Measuring device

Abstract

This suppresses the decrease in measurement accuracy caused by vibrations in the moving body. [Solution] The measuring device 40 includes a traveling body 50 that travels on the running surface of a rail on which a heavy object is suspended and transported, a measuring unit 70 supported below the traveling body 50 that irradiates light toward the rail and measures the shape of the rail based on the reflected light reflected from the rail, and a mirror unit 80 supported by the traveling body 50 that reflects the light irradiated from the measuring unit 70 toward the running surface and reflects the reflected light reflected from the running surface toward the measuring unit 70. The measuring unit 70 and the mirror unit 80 are located on a vertical line passing through the center of gravity of the traveling body 50.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a measuring device for measuring the shape of a rail.

Background Art

[0002] In order to observe wear, deformation, etc. of a rail on which a carrier that suspends and transports a heavy object travels, a technique for measuring the shape of the rail is known. In Patent Document 1, a technique for measuring the shape of a rail based on a camera image that irradiates light on the rail and captures the reflected light from the rail when the wheels of a trolley, which is a traveling body, travel on the rail is disclosed.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, when the wheels of a traveling body travel on a rail, vibration occurs. The position of the traveling body is displaced due to the generated vibration, which may reduce the measurement accuracy of the rail by the measuring unit supported by the traveling body.

[0005] Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of these points, and an object thereof is to suppress a decrease in measurement accuracy caused by vibration of a traveling body.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] In one embodiment of the present invention, a measuring device is provided comprising: a traveling body that travels on the running surface of a rail on which a heavy object is suspended and transported; a measuring unit supported below the traveling body that irradiates light toward the rail and measures the shape of the rail based on the reflected light reflected from the rail; and a mirror unit supported by the traveling body that reflects the light irradiated from the measuring unit toward the running surface and reflects the reflected light reflected from the running surface toward the measuring unit, wherein the measuring unit and the mirror unit are located on a vertical line passing through the center of gravity of the traveling body.

[0007] Furthermore, the device may also include an extension that extends vertically downward from the traveling body, and the measuring section may be supported by the extension.

[0008] Furthermore, the running body may run on the running surfaces of a pair of opposing U-shaped rails, and the extension may be located vertically below the pair of rails.

[0009] Furthermore, the extension portion may be a pair of plate members supported by the traveling body, and the measuring portion may be sandwiched between the pair of plate members.

[0010] Furthermore, the vehicle may have a plurality of wheels that travel on the running surface and a main body that supports the wheels, and the mirror portion may be provided on the main body.

[0011] Furthermore, the main body may have a recess formed on the opposing surface facing the measuring section, and the mirror may be provided in the recess.

[0012] Furthermore, the wheels may be provided in multiple locations at predetermined intervals in the direction of travel of the vehicle, and the mirror portion may be located in the center of the multiple wheels in the direction of travel.

[0013] Furthermore, the traveling body may travel on the traveling surfaces of a pair of opposing U-shaped rails, the measuring section may be located below the traveling surface, and the mirror section may be located above the traveling surface and between the pair of rails. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] According to the present invention, the reduction in measurement accuracy caused by vibrations of the moving body can be suppressed. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0015] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram showing a conveyor belt 1 according to one embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a schematic diagram showing the main components of the measuring device 40. [Figure 3] This is a view along arrow AA in Figure 2. [Figure 4] This diagram shows the optical path of light between the measuring unit 70 and the mirror unit 80. [Figure 5] This is a schematic diagram showing bracket 85. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0016] <Overview of the conveyor system> Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing a conveyor belt 1 according to one embodiment. The conveyor belt 1 is installed, for example, inside a factory and transports heavy objects. The conveyor belt 1 is located, for example, above the heads of workers in an assembly plant and transports suspended heavy objects along rails. The heavy objects are, for example, vehicle parts (engines as an example).

[0017] As shown in Figure 1, the conveyor belt 1 includes a drive chain 5, a free rail 10, a trolley 20, a carrier 30, and a measuring device 40. The drive chain 5 is positioned along the conveying direction. The drive chain 5 moves in the conveying direction, for example, when pushed by another trolley traveling in the conveying direction on a power rail (not shown) located above.

[0018] The free rail 10 is provided along the conveyance direction below the drive chain 5. The free rail 10 is constituted by a pair of rail members 12L and 12R (see FIG. 3) whose cross section is U-shaped. The pair of rail members 12L and 12R are provided on the left and right so that their openings face each other. As shown in FIG. 3, the rail members 12L and 12R have a vertical portion 13, an upper flange 14, and a lower flange 15. Since the configuration of the rail member 12L is the same as that of the rail member 12R, hereinafter, the rail members 12L and 12R are also collectively referred to as the rail member 12.

[0019] The trolley 20 travels on the running surface 16 of the free rail 10 in the conveyance direction. The trolley 20 is pushed by a pusher 7 protruding downward from the drive chain 5 that moves in the conveyance direction, and travels on the running surface 16 in accordance with the movement of the drive chain 5. The running surface 16 is the upper surface of the lower flange 15 of the pair of rail members 12. The trolley 20 has wheels 22 that roll on the running surface 16. A plurality of wheels 22 are provided on the left and right. Here, four wheels 22 are provided.

[0020] The carrier 30 suspends the heavy object 90. The carrier 30 is located below two trolleys 20 and is supported by the two trolleys 20. Specifically, one end of the carrier 30 is supported by the trolley 20 in the front in the conveyance direction, and the other end of the carrier 30 is supported by the trolley 20 in the rear in the conveyance direction. For this reason, when the trolley 20 travels on the running surface 16, the heavy object 90 suspended by the carrier 30 is conveyed.

[0021] In FIG. 1, only two trolleys 20 and one carrier 30 are shown, but actually, a large number of trolleys 20 and carriers 30 are provided. For this reason, a plurality of heavy objects 90 are conveyed by the conveyance conveyor 1 at a predetermined interval.

[0022] Incidentally, the lower flanges 15 of the pair of rail members 12 wear down as the trolley 20 runs with the heavy object 90 suspended from it. Specifically, the running surface 16 of the lower flange 15 wears down in a concave manner as the wheels 22 run over it. In addition, the lower flange 15 deforms due to the load of the heavy object 90. For example, the lower flange 15 deforms so that it sags downwards.

[0023] The measuring device 40 is a device for measuring the shape of the rail member 12 (specifically, the lower flange 15) of the free rail 10 in order to measure the wear and deformation of the rail member 12. The measuring device 40 measures the shape of the rail member 12 while running on the free rail 10. The measuring device 40 irradiates light onto the rail member 12. Then, the measuring device 40 measures the shape of the rail member 12 based on the reflected light that is reflected from the rail member 12. The measuring device 40 includes a control unit 42 that controls the irradiation of light and the measurement of the rail shape, and a battery 44 that supplies power to the control unit. The control unit 42 and the battery 44 are supported between a pair of frames 46 that extend in the transport direction.

[0024] <Detailed configuration of the measuring device> Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing the main components of the measuring device 40. Figure 3 is a view in the direction of arrow AA in Figure 2. Figure 4 is a diagram showing the optical path of light between the measuring unit 70 and the mirror unit 80. In Figure 3, a pair of rail members 12 are shown for convenience of explanation. As shown in Figure 2, the measuring device 40 has a running body 50, an extension unit 60, a measuring unit 70, and a mirror unit 80.

[0025] The running body 50 is a trolley that travels on the running surface 16 of the free rail 10 on which a heavy object 90 is suspended and transported. Specifically, the running body 50 travels on the running surface 16 of a pair of opposing U-shaped rail members 12. As shown in Figure 2, the running body 50 has a main body 52, wheels 54, engaging parts 56, and recesses 58.

[0026] The main body 52 is a rigid body that forms the framework of the trolley. The main body 52 has support shafts 53 that support the wheels 54. There are two support shafts 53, and each support shaft 53 supports the two wheels 54 at both ends in the axial direction.

[0027] The wheels 54 travel on the running surface 16 of the rail member 12 (specifically, the upper surface of the lower flange 15). Multiple wheels 54 are provided at predetermined intervals in the direction of travel of the running body 50. In this case, four wheels 54 are provided. Two of the four wheels 54 travel on the running surface 16 of one of the pair of rail members 12, and the remaining two wheels 54 travel on the running surface 16 of the other rail member 12R. Because four wheels 54 travel on the running surface 16 in this way, the running body 50 may vibrate up and down while traveling. In addition, the running body 50 may vibrate from side to side in places where the free rail 10 is curved.

[0028] The engaging portion 56 is the part that can engage with the pusher 7 (Figure 1) of the drive chain 5. The engaging portion 56 protrudes upward from the main body 52. ​​The engaging portion 56 is located above the wheel 54. When the pusher 7 of the moving drive chain 5 pushes the engaging portion 56, the wheel 54 travels downstream in the conveying direction on the running surface 16.

[0029] The recess 58 is formed on the lower part 57, which is the opposing surface of the main body 52 facing the measuring section 70. The recess 58 is located on a vertical line passing through the center of gravity of the main body 52. ​​In other words, the recess 58 is located in the center of the lower part 57 of the main body 52. ​​The recess 58 is formed to penetrate the main body 52 in the axial direction of the support shaft 53 (the width direction shown in Figure 3).

[0030] The extension portion 60 extends vertically downward from the running body 50 (specifically, the main body portion 52 of the running body 50). The extension portion 60 is a pair of plate members 62 supported by the running body 50. As shown in Figure 3, the pair of plate members 62 are located vertically below the rail member 12. The vertical length of the extension portion 60 is greater than the vertical length of the rail member 12. The pair of plate members 62 are provided with notches 64 so that light traveling from the measuring portion 70 toward the lower surface 17 of the lower flange 15 and reflected light from the lower surface 17 can pass through.

[0031] The pair of plate members 62 are supported by support portions 59 of the traveling body 50. The support portions 59 are located on both sides of the recess 58 in the main body portion 52. As shown in Figure 3, the support portions 59 are connected to connecting brackets 48 fixed to a pair of frames 46. Therefore, the traveling body 50 is also supported by the pair of frames 46.

[0032] The measuring unit 70 measures the shape of a pair of rail members 12 of the free rail 10. Specifically, the measuring unit 70 measures the shape of the lower flange 15 of the rail member 12 on which the wheel 54 runs. The measuring unit 70 irradiates light onto the rail member 12 and measures the shape of the rail member 12 based on the reflected light reflected from the rail member 12. Specifically, the measuring unit 70 measures the shape of the lower flange 15 by measuring the position of the surface of the lower flange 15 based on the reflected light reflected from the lower flange 15.

[0033] The measuring unit 70 has an irradiation unit 72 and a light receiving unit 74. The measuring unit 70 measures the shape of the rail member 12 based on the reflected light received by the light receiving unit 74. The irradiation unit 72 emits light. Specifically, the irradiation unit 72 emits light toward the lower surface 17 of the lower flange 15 of the rail member 12 and the mirror portion 80. For example, the irradiation unit 72 emits laser light of a predetermined wavelength (for example, blue semiconductor laser light of 405 nanometers).

[0034] The light-receiving unit 74 receives reflected light. Specifically, the light-receiving unit 74 receives reflected light from the lower surface 17 of the lower flange 15 and reflected light from the mirror unit 80. The light-receiving unit 74 outputs the information of the received reflected light to a calculation unit that calculates the position of the surface of the lower flange 15 based on the reflected light received by the light-receiving unit 74. The calculation unit is provided in the control unit 42 (Figure 1). Note that a known method is used to calculate the position of the surface of the lower flange 15 based on the reflected light, so a detailed explanation is omitted.

[0035] The measuring section 70 is supported below the traveling body 50. Here, the measuring section 70 is supported by the extension section 60. Specifically, the measuring section 70 is sandwiched between a pair of plate members 62. More specifically, the measuring section 70 is sandwiched between the lower ends of the pair of plate members 62. Therefore, the measuring section 70 is located below the traveling surface 16. Because the measuring section 70 is located at the lower end of the extension section 60 in this way, the distance between the measuring section 70 and the lower flange 15 is increased, and as shown in Figure 3, the irradiation section 72 can irradiate the entire lower surface 17 of the lower flange 15 with light. As a result, the overall shape of the lower flange 15 can be measured. In Figure 3, the area enclosed by the dashed line corresponds to the area through which the light irradiated by the irradiation section 72 and the reflected light pass.

[0036] The mirror section 80 is positioned above the running surface 16 of the rail member 12 and between the pair of rail members 12. The mirror section 80 reflects light emitted from the measuring section 70 (specifically the illuminating section 72) toward the running surface 16 of the rail member 12, and also reflects the reflected light from the running surface 16 toward the measuring section 70 (specifically the light receiving section 74).

[0037] Two mirror units 80 are provided above the running surface 16. One mirror unit 80 reflects light to the rail member 12L and also reflects the reflected light from the rail member 12L towards the light receiving unit 74. The other mirror unit 80 reflects light to the rail member 12R and also reflects the reflected light from the rail member 12R towards the light receiving unit 74.

[0038] The mirror section 80 is supported by the traveling body 50. Therefore, the mirror section 80 moves in the transport direction together with the measuring section 70. This allows the shape of the rail member 12 to be measured while the traveling body 50 is traveling on the traveling surface 16.

[0039] The mirror section 80 is provided on the main body 52 of the vehicle body 50. Specifically, the mirror section 80 is provided in a recess 58 of the main body 52. ​​A bracket 85 to which the mirror section 80 is attached is provided inside the recess 58. Two brackets 85 are provided so as to sandwich the two mirror sections 80. The two brackets 85 are identical in shape and are fixed to the inner surface of the recess 58 by bolts or the like.

[0040] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram showing the bracket 85. The bracket 85 has two grooves 86 formed therein. The two grooves 86 are formed to intersect. The ends of the two mirror portions 80 engage with the two grooves 86, thereby positioning the mirror portions 80 relative to the bracket 85. Note that the mounting configuration of the mirror portions 80 within the recess 58 is not limited to the above.

[0041] The mirror section 80 is located in the center of the multiple wheels 54 in the direction of travel of the vehicle 50. That is, as shown in Figure 4, the mirror section 80 is located in the center of two wheels 54 that are spaced at a predetermined interval in the direction of travel. Furthermore, the mirror section 80 is located in the center in the width direction of the vehicle 50. Therefore, the mirror section 80 is located on a vertical line C (Figure 2) passing through the center of gravity of the vehicle 50.

[0042] The measuring unit 70 is located directly below the mirror unit 80. Therefore, the measuring unit 70 and the mirror unit 80 are located on a vertical line C passing through the center of gravity of the running body 50. As a result, even if the running body 50 vibrates while running, the displacement of the measuring unit 70 and the mirror unit 80 relative to the rail member 12 is small, so a decrease in the measurement accuracy of the rail member 12 can be suppressed. The illumination unit 72 of the measuring unit 70 is located slightly downstream of the mirror unit 80 in the direction of travel, and the light receiving unit 74 is located upstream of the mirror unit 80. However, it is not limited to this, and the illumination unit 72 may be located directly below the mirror unit 80.

[0043] In the above description, the measuring section 70 is assumed to be sandwiched between a pair of plate members 62, but this is not limited to this. For example, the measuring section 70 may be supported by a downward extension of the main body 52 of the traveling body 50.

[0044] <Effects of this embodiment> The measuring device 40 of the above-described embodiment includes a measuring unit 70 supported below a running body 50 that runs on the running surface 16 of the rail member 12, and a mirror unit 80 that reflects light emitted from the measuring unit 70 toward the running surface 16 and reflects the reflected light from the running surface 16 toward the measuring unit 70. The measuring unit 70 and the mirror unit 80 are located on a vertical line passing through the center of gravity of the running body 50. As a result, the measuring unit 70 and the mirror unit 80 are positioned close to the center of gravity of the running body 50. Therefore, even if the running body 50 vibrates while running, the displacement of the measuring unit 70 and the mirror unit 80 relative to the rail member 12 can be suppressed. This prevents a decrease in the measurement accuracy of the shape of the rail member 12 by the measuring unit 70 and the mirror unit 80.

[0045] Although the present invention has been described above using embodiments, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of its gist. For example, all or part of the apparatus can be configured by functionally or physically distributing and integrating in any unit. Furthermore, new embodiments resulting from any combination of multiple embodiments are also included in the embodiments of the present invention. The effects of the new embodiments resulting from the combinations are combined with the effects of the original embodiments. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0046] 12 Rail members 16 Running surface 40 Measuring device 50 Running body 52 Main body 54 wheels 58 recess 60 Extension 62 Plate members 70 Measuring part 80 Mirror section 90 Heavy objects

Claims

1. A vehicle that travels on the running surface of rails on which heavy objects are suspended and transported, A measuring unit is supported below the running body and irradiates light toward the rail, and measures the shape of the rail based on the reflected light that is reflected from the rail. A mirror portion supported by the traveling body, which reflects the light irradiated from the measuring unit toward the traveling surface and reflects the reflected light from the traveling surface toward the measuring unit, Equipped with, The measuring device is such that the measuring unit and the mirror unit are located on a vertical line passing through the center of gravity of the traveling body.

2. The vehicle further comprises an extension that extends vertically downward from the aforementioned vehicle, The measuring section is supported by the extension section. The measuring device according to claim 1.

3. The aforementioned traveling body travels on the traveling surfaces of a pair of opposing U-shaped rails, The extension is located vertically below the pair of rails. The measuring device according to claim 2.

4. The extension portion is a pair of plate members supported by the traveling body, The measuring unit is sandwiched between the pair of plate members. The measuring device according to claim 2.

5. The traveling body has a plurality of wheels that travel on the traveling surface and a main body that supports the wheels, The mirror portion is provided on the main body portion. The measuring device according to claim 1.

6. The main body portion has a recess formed on the opposing surface facing the measuring portion, The mirror portion is provided in the recess, The measuring device according to claim 5.

7. The aforementioned wheels are provided in multiple locations at predetermined intervals in the direction of travel of the vehicle. The mirror portion is located in the center of the plurality of wheels in the direction of travel. The measuring device according to claim 5.

8. The aforementioned traveling body travels on the traveling surfaces of a pair of opposing U-shaped rails, The measuring unit is located below the running surface, The mirror portion is located above the running surface and between the pair of rails. The measuring device according to claim 1.

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