Automatic transportation system for railway vehicle body

Abstract

To provide an automatic conveyance system of a railroad vehicle body for managing traveling of a vehicle body conveyance vehicle.SOLUTION: A vehicle body carrier 6 for carrying a loaded railroad vehicle body 5 to a prescribed position by automatic traveling along a traveling rail in a railroad vehicle factory travels while reading a plurality of ID tags 31,35 installed along the rail in the railroad vehicle factory and storing position information. In the automatic conveyance system for a railway vehicle body, stop control is performed by reading a predetermined ID tag 31, and when a section between ID tags 31,35 provided at stop positions before and after in a traveling direction is set as a target section, the vehicle body conveyance vehicle 6 compares a section distance in the target section with an actual traveling distance obtained during traveling in the target section, and determines that there is an abnormality when the actual traveling distance exceeds the section distance.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 12

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an automatic transport system for railway car bodies, which moves a car body transport vehicle carrying a railway car body along rails within a factory. [Background technology]

[0002] In railway vehicle factories, railway car bodies that passengers ride on are manufactured separately from the bogies, or disassembled separately for inspection and repair. For example, an inspection and repair factory has multiple buildings, such as a dismantling yard, outfitting yard, repair yard, and painting yard, where each task is performed, and the railway car body must be moved between these buildings. In the inspection and repair factory, distribution rails that enter and exit designated buildings are laid, and the car body transport vehicles that move the railway car body are temporary bogies that are directly loaded onto the car body, or transfer chassis (traversers) that carry the temporary bogies as well. The traversers are configured to move on two running rails laid in the same direction as the distribution rails. Patent Document 1 listed below discloses a conventional example of a traverser in an inspection and repair factory.

[0003] The traverser moves along the running rails to a position corresponding to the appropriate distribution rail in order to send the loaded railway car body to the designated work facility. The traverser is equipped with an independent running motor on each wheel of each running rail, and its positioning at the stopping position is determined by the drive control of these motors. First, the destination number of the traverser is entered using a pendant, and the traverser begins automatic travel when the confirmation button and start button are pressed. Then, near the stopping position, the deceleration area and stopping position are confirmed based on pulse signals from the encoder. Furthermore, at the stopping position, a magnetic sensor detects a magnetic inductor, and the encoder count is corrected. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-99524 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, in inspection and repair factories like the above-mentioned conventional example, many workers are required to transport railway car bodies, which has been a problem in recent years due to labor shortages. For example, in the above-mentioned conventional example, a worker must use a pendant to input a number and press a confirmation button and a start button to automatically operate the traverser. Furthermore, the railway car bodies transported by the traverser are mounted on temporary bogies and move within the factory along the track, using the traverser to move toward the track ties. The temporary bogies also require operator operation, but because multiple railway car bodies and the temporary bogies carrying them are moved to various locations within the large factory, many workers are required within the factory to transport the railway car bodies.

[0006] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide an automatic transport system for railway car bodies that manages the running of car body transport vehicles. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The automatic transport system for railway car bodies of the present invention is a system in which a car body transporting vehicle that transports a loaded railway car body to a predetermined position by automatically traveling along running rails within a railway car factory travels while reading ID tags that store position information and are installed along the rails in the railway car factory, and stopping control is performed by reading a predetermined ID tag.If the target section is the distance between the ID tags installed at stopping positions before and after the direction of travel, the car body transporting vehicle compares the section distance in the target section with the actual traveling distance calculated while traveling on the target section, and determines that an abnormality has occurred if the actual traveling distance exceeds the section distance. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the above configuration, the car body guided vehicle automatically travels along the travel rails at a preset speed control within the railway vehicle factory while reading multiple ID tags installed therein, stops upon reading a predetermined ID tag, and can transport the loaded railway car body to a predetermined position. The automatically traveling car body guided vehicle compares the section distance in the target section with the actual travel distance calculated while traveling in the target section, and determines that an abnormality has occurred if the actual travel distance exceeds the section distance. If an abnormality is determined, for example, the car body guided vehicle is controlled to stop and is prohibited from traveling any further. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] This diagram shows the distribution location in the center of the inspection and repair workshop where the two traversers move. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a simplified side view of a railway car body mounted on a temporary bogie. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a configuration for stopping the traverser relative to the distribution rail. [Figure 4] This is an image of three magnetic sensors detecting the magnetic field of the stopping magnet. [Figure 5] FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram of an automatic transport system for railway car bodies. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a confirmation screen for the position and driving status of a body transport vehicle within an inspection and repair factory. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an operation status screen showing the operation status at one factory within an inspection and repair factory. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a screen during operation for setting the transportation of a railway car body. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a confirmation screen for a transportation route created based on a setting operation. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the same temporary carriage 6 at two stopping positions provided on the same traveling rail. [Figure 11] This is an abnormality confirmation screen that notifies you of a possible abnormality. [Figure 12]This is an image diagram showing a temporary carriage running on a rail equipped with an intermediate ID tag. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] An embodiment of an automated transport system for railway car bodies according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. This embodiment relates to an automated transport system that manages multiple car body transport vehicles for transporting railway car bodies in a railway car factory. In particular, this railway car factory is an inspection and repair factory where repairs are performed on railway car bodies transported to designated positions within each building, and the automated transport system will be described using temporary bogies and traversers as car body transport vehicles. Figure 1 is a diagram showing the sorting location in the center of the inspection and repair factory where two traversers move.

[0011] Two traverser running rails 11 are laid in the center of the inspection and repair factory 1, and a distribution area 10 is provided where two traversers 3 move. The inspection and repair factory 1 has multiple buildings on either side of the distribution area 10, and pairs of distribution rails 12 extending to the work facilities within the buildings are laid so as to be perpendicular to the traverser running rails 11. As shown in the figure, 20 sets of distribution rails 12 for entering and exiting each building are provided. In addition, entrance and exit rails 13 connecting to the main line are provided so that railway vehicles can enter and exit the inspection and repair factory 1. In this embodiment, when specifying the distribution rails 12 for transporting railway car bodies, etc., the suffix AT will be added to the reference numeral 12.

[0012] The traverser 3 is provided with traveling devices 22 that enable travel along the traverser traveling rails 11 on a rectangular car body 21 on which the railway car body 5 can be mounted. The two traveling devices 22 have the same configuration, with two traveling wheels 221 journaled and moving forward and backward along the traverser traveling rails 11, and one of the traveling wheels is connected to a traveling motor 222 via a gear. The two traveling devices 22 located at both ends in the longitudinal direction are connected to a vehicle control device 24, allowing for independent travel control of each other. In addition, the traverser 3 has two parallel loading rails 23 provided in the longitudinal direction on the top surface of the car body 21 for loading and unloading the railway car body 5.

[0013] When a railway vehicle enters the inspection and repair factory 1, it is disassembled into a railway car body 5 and a railway bogie, and the railway car body 5 can be moved within the factory using a temporary bogie. FIG. 2 is a side view showing a simplified view of the railway car body mounted on the temporary bogie. The temporary bogies 6 support the railway car body 5 at two locations, the front and the back. One of the two temporary bogies is a self-propelled driving vehicle equipped with a running motor 27, and the other is a driven vehicle without a running motor. The driving temporary bogie 6 has a running motor 27 that rotates the wheels 26, and a vehicle control device 28 is mounted on the car body frame 25, enabling travel control within the inspection and repair factory 1. Each temporary bogie 6 is also provided with an elevator 29 at the center of the car body frame 25, which holds the supported railway car body 5 so that it can be raised and lowered.

[0014] The railway car body 5 is transported to each work facility by a temporary bogie 6 in the inspection and repair factory 1, and along the way, the temporary bogie 6 is also loaded onto the traverser 3 for transport. An automatic transport system has been constructed in the inspection and repair factory 1, but the automatic transport of the railway car body 5 requires accurate stopping control of the running of the temporary bogie 6 and the traverser 3. This is because, in addition to accurately positioning the railway car body 5 with respect to the work facility, it is necessary to connect the loading rails 23 of the traverser 3 and the distribution rails 12 so that the wheels do not derail.

[0015] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the configuration for stopping the traverser 3 relative to the distribution rail 12. Within the inspection and repair factory 1, as shown in the figure, a set of ID tags 31 and magnetic sensor-compatible stop magnets 32 are provided as stop control members at all positions where not only the traverser 3 but also the temporary bogie 6 carrying the railway car body 5 stops. The traverser 3 and the temporary bogie 6 can move in opposite directions. Here, movement in the direction of arrow X is explained, and in FIG. 3, the components corresponding to the same direction are distinguished by adding the symbol X to the end, and the components corresponding to movement in the opposite direction are distinguished by adding the symbol Y to the end.

[0016] The ID tags 31 and stopping magnets 32 are provided at multiple locations within the inspection and repair factory 1, particularly at locations where it is necessary to position the railway car body 5 being transported. The ID tags 31 provided at each of these locations store position information indicating the corresponding location within the inspection and repair factory 1. For example, in the sorting area 10 shown in Figures 1 and 3, the stopping position of the traverser 3 is a position corresponding to the sorting rails 12A-12T, and the position information of the ID tags 31 includes track number information that identifies the sorting rails 12A-12T.

[0017] On the other hand, the stopping position of the temporary carriage 6 is a work area provided within the station or a loading position on the traverser 3. For example, within the station, a work area is provided around the stopping position of an indoor rail extended from the distribution rail 12. The position information of the ID tag 31 provided at such a stopping position includes the work content at the specified station, related facility information, etc.

[0018] A set of ID tag 31 and stopping magnet 32 ​​is provided at each stopping position, with the ID tag 31 located on the front side and the stopping magnet 32 ​​located on the rear side when viewed in the direction of travel of the traverser 3 and temporary bogie 6. The distance between the ID tag 31 and the stopping magnet 32 ​​is set as a deceleration control section until the traverser 3 and temporary bogie 6 are stopped. The ID tag 31 triggers the deceleration of the traverser 3 and temporary bogie 6 so that they can be stopped by the stopping magnet 32. The traverser 3 and temporary bogie 6 normally travel at a speed of about 30 m / min, and when the corresponding ID tag 31 is read, their travel speed is decelerated, and they stop at a speed of about 5 m / min just before detecting the stopping magnet 32.

[0019] The traverser 3 is provided with a reader 33 that reads the position information of the ID tag 31 and a stop detector 34 that detects the magnetism of the stop magnet 32, and is connected to the vehicle control device 24. Similarly, the temporary driving bogie 6 is provided with a reader 33 and a stop detector 34, and is connected to the vehicle control device 28. The ID tag 31 is a so-called passive RFID tag, and a signal (electromagnetic wave) transmitted from an antenna by driving a control circuit of the reader 33 is received by an antenna on the ID tag 31 side. At this time, in the ID tag 31, the signal is converted to direct current by a rectifier circuit of the antenna, and the control circuit is driven by the generated power, and the position information stored in the memory is read by the reader 33.

[0020] The stop detector 34 is composed of multiple magnetic sensors that detect one stop magnet 32 ​​provided at the stop position. In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 4, the stop detector 34 is composed of three magnetic sensors 341, 342, and 343. The three magnetic sensors 341, 342, and 343 are aligned in the traveling direction of the traverser 3 and are positioned so that all three can detect the stop magnet 32 ​​when the traverser 3 is at the correct stop position.

[0021] When a match in the position information is confirmed, the traverser 3 slows down and moves toward the stop detector 34 by performing a predetermined deceleration control on the traveling motor 222, and stops when the magnetic sensor 341 located at the front detects the stop magnet 32 ​​and stop control is applied, causing the traverser 3 to stop. At this time, as shown in Fig. 4(b), when the three magnetic sensors 341, 342, and 343 enter the magnetic field of the stop magnet 32, the vehicle control device 24 that has received the detection signal confirms that all of them are ON, ON, ON, and determines that the detection signal matches the stop position Z of the traverser 3 and the temporary bogie 6 (including the allowable error).

[0022] On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 4(a), when the detection statuses of the magnetic sensors 341, 342, and 343 are ON, ON, and OFF, the vehicle control device 24 determines that the vehicle has stopped before the stop position Z. Conversely, when the detection statuses are OFF, ON, and ON, the vehicle control device 24 determines that the vehicle has stopped beyond the stop position Z. Therefore, if one or more of the three magnetic sensors 341, 342, and 343 are OFF, the vehicle control device 24 adjusts the position by controlling the drive of the travel motor 222 to correct the deviation m so that the detection status becomes as shown in FIG. 4(b). Note that the stop magnet 32 ​​is installed on the uneven factory floor, but the stop detector 34 is required to detect at a certain distance. For this reason, the stop detector 34 is attached to a caster block, for example, and is biased toward the floor by a spring.

[0023] Next, Fig. 5 is an image diagram of an automatic transport system for railway car bodies. The automatic transport system of this embodiment is capable of communicating information between a general control device 7 configured using a computer and all of the car body transport vehicles, namely, the traversers 3 and the temporary bogies 6 for driving, that move within the inspection and repair factory 1. The general control device 7 and all of the traversers 3 and temporary bogies 6 (hereinafter collectively referred to as "car body transport vehicles (3, 6)") are equipped with wireless communication devices, and travel commands are sent from the general control device 7 to each car body transport vehicle (3, 6), and conversely, travel information is sent from the car body transport vehicles (3, 6) to the general control device 7.

[0024] The multiple body transport vehicles (3, 6) move within the spacious inspection and repair factory 1, and transporting items in buildings other than the building where the comprehensive management device 7 is installed is also performed. For this reason, wireless APs (access points) are installed at various locations in the automated transport system to ensure proper wireless communication. In addition, in wireless communication, the received signal level and noise level are important values ​​in determining the communication status and communication environment. Therefore, in this embodiment, the access points are installed so that the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR = signal strength - noise level) exceeds 15 from any location within the factory. For example, for communication between factories in different buildings, access points are installed near windows facing each other.

[0025] The automatic transport system is provided with a portable operation terminal 8 as a user interface connecting the general control device 7 and the worker. The operation terminal 8 stores a transport setting program that allows the worker to check the situation within the factory and set the transport settings for the railway car body 5 through touch operations. The general control device 7 collects position information within the inspection and repair factory 1 for all car body transport vehicles (3, 6) based on information from the ID tags 31. In particular, the operation terminal 8 is capable of wireless communication with the general control device 7, and the operation screen for the transport setting program is created by using the position information acquired for the car body transport vehicles (3, 6).

[0026] 6 to 9 are diagrams showing the screens of the operation terminal 8. First, Fig. 6 schematically shows a confirmation screen 41 showing the positions and running conditions of the traverser 3 and temporary bogie 6, which are car body transport vehicles in the inspection and repair factory 1. The confirmation screen 41 shows frames indicating a first factory 51, a second factory 52, and a third factory 53, which are divided into multiple buildings in the inspection and repair factory 1, an oval temporary bogie mark 55 indicating the stopping position of the temporary bogie 6 in each factory, and a square traverser mark 56 indicating the traverser 3 connecting the factories. Note that the traverser mark 56 indicates the positional relationship of movement and does not match the actual number of vehicles.

[0027] The temporary carriage marks 55 indicate the positions where the temporary carriages 6 can stop. They are arranged vertically and horizontally within each factory frame, but the direction of movement is horizontal. For example, the second factory 52 has four sets of running rails, each with four stopping positions. The four stopping positions are work positions equipped with work equipment, as well as waiting positions for work. The second factory 52 has a total of 16 such stopping positions, each equipped with an ID tag 31 and a stopping magnet 32, similar to the stopping positions of the traverser 3 described using Figure 3. The same applies to the first factory 51 and the third factory 53.

[0028] The temporary bogie marks 55 are distinguished by the display method shown in the explanation box 54 on the confirmation screen 41 so that the actual situation can be understood. The explanation box 54 displays, from top to bottom, "empty," which indicates that no temporary bogie 6 is present at the stop position; "on track," which indicates that the temporary bogie 6 is stopped at the stop position; "in motion," which indicates that the temporary bogie 6 has passed that position and is in motion; and "candidate location for transfer," which indicates that the moving temporary bogie 6 is heading for its destination. Regarding the traverser 3, a black arrow indicates that it is "in motion" in a predetermined direction. Therefore, from the confirmation screen 41 shown in FIG. 6 , it can be seen that, for example, within the second factory 52, there are three temporary bogies 6 (more precisely, three sets of temporary bogies 6 including a driven car) each carrying a railway car body 5 and one temporary bogie 6 moving toward the candidate location for transfer.

[0029] The confirmation screen 41 shown in Fig. 6 changes to the operation status screen shown in Fig. 7 by touching the frame of each factory. On this screen, the temporary bogie mark 57 changes to a square, and a running mark 58 with an arrow indicating the running direction is added. For example, 27 temporary driving bogies 6 exist in the inspection and repair factory 1, and information management is performed in the general management device 7 based on the numbers assigned to each of them. Based on this information, the operation status screen 42 displays the numbers of each temporary bogie 6 present in the second factory 52 on the temporary bogie mark 57.

[0030] For temporary bogies 6 that are stopped, the numbers NO12, NO20, and NO27 are displayed superimposed on the "On Track" sign, and for temporary bogies 6 that are moving, the number NO4 is displayed superimposed on the "Moving" sign. However, for temporary bogies 6 that are moving, the number NO4 is also displayed superimposed on the "Possible Moving Location" sign, and temporary bogies 6 that are "Moving" are displayed with the number NO(4) in parentheses. Furthermore, the running mark 58 located in front of the temporary bogie mark 57 that displays the number NO(4) flashes, indicating that the temporary bogie 6 is moving.

[0031] The transport setting of the railway car body 5 mounted on the temporary bogie 6 can be performed on the operation status screen 42 shown in FIG. 7. First, by touching the temporary bogie mark 57 "on track" displayed on the operation status screen 42, the movement of the corresponding temporary bogie 6, i.e., the transport setting of the loaded railway car body 5, can be started. For example, as shown in FIG. 8, when the temporary bogie mark 57 of No. 20 is touched, the mark changes to the "moving" display similar to No. (4) and starts flashing. This identifies the target of the transport setting, and information on the actual temporary bogie 6 is displayed as a pop-up on the temporary bogie mark 57, as shown in the figure.

[0032] The information in the pop-up display 61 includes the number assigned to the temporary driving bogie 6, the track number assigned to the rail that is the current position within the factory, the status (e.g., whether the vehicle is simply stopped or undergoing work), whether there are any abnormalities, and the vehicle number of the railway car body 5 on which it is mounted. If the object of transportation can be confirmed based on this information, the destination of transportation is then set. On the other hand, if the object of transportation is incorrect, the setting operation can be canceled by touching the flashing temporary bogie mark 57 of No. 20 again, and the temporary bogie mark 57 will return to the original display of "on track" as shown in Figure 7.

[0033] If the transfer setting is to be continued, the transfer destination is set by touching the temporary cart mark 57 corresponding to the transfer destination. As shown in the figure, when the temporary cart mark 57 corresponding to the third factory 53 is touched, the mark flashes to indicate "candidate transfer location," and the travel mark 58, which is an arrow indicating entry into that stop position, also flashes. In this case, too, by touching the flashing temporary cart mark 57 again, the setting of this stop position as the transfer destination is canceled, and the temporary cart mark 57 returns to its original display.

[0034] After the target temporary bogie 6 and its transport destination have been determined in the above manner, pressing the execute button 62 sends these conditions to the general control device 7. In the general control device 7, a transport route for temporary bogie No. 20 6 is created based on the position information of the other body transport vehicles (3, 6) in the inspection and repair factory 1. Then, on the operation terminal 8 to which the transport route information has been sent, a pop-up display 63 shown in FIG. 9 appears on the operation status screen 42. The pop-up display 63 displays a guide message, the transport route, and operation buttons. The transport route displays the departure point, destination, and the use of a traverser (TRV) 3.

[0035] When the execute button 65 is pressed, the transport settings are finalized, the pop-up display 63 disappears, and the screen returns to the operation status screen 42 shown in FIG. 7, where transport of the railway car body 5 on the temporary bogie 6 No. 20 begins. The transport of the railway car body 5 is carried out by a travel control command from the comprehensive management device 7 to the traverser 3 and the temporary bogie 6. Note that the temporary bogie mark 55 No. 20 stops flashing and displays "in motion," and the temporary bogie mark 57 of the transport destination in the third factory 53 also stops flashing and displays "candidate transport location." On the other hand, when the cancel button 66 is pressed, the pop-up display 63 disappears on the operation terminal 8, and the screen returns to the confirmation screen 41 shown in FIG. 6.

[0036] The temporary bogie 6 that has received the travel control command automatically travels along the transport route, decelerating by reading the ID tag 31 of the destination, and stopping by detecting the stop magnet 32. During this time, the location information read from the ID tag 31 of the temporary bogie 6 (the same applies to the traverser 3) traveling within the inspection and repair factory 1 is transmitted to the general control device 7, which stores the location information as location management data and updates it as needed. Therefore, the general control device 7 checks the travel status based on the location information transmitted from the temporary bogie 6, etc. However, it cannot check situations such as when a malfunction occurs in the temporary bogie 6, or when the reader 33 fails to read the ID tag 31 (skip reading). In particular, if the ID tag 31 is skipped, this could lead to an accident if another temporary bogie 6, etc. is parked ahead.

[0037] Therefore, the automated guided vehicle system of this embodiment is provided with a stopping function that safely stops a traveling body guided vehicle (3, 6) when an abnormality occurs. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the same temporary carriage 6 at two stopping positions 71, 72 provided on the same traveling rail. In particular, different situations are shown for the temporary carriage 6 at stopping position 72, with FIG. 10(a) showing a case where it stops normally, FIG. 10(b) showing a case where a skip occurs, and FIG. 10(c) showing a case where it cannot continue traveling. FIGS. 10(b) and 10(c) show situations where problems can occur, and this embodiment is configured to deal with such situations using time management.

[0038] In the inspection and repair factory 1, ID tags 31 are installed at various locations along the rails, and can be read by a reader 33 when the car body transport vehicles (3, 6) travel. The car body transport vehicles (3, 6) are configured to calculate the travel distance from the number of rotations of the wheels rolling on the rails using tachometers installed on their axles and encoders installed on the travel motors 27, 222 (collectively referred to as "rotation measuring devices"). Furthermore, the distance between the preceding and succeeding stopping positions, i.e., the distance between the ID tags 31 installed before and after in the direction of travel (hereinafter referred to as "section distance"), is measured in advance, and the value is stored in the general management device 7.

[0039] Therefore, when a travel control command for the transport route created by the comprehensive management device 7 is transmitted to the vehicle body transport vehicles (3, 6), position information and section distance data corresponding to the ID tag 31 on the transport route are also transmitted. The vehicle body transport vehicles (3, 6) automatically travel based on this information as follows. Note that the section distances may be stored in advance in all vehicle body transport vehicles (3, 6).

[0040] 10 shows a situation in which the temporary carriage 6 automatically travels along the travel rails and stops when it reaches a stop position 72 corresponding to a candidate movement location on the conveyance route. Therefore, the temporary carriage 6 is controlled to travel at a normal speed up to the stop position 71, and to travel at a low speed in the target section of the stop positions 71 and 72 just before it stops. Then, in the vehicle control device 28 of the temporary carriage 6, when traveling the section distance between the stop positions 71 and 72, a rotation measuring device (not shown) measures the number of wheel rotations from the time when the ID tag 31 at the stop position 71 is read to the time when the ID tag 31 at the next stop position 72 is read, and the travel distance (hereinafter referred to as "actual travel distance") is calculated from the number of rotations.

[0041] The vehicle control device 28 of the traveling temporary bogie 6 calculates the actual traveled distance for each section and compares the section distance in the target section with the actual traveled distance. If the actual traveled distance exceeds the section distance, an abnormality is detected. The section distance is compared as a value including a certain error. An abnormal situation may occur when the ID tag 31 is skipped even after passing the stop position 72, as shown in FIG. 10(b). In other words, if the actual traveled distance exceeds the section distance and the vehicle continues to travel, a malfunction of the reader 33 attached to the temporary bogie 6 or other vehicle-body guided vehicle is suspected. Alternatively, if the actual traveled distance does not change or does not change according to the speed, as shown in FIG. 10(c), it is suspected that the temporary bogie 6 has not reached the stop position 72 due to a malfunction or other reason.

[0042] Therefore, the temporary bogie 6 shown in Figures 10(b) and 10(c) is determined to need to have the problem resolved, and further travel is prohibited by stop control, and an abnormal stop signal is sent to the general control device 7. The general control device 7 sends abnormal stop information to the operation terminal 8, and on the operation terminal 8, a pop-up display 64 shown in Figure 11 appears on the operation status screen 42 based on the abnormal stop information. The abnormal information shown in the pop-up display 64 includes stopping position information based on the vehicle number and track number of the railway car body 5 mounted on the broken temporary bogie 6, as well as an "emergency stop" message indicating an abnormal stop. Therefore, a worker with the operation terminal 8 can immediately head to the site based on that information and begin recovery work.

[0043] The stopping function in the automatic guided vehicle system of this embodiment is not limited to sections where the body guided vehicles (3, 6) are stopped, but also applies to sections on the transport route where the body guided vehicles normally travel. That is, the vehicle control devices 24, 28 of the body guided vehicles (3, 6) can determine the position information of the route to be passed and the section distance based on the position information from the transport route information transmitted from the comprehensive management device 7. Therefore, the traveling body guided vehicles (3, 6) always calculate the actual travel distance for each section, and by comparing the section distance in the target section with the actual travel distance, if the actual travel distance exceeds the section distance, an abnormality is detected and stop control is performed.

[0044] Next, in the automated guided vehicle system of this embodiment, the ID tags 31 installed at the stopping positions alone provide only a small amount of position information about the running car body guided vehicles (3, 6), making it impossible to confirm the running status along the way. While a GPS device would generally be considered for this purpose, it is not suitable for a railway vehicle factory such as the inspection and repair factory 1, where the temporary bogies 6 run inside a building. Therefore, as an alternative to a GPS device, reading the ID tags 31 with a reader 33 is an effective way to confirm the position of the car body guided vehicles (3, 6). However, as mentioned above, the number of ID tags 31 in the inspection and repair factory 1 is small, and the reader 33 may skip reading some tags.

[0045] Therefore, in the automatic transport system of this embodiment, in addition to the ID tags 31 installed at the stopping positions, intermediate ID tags for checking the running of the body transport vehicles (3, 6) are installed in the inspection and repair factory 1. FIG. 12 is an image diagram showing a temporary carriage running on a rail on which an intermediate ID tag is installed. The intermediate ID tag 35 stores position information like the ID tag 31 for stopping, and can be read by a reader 33. The intermediate ID tags 35 are installed at equal intervals of several meters (for example, 5 meters) along the running rail 38 on which the body transport vehicles (3, 6) run. Note that the ID tags 31 may also function as intermediate ID tags if they can be arranged at equal intervals from the intermediate ID tags 35.

[0046] When the vehicle-body guided vehicles (3, 6) travel along the transport route, the reader 33 reads the intermediate ID tag 35 for each section distance W, and, as described above, the actual travel distance is calculated from the number of rotations measured by a rotation measuring device (not shown). Then, the section distance W in the target section is compared with the actual travel distance in accordance with the timing at which the reader 33 reads the intermediate ID tag 35. Specifically, if the intermediate ID tag 35 is not read even when the actual travel distance exceeds the section distance W, it is assumed that a reading has been skipped, and an abnormality is determined and a stop control is performed. Furthermore, if the actual travel distance does not reach the section distance W even after a certain time has passed, it is assumed that the vehicle-body guided vehicles (3, 6) are unable to travel due to a malfunction, and in this case too, it is determined that an abnormality has occurred and a stop control is performed.

[0047] Therefore, the body guided vehicles (3, 6) automatically traveling within the inspection and repair factory 1 repeatedly compare the section distance in the target section with the actual travel distance. Therefore, even if a breakdown or skip of the reader 33 occurs in the body guided vehicle, the abnormality can be determined, and for example, a process for stopping the body guided vehicles (3, 6) can be executed. In particular, if the ID tag 31 is skipped, the stopping position may be lost, so the body guided vehicles (3, 6) can be safely stopped to avoid a collision. In addition, by providing intermediate ID tags 35 at equal intervals, which are shorter than the ID tags 31, and by having the overall management device 7 obtain their position information, the traveling position of the body guided vehicles (3, 6) within the inspection and repair factory 1 can be grasped in detail. Furthermore, an abnormality such as a breakdown of the body guided vehicles (3, 6) or skip of the reader 33 can be determined regardless of the stopping position.

[0048] Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to this and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention. In the above embodiment, the temporary carriage 6 of the vehicle body transport vehicle has been described in detail, but the same can be applied to the traverser 3. Furthermore, in addition to the rotation measuring device provided on the axle, a separate travel distance meter such as a road measurer or walking measure may be provided and its output may be used. [Explanation of symbols]

[0049] 1...Inspection and repair shop 3...Traverser 5...Railway car body 6...Temporary bogie 7...General management device 8...Operation terminal 24...Vehicle control device 31...ID tag 32...Stop magnet 33...Reader 34...Stop detector 35...Intermediate ID tag

Claims

1. A vehicle body transport vehicle automatically travels along a rail within a railway vehicle factory to transport a loaded railway vehicle body to a predetermined location while reading ID tags that store position information and are installed along the rails in the railway vehicle factory, and stops when a predetermined ID tag is read. When the target section is the section between the ID tags provided at the stop positions before and after the traveling direction, The car body transport vehicle is an automatic transport system for railway car bodies that compares the section distance in the target section with the actual traveling distance calculated while traveling in the target section, and determines that an abnormality has occurred if the actual traveling distance exceeds the section distance.

2. 2. The automated transport system for railway car bodies according to claim 1, wherein the car body transport vehicle is controlled to stop when an abnormality is detected in which the actual travel distance exceeds the section distance.

3. 2. The automated transportation system for railway car bodies according to claim 1, wherein the car body transport vehicle has a rotation measuring device for measuring the number of rotations of the wheels, and the actual travel distance is calculated based on the number of rotations obtained from the rotation measuring device.

4. 4. The automatic transport system for railway car bodies according to claim 1, wherein the ID tag is a stop ID tag storing position information for specifying a stop position at which the car body transport vehicle stops.

5. The automatic transport system for railway car bodies described in claim 4, wherein the ID tags are the stop ID tags and intermediate ID tags arranged at equal intervals in front and behind the direction of travel at a shorter distance than the distance between the stop ID tags.

6. 2. The automatic transport system for railway car bodies described in claim 1, further comprising an integrated management device capable of wireless communication with the car body transport vehicles that automatically travel within the railway car factory, creating transport routes based on stored position information for all stopping positions within the railway car factory, and transmitting travel control commands to the car body transport vehicles.

7. 7. The automatic transport system for railway car bodies according to claim 6, wherein the comprehensive management device stores values ​​of all section distances in the railway car factory, and when the travel control command is issued, section distance data corresponding to the transport route is also transmitted.

8. 7. An automatic transport system for railway car bodies as described in claim 6, further comprising an operation terminal capable of wireless communication with the general control device, and if an abnormality is determined such that the actual running distance exceeds the section distance, an abnormality stop signal is sent from the corresponding car body transport vehicle to the general control device, and the abnormality is displayed on the screen of the operation terminal to which the abnormality stop information is sent from the general control device.

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