port 914 adsorbs dust from the track and collects it inside the vacuum cleaner 911. Larger particles that cannot be adsorbed are cleaned by the rear cleaning brush 913 and collected in the dust collection box 912.

[0031] The cleaning device 9 is also preferably equipped with an obstacle avoidance component 92 and / or a power supply component 93. The power supply component 93 draws power from a live wire via electromagnetic induction to power the operation of the cleaning device 9. The obstacle avoidance component 92 mainly consists of two parts: a barcode reader 921 and an obstacle avoidance sensor 922. The obstacle avoidance sensor 922 detects whether there are obstacles in front of the cleaning device 9 on the automatic cleaning track, and thus avoids them; the barcode reader reads the barcode on the track 8 to locate and guide the movement of the cleaning device 9 on the automatic cleaning track.

[0032] For the linear track cleaning principle, support wheels move on the upper surface of the guide rail, while auxiliary wheels calibrate the direction of travel by rolling against the side of the guide rail. A barcode reader reads the barcodes on the track, locating and navigating the gantry's movement along the automatic cleaning track. The vacuum cleaner 911 operates, generating negative pressure, which is transmitted through pipes and adapters to the suction port, where dust on the track is collected. Larger particles that cannot be suctioned are cleaned by the rear cleaning brush 913 and collected in the dust collection box.

[0033] The cleaning principle for curved tracks and branch lines is as follows: On curved tracks, the support wheels rotate, the auxiliary wheels contact the inner curved side of the track, and the guide wheels contact the inner curved side of the guide rail. The inner support wheels of the curved track contact the track, causing the outer traveling wheels of the curved track to rise. The traveling rotating part and the vehicle rotate relative to each other, allowing the front and rear traveling units to run along the curved track, thus achieving the function of passing through curved tracks. The positioning, navigation, and dust removal functions are the same as for straight-line cleaning. On branch lines, the support wheels rotate, the auxiliary wheels contact the side of the straight track of the branch line, and the guide wheels contact the straight guide edge of the guide rail. The support wheels contact the upper surface of the straight track of the branch line, causing the traveling wheels on the other side of the branch line track to rise, thus passing through the branch line intersection. The positioning, navigation, and dust removal functions are the same as for straight-line cleaning.

[0034] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of this application and is not intended to limit the scope of this application. Any modifications and improvements made by those skilled in the art to the technical solutions of this application without departing from the spirit of this application shall fall within the protection scope defined by the claims of this application.

Claims

1. A cleaning device for overhead crane tracks, characterized in that, Includes a walking device, the walking device comprising: The traveling assembly (11) includes at least one set of support wheels (111) arranged opposite to each other on both sides of the traveling device (1), and the support wheels (111) roll along the traveling direction of the traveling device (1). The guide assembly (13) includes at least one guide wheel (135) disposed on one side of the upward surface of the walking device (1), the guide wheel (135) being able to roll in the walking direction, the guide wheel (135) being able to move laterally, and being held at at least two specific positions.

2. The cleaning device for crane tracks as described in claim 1, characterized in that, Several of the guide wheels (135) are disposed on a laterally movable guide seat (131). Preferably, the guide seat (131) is slidably disposed on a laterally extending slide rail (132).

3. The cleaning device for crane tracks as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The guide seat (131) is driven to move laterally by a rotation drive device (133), and the rotation drive device (133) and the guide seat (131) are connected by a rocker arm (134); one end of the rocker arm (134) is fixed to the rotating end of the rotation drive device (133), and the other end slides and rotates on the guide seat (131). Preferably, the other end of the rocker arm (134) slides and rotates within a groove in a specific direction on the guide seat (131). Preferably, the slide rail (132) is provided with limiting blocks (136) at both ends for limiting the lateral position of the guide seat (131). Preferably, the two extreme positions when the rocker arm (134) is laterally parallel to the walking device (1) are the first position and the second position, and the guide seat (131) can be held at the first position and the second position respectively.

4. The cleaning device for crane tracks as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The guide wheel (135) is driven to move laterally by the rotation drive device (133). The guide wheel (135) is rotatably connected to one end of the rocker arm (134), and the other end of the rocker arm (134) is fixedly connected to the rotating end of the rotation drive device (133).

5. The cleaning device for crane tracks as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The traveling assembly (11) also includes an auxiliary wheel (112), which is disposed on one side of the lower bottom surface of the support wheel (111) and at least one is disposed on each side of the lower bottom surface of the traveling device (1) in the lateral direction. The auxiliary wheel (112) on each side rolls along the traveling direction against the inner side surface (82) of the track on that side.

6. The cleaning device for crane tracks as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The number of auxiliary wheels (112) on at least one side is not less than two; or, the number of auxiliary wheels (112) on each side is not less than two.

7. The cleaning device for crane tracks as described in any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, It also includes a connecting component (12), which is disposed below the walking device (1). The connecting component (12) has a first connecting member (121) and a second connecting member (122) that are coaxially rotatably connected, one of which is connected to the walking device (1). Alternatively, it may also include a connecting component (12) disposed between an auxiliary wheel (112) on one side of the walking device (1) and an auxiliary wheel (112) on the other side.

8. The cleaning device for crane tracks as described in any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, It also includes a cleaning housing (91), which is suspended below the walking device (1). Alternatively, it may also include a cleaning box (91) suspended below the walking device (1), the cleaning box (91) being hinged to the walking device (1); Alternatively, it may also include a cleaning box (91) suspended below the walking device (1), and the cleaning box (91) is rotatably connected to the walking device (1); Alternatively, it may also include a cleaning housing (91) suspended below the walking device (1). When the walking device (1) further includes a connecting assembly (12), the connecting assembly (12) is disposed below the walking device (1). The connecting assembly (12) has a first connecting member (121) and a second connecting member (122) that are coaxially rotatably connected. When one of them is connected to the walking device (1), the other is connected to the cleaning housing (91).

9. The cleaning device for crane tracks as described in claim 8, characterized in that, The cleaning box (91) includes a vacuum cleaner (911), and a suction port (914) is connected to the vacuum cleaner (911) via a pipe (915). The suction port (914) is located at the track (8). Preferably, the cleaning box (91) includes a cleaning brush (913) and a dust collection box (912) disposed below the cleaning brush (913), wherein the cleaning brush (913) is disposed at the location of the track (8); Preferably, along the forward direction of the cleaning device (9), the suction port (914) is located in front of the cleaning brush (913).

10. The cleaning device for crane tracks as described in any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, It also includes an obstacle avoidance component (92) and / or a power supply component (93). Preferably, the power supply component (93) includes a barcode reader (921) and an obstacle avoidance sensor (922). The barcode reader (921) reads the barcode on the track, and the obstacle avoidance sensor (922) detects whether there is an obstacle in front of it.

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