Traveling vehicle system

Abstract

To provide a traveling vehicle system capable of positioning a measurement plate at a retreat position in a simple structure when a motor is not in a drive state.SOLUTION: A traveling vehicle system 1 is provided with an upper measurement plate 61 contacting an outer wheel 51 from above, and an actuator 70 that moves the upper measurement plate 61 to a retreat position P2, which is a position apart from the outer wheel 51. The actuator 70 comprises an eccentric cam 74 supporting the upper measurement plate 61, a motor 71 rotating the eccentric cam 74 through a rotational shaft 73, a pulley 75 provided on the rotational shaft 73, a belt 76 of which one end 76a is fixed to the pulley 75, and a spring 77. When the motor 71 is not in a drive state, the other end 76b of the belt 76 is urged by the spring 77 in a direction away from the pulley 75, whereby the upper measurement plate 61 moves to the retreat position P2.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a traveling vehicle system. [Background technology]

[0002] As described in Patent Document 1, a traveling vehicle system that measures the diameter of the traveling rollers of a traveling vehicle that runs on rails is known. In this traveling vehicle system, the diameter of the traveling roller is measured by detecting the height positions of an upper measurement plate that contacts the traveling roller from above and a lower measurement plate that contacts the traveling roller from below. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2023 / 032293 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The actuator of the above-mentioned traveling vehicle system includes an eccentric cam that supports the upper measurement plate, a motor that rotates the eccentric cam via a rotating shaft, a gear attached to the rotating shaft, a rack gear that meshes with the gear, a slide to which the rack gear is fixed, a linear guide that engages with the slide, and a spring that biases the slide. In this actuator, when the motor is not in a driving state, the rack gear moves along the linear guide due to the spring, thereby biasing the upper measurement plate upward to the retracted position. In such a case, the configuration of the traveling vehicle system becomes complicated.

[0005] The present disclosure describes a traveling vehicle system that can position a measurement plate in a retracted position with a simple configuration when the motor is not in a driving state. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] [1] A traveling vehicle system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is a traveling vehicle system in which a traveling vehicle having traveling rollers travels on rails, and includes a measurement plate that contacts the traveling rollers from above, a detector that detects the height position of the measurement plate, and a moving mechanism that moves the measurement plate between a retracted position where the measurement plate is separated from the traveling rollers and a measurement position where the measurement plate is in contact with the traveling rollers. The moving mechanism includes an eccentric cam that supports the measurement plate, a motor that rotates the eccentric cam via a rotating shaft, a winding section provided on the rotating shaft, a winding member having one end fixed to the winding section, and a biasing member that biases the other end of the winding member in a direction away from the winding section. When the motor is not driven, the other end of the winding member is biased by the biasing member, causing the measurement plate to move to the retracted position.

[0007] In the traveling vehicle system of [1], when the motor is in a driving state, the winding member is wound onto the winding section. When the motor is not in a driving state, the other end of the winding member is biased by a biasing member in a direction away from the winding section, causing the winding member to be unwound from the winding section. This rotates the eccentric cam via the rotating shaft, and the measurement plate moves to the retracted position. As a result, when the motor is not in a driving state, the measurement plate can be positioned at the retracted position with a simple configuration.

[0008] [2] In the traveling vehicle system of [1] above, the winding part may be a pulley, and the winding member may be a belt wound around the pulley. In this case, compared to when the winding member is a wire, a sufficient contact area between the winding part and the winding member can be ensured, and the stress acting on the winding part from the winding member can be more dispersed. This reduces dust generation from the winding part.

[0009] [3] In the traveling vehicle system of [2] above, a plurality of first teeth may be provided on the outer peripheral surface of the pulley, and a plurality of second teeth may be provided on the surface of the belt that mesh with the plurality of first teeth when the belt is wound around the outer peripheral surface of the pulley. In this case, one end of the belt can be more reliably fixed to the winding part.

[0010] [4] In the traveling vehicle system of [2] or [3] above, the belt may be made of resin. In this case, dust generation from the winding section can be further reduced.

[0011] [5] In the traveling vehicle system of [1] above, the winding unit may be a pulley, and the winding member may be a wire wound around the pulley. In this case, when the motor is not driven, the measurement plate can be positioned at the retracted position with an even simpler configuration. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to the present disclosure, when the motor is not in a driven state, the measurement plate can be positioned at the retracted position with a simple configuration. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view showing a traveling vehicle system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic front view of the traveling vehicle as seen from the traveling direction. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a running section of the running vehicle. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a plan view showing the measuring device installed in the rail. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of the measuring device of FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is an enlarged plan view of the measuring device of FIG. [Figure 7]FIG. 7(a) is a perspective view showing the measurement device when the measurement plate is located at the measurement position, and FIG. 7(b) is a perspective view showing the measurement device when the measurement plate is located at the retracted position. [Figure 8] FIG. 8(a) is a perspective view showing the actuator when the measurement plate is located at the measurement position, and FIG. 8(b) is a perspective view showing the actuator when the measurement plate is located at the retracted position. [Figure 9] Figure 9(a) is a schematic diagram showing the winding portion, winding member, and urging member of the actuator when the measurement plate is located at the measurement position, and Figure 9(b) is a schematic diagram showing the winding portion, winding member, and urging member of the actuator when the measurement plate is located at the retracted position. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the description of the drawings, the same elements are given the same reference numerals, and duplicate explanations will be omitted. The terms "upper" and "lower" correspond to the vertical direction, the terms "front" and "rear" correspond to the direction of travel of a traveling vehicle, and the terms "left" and "right" correspond to directions perpendicular to the up-down direction and the front-rear direction.

[0015] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the traveling vehicle system 1 is a system that transports an article 10 between placement units 9, 9 using a traveling vehicle 6 that can move along a traveling rail 4 (rail). The article 10 includes, for example, containers such as a FOUP (Front Opening Unified Pod) that stores multiple semiconductor wafers and a reticle pod that stores glass substrates, as well as general parts. Here, the traveling vehicle system 1 will be described as an example in which the traveling vehicle 6 travels along a one-way traveling rail 4 installed on the ceiling or the like in a factory or the like. The traveling vehicle system 1 includes the traveling rail 4, multiple traveling vehicles 6, multiple placement units 9, and a measurement unit 110.

[0016] The traveling rails 4 are, for example, tracks laid near the ceiling, which is the overhead space for workers. The traveling rails 4 are suspended from the ceiling. The traveling rails 4 are predetermined running paths for traveling vehicles 6. The traveling rails 4 are supported by supports 40A, 40A. The traveling rails 4 include a main line traveling rail 4A that travels in one direction within a predetermined area, and an introduction traveling rail 4B that allows the traveling vehicle 6 to introduce itself onto the main line traveling rail 4A.

[0017] The traveling rail 4 has a rail main body 40 with a C-shaped cross section, which is composed of a pair of lower surface portions 40B, a pair of side surface portions 40C, 40C, and a top surface portion 40D, a power supply portion 40E, and a magnetic plate 40F. The lower surface portion 40B extends in the traveling direction of the traveling vehicle 6 and forms the lower surface of the rail main body 40. The lower surface portion 40B is a plate-shaped member on which the outer wheels (traveling rollers) 51 of the traveling vehicle 6 roll and travel. The side surface portions 40C extend in the traveling direction of the traveling vehicle 6 and form the side surfaces of the rail main body 40. The top surface portion 40D extends in the traveling direction of the traveling vehicle 6 and forms the upper surface of the rail main body 40.

[0018] Power supply unit 40E is a component that supplies power to power receiving core 57 of traveling vehicle 6 and transmits and receives signals (superimposed communication) to and from traveling vehicle 6. Power supply unit 40E is fixed to each of the pair of side surface portions 40C, 40C and extends along the traveling direction. Power supply unit 40E supplies power to power receiving core 57 in a non-contact manner. Magnetic plate 40F generates a magnetic force in LDM (Linear DC Motor) 59 of traveling vehicle 6 to cause it to travel or stop. Magnetic plate 40F is fixed to top surface portion 40D and extends along the traveling direction.

[0019] The traveling vehicle 6 travels along the traveling rails 4 and transports the article 10. The traveling vehicle 6 is configured to be able to transfer the article 10. The traveling vehicle 6 is an overhead traveling unmanned traveling vehicle. The number of traveling vehicles 6 provided in the traveling vehicle system 1 is not particularly limited and may be more than one. The traveling vehicle 6 is also referred to as, for example, a transport vehicle, an overhead traveling vehicle, an overhead transport vehicle, or a traveling carriage. The traveling vehicle 6 has a main body unit 7, a traveling unit 50, and a traveling vehicle controller (not shown). The main body unit 7 has a main body frame 22, a lateral feed unit 24, a θ drive 26, an elevation drive unit 28, an elevation platform 30, and front and rear frames 33.

[0020] The lateral feed unit 24 collectively moves the θ drive 26, the lifting drive unit 28, and the lifting platform 30 laterally in a direction perpendicular to the traveling direction of the traveling rail 4. The θ drive 26 rotates at least one of the lifting drive unit 28 and the lifting platform 30 within a predetermined angular range in a horizontal plane. The lifting drive unit 28 raises and lowers the lifting platform 30 by winding or unwinding a suspending material such as a belt, wire, or rope. The lifting platform 30 is provided with a chuck that can freely grip or release the article 10. A pair of front and rear frames 33 are provided, for example, at the front and rear of the traveling direction of the traveling vehicle 6. The front and rear frames 33 have protruding and retracting claws, not shown, to prevent the article 10 from falling during transport.

[0021] The traveling unit 50 causes the traveling vehicle 6 to travel along the traveling rail 4. That is, the traveling vehicle 6 travels on the underside 40B of the traveling rail 4 (rail). FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the traveling unit 50 of the traveling vehicle 6. As shown in FIG. 3, the traveling unit 50 has an outer ring 51, an inner ring 55, side rollers 52, branch rollers 53, a power receiving core 57, and an LDM 59. Note that the inner ring 55 and branch rollers 53 are not shown in FIG. 2.

[0022] The traveling vehicle 6 is provided with, for example, two pairs of left and right outer wheels 51 at the front and rear. The outer wheels 51 are arranged at both the front and rear left and right ends of the traveling section 50. In addition, two pairs of left and right inner wheels 55 are provided at the front and rear. At the front and rear, the pair of left and right inner wheels 55 is arranged between the pair of left and right outer wheels 51. Note that three or more pairs of outer wheels 51 and inner wheels 55 may be provided lined up in the front-rear direction, or only one pair may be provided. The outer wheels 51 and inner wheels 55 are made of, for example, a resin such as urethane.

[0023] The outer ring 51 rolls on a pair of lower surface portions 40B, 40B of the traveling rail 4. The side rollers 52 are arranged to sandwich the outer ring 51 in the front-to-rear direction. The side rollers 52 are arranged so as to be able to come into contact with the side surface portions 40C of the traveling rail 4. The branching rollers 53 are arranged so as to sandwich the side rollers 52 in the up-down direction. The side rollers 52 are arranged so as to be able to come into contact with guides (not shown) arranged at the connection portions or branching portions of the traveling rail 4.

[0024] The power receiving cores 57 are arranged at the front and rear of the traveling unit 50 so as to sandwich the LDM 59 in the left-right direction. The power receiving core 57 receives power contactlessly from a power supply unit 40E arranged on the traveling rail 4 and transmits and receives various signals contactlessly to and from the traveling vehicle controller 35. The LDMs 59 are provided at the front and rear of the traveling unit 50. The LDMs 59 use electromagnets to generate magnetic force for traveling or stopping between them and a magnetic plate 40F arranged on the top surface of the traveling rail 4.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 1 , the placement section 9 is arranged along the traveling rail 4 and is provided at a position where the traveling vehicle 6 can transfer the article 10. The placement section 9 includes a buffer and a delivery port. The buffer is a placement section where the article 10 is temporarily placed. The buffer is a placement section where the article 10 is temporarily placed when the article 10 being transported by the traveling vehicle 6 cannot be transferred to the intended delivery port, for example, because another article 10 is placed at the intended delivery port. The delivery port is a placement section for transferring the article 10 to a semiconductor processing device (not shown), such as a cleaning device, a film forming device, a lithography device, an etching device, a heat treatment device, or a planarization device. The processing device is not particularly limited and may be various devices.

[0026] For example, the placement unit 9, which is a buffer, is disposed to the side of the traveling rail 4. In this case, the traveling vehicle 6 transfers the article 10 to and from the placement unit 9 by using the lateral feed unit 24 to laterally feed the lifting drive unit 28 and the like, and slightly raising and lowering the lifting platform 30. Although not shown, the placement unit 9 may also be disposed directly below the traveling rail 4. In this case, the traveling vehicle 6 transfers the article 10 to and from the placement unit 9 by raising and lowering the lifting platform 30.

[0027] See FIG. 2. The traveling vehicle controller 35 is an electronic control unit including a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), and a RAM (Random Access Memory). The traveling vehicle controller 35 controls various operations of the traveling vehicle 6. Specifically, the traveling vehicle controller 35 controls the traveling unit 50, the traverse unit 24, the θ drive 26, the lifting drive unit 28, and the lifting platform 30. The traveling vehicle controller 35 can be configured as software, for example, in which a program stored in the ROM is loaded onto the RAM and executed by the CPU. The traveling vehicle controller 35 may also be configured as hardware including electronic circuits or the like. The traveling vehicle controller communicates with the system controller 90 (see FIG. 1) using the power supply unit 40E (power supply line) of the traveling rail 4 or the like.

[0028] The system controller 90 is an electronic control unit including a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, etc. The system controller 90 can be configured as software in which a program stored in the ROM is loaded onto the RAM and executed by the CPU, for example. The system controller 90 may also be configured as hardware including electronic circuits, etc. The system controller 90 transmits a transport command to the traveling vehicle 6 to transport the article 10.

[0029] 1, the measurement unit 110 is disposed on the main traveling rail 4A and the lead-in traveling rail 4B. When the measurement unit 110 is disposed on the main traveling rail 4A, the measurement unit 110 is incorporated into the middle of the traveling rail 4. When the measurement unit 110 is disposed on the lead-in traveling rail 4B, the measurement unit 110 is provided on an extension of the traveling rail 4.

[0030] FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a measuring unit 110 incorporated in the traveling rail 4. As shown in FIG. 4, the measuring unit 110 has a dimension measuring device 80 that measures various dimensions of the traveling vehicle 6 and a diameter measuring device 100 that measures the diameter of the outer ring 51. The dimension measuring device 80 measures, for example, the height of the power receiving core 57 and the height of the LDM 59, the distance between the left and right side rollers 52, and the inner position of the branch roller 53 in the left-right direction. Measurements in the dimension measuring device 80 use, for example, non-contact distance sensors such as optical or ultrasonic sensors, or transmission sensors. Measurement of dimensions in the dimension measuring device 80 can be performed according to the configuration and procedure disclosed, for example, in JP 2021-046287 A (the above-mentioned Patent Document 2). On the other hand, the diameter measuring device 100 is installed specifically to measure the diameter of the outer ring 51. The dimension measuring device 80 may be capable of measuring the diameter of the outer ring 51 and / or the diameter of the inner ring 55. In this case, the dimension measuring device 80 may measure the diameter in the front-rear direction or the diameter in the up-down direction of the outer ring 51 and / or the inner ring 55 using an optical distance sensor.

[0031] The dimension measuring device 80 and the diameter measuring device 100 are provided in pairs in the left-right direction. Furthermore, the dimension measuring device 80 and the diameter measuring device 100 are provided in two pairs arranged at a predetermined interval in the front-rear direction. For example, when the dimension measuring device 80 is located on the right side of the front of the traveling vehicle 6 and the diameter measuring device 100 is located on the left side of the front, the diameter measuring device 100 is located on the right side of the rear of the traveling vehicle 6, and the dimension measuring device 80 is located on the left side of the rear. In other words, in a plan view, when a rectangle is assumed with the positions of the two front and rear outer rings 51 (a total of four outer rings 51) as vertices, the two diameter measuring devices 100 are arranged on the diagonal of the rectangle.

[0032] Next, the diameter measurement device 100 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 4 to 6. FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of the diameter measurement device 100 of FIG. 4. FIG. 6 is an enlarged plan view of the diameter measurement device 100 of FIG. 4. As shown in FIG. 4, an extension portion 40J is provided on the left and right outer sides of the pair of lower surface portions 40B. The extension portion 40J may be a plate-shaped member similar to the lower surface portion 40B. The lower surface portion 40B and the extension portion 40J extend horizontally, for example. The extension portion 40J may be installed so that the surface of the extension portion 40J is flush with the flat running surface 41 of the lower surface portion 40B. However, the extension portion 40J is not limited to a configuration flush with the lower surface portion 40B, and the extension portion 40J may form a step between the lower surface portion 40B. The diameter measurement device 100 is installed across the extension portion 40J and the lower surface portion 40B.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 5, the diameter measurement device 100 includes an upper measurement plate 61 (measurement plate), a lower measurement plate 62, a plate position detection unit 60 (detector) that detects the height positions of the upper measurement plate 61 and the lower measurement plate 62, and an actuator 70 (movement mechanism) that moves the upper measurement plate 61 up and down.

[0034] The upper measurement plate 61 is a plate-like member that contacts the outer ring 51 from above. The lower measurement plate 62 is a plate-like member that contacts the outer ring 51 from below. The plate position detection unit 60 has an upper detector 63 that detects the height position of the upper measurement plate 61 and a lower detector 64 that detects the height position of the lower measurement plate 62.

[0035] In the diameter gauge device 100, the upper measurement plate 61 and the lower measurement plate 62 are movable up and down along a linear guide 66 fixed to the base portion 65 and extending in the vertical direction. The base portion 65 is erected on the extension portion 40J (see FIG. 4). The vertical height of the base portion 65 is higher than the height of the upper end surface 51a of the outer ring 51 rolling on the running surface 41. The upper detector 63 is attached, for example, to the upper end of the base portion 65. For example, below the upper detector 63, the lower detector 64 is attached to the base portion 65. The linear guide 66 is fixed to the side of the base portion 65 facing the lower surface portion 40B.

[0036] The configuration related to the upper measurement plate 61 will now be described. In the initial state, the upper measurement plate 61 is biased upward by a spring 77 of the actuator 70 (see FIGS. 7(b) and 8(b)). Drive of the motor 71 moves the upper measurement plate 61 downward. More specifically, the upper measurement plate 61 is attached to a base 65 via a linear guide 66 and includes a vertical plate 61c that is slidable relative to the base 65, a horizontal plate 61a that extends horizontally above the lower surface 40B from the vertical plate 61c, and an operating piece 61e that extends horizontally rearward from the vertical plate 61c and abuts against an eccentric cam 74 of the actuator 70. The operating piece 61e is supported by a cam portion 74a of the eccentric cam 74 (described later). The vertical plate 61c, the horizontal plate 61a, and the operating piece 61e slide vertically together.

[0037] As shown in FIG. 6, the actuator 70 is provided on the extension portion 40J and the base portion 70A. The actuator 70 includes a motor 71 having an output shaft 71a fixed to the extension portion 40J and extending in the left-right direction, a rotating shaft 73 connected to the output shaft 71a via a coupling 72, and an eccentric cam 74 fixed to the tip of the rotating shaft 73. The motor 71 rotates the eccentric cam 74 via the rotating shaft 73 extending in the left-right direction. The cam portion 74a of the eccentric cam 74 is eccentric with respect to the rotating shaft 73. The cam portion 74a supports the operating piece 61e of the upper measurement plate 61 from below.

[0038] The actuator 70 further includes a pulley 75 (winding portion) provided on the rotating shaft 73 at an intermediate position between the motor 71 and the eccentric cam 74, a belt 76 (winding portion) having one end 76a fixed to the pulley 75, and a spring 77 (biasing member) that biases the other end 76b of the belt 76 in a direction away from the pulley 75.

[0039] The pulley 75 is, for example, a cylindrical member. The pulley 75 is rotatable together with the rotation shaft 73, centered on the rotation shaft 73. A plurality of teeth 75b (a plurality of first teeth) are provided on an outer peripheral surface 75a of the pulley 75 so as to be aligned along the circumferential direction of the pulley 75. The plurality of teeth 75b each extend along the axial direction of the pulley 75. The pulley 75 is made of, for example, metal.

[0040] The belt 76 is, for example, a long member. The belt 76 is wound around the pulley 75 so that the longitudinal direction of the belt 76 is aligned with the circumferential direction of the pulley 75. The belt 76 is wound around the outer peripheral surface 75a of the pulley 75. The belt 76 has a surface 76c that faces the outer peripheral surface 75a of the pulley 75 when wound around the pulley 75. The surface 76c is provided with a plurality of teeth 76d (a plurality of second teeth) aligned along the longitudinal direction of the belt 76. The plurality of teeth 76d each extend along the width direction of the belt 76. The plurality of teeth 76d mesh with the plurality of teeth 75b at contact points where the outer peripheral surface 75a of the pulley 75 and the surface 76c of the belt 76 come into contact. For example, the teeth 76d that contact the outer peripheral surface 75a of the pulley 75 fit between two adjacent teeth 75b. In this way, the plurality of teeth 76d mesh with the plurality of teeth 75b when the belt 76 is wound around the outer circumferential surface 75a of the pulley 75. The belt 76 is made of, for example, a resin such as urethane.

[0041] The spring 77 is, for example, a tension coil spring. For example, a fixed end 77a of the spring 77 is engaged with a locking pin 70Aa provided on the base portion 70A, and a moving end 77b of the spring 77 is engaged with the other end 76b of the belt 76.

[0042] The operation of the actuator 70 will be described with reference to Figures 7 to 9. Figures 7(a) and 7(b) are perspective views showing a portion of the diameter measurement device 100. Figures 8(a) and 8(b) are perspective views showing the actuator 70. Figures 9(a) and 9(b) are schematic views showing the pulley 75, belt 76, and spring 77.

[0043] As shown in FIGS. 7(a) and 7(b), the actuator 70 moves the upper measurement plate 61 between a measurement position P1 (see FIG. 7(a)), where the upper measurement plate 61 contacts the outer wheel 51, and a retracted position P2 (see FIG. 7(b)), where the upper measurement plate 61 is spaced apart from the outer wheel 51. The actuator 70 moves the upper measurement plate 61 to either the measurement position P1 or the retracted position P2 depending on whether the motor 71 is in a driven state or not. The motor 71 being in a driven state means that the motor 71 is on. The motor 71 not being in a driven state means that the motor 71 is off, i.e., the supply of power to the motor 71 is stopped from, for example, the vehicle controller of the vehicle 6, the system controller 90, or another control device (not shown) provided in the vehicle system 1. Hereinafter, the position between the measurement position P1 and the retracted position P2 will be referred to as an intermediate position.

[0044] In the intermediate position, the contact surface 61k of the operating piece 61e contacts the circumferential surface of the cam portion 74a, but the height of the horizontal plate portion 61a is higher than the height of the upper end surface 51a of the outer ring 51 above the running surface 41. In reality, when viewed in the axial direction (left-right direction) of the outer ring 51 and the eccentric cam 74, the outer ring 51 is disposed at a different position from the eccentric cam 74 (for example, forward of and inside in the left-right direction of the eccentric cam 74) (see FIG. 5). Therefore, the horizontal plate portion 61a with which the upper end surface 51a of the outer ring 51 contacts is also disposed at a different position from the operating piece 61e (for example, forward of and inside in the left-right direction of the operating piece 61e). The height of the lower surface of the horizontal plate portion 61a (the surface that contacts the outer ring 51) may be equal to or different from the height of the contact surface 61k of the operating piece 61e.

[0045] When the actuator 70 moves the upper measurement plate 61 to the measurement position P1, the motor 71 is driven. When the motor 71 is driven, the motor 71 rotates the eccentric cam 74 via the rotation shaft 73, causing the upper measurement plate 61 to move to the measurement position P1. Specifically, when the motor 71 is driven, the eccentric cam 74 rotates around the rotation shaft 73, changing the height position of the cam portion 74a downward. The upper measurement plate 61 descends under its own weight while in contact with the circumferential surface of the cam portion 74a. When the upper measurement plate 61 descends to the measurement position P1, it comes into contact with the upper end surface 51a of the outer ring 51 (see FIG. 5).

[0046] 8(a) and 9(a), when the motor 71 is in a driving state, the belt 76 is wound around the pulley 75. Specifically, when the motor 71 is in a driving state, one end 76a of the belt 76 rotates together with the pulley 75 about the rotation shaft 73 against the biasing force of the spring 77 on the other end 76b of the belt 76, thereby winding the belt 76 around the pulley 75. For example, when the upper measurement plate 61 is located at the measurement position P1, the belt 76 is wound around the outer peripheral surface 75a of the pulley 75 in a range of less than one revolution (less than 360°) of the pulley 75. As an example, the belt 76 may be wound around the outer peripheral surface 75a of the pulley 75 in a range of 90° or more and less than 270°, or may be wound around any other appropriate angular range.

[0047] When the actuator 70 moves the upper measurement plate 61 to the retracted position P2, the motor 71 is not in a driven state. When the motor 71 is not in a driven state, the other end 76b of the belt 76 is pulled by the spring 77 (see FIGS. 8(b) and 9(b)), causing the upper measurement plate 61 to move to the retracted position P2. Specifically, when the motor 71 is not in a driven state, the other end 76b of the belt 76 is pulled by the spring 77, causing the belt 76 to unwind from the pulley 75. This causes the eccentric cam 74 to rotate around the rotation shaft 73, changing the height position of the cam portion 74a upward. The upper measurement plate 61 is pushed up by the cam portion 74a and rises while in contact with the circumferential surface of the cam portion 74a. In such a case, if the power supply to the actuator 70 is stopped for some reason, the upper measurement plate 61 can be retracted to the retracted position P2 by the force of the spring 77, thereby preventing the traveling vehicle 6 from coming into contact with the upper measurement plate 61 while traveling.

[0048] 8(b) and 9(b), when the motor 71 is not in a driving state, the belt 76 is unwound from the pulley 75. Specifically, when the motor 71 is not in a driving state, the other end 76b of the belt 76 is pulled by a spring 77, causing the belt 76 to be unwound from the pulley 75. For example, when the upper measurement plate 61 is located at the retracted position P2, the belt 76 may or may not be wound around the outer peripheral surface 75a of the pulley 75. As an example, the belt 76 may be wound around the outer peripheral surface 75a of the pulley 75 in an angle greater than or equal to 0° and less than 180°, or may be wound around any other appropriate angular range.

[0049] In this manner, the actuator 70 moves the upper measurement plate 61 between the measurement position P1 and the retracted position P2. In this case, the control of the height position of the upper measurement plate 61 by the actuator 70 does not need to be precise control, and may be rough control. For example, the actuator 70 only needs to be able to lower the upper measurement plate 61 to the measurement position P1. In this case, the actuator 70 only needs to be able to change the height position of the cam portion 74a of the eccentric cam 74 so that the height position of the upper end of the eccentric cam 74 is lower than the height position of the upper end surface 51a of the outer wheel 51. Furthermore, for example, the actuator 70 only needs to be able to raise the upper measurement plate 61 to a position where it does not come into contact with the outer wheel 51 when the traveling vehicle 6 passes. In this case, the actuator 70 only needs to be able to change the height position of the cam portion 74a of the eccentric cam 74 so that the height position of the cam portion 74a of the eccentric cam 74 is higher than the height position of the upper end surface 51a of the outer wheel 51.

[0050] Next, the configuration related to the lower measurement plate 62 will be described. The lower measurement plate 62 is not provided with an actuator. The lower measurement plate 62 is biased upward by a spring 67 attached to the base portion 65. The spring 67 is, for example, a tension coil spring. The lower measurement plate 62 is moved downward by the entry of the outer wheel 51 (traveling vehicle 6). A rectangular opening (not shown) is formed in the lower surface portion 40B corresponding to the position where the base portion 65 is attached. The lower measurement plate 62 is attached to the base portion 65 via a linear guide 66 and includes a vertical plate portion 62c that is slidable relative to the base portion 65, and a contact plate portion 62a that extends horizontally from the vertical plate portion 62c and is positioned within the opening. The vertical plate portion 62c and the contact plate portion 62a slide vertically together.

[0051] In the initial state, the lower measurement plate 62 is biased upward to a standby position where it can contact the outer ring 51. In this state, the upper surface of the contact plate portion 62a protrudes slightly upward from the running surface 41 of the lower surface portion 40B and is slightly higher than the running surface 41. An inclined surface 62b is formed at the front and rear of the rectangular contact plate portion 62a. Due to the inclined surface 62b, the height of the front and rear ends of the contact plate portion 62a in the initial state is slightly lower than the running surface 41. With this configuration, the outer ring 51 rolling on the running surface 41 can be smoothly placed on the contact plate portion 62a when it enters the area of ​​the diameter gauge device 100.

[0052] The lower measurement plate 62 is moved downward by the entry of the outer ring 51. The contact plate portion 62a moves downward against the biasing force of the spring 67 while in contact with the lower end surface of the outer ring 51.

[0053] The upper detector 63 and the lower detector 64 are distance measuring sensors. For example, contact-type linear sensors can be used as the upper detector 63 and the lower detector 64. The upper detector 63 can detect the height position of the upper measurement plate 61 (e.g., the horizontal plate portion 61a). The lower detector 64 can detect the height position of the lower measurement plate 62 (e.g., the contact plate portion 62a). When the upper detector 63 and the lower detector 64 detect the height positions of the upper measurement plate 61 and the lower measurement plate 62, respectively, they transmit detection signals indicating the height positions to, for example, the traveling vehicle controller of the traveling vehicle 6, the system controller 90, or another control device (not shown) provided in the traveling vehicle system 1. The traveling vehicle controller, the system controller 90, or the control device obtains the height positions of the upper measurement plate 61 and the lower measurement plate 62 and calculates the diameter of the outer wheel 51.

[0054] The diameter measurement method of the outer wheel 51 in the diameter gauge device 100 will be described. First, the control device of the diameter gauge device 100 detects the arrival of the running vehicle 6 by a sensor not shown. The inner wheel 55 of the running vehicle 6 (a part separate from the running roller, a separate running roller) is placed on the inner wheel support part 40G and supported by the inner wheel support part 40G. This maintains the vertical posture of the running vehicle 6. The outer wheel 51 enters the contact plate part 62a of the lower measurement plate 62. The contact plate part 62a is moved slightly downward, and the upper surface of the contact plate part 62a is approximately at the same height as the running surface 41. Since the inner wheel support part 40G receives the weight (load) of the running vehicle 6 through the inner wheel 55, no large load is applied to the contact plate part 62a.

[0055] Therefore, no large load is applied to the outer ring 51, preventing the outer ring 51 from shifting due to the load. In this state, the motor 71 is driven, and the upper measurement plate 61 moves downward. Then, with the contact plate portion 62a in contact with the lower end surface of the outer ring 51 and the horizontal plate portion 61a in contact with the upper end surface 51a of the outer ring 51, the upper detector 63 and the lower detector 64 detect the height position, and the control device or the like calculates the diameter. The diameter may be calculated after a predetermined time has elapsed after the arrival of the traveling vehicle 6, or may be calculated when the detection values ​​by the upper detector 63 and the lower detector 64 have stabilized.

[0056] According to the traveling vehicle system 1 of this embodiment, when the motor 71 is in a driving state, the belt 76 is wound around the pulley 75. When the motor 71 is not in a driving state, the other end 76b of the belt 76 is urged by the spring 77 in a direction away from the pulley 75, causing the belt 76 to be unwound from the pulley 75. This causes the eccentric cam 74 to rotate via the rotary shaft 73, and the upper measurement plate 61 moves to the retracted position P2. As a result, when the motor 71 is not in a driving state, the upper measurement plate 61 can be positioned at the retracted position P2 with a simple configuration.

[0057] The belt 76 is wound around the pulley 75. In this case, compared to when a wire is wound around the pulley 75 instead of the belt 76, a sufficient contact area between the pulley 75 and the belt 76 can be ensured, and the stress acting on the pulley 75 from the belt 76 can be further dispersed. This reduces dust generation from the pulley 75. Furthermore, when the belt 76 is wound around the pulley 75, the space occupied by the actuator 70 in the traveling vehicle system 1 can be reduced by the length of the belt 76 wound around the pulley 75. As a result, the traveling vehicle system 1 can be made more space-saving than when a rack gear moves along a conventional linear guide.

[0058] A plurality of teeth 75b are provided on the outer peripheral surface 75a of the pulley 75, and a plurality of teeth 76d are provided on the surface 76c of the belt 76. The teeth 76d mesh with the plurality of teeth 75b when the belt 76 is wound around the outer peripheral surface 75a of the pulley 75. In this case, the one end 76a of the belt 76 can be fixed to the pulley 75 more reliably.

[0059] The belt 76 is made of resin. In this case, dust generation from the pulley 75 can be further reduced. Specifically, if the belt 76 is made of metal, dust is generated from the pulley 75 when the belt 76 is wound around and unwound from the pulley 75. In this case, grease may be provided between the pulley 75 and the belt 76 to suppress dust generation from the pulley 75. However, dust generation from the grease occurs, and dust generation cannot be suppressed regardless of the presence or absence of grease. With the above configuration, dust generation from the pulley 75 can be more reliably and easily reduced. Furthermore, one end 76a of the belt 76 can be fixed to the outer peripheral surface 75a of the pulley 75 without drilling holes in the belt 76. Furthermore, in the past, it was necessary to consider wear of the gear that meshes with the rack gear when operating the actuator. However, with the above configuration, it is not necessary to consider such wear in the pulley 75 around which the belt 76 is wound.

[0060] The actuator 70 is made up of fewer parts than conventional actuators, which reduces the manufacturing cost of the actuator 70 and improves the operational reliability of the actuator 70.

[0061] Although the embodiments have been described above, one aspect of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, the lower measurement plate 62 and the lower detector 64 may not be provided. In this case, the height position of the upper measurement plate 61 may be acquired, and the distance between the height position of the upper measurement plate 61 and the running surface 41 of the running rail 4 may be calculated as the diameter of the outer wheel 51.

[0062] In the above embodiment, the actuator 70 may have a wire wound around the pulley 75 as a winding member instead of the belt 76. For example, the actuator 70 may have a winch or drum artificial wire instead of the belt 76. In this case, when the motor 71 is not driven, the upper measurement plate 61 can be positioned at the retracted position P2 with an even simpler configuration.

[0063] In the above embodiment, the control device may determine that an abnormality has occurred in the diameter gauge device 100 when the height position of the upper measurement plate 61 is below the first threshold. For example, even though the arrival of the traveling vehicle 6 is detected and the upper measurement plate 61 moves downward, it is determined that the outer wheel 51 is not present below the upper measurement plate 61, and it can be detected that an abnormality has occurred in the diameter gauge device 100. For example, the control device accurately detects that an abnormality has occurred in the sensor that detects the arrival of the traveling vehicle 6 or the upper detector 63, and notifies a higher-level controller such as the system controller 90 that the measurement of the diameter of the outer wheel 51 has failed.

[0064] The control device may determine that an abnormality has occurred in the diameter gauge device 100 if the height position of the upper measurement plate 61 exceeds the second threshold. For example, even if the arrival of the traveling vehicle 6 is detected, it may be determined that the upper measurement plate 61 has not moved downward, and it may be detected that an abnormality has occurred in the diameter gauge device 100. In such a case, for example, the control device accurately detects that an abnormality has occurred in the upper measurement plate 61, the upper detector 63, or the actuator 70, and notifies a higher-level controller such as the system controller 90 that the measurement of the diameter of the outer wheel 51 has failed. In this way, the control device issues an error when the measured value of the diameter of the outer wheel 51 is outside the normal range (for example, a range greater than or equal to the first threshold and less than or equal to the second threshold).

[0065] The first threshold and the second threshold are set in advance. For example, the first threshold and the second threshold may be set in advance by a user, a business operator, or the like. Also, for example, the first threshold and the second threshold may be set by the traveling vehicle controller, the system controller 90, or the control device by learning multiple numerical values ​​of the height position of the upper measurement plate 61. Specifically, the first threshold and the second threshold may be set in advance based on a statistical value (for example, a standard deviation) regarding the multiple numerical values ​​of the height position of the upper measurement plate 61.

[0066] In the above embodiment, the diameter of the pulley 75 may be equal to or greater than the diameter of the rotary shaft 73. In such a case, the smaller the diameter of the pulley 75, the smaller the amount of expansion and contraction of the spring 77 when the height position of the upper measurement plate 61 is changed. In such a case, the change in the biasing force of the spring 77 can be reduced, and can be made almost constant, for example. This allows the spring 77 to stably bias the other end 76b of the belt 76 in a direction away from the pulley 75. In this way, the traveling vehicle system 1 provides greater freedom in designing the actuator 70 than ever before.

[0067] In the above embodiment, the pulley 75 has multiple teeth 75b, and the belt 76 has multiple teeth 76d. However, the pulley 75 does not necessarily have to have multiple teeth 75b, and the belt 76 does not necessarily have to have multiple teeth 76d. For example, the outer peripheral surface 75a of the pulley 75 may be curved. The belt 76 may be a flat belt, and the surface 76c may be flat. Furthermore, for example, a portion of the rotating shaft 73 may function as a take-up portion for taking up the belt 76. In this case, the actuator 70 can be easily assembled without considering the meshing of each of the multiple teeth 75b with each of the multiple teeth 76d. Even in this case, when the motor 71 is not driven, the upper measurement plate 61 can be positioned at the retracted position P2 with a simple configuration.

[0068] In the above embodiment, an example of measuring the diameter of the outer ring 51 has been described, but the diameter gauge device 100 may measure the diameter of the inner ring 55.

[0069] In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the upper detector 63 and the lower detector 64 are provided separately as detectors, but a single detector may also detect the height positions of the upper measurement plate 61 and the lower measurement plate 62.

[0070] In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the present invention is applied to a traveling rail 4 for hanging the traveling vehicle 6 and running, but it is also possible to apply the present invention to a traveling vehicle system in which the traveling vehicle runs inside a traveling rail placed on the ground. In the above embodiment, when measuring using the measurement unit 110, the traveling vehicle 6 is run by driving the running part 50, but instead of or in addition to this, the traveling vehicle 6 may be run (moved) by another device or the like. [Explanation of symbols]

[0071] 1...Traveling vehicle system, 4...Traveling rail (rail), 6...Traveling vehicle, 51...Outer wheel (Traveling roller), 60...Plate position detection unit (Detector), 61...Upper measurement plate (Measurement plate), 70...Actuator (Moving mechanism), 71...Motor, 73...Rotating shaft, 74...Eccentric cam, 75...Pulley (Winding unit), 75a...Outer surface, 75b...Multiple teeth portion (Multiple first teeth portion), 76...Belt (Winding unit), 76a...One end, 76b...Other end, 76c...Surface, 76d...Multiple teeth portion (Multiple second teeth portion), 77...Spring (Biasing member), P1...Measurement position, P2...Retraction position.

Claims

1. A traveling vehicle system in which a traveling vehicle having a traveling roller travels on a rail, a measurement plate that contacts the traveling roller from above; a detector for detecting the height position of the measurement plate; a moving mechanism that moves the measurement plate between a retracted position where the measurement plate is separated from the traveling roller and a measurement position where the measurement plate is in contact with the traveling roller, The moving mechanism includes: an eccentric cam supporting the measurement plate; a motor that rotates the eccentric cam via a rotation shaft; a winding section provided on the rotating shaft; a winding member having one end fixed to the winding portion; a biasing member that biases the other end of the winding member in a direction away from the winding portion, When the motor is not driven, the other end of the winding member is urged by the urging member, thereby moving the measurement plate to the retracted position.

2. the winding portion is a pulley, The winding member is a belt wound around the pulley. The vehicle system according to claim 1 .

3. A plurality of first teeth are provided on an outer peripheral surface of the pulley, a surface of the belt having a plurality of second teeth that mesh with the plurality of first teeth when the belt is wound around the outer circumferential surface of the pulley; The traveling vehicle system according to claim 2 .

4. The belt is formed of a resin. The traveling vehicle system according to claim 2 .

5. the winding portion is a pulley, The winding member is a wire wound around the pulley. The vehicle system according to claim 1 .

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