Automatic transportation system for railway vehicle body

Abstract

To provide an automatic carrying system of a railroad vehicle body for managing a plurality of vehicle body carrying vehicles.SOLUTION: A vehicle body transport vehicle that automatically travels along the travel rail 300 to transport a railway vehicle body mounted thereon to a predetermined position, the vehicle body transport vehicle being configured to perform stop control by reading an ID tag installed in a railway vehicle factory and storing position information for identifying a stop position; In the automatic transport system for a railway vehicle body, a plurality of stop positions at each of which an ID tag is installed are provided on the same travel rail 300, and when a following vehicle 602 that is another vehicle-body transport vehicle travels toward a preceding vehicle 601 that is a vehicle-body transport vehicle stopped on the travel rail 300 from behind, a section between a first stop position 304 at which the preceding vehicle 601 stops and a second stop position 303 that is located in front when viewed in the travel direction is set as an entry prohibited section 313, and stop control of the following vehicle 602 is performed at the second stop position 303.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 10

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an automatic transport system that 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. 2006-130974 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-060424 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, workers must use a pendant to input numbers 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 rails, with the travers used for movement toward the rail sleepers. The temporary bogies also require operator operation, and because multiple railway car bodies and their associated temporary bogies move between 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 a plurality of car body transport vehicles. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The automatic transport system for railway car bodies of the present invention is an automatic transport system for railway car bodies installed in a railway vehicle factory, which has a car body transport vehicle that transports a loaded railway car body to a predetermined position by automatically traveling along a running rail, and the car body transport vehicle is controlled to stop by reading an ID tag that stores position information for identifying a stopping position installed in the railway vehicle factory, and there are multiple stopping positions with the ID tag installed on the same running rail, and when a following vehicle, which is another car body transport vehicle, travels from behind a preceding vehicle, which is the car body transport vehicle, stopped on the running rail, a no-entry section is set between a first stopping position where the preceding vehicle stops and a second stopping position located forward in the direction of travel, and the following vehicle is controlled to stop at the second stopping position. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the above configuration, the car body transport vehicle automatically travels along rails laid in the railway vehicle factory, allowing the railway car body loaded on the car body transport vehicle to be transported.The car body transport vehicle stops at a stopping position by reading an ID tag installed on the running rail, and when a following vehicle travels behind the preceding vehicle stopped on the same running rail, the area between the first stopping position where the preceding vehicle stops and the second stopping position located forward in the direction of travel is designated as a no-entry section, and the following vehicle stops at the second stopping position to prevent it from entering that area. [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 for explaining a collision prevention function of the automatic transport system. [Figure 11] This is an abnormality confirmation screen that notifies you of a possible abnormality. 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 (not shown), and the railway car body 5 can be moved within the factory using a temporary bogie. FIG. 2 is a side view showing 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 traverser 3 moves in the direction of arrow X, if the detection statuses of the magnetic sensors 341, 342, and 343 are ON, ON, and OFF, the vehicle control device 24 determines that the traverser has stopped before the stop position Z. Conversely, if the detection statuses are OFF, ON, and ON, the vehicle control device 24 determines that the traverser 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 amount 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, for example, biased toward the floor by a spring and attached to a caster-equipped block.

[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 or the like 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" display, and for temporary bogies 6 that are moving, the number NO4 is displayed superimposed on the "Moving" display. However, for temporary bogies 6 that are moving, the number NO4 is also displayed superimposed on the "Possible Moving Location" display, 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] Meanwhile, the general management device 7 receives position information from the temporary bogies 6 and the traverser 3 in the inspection and repair factory 1, which is stored as position management data and updated as needed. The transport route described above is created based on stop information and movement information from other temporary bogies 6, and if there are other temporary bogies 6 on the route to the destination, a different optimal transport route is selected. Meanwhile, temporary bogies 6 equipped with different railway car bodies 5 may travel on the same traveling rails because they use the same work equipment. In such cases, the automatically traveling temporary bogies 6 must prevent collisions with each other's railway car bodies 5. Therefore, the automatic transport system of this embodiment is equipped with a collision prevention function that prevents a traveling temporary bogie 6 from getting closer than a certain distance to a preceding temporary bogie 6.

[0037] 10 is a diagram for explaining the collision prevention function of an automated guided vehicle system, showing a case in which two railroad cars 501 and 502 are on the same traveling rail in a factory. More specifically, there are four stopping positions 301-304 on traveling rail 300, and the preceding railroad car 501 stops at the final stopping position 304 in the traveling direction, while the following railroad car 502 travels using the immediately preceding stopping position 303 as a standby position. Figure 10(A) shows the railroad car passing stopping position 301, and Figure 10(B) shows the railroad car passing the closer stopping position 302.

[0038] Based on the position information transmitted from the temporary bogie 6 (leading vehicle 601) carrying the railway car body 501, the comprehensive management device 7 can confirm that the railway car body 501 has stopped at the stop position 304. Therefore, with regard to the travel range of the travelling rail 300, a section 313 from the previous stop position 303 to the stop position 304 is set as a travel-prohibited section in which the temporary bogie 6 (rear vehicle 602) transporting the railway car body 5 is prohibited from entering. Furthermore, a section 312 from the previous stop position 302 to the stop position 303 is set as a low-speed travel section in which the temporary bogie 6 can immediately move to a stopping operation. Then, a section 311 from the further previous stop position 301 to the stop position 302 and the range before that is set as a normal travel section.

[0039] The transportation of the railway car body 5 is carried out by a travel control command from the comprehensive control device 7 to the temporary bogie 6 and the traverser 3, which includes travel restriction information due to the section 313 set as described above. Therefore, the trailing car 602 positioned behind the leading car 601 will travel according to the transport route information to the stop position 303, which is the candidate relocation site, but control settings are made so that normal travel will be performed in the section 311 up to the stop position 302, and low-speed travel will be performed in the following section 312. Therefore, the trailing car 602 that has started traveling will continue to travel at the normal travel speed in the section 311 even after passing the stop position 301, as shown in FIG. 10(A).

[0040] As shown in Figure 10(B), when the following vehicle 602 reaches the stop position 302, the entry into the low-speed travel section is confirmed by reading the ID tag 31 provided at that position, and the control is switched to low-speed travel control. The following vehicle 602 reduces its speed and travels through section 312, and when it reaches the stop position 303, the ID tag 31 provided at that position is read, and stop control is performed after decelerating. In the stop control, as described above (see Figure 4), the three magnetic sensors 341, 342, and 343 enter the magnetic field of the stop magnet 32, and the position of the stop position is adjusted so that all of them are in the ON detection state.

[0041] Furthermore, in this embodiment, even if the trailing vehicle 602 overruns the stopping position 303, it is treated as having entered a prohibited section and forced emergency stop control is performed. Although a configuration is provided to accurately stop a carbody transport vehicle such as the temporary bogie 6, in the event of such an emergency stop, a situation occurs in which all three magnetic sensors 341, 342, 343 are turned OFF, making it impossible to adjust the stopping position. Furthermore, because there is another railway car body 5 nearby, the trailing vehicle 602 is treated as an abnormally stopped vehicle and automatic travel control is no longer possible, and an abnormal stop signal is sent from the trailing vehicle 602 (the same applies to the traverser 3) to the general management device 7.

[0042] The comprehensive control device 7 sends abnormal stop information to the operation terminal 8, and based on the abnormal stop information, a pop-up display 64 shown in Fig. 11 appears on the operation status screen 42 of the operation terminal 8. The abnormal information displayed in the pop-up display 64 includes the vehicle number of the railway car body 502 for the rear car 602, stopping position information based on track number information, and further information such as "emergency stop" indicating an abnormal stop. Therefore, a worker holding the operation terminal 8 can immediately head to the site based on that information and begin recovery work.

[0043] Therefore, in this embodiment, when two railway car bodies 5 are transported on the same traveling rail 300, the temporary bogie 6, which is a car body transport vehicle, sets the section 313 of the stop position 303 immediately before the stop position 304 of the leading car 601 as a travel-prohibited section that prevents the trailing car 602 from entering, so that an emergency stop is made even if the trailing car 602 passes beyond the stop position 303. This makes it possible to prevent the temporary bogies 6, which are capable of automatic travel, from causing the railway car bodies 5 to collide with each other. In addition, because the section 312 immediately before the travel-prohibited section is set as a low-speed travel section, the trailing car 602, which travels at a reduced speed, can improve appropriate stopping control at the immediately preceding stop position 303.

[0044] 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. For example, in FIG. 10, the case where there are four stop positions 301-304 on the traveling rail 300 has been described, but the number of stop positions may be three or more than four. Furthermore, although the case has been described in which one travel-prohibited section and one low-speed travel section are set as sections 313 and 312, respectively, a plurality of sections may be set. [Explanation of symbols]

[0045] 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 300...Traveling rail ... 311, 312, 313...Section 601...Leading car 602...Rearing car

Claims

1. An automatic transport system for railway car bodies installed in a railway car factory, the automatic transport system having a car body transport vehicle that transports a loaded railway car body to a predetermined position by automatically traveling along a traveling rail, the car body transport vehicle is controlled to stop by reading an ID tag that stores position information for identifying a stopping position installed at the railway vehicle factory, When there are a plurality of stopping positions on the same traveling rail where the ID tag is installed, and a rear vehicle which is the vehicle body transport vehicle is traveling from behind the preceding vehicle which is the vehicle body transport vehicle stopped on the traveling rail, An automatic transport system for railway car bodies in which a no-entry section is set between a first stop position where the preceding car stops and a second stop position located forward in the direction of travel, and the rear car is controlled to stop at the second stop position.

2. 2. The automatic transport system for railway car bodies described in claim 1, wherein stop detectable members are installed at a plurality of stopping positions in the railway car factory, the car body transport vehicle is equipped with a stop detector that detects the stop detectable members, and stop control is performed when the stop detector detects the stop detectable members.

3. 3. The automatic transport system for railway car bodies according to claim 2, wherein, within the travel range of the travelling rail on which the preceding vehicle is stopped, a section between the second stop position located before the no-entry section in the travelling direction and a third stop position located before that in the travelling direction is set as a low-speed travel section, and a range located before the low-speed travel section in the travelling direction is set as a normal travel section.

4. 4. An automatic transport system for railway car bodies as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising an integrated management device capable of wireless communication with a plurality of the car body transport vehicles that run automatically 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.

5. an operation terminal capable of wireless communication with the general control device; 4. An automatic transport system for railway car bodies as described in claim 3, wherein if the car body transport vehicle does not stop properly at the first stop position, an abnormal 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 abnormal stop information is sent from the general control device.

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