Transportation System

Abstract

The transportation system (100) includes a plurality of wagons (110) with no motive power and a plurality of main tracks with drive belts for frictionally engaging and moving each wagon. The wagons (110) can be carried by last-mile delivery vehicles to provide a seamless connection between commuters' starting points and destinations without change. The transportation system includes a station (150) with a diverting belt (104), an accelerator / decelerator path (106), and a diverting device (114) for transferring the wagons (110) between the main track (102) and the last-mile delivery vehicles.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of transportation, and more particularly to public transportation systems that allow users to travel door-to-door without changing vehicles. [Background technology]

[0002] The following background information in this specification relates to the present disclosure but is not necessarily prior art. The average person spends 1 to 1.5 hours daily in urban transportation. The ratio of vehicle weight to passenger weight in public transportation such as buses and trains is increasing, which affects the energy consumption due to the vehicle's own weight. In the case of subways and trains, commuters often need to change vehicles between their origin / destination and the subway / train station. The average travel speed is usually very slow due to traffic congestion during peak hours. Multiple subway / train stops at intermediate stations on the track further increase the journey time.

[0003] The infrastructure required for traditional transportation modes must be strong and durable. To solve the problem of traffic congestion, elevated railways, elevated and / or underground subway lines have been built. Elevated railways above roads must withstand heavy loads. Also, elevated railways are expensive and generally complex to build due to the lack of available land. As economies develop, individual needs evolve, with many individuals requiring privacy, disliking changing vehicles (e.g., transferring trains from one line to another), preferring non-stop travel, door-to-door availability of transportation, and improved safety. At the same time, transportation systems are more acceptable to the public if they are more economical.

[0004] Autonomous or driverless vehicles and personal rapid transit (PRT) are among the hottest research and development areas, but the technology will take time to develop, making it unlikely that such vehicles will be available in the near future. Another issue with automated PRT systems is related to dynamic automation, requiring advances that reduce system capacity. Ropeway and cable car-related transportation systems suffer from capacity and speed issues. Hyperloop, the "fifth mode of transportation," is designed to have incredible travel speeds, but the number and frequency of stops required within cities makes it unusable for intra-urban transportation due to the high energy required for frequent acceleration and deceleration.

[0005] Therefore, there is a felt need for a transportation system that alleviates the problems associated with the prior art. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] It is an object of the present invention to provide a transportation system that provides door-to-door service.

[0007] Another object of the present invention is to provide a high-capacity transportation system that is fast, compact, energy-efficient, reliable, safe and secure. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] Aspects of the present disclosure relate to a transportation system based on a plurality of wagons without any motive power and configured to be moved by a main track having a flexible drive that engages the wagons and moves the wagons along the main track. The wagons are further carried by a last-mile delivery vehicle to provide a seamless connection between commuters' origins and destinations from one transportation mode to another without change. The transportation system includes a transfer station with a turn belt, an accelerator / decelerator track, and a loading and unloading zone for the last-mile delivery vehicle to transfer the wagons between the track and the last-mile delivery vehicle.

[0009] In one aspect, a transportation system is disclosed having a plurality of main tracks and a plurality of endless friction-engagement drive belts disposed along the length of each of the main tracks, the plurality of endless friction-engagement drive belts having a plurality of engagement means on an upper surface of each of the plurality of endless friction-engagement drive belts, the system further including an arrangement for a plurality of wagons to engage the friction-engagement drive belts for propulsion along the length of the main tracks.

[0010] In one aspect, the engagement means is a friction material disposed on the top surface of the frictionally engaged drive belt. The plurality of wagons include longitudinally oriented channels located on the bottom surface of the wagons, the channels being designed so that a corresponding frictionally engaged drive belt engages the channel to generate a frictional force between the channel and the friction material, acting as a traction force to move the wagon with the frictionally engaged drive belt.

[0011] In one embodiment, the transportation system may further include at least one acceleration / deceleration path for directing wagons from the stations onto corresponding main tracks, or diverting them from the main tracks to the stations by at least one diverting belt, accelerating the wagons from the stations, and conveying the accelerated wagons to the diverting belt at a speed synchronized with the speed of the diverting belt, or decelerating the wagons received from the diverting belt as they reach the stations.

[0012] In one embodiment, the transportation system may further include at least one last-mile delivery vehicle configured to carry at least one of the plurality of wagons and travel with the wagon from the commuter's starting point to the commuter's destination, and at least one diverting device positioned at the station to transport the wagon between the at least one last-mile delivery vehicle and the at least one acceleration / deceleration path.

[0013] In one embodiment, the transportation system may include a control system having a unit for controlling each of the main tracks, at least one changeover belt, at least one acceleration / deceleration path, and a last mile delivery vehicle loading / unloading patch based on signals from sensors configured in each of the plurality of wagons, and moving the wagons from a starting point to a corresponding destination of a commuter.

[0014] In one embodiment, the transportation system may include a plurality of synchronizers disposed between frictionally engaged drive belts of the main track and between the diversion track and the corresponding main track.

[0015] In one embodiment, the main track can include at least one dead zone located along a length of the main track parallel to the plurality of frictionally engaged drive belts, and the wagon can rest on the at least one dead zone and have wheels configured to bear at least a portion of the weight of the wagon.

[0016] In one embodiment, the wheels are configured such that the lower ends of the wheels are positioned higher than the bottom surface of the wagon, allowing the bottom surface of the wagon to be supported by at least one diverting belt and at least one diverting device.

[0017] In one embodiment, the acceleration / deceleration path can have a series of wheels configured to engage with channels on the wagon. The wheels can rotate at gradually increasing speeds when the acceleration / deceleration path is used as an acceleration path and at gradually decreasing speeds when the acceleration / deceleration path is used as a deceleration path. Each wheel can engage with an adjacent wheel by a gearing or belt mechanism that increases or decreases the speed of the adjacent wheel.

[0018] In one embodiment, each of the diverting devices and carrier areas of the at least one last mile delivery vehicle may have an arrangement of moving axle rollers, the rotation axes of which may rotate to orient the moving axle rollers to obtain a required direction of travel for the wagon when loading or unloading the wagon from the last mile delivery vehicle.

[0019] In one embodiment, the diverting belt can include an endless conveyor moving along a direction generally aligned with the length of the main track, and a plurality of rollers disposed on the endless conveyor, at least some of the rollers configured to selectively rotate along axes perpendicular to the direction of movement of the endless conveyor to move the wagons transversely to the direction of movement of the endless conveyor.

[0020] In one embodiment, the rollers can be rotated by dedicated motors, and the roller motors can be operably coupled to a control system that can be configured to, based on signals from the wagons, identify rollers underneath the wagons and selectively activate corresponding motors to move the wagons laterally to merge the wagons with the main track, to divert the wagons from the main track, or to not activate the corresponding motors to advance the wagons in the direction of travel of the main track.

[0021] In one embodiment, at least some of the rollers may be moving axis rollers such that the axes of rotation of the moving axis rollers can be selectively rotated to orient the moving axis rollers to obtain a required direction of travel for the wagon.

[0022] Various objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present subject matter will become more apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like numerals represent like elements.

[0023] The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the present disclosure, and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the disclosure. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0024] [Figure 1A] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary system diagram of the disclosed transportation system, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 1B] 1 illustrates a schematic diagram of a station of the disclosed transportation system, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2A] 1 illustrates an exemplary perspective view of a wagon according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2B] 1 illustrates an exemplary front view of a wagon according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3A] 1 illustrates an exemplary perspective cutaway view of a main track according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3B] 3B illustrates an exemplary arrangement of multiple friction-engagement drive belts of the main track of FIG. 3A according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3C] 1 illustrates an exemplary perspective view of a diverting belt according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3D] 1 illustrates an exemplary perspective cutaway view of an accelerator / decelerator track according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4A] 1 illustrates an exemplary perspective view of a last mile delivery vehicle without a wagon, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4B] 1 illustrates an exemplary perspective view of a last mile delivery vehicle with a wagon, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 5] 1 illustrates an exemplary top view of a station having a last mile delivery vehicle unloading zone and a stopping zone according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] 1 illustrates an exemplary turning patch of the main track of the disclosed transportation system, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 7A] 1 illustrates an exemplary case of a fault in a travel track according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 7B]1 illustrates an exemplary configuration of a transportation system configured to handle any type of obstacle, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0025] The following is a detailed description of embodiments of the present disclosure, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The embodiments are in such detail as to clearly communicate the present disclosure. However, the amount of detail provided is not intended to limit the possible variations of the embodiments. On the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure, as defined by the appended claims.

[0026] The embodiments described herein relate to a transportation system based on a plurality of wagons without any motive power, configured to be moved by a main track having friction-engaged drive belts that engage the wagons and move them along the main track. The wagons can then be seamlessly transported by last-mile delivery vehicles between commuters' origins and destinations. The transportation system includes a transfer station with a turn belt, an acceleration / deceleration track, and a last-mile delivery vehicle unloading zone to transfer the wagons between the track and the last-mile delivery vehicle.

[0027] 1A-7B, which disclose different embodiments of a transportation system, the transportation system 100 includes a plurality of main tracks 102 (also referred to as transfer tracks or simply tracks, all of which terms are used interchangeably hereinafter) having a plurality of endless friction-engagement drive belts 302 (see FIG. 3A) disposed along the length of the main tracks 102, and a plurality of wagons 110 configured to engage the friction-engagement drive belts 302 for propulsion and movement along the length of the main tracks 102. The wagons 110 are thus characterized by the absence of a motive power source, such as an IC engine or motor, for movement along the main tracks 102, with the main tracks 102 providing the necessary tractive force for the wagons 110 via the friction-engagement drive belts 302.

[0028] In one aspect, the engagement means for the friction engagement drive belt can be friction material 304 (see FIG. 3A) provided on the outer surface of the friction engagement drive belt 302. The wagon 110 can include longitudinally oriented channels 206 (see FIGS. 2A and 2B) located on the bottom surface of the wagon 110. The channels 206 can be designed such that a corresponding friction engagement drive belt 302 can engage with the channel 206 to create a friction force between the channel 206 and the friction material 304, which can act as a traction force to move the wagon 110 along with the friction engagement drive belt 302.

[0029] The transportation system 100 may also include at least one diverting belt 104 for merging or diverting the wagons 110 from the main track 102, and at least one acceleration / deceleration path 106 for accelerating the wagons 110 and transporting the accelerated wagons 110 to the diverting belt 104 at a speed synchronized with the speed of the diverting belt 104, or for decelerating the wagons 110 received from the diverting belt 104. In one aspect, the diverting belt 104 and acceleration / deceleration path 106 are also configured to move the wagons 110 in a desired direction without tractive effort by the wagons 110 themselves.

[0030] 1B , by appropriately configuring its mechanical configuration, the diverting belt 104 can be configured as a splitter belt 104b (hereinafter also referred to as a splitter siding, two terms used interchangeably) or a merging belt 104a (hereinafter also referred to as a merging siding, two terms used interchangeably) without significantly changing the functionality. Similarly, the acceleration / deceleration path 106 can be configured as an acceleration track 106a (hereinafter also referred to as an acceleration path, two terms used interchangeably) or a deceleration track 106b (hereinafter also referred to as a deceleration path, two terms used interchangeably) without significantly changing the mechanical configuration.

[0031] In one embodiment, the transportation system 100 may further include a means for providing last-mile delivery vehicle connectivity to its users from the commuter's origin (referred to as an origin / origin location and hereinafter referred to interchangeably) to the commuter's destination (referred to as a destination and hereinafter referred to interchangeably). This means may include at least one last-mile delivery vehicle connectivity vehicle 400 (see FIGS. 4A and 4B ) capable of transporting one or more wagons 110 to users of the transportation system 100 (also referred to as commuters) between a station 150 (see FIG. 5 ) and the destination or origin. In some aspects, the user need not exit the last-mile delivery vehicle 400 to board the wagon 110; instead, the last-mile delivery vehicle 400 is configured to transport the wagon 110 itself, with the user seated therein. Thus, the proposed transportation system 100 provides a seamless means of transportation for commuters between the origin and destination, thereby providing a door-to-door connection.

[0032] 1B, a configuration of station 150 of the proposed transportation system is disclosed, where multiple stations such as station 150 can be provided at predetermined locations on the 102 network. Station 150 can be configured to provide any one or a combination of the following functions: receiving incoming wagons 110 from respective commuter origins; unloading wagons 110 from main track 102 to respective user destination journeys; and allowing commuters to unload their wagons at station 150 themselves without using the services of last-mile delivery vehicle 400.

[0033] 1B , station 150 may include a main track 102 configured to transport wagons 110 to station 150 from other locations and to transport wagons 110 from station 150 to other locations. Station 150 may be configured to allow wagons 110 after their corresponding commuters have alighted or to allow wagons received from last-mile delivery vehicles 400 to join the flow of wagons on track 102, as well as to allow wagons 110 to branch off from the flow of wagons 110 on track 102 to alight commuters or to load onto last-mile delivery vehicles 400. To this end, station 150 may include an accelerator path 106 a for accelerating wagons 110 that need to join the flow of wagons on track 102 and a decelerator path 106 b for decelerating wagons 110 that are coming to station 150 from other locations. The station further includes diverting belts 104, such as a merging belt 104a positioned between the accelerator path 106a and the main track 102, and a splitter belt 104b positioned between the decelerator path 106b and the main track 102.

[0034] 1B, a station 150 of the transportation system 100 can include a stopping zone for the wagons 110 located between the accelerator path 106a and the decelerator path 106b, which can be used for parking arriving and departing wagons. The stopping zone can be at least one diverter 114 configured with the diverting belt 104 and the acceleration / deceleration path 106 to appropriately position the wagons 110 at their respective positions in the station 150, and as will be explained in a later paragraph, the diverter 114 has the ability to move each individual wagon 110 in any direction.

[0035] In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1A , the transportation system 100 may further include a control system 160 having centralized and individual control units that control each of the main track 102, the diverting belt 104, the acceleration / deceleration path 106, and the diverting device 114 based on signals from sensors configured in each of the wagons 110. The centralized control of the control system 160 may control each assembly / component to appropriately operate the corresponding diverting belt 104, acceleration / deceleration path 106, and diverting device 114 to enable movement of the wagons 110 from each commuter's starting point to the corresponding destination location. In one embodiment, the central control may be embodied in a server and may function to start, stop, apply emergency brakes, etc. In another embodiment, the individual control units that control the assembly / component may be located on the assembly / component itself.

[0036] In one embodiment, the control system 160 of the disclosed conveyance system 100 can include, in addition to centralized control, local control systems that can operate based on direct communication between the wagons 110 via signals from the wagons 110 and other assemblies / components such as the main track 102, the diverting belt 104, the acceleration / deceleration path 106, the diverting device 114, etc. Based on the signals, the control units of each of the main track 102, the diverting belt 104, the acceleration / deceleration path 106, and the diverting device 114 can move the wagons 110 along the desired path to their respective destinations.

[0037] In one embodiment, the network of main track 102 may include zones having different speeds of track 102. In one embodiment, a first zone may have a speed of 30 km / h, a second zone may have a speed of 60 km / h, a third zone may have a speed of 90 km / h, and a fourth zone may have a speed of 120 km / h.

[0038] 2A and 2B show perspective and front views of the wagon 110. The wagon 110 is a passive, lightweight cabin without propulsion for accommodating one or more users. The wagon 110 is configured to support the weight of one or two average adults and their belongings while minimizing the weight of the cabin. The wagon 110 is adapted to be stable against various forces acting thereon, particularly during acceleration, deceleration, load, lateral displacement, etc. The wagon 110 may also include one or more channels 206 located on its underside that can engage with the friction-engagement drive belt 302 of the track 102 for propulsion along the track 102. Each wagon 110 may be provided with a special, unique identification device to identify its location on the transport system 100, and the identification and location may be used by the control system 160, or the control units of different collections / components, to control other collections / components on the transport system 100 to move the wagon 110 between its respective starting point and its corresponding destination. The identification device may also receive and store passenger destination information via a scanner system (selected from the group of QR code, smart card, etc.) The identification device may also have the ability to transmit the destination information via the control system 160 or directly to other collections / components such as the last mile delivery vehicle 400, the diverter 114 in the stopping zone, the acceleration / deceleration path 106, the diverter belt 104 and the main track 102.

[0039] In one embodiment, the wagon 110 can be configured to receive power from the track 102 and stations 150 on which it moves or is supported, including the diverting belt 104, diverting device 114, accelerator / decelerator path 106, and last mile delivery vehicle 400. The wagon 110 can also be equipped with a battery that can be charged with the received power as described above, and can further be used to power centralized audiovisual and reminder devices, passenger devices, ventilation fans, etc., installed within the wagon 110.

[0040] In one embodiment, the wagon 110 may be available in any configuration, such as an ambulance wagon, cargo wagon, cargo, and passenger vehicle configurations, and the front wheels 202 and rear wheels 204 of the wagon 110 may be provided with shock absorbing suspension to facilitate smooth movement between the diverging siding 104b / merging siding 104a and the main track 102.

[0041] FIG. 3A shows a perspective cutaway view of the main track 102 illustrating the propulsion mechanism of the main track 102. The propulsion mechanism includes multiple friction-engagement drive belts 302 running along the length of the track 102. Each friction-engagement drive belt 302 can be based on an endless flexible element including connected links, such as a chain, to provide the desired flexibility. The friction-engagement drive belts 302 can include multiple engagement means along the length of the friction-engagement drive belt 302. In one embodiment, the engagement means can be friction material 304 disposed on the outer surface of the links of the friction-engagement drive belt 302. The friction material 304 generates a frictional force between the channel 206 and the friction material 304, engaging the channel 206 at the bottom of the wagon 110 and acting as a traction force to move with the friction-engagement drive belt 302.

[0042] The friction-engagement drive belt 302 may be wrapped around a plurality of idler rollers 312 and may be driven by a motor 308 via at least one roller engaged with the motor 308, as shown in FIG. 3A. The slack side of the friction-engagement drive belt 302 may also be provided with at least one tensioner-slotted roller. The main track 102 may further have at least one dead zone 310 located on either or both sides of the parallel-running friction-engagement drive belts 302. A synchronizer mechanism 306 may be provided between the drives of adjacent friction-engagement drive belts 302, as shown in FIG. 3B, to ensure that they travel at the same linear speed for a smooth transition of the wagon 110 from one friction-engagement drive belt 302 to the next. The synchronizer mechanism 306 may also act to compensate for any speed deviations of the flexible drive due to changing load conditions. In one embodiment, the synchronizer may include a clutch mechanism that can receive actuation commands from any cluster / component control unit or from the control system 160 that selectively allows adjacent friction engagement drive belts 302 to move at different speeds or the same speed. In another embodiment, the synchronizer's function may be to monitor the rotational speed of each friction engagement drive belt 302 and digitally control the speed of the associated motor 308.

[0043] In one embodiment, the wheels 202, 204 of the wagon 110 and the at least one dead zone 310 of the track 102 can be configured such that the bottom of each of the wheels 202, 204 and the at least one dead zone 310 is higher than the bottom of the wagon 110. This allows the bottom of the wagon 110 to contact other assemblies of the transportation system 100, i.e., the diverting device 114 with the diverting belt 104, without the wheels 202 and 204 interfering with their respective assemblies, but allows the wheels 202, 204 to roll on the dead zone 310 as the wagon 110 moves along the main track 102. In another embodiment, wheels 202 and 204 can be configured with wagon 110 such that immobile section 310 carries only a partial load of wagon 110 via wheels 202 and 204, with the remaining weight being borne by friction engagement drive belt 302, which is sufficient to provide sufficient friction for towing wagon 110. Thus, the overall load rating of the motor driving moving track 102 is reduced to the required capacity, thereby reducing the weight of the moving elements.

[0044] 3C shows a perspective view of a diverting belt 104 having a moving endless conveyor 352 having an arrangement of multiple rollers 354. Each of the multiple rollers 354 can be configured to rotate along an axis aligned with the direction of movement of the endless conveyor 352, thereby moving the wagons 110 transversely to the direction of movement of the endless conveyor 352. In other embodiments, each of the multiple rollers 354 is configured to rotate along an axis aligned with the direction of movement of the endless conveyor 352 to move the wagons 110 transversely to the direction of movement of the endless conveyor 352. The movable axis arrangement of the rollers 354 can orient the rotational axis of the rollers 354 perpendicular to the direction of movement of the conveyor 352 and then rotate in one direction or the other to increase or decrease the speed of the wagons 110 supported thereon. In one embodiment, when the outer surface of the roller has a movable axle configuration, it can have a convex shape that allows the axle of the roller to rotate without excessive friction and wear by providing a smaller contact area between the bottom surface of the wagon 110 and the roller 354.

[0045] In one embodiment, the rollers 354 can be rotated by dedicated motors, and the motors of multiple rollers 354 can be operatively coupled to a control system 160. The control system 160 can be configured to determine position based on signals from the wagons 110, identify the lower rollers 354 of the wagons 110, and selectively activate corresponding motors to move the wagons 110 laterally to merge the received wagons 110 with the main track 102 via the accelerator track 106a, or to divert the received wagons 110 from the main track 102 to the deceleration track 106b. The rollers 354 can also be held stationary to allow the wagons 110 to proceed in the direction of travel of the main track 102 by not activating the corresponding motors.

[0046] In one embodiment, a dedicated motor for rotating roller 354 can be incorporated within the roller itself, i.e., configured as the motor itself, to reduce the weight and space consumption of roller 354. For example, the outer casing of the motor can be configured as the rotor of the motor and can also be configured to provide the functionality of the cylindrical surface of the roller. Similarly, roller 402 (see FIG. 4) and roller 502 (see FIG. 5) can also be configured with a dedicated motor to reduce commonality and variety.

[0047] In one embodiment, the rollers 354 can be rotated by dedicated motors, and the motors of multiple rollers 354 can be activated for a specific position of the wagon 110 based on a signal from the wagon 110 to identify the rollers 354 under the wagon 110 and selectively activate the corresponding motors to move the wagon 110 laterally, so that the received wagon 110 merges with the main track 102 via the accelerator track 106a, or to divert the received wagon 110 from the main track 102 to the deceleration track 106b. The rollers 354 can also be kept stationary with their corresponding motors deactivated to allow the wagon 110 to proceed in the direction of travel of the main track 102.

[0048] In another embodiment, rollers 354 can be operated solely based on signals from wagon 110, which makes the system faster, reduces the communication load on control system 160, and acts as a local control without interference from control system 160.

[0049] In one embodiment, the diverting belt 104 can have a first set of rollers 354 that can be powered and a second set of rollers 354 that can be unpowered. The diverting belt 104 can be configured to rotate at the same speed as the main track 102, such as by providing a synchronizer, such as synchronizer mechanism 306.

[0050] In yet another embodiment, the diverting belt 104 can have automatic sorters instead of rollers 354 .

[0051] 3D, the accelerator / decelerator path 106 is configured to increase or decrease the speed of the wagon 110 from zero to a predetermined speed, or vice versa, so that the predetermined speed is the same as the speed of the main track 102. In another embodiment, the accelerator path 106a is configured to increase the speed of the wagon 110 from a first predetermined speed to a second predetermined speed, and the decelerator path 106b is configured to bring the speed of the wagon 110 from the second predetermined speed to the first predetermined speed. In one embodiment, the accelerator / decelerator path 106 includes a series of wheels 356 that rotate at gradually increasing or decreasing speeds, depending on their use as the accelerator path 106a or the decelerator path 106b. Each wheel in the series 356 can be engaged with an adjacent wheel 356 by a gearing or belt mechanism 358 that decreases or increases the speed of the adjacent wheel 356. The accelerator / decelerator path 106 can include a drive motor. The wheels 356 can be configured to engage with the channels 206 of the wagon 110, allowing for the transfer of force between the wagon 110 and the accelerator / decelerator path 106 during acceleration or deceleration of the wagon 110. In one embodiment, the wheels 356 can include friction material on the outside of the wheels 356 to generate friction and can be configured to engage with the channels 206 in the underside of the wagon 110. In another embodiment, the accelerator / decelerator path 106 also includes at least one immobile area similar to the immobile area 310, and the wheels 202 and 204 of the wagon 110, located on either side or both sides of the set of wheels 356 running parallel thereto, can rest on the immobile area to partially support the wagon 110.

[0052] In one embodiment, the reducer path 106b may be a regenerative reducer that can recover kinetic energy from the wagon 110 and store it for later use.

[0053] 4A and 4B , the last mile delivery vehicle 400 of the present disclosure may be a human-operated vehicle configured to transport one or more of a plurality of wagons 110 together with commuters from their origin via a diverter 114 to a station 150 where they merge with the stream of wagons on the main track 102, or to receive the wagons 110 from the station 150 where they are sorted and then transported to a destination location. The transport area of ​​the last mile delivery vehicle 400 may incorporate an arrangement of multiple movable axle rollers 402 to enable movement of the wagons 110 in any direction, such as transverse to the longitudinal direction of the last mile delivery vehicle 400 for loading and unloading the wagons 110 from the side of the last mile delivery vehicle 400, or parallel to the longitudinal direction of the last mile delivery vehicle 400 for loading and unloading the wagons 110 from the rear side of the last mile delivery vehicle 400. It should be understood that roller 402, roller 354 and roller 502 (see FIG. 5) may be identical for commonality and reduced variety.

[0054] In one embodiment, a driver may be assigned to each last mile delivery vehicle 400. In another embodiment, the last mile delivery vehicles 400 may be autonomous vehicles configured to travel in a self-driving mode enabled using artificial intelligence. The last mile delivery vehicles 400 may have a predefined speed limit, for example, 25 km / h.

[0055] 5 shows further details of the station 150, which has a last-mile delivery vehicle loading / unloading zone 112 for loading / unloading the wagons 110 with the last-mile delivery vehicles 400, and a stopping zone 108 with a platform 504 that allows commuters who do not want to use the last-mile delivery vehicle 400 to disembark or board the wagons 110 due to the connection of the last-mile delivery vehicle. The diverting device 114 can have moving axis rollers 502 whose rotation axes can be arranged and controlled to move the wagons 110 from the reducer path 106b to the last-mile delivery vehicle loading / unloading zone 112 or the stopping zone 108, and to move the wagons 110 from the last-mile delivery vehicle loading / unloading zone 112 or the stopping zone 108 towards the accelerator path 106a, to obtain the required direction of movement of the wagons 110. Again, as with the rollers 354 of the diverting belt 104, each of the movable axle rollers 502 is operably engaged with the control system 160 for selective rotation of the axle of the roller 502 or directly based on signals from the wagon 110, allowing the roller 502 to rotate based on the identified wagon 110 resting on the roller 502 and the destination of the identified wagon 110.

[0056] The turning patch 11 of the moving track 102 is shown in FIG. 6. The turning patch 11 can include a decelerator path 106b at the beginning of the curve and an accelerator path 106a at the end of the curve of the turning patch 11. In one embodiment, the speed of the wagon along the linear moving track 102 is 60 km / h, and the decelerator path 106b can be configured to decelerate the wagon entering the turning patch 11, for example, from 60 km / h to 30 km / h, while the accelerator path 106a can be configured to accelerate the wagon 110 exiting the turning patch 11, for example, from 30 km / h to 60 km / h. The turning patch 11 further includes at least one turning patch segment 11a. Furthermore, in one embodiment, the patch 11 includes multiple parallel turning patch segments 11a, lib, etc., each having a diverging siding 104b and a merging siding 104a at the entrance and exit of the curve of the turning patch 11. Providing multiple turning patch segments ensures that the same overall wagon flow rate is maintained while the travel speed along the turn is reduced to provide safety during the turn.

[0057] An exemplary case of a certain track failure is shown in Figures 7A and 7B, where stations N1, N2, N3, ..., N6 are normal stations, and X is the point where an undesirable accidental situation, such as a crash or breakage / failure of a flexible element chain, occurs. Station S1 is an example of a special station with a higher capacity and two special main and reducer tracks MD1 and MD2 and two diversion belts DP1 and DP2. Station S2 is an example of a special station with a higher capacity and one special main and reducer track MA1. The first main and reducer track MD1 is configured to operate as a reducer path (e.g., 60 km / h to 45 km / h) in an emergency, while the first main and reducer track MD1 is configured to operate as a main track in normal circumstances. The second main and reducer track MD2 is configured to function as a deceleration path (e.g., 60 km / h to 45 km / h) in an emergency, while the second main and reducer track MD2 functions as a main track in normal circumstances. Note that the purpose of providing the branching is to have a predetermined gap between arriving wagons, and the main track / accelerator track MAI is configured to have the ability to function as an accelerator path (for example, 45 km / h to 60 km / h) in an emergency, and the main track / accelerator track MA1 can function as a main track in normal cases. The first diverging belt DP1 is configured to branch wagons, and the second diverging belt DP2 is configured to merge wagons.

[0058] At station S1, in case of emergency, the brakes are applied to the evacuation zone (EZ) shown in Fig. 7B. In case of emergency, the wagons on the branch siding will safely enter the "evacuation zone" (EZ) and from the next moment, the other wagons will start branching out.

[0059] At station S2, in case of emergency, the brakes are applied to the evacuation zone (EZ) shown in Fig. 7B. In case of emergency, the wagons on the branch siding will safely leave the evacuation zone (EZ), and from the next moment, other wagons will start branching out.

[0060] Alternatively, power rollers (not shown) can be attached to the wagon 110. The attached power rollers can move the wagon 110 in any direction, and these rollers can be digitally controlled. By providing plain belts with a high friction coefficient on the merging siding 104a and the diverging siding 104b, power rollers can be attached to the merging siding 104a and the diverging siding 104b. The power rollers of the wagon 110 can move in the required direction while diverging / merging. The interchange station 150 can have plain belts so that the wagon 110 can perform siding movement itself, and the siding movement of the wagon 110 can be digitally controlled while being guided using sensors. The power rollers of the wagon 110 can also be used to move the wagon 110 onto the last-mile delivery vehicle 400.

[0061] In one embodiment, the centralized control of the control system 160 may be embodied on a server, a monitoring system for monitoring functions, the centralized control being hereinafter referred to as the "Central Control and Monitoring Server." Various types of devices may be attached to different assemblies / components, i.e., the main track 102, the diversion belt 104, the accelerator / decelerator path 106, to provide the "Central Control and Monitoring Server" with real-time position of the wagons 110, speed of the wagons 110, orientation of the wagons 110, component status such as wear, tear or other damage, motor status, brake status, RPM information, foreign objects, load conditions, etc.

[0062] In one embodiment, the data received from the devices installed in the different collections / components can be used for detecting the location of each of the wagons 110, crowd management at the stations, re-routing / managing empty wagons 110 to other stations, reserving last mile delivery vehicles, emergency alerts, amount of wagons on various tracks, etc.

[0063] In one embodiment, the devices installed in the different assemblies / components can be any or a combination of electronic devices, cameras, computers, servers, sensors or processing units, which can send and receive data to other devices via wired or wireless connections with very low latency.

[0064] In one embodiment, the "Central Control and Monitoring Server" may be configured to control the motors of the main track 102, dedicated motors for the rollers of the diverting belt 104, motors for the acceleration / deceleration path 106, dedicated motors for the rollers of the diverting device 114, and the ability to apply emergency brakes to affected areas.

[0065] In one embodiment, the "central control and monitoring server" may consist of computers, sensors, electronic devices, computers capable of controlling various components wirelessly or via wires.

[0066] While the above describes various embodiments of the present invention, other and further embodiments of the invention may be devised without departing from the basic scope thereof. The scope of the invention is determined by the following claims. The invention is not limited to the described embodiments, interpretations or examples, but is included to enable those skilled in the art to make and use the invention in combination with available information and knowledge.

[0067] [Effects of the invention] The present disclosure described hereinabove has several technical advantages, including but not limited to enabling a transportation system that provides door-to-door service.

[0068] The present disclosure provides a high-capacity transportation system that is fast, compact, energy-efficient, reliable, secure and safe.

Claims

1. a plurality of main tracks, each of the plurality of main tracks comprising a plurality of endless friction-engagement drive belts disposed along a length of the main track, each of the plurality of endless friction-engagement drive belts comprising a plurality of engagement means on an upper surface of the plurality of endless friction-engagement drive belts; a plurality of wagons configured to engage a plurality of engagement means and be propelled along the length of said main track; at least one diverting belt configured at an end of the main track for diverting the wagons from a station onto the main track or for diverting the wagons from the main track to the station, the main track including at least one stationary section located along a length of the main track parallel to a plurality of the endless friction-engaged drive belts, and the wagons including wheels configured to bear at least a portion of the weight of the wagons; A transportation system comprising: the engagement means being friction material on top of a plurality of endless friction-engagement drive belts, and a plurality of the wagons including longitudinally oriented channels disposed on the bottom surface of the wagons, the channels being designed so that a corresponding one of the friction-engagement drive belts engages the channel and friction between the channel and the friction material provides traction to move the wagon with the friction-engagement drive belts; At least one of the diverting belts comprises an endless conveyor moving along a direction aligned with the length of the main track, and a plurality of rollers mounted on the endless conveyor, at least one of the rollers configured to selectively rotate along an axis perpendicular to the direction of movement of the endless conveyor to move at least one wagon in a direction transverse to the direction of movement of the endless conveyor. Transportation system.

2. at least one acceleration / deceleration path for accelerating said wagons from said station and delivering said accelerated wagons to said at least one diverting belt at a speed synchronized with the speed of said at least one diverting belt, or for decelerating said wagons received from said at least one diverting belt as said wagons reach said station; at least one last mile delivery vehicle configured to carry at least one of the plurality of wagons and travel with the at least one wagon to the commuter's origin or the commuter's destination; 10. The transportation system of claim 1, further comprising at least one diverting device disposed at the station for transporting at least one of the wagons between at least one of the last mile delivery vehicles and at least one of the acceleration / deceleration paths.

3. 3. The transportation system of claim 2, comprising: a control unit for controlling each of the plurality of main tracks to move each of the wagons from a starting point to a corresponding commuter destination; and a control unit for controlling at least one of the diverting belts, at least one of the acceleration / deceleration paths, and at least one of the diverting devices based on signals from sensors configured in each of the plurality of wagons.

4. 10. The transportation system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of synchronizers disposed between a plurality of the frictionally engaged drive belts of the main track and between at least one of the diverting belts and a corresponding one of the main tracks.

5. 3. The transportation system of claim 2, wherein the wheels are configured such that a lower end of the wheel is positioned higher than a bottom surface of each of the wagons, and the bottom surface of each of the wagons is supported by at least one of the diverting belts and at least one of the diverting devices.

6. 3. The transportation system of claim 2, wherein at least one of the acceleration / deceleration paths includes a series of wheels configured to engage a channel of the wagon, the series of wheels rotating at gradually increasing speeds when the at least one acceleration / deceleration path is used as an acceleration path and rotating at gradually decreasing speeds when the at least one acceleration / deceleration path is used as a deceleration path, and wherein each wheel in the series is engaged with an adjacent wheel by a gearing or belt mechanism that increases or decreases the speed of the adjacent wheel.

7. 3. The transportation system of claim 2, wherein each of the at least one diverting device and the transport area on the at least one last mile delivery vehicle incorporates an arrangement of moving axle rollers, the axes of rotation of the moving axle rollers being rotatable to orient the moving axle rollers to obtain a required direction of travel of the wagon during loading and unloading of the wagon from the at least one last mile delivery vehicle.

8. at least one main orbit; a plurality of wagons configured to be propelled along the length of said main track; at least one diverting belt arranged at an end of at least one of the main tracks for diverting the wagons from the station to the main track or for diverting the wagons from the main track to the station; at least one acceleration / deceleration path for accelerating the wagons from the station and transporting the accelerated wagons to the at least one diverting belt at a speed synchronized with the speed of the at least one diverting belt, or for decelerating the wagons received from the at least one diverting belt as the wagons reach the station; a control system including a control unit that controls at least one of the main tracks, at least one of the change belts, and at least one of the acceleration / deceleration paths based on signals from sensors configured on each of a plurality of the wagons, and moves the wagons from the station to the main track or from the main track to the station; A transportation system comprising: at least one of the diverting belts comprises an endless conveyor moving along a direction generally aligned with a length of the main track; and a plurality of rollers mounted on the endless conveyor, at least some of the rollers configured to selectively rotate along axes perpendicular to the direction of movement of the endless conveyor, to move wagons in a direction transverse to the direction of movement of the endless conveyor.

9. 9. The transportation system of claim 8, wherein each of the plurality of rollers is rotated by a dedicated motor, the motors of the plurality of rollers being operatively coupled to the control system, and the control system, based on signals from the plurality of wagons, identifies a roller underneath the wagon and selectively activates a corresponding motor to move the wagon laterally to merge the wagon with the main track or to divert the wagon from the main track, and deactivates a corresponding motor to advance the wagon in the direction of travel of the main track.

10. 9. The transportation system of claim 8, wherein at least some of the rollers are moving axis rollers, the axes of rotation of the moving axis rollers being selectively rotatable to orient the moving axis rollers to obtain a required direction of travel of the wagon.

11. 10. The transport system of claim 9, wherein the roller comprises the dedicated motor itself, thereby reducing weight and space requirements.

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