Apparatus and method for moving an object between two controlled environments

Abstract

The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for moving an object from a first controlled environment (301) to a second controlled environment (302), comprising an unmanned rail vehicle (10) and a sealed housing (12) positioned on the rail vehicle (10), wherein a defined atmosphere can be maintained inside the housing (12).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for moving an object between two controlled environments.

Background Art

[0002] A controlled environment, in the context of the present application, means an enclosed environment having a defined atmosphere, such as a clean room and / or a drying room.

[0003] A drying room, or a drying clean room, means a controlled environment with extremely low air humidity. A drying room is required, for example, when manufacturing lithium ion batteries. A drying room is thus also called a battery clean room.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

Patent Document 4

Patent Document 5

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] The problem of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and a method for moving an object from a first controlled environment into a second controlled environment, and a system including the first and second controlled environments, which can move an object from the first environment into the second environment while maintaining a defined atmosphere. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] These problems are solved by the apparatus, system, and method having the features of claims 1, 9, and 10. Advantageous configurations become apparent from the dependent claims. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to a first aspect, a device is provided for moving an object from a first controlled environment to a second controlled environment, comprising an unmanned rail vehicle and a sealed housing disposed on the rail vehicle, wherein a defined atmosphere is maintained inside the housing.

[0008] Concepts such as "eine" and "einer" (indefinite articles) are used only as predefined concepts in relation to this application and not as numerals. Specifically, in one embodiment, multiple housings are provided on a rail vehicle and / or multiple objects can be introduced into the housings, and it is possible to transition from a first environment to a second environment.

[0009] Similarly, the concepts of "first (erster)" and "second (zweiter)" are used solely for distinction in relation to this application and do not indicate order. Furthermore, concepts such as "first (erste) (erster)" do not necessarily imply the existence of a second identical or similar element.

[0010] Rail vehicles are also called shuttles. It is advantageous that the rail vehicles and the rails to which they belong are formed as described in Patent Document 1 (German Patent Application Publication No. 195 13 095), Patent Document 2 (European Patent Application Publication No. 0 728 647), Patent Document 3 (German Patent Application Publication No. 198 37 975), Patent Document 4 (German Patent Application Publication No. 101 21 436), and / or Patent Document 5 (International Publication No. 2005 / 118365). These disclosures are incorporated herein by reference as a whole. Specifically, in embodiments, the rail vehicle has running rollers for traveling along the rails. In advantageous embodiments, the rail vehicle is driven by an electric drive unit provided on the vehicle. In embodiments, the rail vehicle has a carriage to which the running rollers are mounted, and the carriage is coupled via a platform. The housing is mounted on the platform. In embodiments, the housing is fixedly mounted on the rail vehicle.

[0011] In other embodiments, the housing is detachably mounted on the rail vehicle, and the housing and the rail vehicle have complementary mechanical coupling elements configured to securely fasten the housing to the rail vehicle. The housing is detachable from the rail vehicle, for example, to introduce an object, and only the housing can be introduced into the lock for the acceptance of the object, and after the object has been introduced into the housing, the housing is mounted on the rail vehicle.

[0012] The apparatus enables the movement of an object via a transport section from a first controlled environment, such as a drying room, to a second controlled environment spatially separated from the first controlled environment, where a different atmosphere from the controlled environment is formed, for example, an atmosphere with a high air humidity of 40-60%. A sealed housing prevents contamination of the object placed inside the housing. In one embodiment, the housing has a connection for generating the defined atmosphere within the housing. In other embodiments, the housing has a connection for removing gas present within the housing, and air present in the first environment is introduced into the housing along with the object. The atmosphere thus provided within the housing is maintained during the transport of the object.

[0013] The housing eliminates the need for the rail vehicle itself to travel within a controlled environment. This prevents the controlled environment from being contaminated by wear between the rails and the rail vehicle.

[0014] In this embodiment, the first and second environments have matching characteristics, and these characteristics are maintained even within the housing. In other embodiments, these environments have different characteristics.

[0015] In this embodiment, the housing has a sealable access opening for introducing an object. In this embodiment, the access opening of the housing is provided with a lock (Schleuse). Alternatively, in this embodiment, the access opening has a coupling element, which is configured to couple the housing with the lock to form a sealed space.

[0016] In other embodiments, the housing is formed as a hood and / or includes a hood, and the hood, also called a lid, can be lifted to introduce and remove objects. Introducing objects from a first environment into the housing and / or from the housing into a second environment is, in embodiments, done via a lock provided in the first or second environment. To introduce an object, the apparatus and / or a part of the apparatus, for example, the housing without rail vehicles, can be introduced into the lock with the hood open, and subsequently a defined atmosphere can be generated within the lock. As soon as the defined atmosphere is formed within the lock, an object can be introduced into the lock, and the hood can be closed within the lock, so that the atmosphere of the lock is formed within the housing. A drive mechanism for lifting and lowering the hood is, in embodiments, part of the apparatus. In other embodiments, the hood is raised and / or lowered manually or automatically by an external device.

[0017] In one embodiment, the housing has a connection for removing gas present inside the housing in order to generate a vacuum and / or negative pressure inside the housing. In this embodiment, the vacuum generator necessary for this purpose is stationary. In another embodiment, equipment for generating a vacuum and / or negative pressure inside the housing is provided on the rail vehicle. This allows a vacuum or negative pressure to be generated and / or maintained inside the housing while the rail vehicle is moving.

[0018] Specifically, in embodiments in which the housing is formed as a hood and / or includes a hood, the resulting vacuum or negative pressure helps to securely fix the hood in the closed position while the rail vehicle is moving. Alternatively or in addition to this, in embodiments, a mechanical interface is provided to fix the hood to the rail vehicle in the closed position.

[0019] In one embodiment, the device has sensor equipment for monitoring the atmosphere inside the housing, specifically parameters such as humidity, temperature, particle concentration that affect the atmosphere, and / or mechanical vibrations of the housing, and / or electromagnetic effects on the housing. The atmosphere inside the housing can be monitored by the sensor equipment. For example, the transfer to the second environment is only carried out when the atmosphere has defined characteristics throughout the transportation. Otherwise, in the embodiment, the object is taken out of the manufacturing process. In other embodiments, instead of or in addition to this, the device transmits a warning to the operator and / or the upper system when a deviation occurs. The decision regarding the means to be taken can be made by the operator and / or the upper device. In other embodiments, instead of or in addition to this, the atmosphere inside the housing is tested before introducing the object into the housing. The sensor equipment can be configured appropriately according to the use case and includes one or more sensors for monitoring the defined characteristics.

[0020] Instead of or in addition to the sensor equipment and / or the vacuum generator, the device has in embodiments further equipment, such as a system for shielding electromagnetic effects, a vibration damping system, an information and communication interface, an air conditioning system, a flooding system, a fire extinguishing system, or the like. The flooding system in embodiments is suitable for providing a defined atmosphere by supplying and / or discharging a defined medium inside the lock that houses the device and / or the space including the housing and the lock chamber.

[0021] The energy supply to the equipment is carried out in embodiments by the carried battery.

[0022] Instead of or in addition to this, for the energy supply to the rail vehicle, in an embodiment, a current collector is provided on the rail vehicle, and the current collector cooperates with an energized conductor assembled along the rail, as described, for example, in German Patent Application Publication No. 198 37 975 A1. The energy serves, in an embodiment, for the drive of the rail vehicle. Instead of or in addition to this, it also serves for the energy supply to devices provided on the rail vehicle, such as a vacuum generator, an air conditioning system, a flooding system, a vibration damping system, a fire extinguishing system, sensor devices for monitoring, a communication module, or the like. Instead of the electric drive of the rail vehicle, a drive by a fuel cell is also conceivable, as described, for example, in Pamphlet No. International Publication No. 2005 / 118365 A1. In this case, in an embodiment, the rail vehicle still has a current collector for transmitting electrical energy from the energized conductor assembled along the rail to the devices provided on the rail vehicle, specifically for transmitting electrical energy to the sensor.

[0023] The housing includes, in an embodiment, an interface, specifically an electrical interface for current supply, a media interface for the supply of a medium, specifically for the supply of a gaseous or liquid medium, and / or a communication interface for data exchange. The interface is formed, in an embodiment, such that current supply, media supply, and / or data exchange can be performed selectively by a further device carried by the rail vehicle, by a further device of the apparatus, or by an external device.

[0024] According to a second aspect, a system for manufacturing and / or processing an object in a controlled atmosphere, including a first controlled environment, a second controlled environment, and a device for moving the object from the first controlled environment into the second controlled environment, the device including an unmanned rail vehicle and a sealable housing, is provided.

[0025] The system can be used, for example, to manufacture batteries under controlled environmental conditions. However, other applications are also possible.

[0026] A third aspect provides a method for moving an object from a first controlled environment to a second controlled environment, the method comprising introducing the object from the first controlled environment into a sealed housing that is placed on and / or can be placed on an unmanned rail vehicle, and then moving the object into the second environment by the rail vehicle, wherein a defined atmosphere is maintained inside the housing.

[0027] The housing serves as a means of protecting the object to be transported from gases surrounding the rail vehicle, such as air with normal or high humidity of at least 40%. Depending on the configuration, the housing is permanently mounted on the rail vehicle or is detachably coupled to the rail vehicle. In one embodiment, for example, the housing is transported into a first environment, and the object in the first environment is introduced into the housing. In one embodiment, the introduction of the housing is done via a lock to avoid contamination of the first environment by the housing. In another embodiment, the housing is connected to the first environment and / or the lock, and the object is introduced into the housing located outside the first environment.

[0028] Within the housing, a defined atmosphere is maintained during transport. In this embodiment, rather than a defined atmosphere being generated within the housing, the defined atmosphere is drawn from the first and / or second environment and simply retained. In other embodiments, a defined atmosphere is generated within the housing before the introduction of the object, and such an atmosphere is maintained during transport.

[0029] In one embodiment, the atmosphere inside the housing is monitored by a sensor device.

[0030] In one embodiment, before handing over an object to the housing and / or to a second environment, a check-and-inquiry (Kontroll-Abfrage) is performed by a sensor device, and if the actual atmosphere inside the housing detected by the sensor device corresponds to a defined target atmosphere, the object is handed over.

[0031] In one embodiment, electrical energy is transmitted by a current collector located on the rail vehicle to a current-carrying conductor assembled along the rail, to the drive unit of the rail vehicle, and / or to equipment installed on the rail vehicle, specifically to sensor equipment.

[0032] In one embodiment, an object is introduced from the first environment into the housing via a lock provided in the first environment and / or the housing, and / or introduced from the housing into the second environment via a lock provided in the second environment and / or the housing. The lock can be appropriately formed by those skilled in the art depending on the use case.

[0033] According to a fourth embodiment, a use is provided for an unmanned rail vehicle for moving an object from a first controlled environment to a second controlled environment, wherein a sealed housing is placed on the rail vehicle, and a defined atmosphere can be maintained inside the housing. In this embodiment, the transport section for the rail vehicle is located in an uncontrolled environment and / or an environment having characteristics that impose fewer requirements than the first and / or second environments.

[0034] Further advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the claims and the description of embodiments. Embodiments will be described below with reference to schematic diagrams. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0035] [Figure 1] Figure 1 shows a first embodiment of the device including a rail vehicle and a housing. [Figure 2]Figure 2 shows a second embodiment of the device including a rail vehicle and a housing. [Figure 3] Figure 3 shows a system that includes two controlled environments and rail vehicles for moving objects between these environments. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0036] Figures 1 and 2 show schematic embodiments of a device 1 for moving an object (not shown) from a first controlled environment 301 (see Figure 3) into a second controlled environment 302 (see Figure 3).

[0037] Consistent reference numerals are used for the same or similar components of apparatus 1 shown in Figures 1 and 2.

[0038] The apparatus 1 shown in Figures 1 and 2 includes one unmanned rail vehicle 10 capable of traveling along a rail 2, and a sealed housing 12 positioned on the rail vehicle 10. In this embodiment, the housing 12 is detachably coupled to the rail vehicle 10 by a mechanical coupling element.

[0039] In the embodiment shown in Figure 1, the housing has an access opening 14 through which an object can be introduced into the housing 12. The access opening 14 is appropriately formed so that, after the access opening is closed, the housing 12 is sealed from the atmosphere surrounding the rail vehicle 10 and the housing 12. In this embodiment, the access opening 14 is provided with a lock, which is not shown in Figure 1. An object can be introduced into the housing 12 through the lock and removed from the housing 12. In other embodiments, the housing 12 separated from the rail vehicle 10 in the device shown in Figure 1, or in the device 1 shown in Figure 1, is introduced into a lock leading to a controlled environment.

[0040] In the embodiment shown in Figure 2, the housing 12 has a hood 121 and a floor plate 122. The hood 121 can be lifted relative to the floor plate 122 and lowered to introduce or remove an object, as schematically shown by the double arrows. The hood 121 and floor plate 122 are appropriately formed so that, after the hood 121 is lowered and placed on the floor plate 122, the housing 12 is sealed to the atmosphere surrounding the rail vehicle 10 and the housing 12. For receiving an object from or transferring an object to a controlled environment, the apparatus 1 shown in Figure 2, or the housing 12 separated from the rail vehicle 10, including the hood 121 and floor plate 122, is introduced into a lock leading to a controlled environment. In the embodiment shown in Figure 2, the apparatus 1 further includes a vacuum generator 17 located on the rail vehicle 10. The vacuum generator 17 can generate negative pressure and / or vacuum within the closed housing 12, i.e., after the hood 121 is lowered. The hood 121 can be reliably held in the closed position by negative pressure and / or vacuum.

[0041] In the embodiments shown in Figures 1 and 2, a single defined atmosphere can be maintained inside the sealed housing 12 while the rail vehicle 10 is in motion. In the illustrated embodiments, a sensor device 16 is provided for monitoring the atmosphere inside the housing 12.

[0042] The illustrated rail vehicle 10 includes a current collector 15 for transmitting electrical energy from a conductive conductor (not shown) mounted along the rail 2 to a sensor device 16. In this embodiment, the transmitted energy is also transmitted to a drive unit (not shown) of the rail vehicle 10.

[0043] In this embodiment, the sensor device 16 performs checks and inquiries before the object is handed over to the housing 12 or to the second environment 302 (see Figure 3). The object is handed over only when the actual atmosphere inside the housing 12 detected by the sensor device 16 corresponds to the defined target atmosphere.

[0044] In the embodiments shown in Figures 1 and 2, each housing 12 has one connection 18. In these embodiments, the connection 18 allows for gas exchange inside the housing 12 to provide a defined atmosphere inside the housing before the introduction of an object. The atmosphere is maintained while the rail vehicle 10 moves along the rail 2.

[0045] Figure 3 shows a system 3 for manufacturing and / or processing an object in a controlled atmosphere. System 3 includes a first controlled environment 301, a second controlled environment 302, and a device 1 for moving an object (not shown) from the first controlled environment 301 to the second controlled environment 302 along a rail 2. The contour of the rail 2 is shown schematically here only. Specifically, the rail 2 may have branches and curves depending on the embodiment to move an object to a variety of targets.

[0046] In the illustrated embodiment, one lock 4 is provided at the inlet / outlet of the first environment 301 and the second environment 302, respectively, so that objects leaving or entering environments 310,302 pass through the lock 4 to avoid contamination of the first environment 301 and / or the second environment 302. The housing 12 of the device 1, which has been uncoupled from the device 1 or rail vehicle 10, can similarly be introduced into the lock 4 for the retrieval or delivery of objects.

[0047] The illustrated embodiment is merely one example, and numerous modifications are possible.

Claims

1. A device for moving an object from a first controlled environment (301) to a second controlled environment (302), comprising an unmanned rail vehicle (10) and a sealed housing (12) disposed on the rail vehicle (10), wherein a defined atmosphere can be maintained inside the housing (12).

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the housing (12) and the rail vehicle have complementary mechanical coupling elements, and the coupling elements are configured to securely fix the housing (12) to the rail vehicle (10).

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the housing (12) has a sealable access opening, specifically the access opening includes a coupling element, and the coupling element is configured to couple the housing (12) with a lock for forming a sealed space.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the housing (12) is formed as a hood and / or includes a hood, and the hood can be lifted to introduce and remove an object.

5. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that a device for generating a vacuum inside the housing (12) is provided on the rail vehicle (10).

6. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that it is provided with a sensor device (16) for monitoring the atmosphere inside the housing (12), specifically parameters such as humidity, temperature, and particle concentration that affect the atmosphere, and / or for monitoring mechanical vibrations of the housing (12), and / or for monitoring electromagnetic effects on the housing (12).

7. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the rail vehicle (10) has a current collector (15) for transmitting electrical energy from a current-carrying conductor assembled along the rail (2) to a drive unit of the rail vehicle (10) and / or to equipment provided on the rail vehicle (10), specifically for transmitting electrical energy to the sensor equipment (16).

8. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the housing (12) includes interfaces, specifically an electrical interface for supplying current, a medium interface for supplying energy, and / or a communication interface for exchanging data.

9. A system for manufacturing and / or processing an object in a controlled atmosphere, comprising a first controlled environment (301), a second controlled environment (302), and an apparatus (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 8 for moving an object from the first controlled environment (301) into the second controlled environment (302).

10. A method for moving an object from a first controlled environment (301) to a second controlled environment (302), wherein the object is introduced from the first controlled environment (301) into a sealed housing (12) that is placed on and / or can be placed on an unmanned rail vehicle (10), and the rail vehicle (10) moves the object to the second environment (302), wherein a defined atmosphere is maintained inside the housing (12).

11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that the housing (12) and the rail vehicle have complementary mechanical coupling elements, and the housing (12) is securely fixed to the rail vehicle (10) by the coupling elements.

12. The method according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that the housing (12) is formed as a hood and / or includes a hood, the hood being lifted to introduce and remove an object.

13. The method according to any one of claims 10 to 12, characterized in that the atmosphere inside the housing (12), specifically parameters such as humidity, temperature, and particle concentration that affect the atmosphere, and / or mechanical vibrations of the housing (12), and / or electromagnetic effects on the housing (12), are monitored by a sensor device (16), specifically, the sensor device (16) checks and queries before handing over the object to the housing (12) and / or the second environment (302), and the object is handed over if the actual atmosphere inside the housing (12) detected by the sensor device (16) corresponds to a defined target atmosphere.

14. The method according to any one of claims 10 to 13, characterized in that electrical energy is transmitted by a current collector (15) located on the rail vehicle (10) from a current-carrying conductor assembled along the rail (2) to the drive unit of the rail vehicle and / or to equipment provided on the rail vehicle, specifically to the sensor equipment.

15. The method according to any one of claims 10 to 14, characterized in that the object is introduced from the first environment (301) into the housing (12) via a lock (4) provided in the first environment (301) and / or the housing (12), and / or introduced from the housing (12) into the second environment (302) via a lock (4) provided in the second environment (302).

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