conveyor system

Abstract

A conveyor system according to the invention comprises a stationary system part and at least one vehicle which is movable relative to the stationary system part in a direction of travel (X), wherein the stationary system part has at least one current-carrying primary conductor (21, 22, 23, 24) which extends in the direction of travel (X), and at least one cable holder (2) for holding the primary conductor (21, 22, 23, 24) which extends in the direction of travel (X), and wherein the vehicle has a transmitter head (1) for contactless absorption of energy, which comprises a secondary winding for inductive coupling with the primary conductor (21, 22, 23, 24), wherein the cable holder (2) comprises an end face which extends in a transverse direction (Y) and in a vertical direction (Z), and wherein the stationary system part has a guide element (5) which is fastened to the end face of the cable holder (2) and which has a first side surface (51),which is inclined to the direction of travel (X) and inclined to the transverse direction (Y), and a second side surface (52) which is inclined to the direction of travel (X) and inclined to the transverse direction (Y).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a conveyor system which has a stationary system part and at least one vehicle which is movable relative to the stationary system part in a direction of travel, wherein the stationary system part has at least one current-carrying primary conductor which extends in the direction of travel, and at least one cable holder for holding the primary conductor which extends in the direction of travel, and wherein the vehicle has a transmitter head for contactless absorption of energy which comprises a secondary winding for inductive coupling with the primary conductor.

[0002] From the publication DE 10 2021 005 774 A1, a system for the inductive transmission of electrical power to a mobile unit arranged so as to be movable along a primary conductor is known. The system comprises several primary conductors arranged on three circuit boards arranged parallel to one another. The mobile unit has a transmitter head for contactless energy absorption, which includes a secondary winding for inductive coupling to a primary conductor.

[0003] From the publication DE 10 2014 010 915 B3, a conveyor system is known that comprises a stationary system part and a system part that is movable relative to it, in particular along a conveyor line. A primary conductor is arranged along the conveyor line. The movable system part has vehicles referred to as conveyor elements, each of which has a secondary winding that is inductively coupled to the stationary primary conductor.

[0004] DE 10 2004 049 982 A1 discloses a profile, a mounting bracket, and a system for contactless energy transmission. The system includes cables and brackets for holding the cables.

[0005] DE 20 2017 103 287 U1 discloses a fastening device for a conductor rail and a conductor rail system. A wedge-shaped threading aid is arranged on an entry funnel.

[0006] The stationary section of the conveyor system has end sections that serve to drive vehicles out of the stationary section, particularly for performing maintenance or repairs on the vehicle, as well as to drive vehicles into the stationary section. If the vehicle is not correctly aligned when entering the stationary section, part of the transmission head may collide with a cable holder located at the end section.

[0007] The invention is based on the object of further developing a conveyor system.

[0008] The object is achieved according to the invention by a conveyor system having the features specified in claim 1. Advantageous embodiments and further developments are the subject of the subclaims.

[0009] A conveyor system according to the invention comprises a stationary system part and at least one vehicle that is movable relative to the stationary system part in a direction of travel. The stationary system part has at least one current-carrying primary conductor, which extends in the direction of travel, and at least one cable holder for holding the primary conductor. The cable holder also extends in the direction of travel. The vehicle has a transmitter head for contactless energy absorption, which includes a secondary winding for inductive coupling with the primary conductor.

[0010] The cable holder comprises a front side extending in a transverse direction and a vertical direction. The stationary system part has a guide element which is attached to the front side of the cable holder and which has a first side surface which extends at an angle to the direction of travel and at an angle to the transverse direction, and a second side surface which extends at an angle to the direction of travel and at an angle to the transverse direction.

[0011] The guide element guides the transmitter head when a vehicle enters the stationary system section at one end. If the vehicle is not correctly aligned when entering the stationary system section, the transmitter head will come into contact with the guide element. This ensures that the transmitter head is correctly aligned relative to the stationary system section. The guide element thus prevents the transmitter head from colliding with the cable holders located at the end.

[0012] According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the guide element is made of a material with a lower modulus of elasticity than the cable holder. The guide element is thus relatively soft and flexible. When the transmitter head comes into contact with the guide element, the guide element can elastically deform to align the transmitter head.

[0013] According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the stationary system part has a plurality of cable holders arranged offset from one another in the direction of travel. A cable is held by the cable holders arranged offset from one another in the direction of travel.

[0014] According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the guide element has a third side surface that extends at an angle to the direction of travel and at an angle to the vertical direction, and a fourth side surface that extends at an angle to the direction of travel and at an angle to the vertical direction. The guide element is thus configured to correctly align the transmitter head of a vehicle, also vertically, relative to the stationary system component in order to avoid collisions.

[0015] According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the guide element has a locking lug that positively engages a groove in the cable holder. This ensures a stable connection between the guide element and the cable holder.

[0016] According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the locking lug presses at least one primary conductor into the groove of the cable holder. This also securely holds the primary conductor on the cable holder, particularly in the end area of ​​the stationary system component.

[0017] According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the stationary system component comprises a plurality of cable holders, each holding at least one primary conductor, which are arranged offset from one another in the transverse direction and extend parallel to one another in the direction of travel. Thus, several primary conductors can be laid parallel along the stationary system component, thus allowing a greater amount of energy to be transmitted to the vehicle's transmitter head.

[0018] According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, exactly three cable holders are arranged offset from one another in the transverse direction and are connected to one another by a web which extends in the transverse direction.

[0019] According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the three cable holders and the web are formed in one piece.

[0020] According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the guide element has two pins that are offset from one another in the transverse direction and that engage positively with the web. This ensures a stable connection between the guide element and the cable holders.

[0021] According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, exactly one cable holder is arranged in the transverse direction between the two pins.

[0022] The invention is not limited to the combination of features in the claims. Further possible combinations of claims and / or individual claim features and / or features of the description and / or the figures will become apparent to those skilled in the art, particularly from the problem and / or the problem posed by comparison with the prior art.

[0023] The invention will now be explained in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiments shown in the drawings. The drawings only represent the subject matter of the invention schematically. They show: Fig. 1: a perspective view of a conveyor system, Fig. 2: a side view of the conveyor system, Fig. 3: a side view of a guide element and Fig. 4: a top view of the guide element.

[0024] Fig. 1 shows a schematic representation of a conveyor system. The conveyor system comprises a stationary system section and a plurality of vehicles (not shown here), which are movable relative to the stationary system section in a direction of travel X. A transverse direction Y runs perpendicular to the direction of travel X. A vertical direction Z runs perpendicular to the direction of travel X and perpendicular to the transverse direction Y.

[0025] The stationary system part has a first primary conductor 21, a second primary conductor 22, a third primary conductor 23, and a fourth primary conductor 24. The primary conductors 21, 22, 23, 24 extend in the direction of travel X.

[0026] The stationary system part has a plurality of cable holders 2 for holding the primary conductors 21, 22, 23, 24. The cable holders 2 also extend in the direction of travel X. The cable holders 2 each comprise an end face extending in the transverse direction Y and in the vertical direction Z. The end face is at least approximately rectangular in shape.

[0027] The stationary system component has a power source not shown here. The primary conductors 21, 22, 23, and 24 are electrically connected to the power source and carry an alternating current supplied by the power source. The first primary conductor 21 and the third primary conductor 23 form a first conductor pair consisting of a forward conductor and a return conductor. The second primary conductor 22 and the fourth primary conductor 24 form a second conductor pair consisting of a forward conductor and a return conductor.

[0028] The first primary conductor 21 and the third primary conductor 23, as well as the second primary conductor 22 and the fourth primary conductor 24, are each laid in a closed conductor loop and exhibit inductance. The alternating current flowing through the primary conductors 21, 22, 23, and 24, for example, has a frequency of 50 kHz and a current of 30 A.

[0029] The stationary system part has a support rail 3, which extends parallel to the primary conductors 21, 22, 23, 24 in the longitudinal direction X. The cable holders 2 are attached to the support rail 3. The stationary system part also has several mounting plates 4, which are also attached to the support rail 3. By means of the mounting plates 4, the support rail 3 with the cable holders 2 and the primary conductors 21, 22, 23, 24 can be attached in the conveyor system, for example, to a scaffold.

[0030] As already mentioned, the stationary system part has a plurality of cable holders 2. Several cable holders 2 are arranged offset from one another in the direction of travel X. Several cable holders 2, in this case exactly three cable holders 2, are arranged offset from one another in the transverse direction Y and extend parallel to one another in the direction of travel X. The three cable holders 2 arranged offset from one another in the transverse direction Y are connected to one another by a web 14 or several webs 14 extending in the transverse direction Y.

[0031] On a head region of the cable holders 2 facing away from the retaining rail 3, a groove 12 is provided into which the primary conductors 21, 22, 23, 24 are inserted. In this case, the first primary conductor 21 and the second primary conductor 22 are inserted into the groove 12 of the cable holder 2 arranged centrally in the transverse direction Y, and the third primary conductor 23 and the fourth primary conductor 24 are each inserted into the grooves 12 of the cable holders 2 arranged on the outside in the transverse direction Y. The cable holders 2 thus each hold one or two of the primary conductors 21, 22, 23, 24.

[0032] Each of the vehicles has a transformer head 1 for contactless energy absorption. The transformer head 1 comprises a secondary winding for inductive coupling to the primary conductors 21, 22, 23, 24 and a rectifier circuit for generating a direct voltage and / or a direct current. If the secondary winding of the transformer head 1 is inductively coupled to the primary conductors 21, 22, 23, 24, energy can be transmitted contactlessly from the energy source to the transformer head 1.

[0033] The pickup head 1 comprises a coil core on which the secondary winding is wound. The coil core has a U-shaped cross-section with two side legs and a transverse leg connecting the side legs. The transverse leg extends in the transverse direction Y, and the side legs extend parallel to each other in the vertical direction Z.

[0034] In the illustration shown here, the secondary winding of the pick-up head 1 is inductively coupled to the primary conductors 21, 22, 23, 24. The side legs of the coil core extend into the free areas between the cable holder 2, which is arranged centrally in the transverse direction Y, and the cable holders 2 arranged on the outside in the transverse direction Y. The transverse leg of the coil core is located in the vertical direction Z directly above the cable holder 2, which is arranged centrally in the transverse direction Y.

[0035] The stationary section of the conveyor system has an end section 30, which is shown here. The end section 30 serves to drive a vehicle out of the stationary section, in particular to perform maintenance or repairs on the vehicle. The end section 30 also serves to drive a vehicle into the stationary section. The cable holders 2, the primary conductors 21, 22, 23, 24, and the retaining rail 3 terminate at the end section 30.

[0036] The stationary system part has a guide element 5. The guide element 5 is attached to the end face of the cable holder 2, which is arranged centrally in the transverse direction Y and is located at the end region 30. The guide element 5 serves to guide the transmitter head 1 when a vehicle enters the stationary system part. In particular, the guide element 5 prevents a collision of the coil core of the transmitter head 1 with the cable holders 2.

[0037] If the vehicle is not correctly aligned when entering the stationary part of the system, the coil core of the transmitter head 1 comes into contact with the guide element 5. This correctly aligns the coil core of the transmitter head 1 relative to the stationary part of the system, allowing the vehicle to enter the stationary part of the system without collision.

[0038] Fig. 2 shows a side view of the Fig. 1. The first primary conductor 21 and the fourth primary conductor 24 are concealed by the second primary conductor 22 and the third primary conductor 23. The guide element 5 is made of a material that has a lower modulus of elasticity than the cable holder 2 and the coil core of the transmitter head 1.

[0039] Fig. Figure 3 shows a side view of a guide element 5. The guide element 5 has a first side surface 51, a second side surface 52, a third side surface 53, and a fourth side surface 54. The first side surface 51 and the second side surface 52 are arranged opposite one another. The third side surface 53 and the fourth side surface 54 are also arranged opposite one another.

[0040] The third side surface 53 runs inclined to the direction of travel X and inclined to the vertical direction Z. The fourth side surface 54 also runs inclined to the direction of travel X and inclined to the vertical direction Z. In particular, the third side surface 53 serves for the correct alignment of the coil core of the transmitter head 1 in the vertical direction Z.

[0041] The guide element 5 has a locking lug 56. The locking lug 56 engages positively in the groove 12 of the cable holder 2, to whose end face the guide element 5 is attached. The locking lug 56 presses the first primary conductor 21 and the second primary conductor 22 into the groove 12 of the cable holder 2.

[0042] The guide element 5 has two pins 58, one of which is concealed in the illustration shown here. The pins 58 are offset from one another in the transverse direction Y. The pins 58 engage positively in one of the webs 14. The cable holder 2, to whose end face the guide element 5 is attached, is arranged between the two pins 58 in the transverse direction Y.

[0043] Fig. 4 shows a top view of the Fig. 1 illustrated guide element 5. The first side surface 51 runs inclined to the direction of travel X and inclined to the transverse direction Y. The second side surface 54 also runs inclined to the direction of travel X and inclined to the transverse direction Y. The first side surface 51 and the second side surface 52 serve for the correct alignment of the coil core of the transmitter head 1 in the transverse direction Y. List of reference symbols 1 pick-up head 2 cable holders 3 Holding rail 4 mounting plate 5 Guide element 12 grooves 14 jetty 21 first primary conductor 22 second primary conductor 23 third primary conductor 24 fourth primary conductor 30 End area 51 first side surface 52 second side surface 53 third side surface 54 fourth side surface 56 locking lug 58 cones X Direction of travel Y transverse direction Z vertical direction QUOTES CONTAINED IN THE DESCRIPTION

[0000] This list of documents submitted by the applicant was generated automatically and is included solely for the convenience of the reader. This list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions. Cited patent literature

[0000] DE 10 2021 005 774 A1

[0002] DE 10 2014 010 915 B3

[0003] DE 10 2004 049 982 A1

[0004] DE 20 2017 103 287 U1

[0005]

Claims

[1] Conveyor system, comprising a stationary part of the system and at least one vehicle which is movable relative to the stationary part of the system in a direction of travel (X), wherein the stationary part of the system at least one current-carrying primary conductor (21, 22, 23, 24) extending in the direction of travel (X), and at least one cable holder (2) for holding the primary conductor (21, 22, 23, 24) which extends in the direction of travel (X), and wherein the vehicle has a transmitter head (1) for contactless absorption of energy, which comprises a secondary winding for inductive coupling with the primary conductor (21, 22, 23, 24), characterized by , that the cable holder (2) comprises an end face extending in a transverse direction (Y) and in a vertical direction (Z), and that the stationary part of the system has a guide element (5) which is fastened to the front side of the cable holder (2), and which a first side surface (51) which is inclined to the direction of travel (X) and inclined to the transverse direction (Y), and a second side surface (52) which is inclined to the direction of travel (X) and inclined to the transverse direction (Y), has. [2] Conveyor system according to claim 1, characterized by that the guide element (5) is made of a material which has a lower modulus of elasticity than the cable holder (2). [3] Conveyor system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the stationary part of the system has a plurality of cable holders (2) which are arranged offset from one another in the direction of travel (X). [4] Conveyor system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the guide element (5) a third side surface (53) which is inclined to the direction of travel (X) and inclined to the vertical direction (Z), and a fourth side surface (54) which is inclined to the direction of travel (X) and inclined to the vertical direction (Z). [5] Conveyor system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the guide element (5) has a locking lug (56) which engages positively in a groove (12) of the cable holder (2). [6] Conveyor system according to claim 5, characterized by that the locking lug (56) presses at least one primary conductor (21, 22, 23, 24) into the groove (12) of the cable holder (2). [7] Conveyor system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized byin that the stationary part of the system has a plurality of cable holders (2), each of which holds at least one primary conductor (21, 22, 23, 24), and which are arranged offset from one another in the transverse direction (Y) and extend parallel to one another in the direction of travel (X). [8] Conveyor system according to claim 7, characterized by that exactly three cable holders (2) are arranged offset from one another in the transverse direction (Y) and are connected to one another by a web (14) which extends in the transverse direction (Y). [9] Conveyor system according to claim 8, characterized by that the three cable holders (2) and the web (14) are formed in one piece. [10] Conveyor system according to one of claims 8 to 9, characterized by that the guide element (5) has two pins (58) which are arranged offset from one another in the transverse direction (Y) and which engage positively in the web (14). [11] Conveyor system according to claim 10, characterized bythat exactly one cable holder (2) is arranged in the transverse direction (Y) between the two pins (58).

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