Conveying system

Abstract

To provide a conveying system capable of improving the meshing property of a pinion gear and a rack unit and prolonging the service life by improving the tooth flank strength with a simple constitution.SOLUTION: In the transport system 100 that moves a moving body by a rack-and-pinion method, the rack unit 110 in which rack teeth are continuous at a predetermined pitch is configured by disposing the movable rack 120 between the first fixed rack 111 and the second fixed rack 115 disposed at an interval on the transport path so as to be in contact with the first fixed rack 111, and the movable rack 120 is configured to be movable in a direction along the transport path by forming the gap S extending over the entire region in the tooth width direction of the rack teeth between the movable rack 120 and the second fixed rack 115.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a transport system that moves a moving body such as a transport vehicle by a rack and pinion system. [Background technology]

[0002] A known transport system for transporting moving bodies such as transport carriages uses a rack and pinion system to transport the transport carriage vertically while keeping it horizontal, and also transports it horizontally along a running rail that extends horizontally at a predetermined level (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] In the conveyance system described in Patent Document 1, a rack is arranged to extend vertically, a pinion gear that engages with the rack is provided on the conveyance carriage, and the conveyance carriage is configured to be conveyed vertically along the rack by rotating the pinion gear. Also, by releasing the engagement of the pinion gear with the rack and removing the pinion gear from the conveyance path, the conveyance carriage can be conveyed horizontally along a traveling rail that extends horizontally.

[0004] In a conveyance system that uses such a rack and pinion system, it is necessary to intentionally provide backlash (gap or play) between the rack teeth and the pinion teeth to ensure smooth rotation of the pinion gear. The reason for this is that without backlash, the rack teeth and pinion teeth would interfere with each other, making it impossible to rotate the pinion gear. The gap for the backlash is set, for example, within the range of 0.1 to 0.2 mm.

[0005] Therefore, if there is a phase misalignment between the rack teeth and the pinion teeth, the meshing between the rack teeth and the pinion teeth will be poor, causing noise and vibration and potentially shortening the life of the device, which will have an adverse effect on the movement of the transport cart. In the conveyance system described in Patent Document 1, which conveys a conveyance carriage vertically and horizontally, the conveyance carriage is conveyed horizontally to engage the pinion gear with the rack. At this time, the pinion gear cannot be engaged with the rack unless the phase of the pinion teeth is within the range of the gap between the pinion teeth and the rack teeth, which is the amount of backlash. Therefore, highly accurate phase alignment of the pinion gear with the rack is required, which poses a problem of complex systems and structures in order to recognize the exact rotational position of the pinion gear.

[0006] In response to such problems, the applicant of the present application has proposed a conveying system in which the fixed rack teeth in some areas of a rack, which is arranged so that the fixed rack teeth are aligned at a predetermined pitch on the conveying path, are replaced with movable rack teeth, and the movable rack teeth are configured to be movable in a direction along the conveying path so that the pinion teeth on the pinion gear can engage and disengage with the movable rack teeth in the tooth width direction and tooth height direction of the movable rack teeth (see Patent Document 2). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6896034 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2023-115671 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] Therefore, in the conveyance system described in Patent Document 2, the operating range of the movable rack is set by a cutout portion formed by the absence of fixed rack teeth in the tooth width direction. For this reason, it has become clear that the tooth surface strength decreases when the tooth width of the fixed rack teeth and the tooth width of the movable rack teeth become small, which may cause vibrations and noise, or may lead to an early loss of functionality of the conveyance system. Furthermore, because the movable rack teeth are configured so that the tooth tips are positioned on an arcuate surface centered on the oscillation axis, it is difficult to arrange the movable rack teeth and the fixed rack teeth in an optimal interlocking relationship, and there is a risk of reduced meshing when the pinion gear transfers between the movable rack teeth and the fixed rack teeth.

[0009] The present invention has been made in light of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a conveyance system that has a simple configuration and is capable of improving the meshing between the pinion gear and the rack unit, as well as improving the tooth surface durability and achieving a longer lifespan. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] The present invention provides a conveying system comprising a rack unit arranged to extend along a conveying path and having continuous rack teeth at a predetermined pitch, and a movable body provided with a pinion gear that engages with the rack unit, and which moves the movable body along the conveying path by rotating the pinion gear. The rack unit comprises a first fixed rack and a second fixed rack arranged at a distance on the conveying path, and a movable rack arranged between the first fixed rack and the second fixed rack and configured to be movable in a direction along the conveying path so that the pinion gear can be engaged and disengaged. The above problem is solved by configuring the movable rack so that a gap extending across the entire tooth width direction of the rack teeth is formed between the movable rack and the second fixed rack at a position where it contacts the first fixed rack. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the conveying system described in claim 1, a gap is formed between the movable rack and the second fixed rack, extending across the entire width of the rack teeth, so that the movable rack is movable along the conveying path. This allows the pinion gear to smoothly engage with and disengage from the rack, with a simple configuration, and also allows forces to be received across the entire width of the rack teeth. This improves the meshing between the pinion gear and the rack, and also extends the life of the rack by improving the tooth surface strength. Furthermore, the movable rack can be configured to have the same specifications as the first fixed rack and the second fixed rack, which also simplifies the structure.

[0012] According to the configuration described in claim 2, it is possible to properly set the engagement between the first fixed rack and the second fixed rack and the movable rack, and it is possible to avoid a decrease in meshing when the pinion gear transfers between the movable rack and the first fixed rack or the second fixed rack. According to the configuration of the present invention, when the pinion gear is engaged with the movable rack, the movable rack swings so as to escape toward the swing shaft serving as a fulcrum, making it easier to engage the pinion gear with the movable rack. According to the configuration described in claim 4, when the pinion gear is engaged with the rack unit and positioned on the conveying path, the pinion teeth of the pinion gear can be smoothly inserted into the tooth grooves between the rack teeth of the movable rack, making it possible to easily engage the pinion gear with the movable rack. According to the configuration of claim 5, it is possible to utilize gravity to hold the movable rack at the movement limit position where it contacts the first fixed rack, and it is possible to simplify the device structure. According to the configurations described in claims 6 and 7, when the pinion gear transfers between the movable rack and the first fixed rack, the meshing does not decrease, and the movable body can be transported stably. According to the configurations described in claims 8 and 9, regardless of the direction of movement of the transport cart, the tooth surface of the movable rack that receives a reaction force from the pinion gear is only the tooth surface on the same side as the second fixed rack.Therefore, even if other parts are cut out to form a gap, the necessary tooth surfaces of the rack remain without being missing, so that when the pinion gear transfers between the movable rack and the first fixed rack, the meshing is not reduced and the movable body can be transported stably. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view schematically illustrating a configuration of an example of a transport system according to the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an outline of a partial configuration of a rack unit together with a pinion gear. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a side view showing an outline of a partial configuration of the rack unit together with a pinion gear. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an outline of a partial configuration of a rack unit as viewed from the tooth depth direction of the rack teeth. [Figure 5A] 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating a state in which a pinion gear passes through a movable rack from below to above; FIG. [Figure 5B] 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating a state in which a pinion gear passes through a movable rack from above to below; FIG. [Figure 6A] 10A and 10B are schematic diagrams illustrating the operation of the pinion gear being disengaged from the rack unit. [Figure 6B] 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating a state of the movable rack when the pinion gear is detached from the rack unit. FIG. [Figure 7A] 10A and 10B are schematic diagrams illustrating the re-engagement operation of the pinion gear with the rack unit. [Figure 7B] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating the state of the movable rack when the pinion gear is re-engaged with the rack unit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] A conveyance system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. For convenience of explanation, an XYZ three-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system will be defined as shown in FIG. 1, and the structure of each part will be described.

[0015] As shown in Figure 1, a conveying system 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention has a vertical conveying unit 101 that conveys a conveying cart as a moving body 130 along a vertical conveying path extending in the Z direction, and a horizontal conveying unit 105 that conveys the conveying cart at a predetermined level position in the Z direction along a horizontal conveying path extending in the Y direction.

[0016] The vertical conveying section 101 includes a pair of support rails 102 arranged opposite each other and extending along the vertical conveying path at positions spaced apart in the X direction. A rack unit 110 formed, for example, in a substantially rectangular column shape and having rack teeth on one surface along the XZ plane is fixed to each support rail 102 so as to extend in the Z direction. The horizontal conveying section 105 includes a running rail 106 fixed to each of the support rails 102 at a predetermined level position in the Z direction so as to extend horizontally in the Y direction.

[0017] On both sides of the transporting platform, pinion gears 131 are provided with their rotation axes extending in the X direction, and are driven to rotate in both directions by an appropriate drive source and engage with rack units 110. Guide rollers 135 that run along support rails 102 are provided above the pinion gears 131. Reference numeral 136 in Fig. 1 denotes wheels that are driven to rotate in both directions and are used to transport the transporting platform horizontally, and are provided so as to be movable forward and backward in the X direction. The pinion gear 131 and the guide roller 135 are arranged so that they can move back and forth in the X direction. When the pinion gear 131 is moved in a direction approaching the transport cart, the engagement between the pinion gear 131 and the rack unit 110 is released and the pinion gear 131 is removed from the vertical transport path, and when the guide roller 135 is moved in a direction approaching the transport cart along the X direction, the guide roller 135 is removed from the support rail 102, thereby enabling the transport cart to be transported horizontally.

[0018] As shown in Figures 2 to 4, the rack unit 110 comprises a first fixed rack 111 and a second fixed rack 115 arranged side by side and spaced apart in the Z direction on the vertical conveying path, and a movable rack 120 arranged between the first fixed rack 111 and the second fixed rack 115 and configured to be movable in a direction along the vertical conveying path so that the pinion gear 131 can be engaged and disengaged. The first fixed rack 111, the second fixed rack 115 and the movable rack 120 have a plurality of rack teeth 112, 116, 121 formed with the same specifications and extending in the X direction.

[0019] When the pinion gear 131 is not engaged, the movable rack 120 comes into contact with the first fixed rack 111, which is positioned below it in the Z direction, due to its own weight, thereby restricting downward movement in the vertical direction. This makes it possible to use gravity to hold the movable rack 120 at the movement limit position where it comes into contact with the first fixed rack 111, thereby simplifying the device structure.

[0020] The rack teeth 121 of the movable rack 120 are continuous with the rack teeth 112 of the first fixed rack 111 and the rack teeth 116 of the second fixed rack 115 at a predetermined pitch p at the position where the movable rack 120 contacts the first fixed rack 111, and are formed so that the tooth tip surfaces of the rack teeth 121 are positioned on the same plane as the tooth tip surfaces of the rack teeth 112 of the first fixed rack 111 and the rack teeth 116 of the second fixed rack 115. This makes it possible to appropriately set the engagement between the first fixed rack 111 and the second fixed rack 115 and the movable rack 120, and prevents a decrease in meshing when the pinion gear 131 transfers between the movable rack 120 and the first fixed rack 111 or the second fixed rack 115, making it possible to stably transport the transport cart.

[0021] Between the movable rack 120 and the second fixed rack 115, a gap S is formed that extends over the entire area of ​​the rack teeth 121, 116 in the tooth width direction. The gap S is formed by cutting out either or both of the rack teeth 116 formed at the movable rack side end of the second fixed rack 115 and the rack teeth 121 at the second fixed rack side end of the movable rack 120 so that the tooth surface of the rack teeth 116 on the second fixed rack 115 opposite the movable rack 120 and the tooth surface of the rack teeth 121 on the movable rack 120 opposite the second fixed rack 115 remain. In this embodiment, the end of the rack teeth 121 on the second fixed rack side of the movable rack 120 is configured to be formed at a position corresponding to the tooth bottom, and the rack teeth 116 formed on the movable rack side end of the second fixed rack 115 are configured to be cut out so that the tooth surface on the side opposite the movable rack 120 remains, thereby forming a gap S between the second fixed rack 115 and the movable rack 120. This makes it possible to reliably achieve a state in which the rack teeth 121 of the movable rack 120 and the rack teeth 116 of the second fixed rack 115 are continuous at a predetermined pitch p at the position where the movable rack 120 contacts the first fixed rack 111, making it possible to avoid a decrease in meshing performance.

[0022] It is preferable that the gap S is formed to be equal to or smaller than half the pitch p of the rack teeth 116, 121, thereby ensuring a range of motion of the movable rack 120 necessary for smoothly re-engaging the pinion gear 131, which has been temporarily disengaged from the rack unit 110, with the rack unit 110, and making it possible to reliably achieve a state in which the rack teeth 121 of the movable rack 120, the rack teeth 112 of the first fixed rack 111, and the rack teeth 116 of the second fixed rack 115 are continuous at the predetermined pitch p at the position where the movable rack 120 contacts the first fixed rack 111. Therefore, while the configuration allows for easy engagement of the pinion gear 131 with the rack unit 110 and disengagement of the pinion gear 131 from the rack unit 110, the strength of the teeth can be ensured, enabling stable travel of the transport vehicle. In this embodiment, the gap S is formed so that the amount of movement of the movable rack 120 corresponding to half the pitch 1 / 2p of the rack teeth 121 is obtained.

[0023] In this embodiment, the movable rack 120 is arranged to be swingable about a swing shaft 125 that is positioned outside the other side of the rack unit 110 and extends in the tooth width direction of the rack teeth 121, thereby enabling the movable rack 120 to move along the conveying path and the pinion gear 131 to engage and disengage with the movable rack 120 in either the tooth width direction (X direction) or the tooth height direction (Y direction) of the rack teeth 121.

[0024] In the direction along the transport path, the swing shaft 125 is positioned closer to the first fixed rack 111 than the lower end face, which is the end face on the first fixed rack side, of the movable rack 120. As a result, when the pinion gear 131 is engaged with the movable rack 120, the movable rack 120 swings so as to escape toward the swing shaft 125 side, which serves as a fulcrum, making it easier to engage the pinion gear 131 with the movable rack 120.

[0025] In the conveyance system 100 according to this embodiment, the pinion gear 131 of the conveyance carriage is configured to be able to disengage and re-engage with the rack unit 110, but as shown in Fig. 4, the rack teeth 121 of the movable rack 120 have chamfered portions 122 formed by, for example, chamfering, on the edge of the end face on the side that the pinion gear 131 is accessed when re-engaging the pinion gear 131 with the rack unit 110. This allows the pinion teeth 132 of the pinion gear 131 to smoothly enter the tooth grooves between the rack teeth 121 of the movable rack 120, making it possible to easily engage the pinion gear 131 with the movable rack 120. In this embodiment, the chamfered portion 122 is configured to have a tip shape in which two inclined surfaces intersect with each other at the center of the rack tooth 121 in the Z direction, but it may also be configured to have a one-sided tip shape that slopes downward in the Z direction from the side where the pinion gear 131 is accessed toward the inside.

[0026] 2, the pinion teeth 132 of the pinion gear 131 have chamfered portions 133 formed by, for example, chamfering on the edge of the end face on the access side relative to the rack unit 110. The same applies to the chamfered portions 133 of the pinion gear 131; the chamfered portions 133 may be configured to have a tip shape in which two inclined surfaces intersect with each other at the center of the pinion teeth 132 in the Z direction, or may be configured to have a sloped tip shape that slopes upward in the Z direction from the access side relative to the rack unit 110 toward the inside.

[0027] In this transport system 100, by rotating the pinion gear 131, the pinion teeth 132 of the pinion gear 131 mesh with the rack teeth 112, 116, and 121 of the rack unit 110, and the transport carriage can be transported vertically.

[0028] When the pinion gear 131 is moving on the first fixed rack 111 or the second fixed rack 115, the movable rack 120 is held at a movement limit position by abutting against the first fixed rack 111 due to its own weight, and the rack teeth 121 of the movable rack 120 are continuous with the rack teeth 112 of the first fixed rack 111 and the rack teeth 116 of the second fixed rack 115 at a predetermined pitch p. Therefore, when the pinion gear 131 moves from the first fixed rack 111 to the movable rack 120, after the meshing of the pinion teeth 132 with the rack teeth 112 of the first fixed rack 111 is released, the pinion teeth 132 smoothly mesh with the rack teeth 121 of the movable rack 120 without getting caught on them. The same is true when the pinion gear 131 moves from the second fixed rack 115 to the movable rack 120.

[0029] When the pinion teeth 132 are engaged with the rack teeth 121 of the movable rack 120, as shown in Figures 5A and 5B, the weight of the transport cart applies a force in a direction pressing the movable rack 120 against the first fixed rack 111, so that regardless of the rotation direction of the pinion gear 131, the movable rack 120 remains held in the movement limit position without moving in accordance with the rotation of the pinion gear 131. When the pinion gear 131 moves from bottom to top on the movable rack 120, after the meshing of the pinion teeth 132 with the rack teeth 121 of the movable rack 120 is released, the rack teeth 121 of the movable rack 120 are continuous with the rack teeth 116 of the second fixed rack 115 at the predetermined pitch p, and therefore the pinion gear 131 smoothly meshes with the rack teeth 116 of the second fixed rack 115 without getting caught on them. Similarly, when the pinion gear 131 moves from top to bottom on the movable rack 120, after the meshing of the pinion teeth 132 with the rack teeth 121 of the movable rack 120 is released, the pinion teeth 132 of the pinion gear 131 smoothly mesh with the rack teeth 112 of the first fixed rack 111 without getting caught on them.

[0030] As described above, when the transporting vehicle is transported vertically so as to pass through the movable rack 120, the movable rack 120 does not move regardless of the direction of movement of the transporting vehicle, and therefore the rack teeth 121 of the movable rack 120 are maintained in a state of being continuous with the rack teeth 112 of the first fixed rack 111 and the rack teeth 116 of the second fixed rack 115 at the predetermined pitch p. This makes it possible to transport the transporting vehicle stably.

[0031] When the pinion gear 131 is to be removed from the vertical transport path during horizontal transport of the transport vehicle, the pinion gear 131, which is moving from top to bottom on the second fixed rack 115 or from bottom to top on the first fixed rack 111, is stopped temporarily at a position where the pinion teeth 132 mesh with the rack teeth 116 in the end region of the second fixed rack 115. Thereafter, the wheels 136 for horizontal transport are moved in the X direction away from the transport vehicle to be positioned directly above the traveling rail 106. At this time, the wheels 136 are spaced away from the traveling rail 106, and by rotating the pinion gear 131 in the direction in which the transport vehicle descends, the pinion gear 131 is moved to a position where the pinion teeth 132 mesh with the rack teeth 121 of the movable rack 120, and the wheels 136 are brought into contact with the traveling rail 106. When the wheels 136 come into contact with the traveling rail 106, the load of the transporting carriage that was applied to the pinion gear 131 is removed, and the load of the transporting carriage is applied to the wheels 136. By rotating the pinion gear 131 in the direction in which the transporting carriage descends while the wheels 136 are in contact with the traveling rail 106, the rotation of the pinion gear 131 causes the movable rack 120 to swing without moving the pinion gear 131 downward, as shown in FIG. 6A .

[0032] After the rotation of pinion gear 131 is stopped, pinion gear 131 is moved in the X direction toward the transport carriage, thereby releasing the meshing between pinion teeth 132 and rack teeth 121 of movable rack 120 and removing pinion gear 131 from the vertical transport path. At this time, the load of the transport carriage on pinion gear 131 is removed, so that pinion gear 131 can be easily removed. When pinion gear 131 is removed, as shown in FIG. 6B , movable rack 120 swings downward due to its own weight, and is held at the movement limit position by abutting against second fixed rack 115. In addition, by moving the guide roller 135 in the X direction toward the transport cart along with the detachment of the pinion gear 131, the guide roller 135 is detached from the support rail 102, making it possible to transport the transport cart horizontally along the running rail 106.

[0033] After the transporting carriage has been transported horizontally, when the transporting carriage is to be transported vertically again by positioning the pinion gear 131 on the vertical transport path and re-engaging with the rack unit 110, the transporting carriage is transported horizontally and stopped at a position in the Y direction where the pinion gear 131 corresponds to the movable rack 120, and then the pinion gear 131 is moved in the X direction away from the transporting carriage to engage the pinion gear 131 with the movable rack 120. At this time, even if the tooth phases of the pinion teeth 132 and the rack teeth 121 of the movable rack 120 are misaligned, as shown in FIG. 7A, chamfered portions 122, 133 are formed on the end faces of the rack teeth 121 of the movable rack 120 and the end faces of the pinion teeth 132, and the movable rack 120 is capable of swinging. Therefore, by moving the pinion gear 131 in the X direction, the tooth phases of the pinion teeth 132 and the rack teeth 121 of the movable rack 120 can be aligned, and the pinion teeth 132 can easily enter the tooth gaps between the rack teeth 121 of the movable rack 120. When engaging the pinion gear 131 with the movable rack 120, the pinion gear 131 may be moved in the X direction after being rotated by half the pitch of the pinion teeth 132, or while the pinion gear 131 is being rotated. In this case, the pinion teeth 132 can be reliably engaged with the rack teeth 121 of the movable rack 120. If the chamfered portions 122 of the rack teeth 121 of the movable rack 120 and the chamfered portions 133 of the pinion teeth 132 of the pinion gear 131 are configured to have, for example, a tilted tip shape, such an operation is not necessary. Also, the position of the pinion teeth 132 may be sensed to avoid the non-engageable range.

[0034] 7B , in a state in which the pinion teeth 132 and the rack teeth 121 of the movable rack 120 are engaged, the pinion gear 131 is rotated in the direction in which the transporting carriage rises, thereby swinging the movable rack 120 to a movement limit position and causing the load of the transporting carriage to be applied to the pinion gear 131. In addition, the guide roller 135 is moved in the X direction away from the transporting carriage to position the guide roller 135 on the support rail 102. As described above, when the movable rack 120 is held at the limit of movement position where it contacts the first fixed rack 111, the rack teeth 121 of the movable rack 120 are continuous with the rack teeth 112 of the first fixed rack 111 and the rack teeth 116 of the second fixed rack 115 at a predetermined pitch p. Therefore, by moving the wheels 136 in the X direction toward the transport cart to store the wheels 136, and then rotating the pinion gear 131, the pinion teeth 132 can be smoothly engaged with the rack teeth 112 of the first fixed rack 111 or the rack teeth 116 of the second fixed rack 115 without getting caught, thereby enabling the transport cart to be transported vertically in a stable manner.

[0035] Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various design modifications can be made without departing from the invention described in the claims. For example, in the above embodiment, the gap is formed by cutting out a portion of the second fixed rack, but the gap may also be formed by cutting out a portion of each of the second fixed rack and the movable rack, or by cutting out a portion of the rack teeth at the end of the movable rack on the second fixed rack side. In the above embodiment, the pinion gear is configured to engage with and disengage from the movable rack in the tooth width direction of the rack teeth, but the pinion gear may be configured to engage with and disengage from the movable rack in the tooth depth direction of the rack teeth. In addition, in a configuration in which the pinion gear is configured to engage with and disengage from the movable rack in the tooth width direction of the rack teeth, it is not necessary to provide chamfered portions on both the pinion teeth and the rack teeth of the movable rack; it is sufficient to provide chamfered portions on either the pinion teeth or the rack teeth of the movable rack. Furthermore, in the above embodiment, a configuration was described in which the movable rack is moved along the transport path by swinging, but the movable rack may also be configured to slide in a direction along the transport path. Furthermore, in the above embodiment, a configuration was described in which a rack unit is provided on each of a pair of support rails arranged opposite each other and extending along the vertical transport path at positions spaced apart in the X direction, but the rack units do not need to be arranged on both sides of the transport cart, and may be arranged on one side of the transport cart or in the center of the back side of the transport cart. Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the transporting cart is configured to be transported vertically using a rack and pinion system, but the transporting cart may also be configured to be transported horizontally using a rack and pinion system. In this case, the movable rack may be pressed to the movement limit position by a spring or the like. [Explanation of symbols]

[0036] 100 ··· Conveyor system 101 Vertical conveying section 102 Support rail 105 Horizontal conveying section 106 Running rail 110 rack units 111 First fixed rack 112 Rack teeth 115 Second fixed rack 116 Rack teeth 120 ··· Movable rack 121 Rack teeth 122 Chamfered part 125 ··· Oscillating shaft 130 Mobile unit (transport vehicle) 131 Pinion gear 132 Pinion teeth 133 Chamfered part 135 Guide roller 136 ... wheels S ··· Gap

Claims

1. A conveying system comprising: a rack unit having rack teeth arranged to extend along a conveying path and continuous at a predetermined pitch; and a moving body provided with a pinion gear that engages with the rack unit, wherein the moving body is moved along the conveying path by rotating the pinion gear, the rack unit includes a first fixed rack and a second fixed rack arranged at an interval on the transport path, and a movable rack arranged between the first fixed rack and the second fixed rack and configured to be movable in a direction along the transport path so that the pinion gear can be engaged and disengaged; A conveying system characterized in that, at the position where the movable rack contacts the first fixed rack, a gap is formed between the movable rack and the second fixed rack, extending across the entire tooth width direction of the rack teeth.

2. the movable rack is provided to be swingable about a swing shaft that extends in a tooth width direction of the rack teeth as a fulcrum, 2. The conveying system according to claim 1, wherein the movable rack is configured such that, at a position where the movable rack is in contact with the first fixed rack, the tip surfaces of the rack teeth are positioned on the same plane as the tip surfaces of the rack teeth of the first fixed rack and the second fixed rack.

3. the movable rack is provided to be swingable about a swing shaft that extends in a tooth width direction of the rack teeth as a fulcrum, 2. The transport system according to claim 1, wherein the swing shaft is positioned on the first fixed rack side with respect to an end face of the movable rack on the first fixed rack side in the direction along the transport path.

4. 2. The conveyance system according to claim 1, wherein chamfers are formed on one or both of the edge portions on the end faces of the pinion teeth of the pinion gear and the edge portions on the end faces of the rack teeth of the movable rack.

5. 2. The transport system according to claim 1, wherein the first fixed rack is disposed vertically below the second fixed rack, and the transport path extends vertically.

6. 2. The conveying system according to claim 1, wherein the rack teeth of the movable rack and the rack teeth of the first fixed rack are formed so as to be continuous at a predetermined pitch at the position where the movable rack and the first fixed rack contact each other.

7. 2. The conveying system according to claim 1, wherein the rack teeth of the movable rack and the rack teeth of the second fixed rack are formed so as to be continuous at a predetermined pitch at the position where the movable rack and the first fixed rack contact each other.

8. The conveying system described in claim 1, characterized in that the gap is formed by cutting out rack teeth formed at the end of the second fixed rack on the movable rack side so that at least the tooth surface opposite the movable rack remains.

9. The transport system according to claim 8, wherein the movable rack is configured so that at least the tooth surface of the end of the rack tooth on the second fixed rack side remains on the same side as the second fixed rack.

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