Pantograph device for transport crane position detection device, and transport crane position detection device

Abstract

To reduce a risk of breakage of a spring in a usage time of a pantograph device for a conveyance crane position detecting device and to prevent falling of the spring even if the spring has broken.SOLUTION: A pantograph device 1 includes: a link shaft 17; a spring 15; and a spring substrate 181. The link shaft 17 is connected to an arm force point 14, a spring restraining tool 16 is formed in a part of the link shaft 17 near the top thereof, the link shaft 17 has such a fitting structure that the arm force point 14 can be stretched to a direction of the spring restraining tool 16 and is arranged to be inserted into the spring 15. The pantograph device 1 has biasing means to provide the arm 12 with biasing force in a manner that the link shaft 17 pulls the arm force point 14 by restoring force on compression of the spring 15.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a pantograph device for a position detection device for a transport crane, and to a position detection device for a transport crane. [Background technology]

[0002] In nickel smelting plants, cinder transport cranes are used to move transport containers loaded with preheated nickel-containing ore to a predetermined cinder bin position and stop them at that position. As a position detection device for stopping the transport crane, which runs on rails installed near the ceiling of the plant, at a predetermined position, a position detection device for the transport crane is used, which detects the stopping position by bringing a conductive contact, such as a conductive roller at the tip of the arm of a pantograph device attached to the crane body, into contact with a plate-shaped conductive marker for position detection (also referred to in this specification as a "section bar") installed along the transport path of the crane body.

[0003] As a pantograph device for the position detection device of the above-mentioned transport crane, a device (pantograph device 3) having the structure shown in Fig. 5 has been widely used. As shown in the figure, in this pantograph device 3, the contraction force of two springs 35 (35A, 35B) applies a biasing force to arm 32 to push conductive roller 31 upward.

[0004] More specifically, in the pantograph device 3 for a conventional position detection device for a transport crane shown in Fig. 5, when the conductive roller 31 is pressed in, the tip of the arm 32 is pushed down, and accordingly, the spring 35 (35A, 35B) is extended. Then, a contraction force corresponding to the magnitude of the extension is generated in the spring 35 (35A, 35B), and this spring contraction force acts as a biasing force to push up the arm 32.

[0005] As described above, examples of pantograph devices with a similar configuration in which a conductive contact (conductive roller) or an equivalent current collector is brought into contact with a conductive part include a pantograph device for collecting power for running a transport crane from a trolley wire (Patent Document 1) and a pantograph device for collecting power for running a trolley vehicle from a trolley wire (Patent Document 2). Similar to the above, these pantograph devices all press the current collector against the trolley wire (conductive part) by a biasing force generated by the contraction force of a spring.

[0006] In the conventional pantograph device 3 for a position detection device of a transport crane, the spring 35 (35A, 35B) is repeatedly pulled each time the arm 32 is pushed downward, which can lead to breakage of the spring due to metal fatigue or the like over long-term use. Also, since it is extremely dangerous if a broken spring falls, measures to avoid these risks have been considered. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 8-64328 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-143785 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] The present invention aims to reduce the risk of spring breakage during use in a pantograph device for a position detection device of a transport crane, and to prevent the spring from falling even if it does break. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The inventors have come up with the idea that the above-mentioned problems can be solved by changing the structure of the biasing means in a pantograph device for a conventional position detection device for a transport crane to a unique structure described below, and have completed the present invention. Specifically, the present invention provides the following.

[0010] (1) A pantograph device for a position detection device of a transport crane, comprising: an arm having a conductive contact at its tip; a base portion having an arm support portion that pivotally supports the arm at an arm fulcrum near the rear end of the arm; and a biasing means that applies a biasing force to the arm to press the conductive contact against a conductive marker for position detection, the biasing means comprising a link shaft, a spring, and a spring base plate that is installed in a manner that allows the spring to be pressed and compressed, the rear end of the link shaft being joined to an arm force point located further rearward than the arm fulcrum. a spring holder is formed near the tip of the link shaft, the link shaft is movable in the axial direction so as to be able to pull the arm force point toward the spring holder, and is arranged in a state where it is inserted inside the spring, the spring is arranged in a state where both ends are sandwiched between the spring base plate and the spring holder, and the biasing means is configured so that the link shaft pulls the arm force point due to the restoring force of the spring against compression, thereby applying the biasing force to the arm.

[0011] According to the pantograph device (1), the risk of spring breakage during use in a pantograph device for a position detection device of a transport crane is reduced, and even if the spring does break, the spring can be prevented from falling.

[0012] (2) The pantograph device described in (1), wherein the arm is made up of a pair of opposing plate-like bodies, one of the link shafts is disposed midway between the pair of plate-like bodies, and the rear end of the link shaft is joined to the center of an arm force point shaft that is installed connecting the arm force points of each of the plate-like bodies, with the center of the arm force point shaft being regarded as the arm force point.

[0013] The pantograph device (2) eliminates the need to adjust the tension of the two springs equally, as in the conventional pantograph device for a position detection device of a transport crane shown in Fig. 5. It also makes it possible to avoid uneven wear of the conductive roller caused by uneven tension of the two springs.

[0014] (3) The pantograph device according to (1) or (2), wherein a bolt portion is formed in the vicinity of the tip of the link shaft, and the spring retainer is a nut threaded onto the bolt portion.

[0015] According to the pantograph device of (3), in the pantograph device of (1) or (2), fine adjustment of the spring force (tension of the spring) for maintaining good contact between the conductive marker (section bar) for position detection and the conductive roller can be performed by a simple operation of simply rotating the nut.

[0016] (4) A position detection device for a transport crane, comprising the pantograph device according to any one of (1) to (3).

[0017] The position detection device for a transport crane (4) enjoys the above-mentioned effects of the pantograph device for a position detection device for a transport crane (1) to (3), reducing the risk of spring breakage during use in the pantograph device for a position detection device for a transport crane, and even if the spring breaks, it can prevent the spring from falling. This can improve the stability of crane operation and the safety of the work site below the transport crane in factories where the transport crane is installed high up near the ceiling. [Effects of the Invention]

[0018] According to the present invention, the risk of spring breakage during use in a pantograph device for a position detection device of a transport crane is reduced, and even if the spring does break, the spring can be prevented from falling. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] 1 is a side view of a pantograph device for a position detection device for a transport crane according to the present invention. FIG. [Figure 2] 2 is a side view showing an example of an operation mode of a pantograph device for a position detection device of the transport crane of FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 3] 2 is a plan view of a pantograph device for a position detection device for the transport crane of FIG. 1. [Figure 4] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a position detection circuit in a position detection device for a transport crane according to the present invention. FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional position detection device for a transport crane. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described, but the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below.

[0021] <Pantograph device for detecting the position of a transport crane> The pantograph device for the position detection device of a transport crane of the present invention (hereinafter simply referred to as the "pantograph device") is a component that constitutes a "position detection device for a transport crane" that detects the position of the transport crane body running on a rail and causes the transport crane body to perform a predetermined operation at a predetermined position.

[0022] 1 is a side view showing the structure of a pantograph device 1, which is an example of a preferred embodiment of the "pantograph device" of the present invention. The pantograph device 1 includes at least an arm 12 having a conductive contact (conductive roller) 11, a base portion 18 having an arm support portion 182 that pivotally supports the arm 12, and a "biasing means" that applies a biasing force to the arm 12 to press the conductive contact (conductive roller) 11 against conductive markers (section bars) 22 (22A, 22B, 22C) (see FIG. 4) for position detection.

[0023] [arm] A conductive roller 11 is provided at the tip of the arm 12 as a conductive contact for detecting conductive members. The conductive roller 11 is a roll made of a conductive material (e.g., carbon fiber material). The conductive roller 11 is rotatably attached to the tip of the arm 12 by a roller rotation axis 111 so that it can move by rolling on a sub-rail 21 (see FIG. 4) while maintaining contact with the rail in accordance with the movement of the transport crane body. Note that the term "sub-rail" in this specification refers to a non-conductive rail installed along the transport path of the transport crane, as shown in FIG. 4, on which conductive markers (section bars) for position detection are installed at each position necessary to detect the position of each transport crane. The conductive contact does not necessarily have to be the conductive roller 11 and may be, for example, a conductive slide plate.

[0024] 1, the arm 12 has, in order from the distal end, an arm force point 14 and an arm fulcrum 13 set near the rear end, i.e., the rear end opposite the tip end where the conductive roller 11 is provided. The arm 12 is pivotally supported at the arm fulcrum 13 by an arm fulcrum shaft 131 to be rotatable relative to an arm support part 182 formed on the base part 18.

[0025] On the other hand, arm force point 14 is set at a suitable location to perform the function of transmitting the biasing force from the "biasing means" to arm 12. Arm fulcrum 13 and arm force point 14 may be set at positions where an appropriate biasing force is applied to arm 12 according to the principle of leverage.

[0026] 1, it is preferable that arm 12 be bent downward near arm fulcrum 13. By adopting such a bent shape, the biasing force in the direction of rotating arm 12 upward can be transmitted to arm 12 more smoothly.

[0027] Furthermore, it is preferable that the arm 12 has a structure in which a pair of opposing plate-like bodies are joined via an arm force point shaft 141 located at the rear end (see FIG. 3). When the arm 12 in the "pantograph device" has such a structure, the link shaft 17 and spring 15 constituting the "biasing means" can be configured so that only one is disposed between the pair of plate-like bodies.

[0028] However, the shape, size, and structure of the arm 12 are not limited to a specific shape, size, or structure as long as a biasing force can be applied to the arm 12 by a "biasing means" having a structure specific to the present invention, which will be described in detail below, thereby enabling the basic functions of the "pantograph device" described above to be performed. The arm constituting the pantograph device of the present invention may be, for example, a single rod-shaped member or a cylindrical member.

[0029] [Base] The base portion 18 as a whole is configured to be able to position the "biasing means" described in detail below so that it can perform its function, and has a spring substrate 181 which is a substrate that supports the rear end side of the spring 15 and is installed in a manner that allows the spring 15 to be compressed by pressing against it, and an arm support portion 182 which pivots the arm 12 so that it can rotate about the arm fulcrum 13.

[0030] As an example, the spring substrate 181 and the arm support portion 182 can be integrally formed from an appropriately bent plate material as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3. In the base portion 18 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the spring substrate 181 is formed from a plate-like body that is suspended from a base of the base portion 18. The arm support portion 182 is formed from a pair of protruding pieces that protrude from the upper end regions of both side edges of the spring substrate 181 toward the rear end of the pantograph device 1 and have openings formed at opposing positions. By configuring the opening of the arm support portion 182 and the opening provided in the arm fulcrum 13 of the arm 12 so that they are aligned, and the arm fulcrum shaft 131 passes through each of these openings, the arm 12 can be pivotally supported at the arm fulcrum 13 in a manner that allows it to rotate about the arm fulcrum shaft 131.

[0031] It should be noted that the base unit 18 does not necessarily have to be configured such that the spring base plate 181 and the arm support unit 182 are provided on a base such as that shown in Figures 1 and 3. For example, the spring base plate 181 and the arm support unit 182 alone can be installed directly anywhere on the main body of the transport crane as the base unit 18 of the pantograph device.

[0032] [Energy applying means] The "biasing means" is a mechanism that has the function of applying a biasing force to the arm 12 to press the conductive contact 11 against the conductive marker for position detection. More specifically, the "biasing means" is a mechanism that generates a repulsive force in accordance with the fluctuation of the rotation angle of the arm 12 in the pantograph device 1, and applies this repulsive force to the arm 12 as a biasing force. This allows the pantograph device 1 to appropriately maintain the contact pressure of the conductive roller 11 against the sub-rail 21 and the section bar 22.

[0033] Specifically, the "biasing means" is configured to include at least a link shaft 17 that transmits a biasing force to the arm 12, and a spring 15 that generates the biasing force. The rear end of the link shaft 17 is joined to the arm force point 14. As shown in FIG. 3, when the arm 12 is made up of a pair of opposing plate-like bodies that are joined by an arm force point shaft 141, the center of the arm force point shaft 141 is considered to be the arm force point 14, and the rear end of the link shaft 17 can be joined to this part. The link shaft 17 is installed on the base part 18 by an attachment structure that allows movement in the axial direction so that the joined arm force point 14 (or the center of the arm force point shaft 141) can be pulled by the biasing force toward the tip side of the pantograph device 1, i.e., toward the spring retainer.

[0034] 1 and 3, an example of a mounting structure that allows the link shaft 17 to move in the axial direction can be specifically configured. In the base portion 18 shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the rear end of the link shaft 17 is joined to an arm force point shaft 141, which is regarded as the arm force point 14, and is further supported while being slidably inserted into an opening provided in the approximate center of a spring base plate 181. By installing the link shaft 17 on the base portion 18 using such a mounting structure, the link shaft 17 can be slid in the direction of the biasing force generated by the spring 15, thereby pulling the arm force point 14 (or the center of the arm force point shaft 141) in the same direction.

[0035] As shown in Figure 1, link shaft 17 is formed with a spring retainer 16 near its tip, which is necessary for appropriately compressing spring 15. Preferably, link shaft 17 is formed with a bolt having a bolt portion (threads) near its tip, and spring retainer 16 is formed with a nut threaded onto this bolt portion. By configuring link shaft 17 in this way, fine adjustment of the biasing force (tension of the spring) can be performed simply by rotating the nut.

[0036] The spring 15 is installed with the link shaft 17 inserted therethrough and with both ends sandwiched between a spring base plate 181 provided on the base portion 18 and a spring retainer 16 provided on the link shaft 17. Fig. 2 shows a state in the pantograph device 1 where the arm 12 is pushed down, and as a result, the link shaft 17 is pulled by the arm 12, and the spring 15 is pressed against the spring retainer 16 and compressed. In contrast to this, Fig. 1 shows a state in which the link shaft 17 pulls the arm 12 due to the restoring force of the spring 15 against the compression, and the arm 12 is pulled up.

[0037] In the pantograph device 1 that operates as shown in Figures 1 and 2, when the conductive roller 11 is pushed toward the base portion 18 while the main body of the transport crane is traveling, the distance between the ring retainer (nut) 16 and the spring base plate 181 shortens, and the spring 15 is compressed accordingly. The restoring force of the spring 15, which corresponds to the amount of compression, acts as an urging force that pushes the arm 12 in a direction away from the base portion 18. The amount of compression of the spring 15 in any state varies depending on the distance between the ring retainer (nut) 16 and the spring base plate 181 in the initial state. Therefore, by adjusting the tightening amount of the nut provided as the spring retainer 16 and fine-tuning the screw position, the compressive force on the spring 15 can be adjusted to the desired strength, thereby generating an urging force of an appropriate magnitude.

[0038] In the pantograph device 1, when the arm 12 is rotated at an angle equal to or greater than a certain angle in a direction away from the base portion 18, the spring 15 may be released from the above-mentioned compression, but the spring 15 is arranged so that it can be in a compressed state within the rotation angle range of the arm 12 when each pantograph device is installed in a position detection device of a transport crane and used. The expected rotation angle of the arm 12 when the pantograph device is in use is usually within the range of approximately 15° to 60° as an elevation angle with respect to the base portion 18.

[0039] The "biasing means" constituting the pantograph device of the present invention may be configured so that at least a spring that generates a biasing force is arranged around a link shaft joined to the arm force point, and the force of the spring restoring from a compressed state is used as the biasing force, and the configuration is not limited to the specific configuration described above.

[0040] As described above, in the pantograph device 3 having the conventional structure shown in Fig. 5, one ends of a pair of springs 35 (35A, 35B) are attached to the rear end of the arm 32, and the other ends of the springs 35 (35A, 35B) are attached via link shafts 37 (37A, 37B) to a plate-shaped spring stopper 36 provided near the tip of a base portion 38. In the pantograph device 3 having such a configuration, when the conductive roller 31 is pressed in, the arm 32 is pressed down, and the springs 35 (35A, 35B) are expanded accordingly, and the contraction force of the springs 35 (35A, 35B) generated in response acts as a biasing force to push up the arm 32.

[0041] In the pantograph device 3 having the above structure, the contraction force of the spring 15 is used as an urging force, so the spring 35 (35A, 35B) is always in an extended state during use. As a result, if the pantograph device 3 is used for a long period of time, the spring 35 (35A, 35B) is more likely to break. In contrast, in the pantograph device of the present invention, the structure has been changed so that the force of the spring 15 restoring from a compressed state is used as an urging force, so the spring 15 is always in a compressed state during use. Therefore, the above-mentioned breakage is less likely to occur. Moreover, because the spring 15 is arranged with the link shaft 17 inserted therein, even if the spring 15 breaks, the broken spring will remain caught on the link shaft 17 and will not immediately fall below the transport crane.

[0042] <Transport crane position detection device> The transport crane position detection device of the present invention (hereinafter also referred to simply as the "position detection device") can be constructed by changing the pantograph device (for example, pantograph device 3 shown in Figure 5) in a conventional transport crane position detection device that detects the position of the transport crane body by detecting a "section bar" to a pantograph device having a configuration unique to the present invention (a preferred example is pantograph device 1 shown in Figures 1 to 3).

[0043] 4 is a diagram schematically illustrating an example of a position detection circuit 100 that functions to detect the position of the transport crane body in the "position detection device" of the present invention. The position detection circuit 100 is composed of a conductive contact (conductive roller) 11 of the pantograph device 1, conductive markers (section bars) 22 (22A, 22B, 22C) for position detection, relays 24 (24A, 24B, 24C), and a power supply 23.

[0044] In this position detection circuit 100, as shown in Figure 4, when the conductive roller 11 of the transport crane body is in contact with the section bar 22B attached to position B on the sub-rail 21, a closed circuit including the section bar 22B is formed, and the relay 24B corresponding to the position of the section bar (position B) is activated. By activating this relay 24B, a switch is turned on for an operating circuit that performs a predetermined operation such as stopping or decelerating the transport crane body, and the transport crane body that has reached position B can be made to perform the predetermined operation. [Explanation of symbols]

[0045] 1 Pantograph device 11 Conductive contactor (conductive roller) 111 Roller rotation axis 12 Arm 13 Arm fulcrum 131 Arm fulcrum axis 14 Arm force point 141 Arm force point axis 15 Spring 16 Spring retainer 17 Link shaft 18 Base 181 Spring board 182 Arm support 21 Subrail 22 (22A, 22B, 22C) Conductive markers for position detection (section bars) 23 Power supply 24 (24A, 24B, 24C) Relay 3 Pantograph device (conventional product) 31 Conductive roller 32 Arm 111 Roller rotation axis 33 Arm fulcrum 34 Arm force point 35 (35A, 35B) Spring 36 Spring retainer 37(37A, 37B) Link shaft 100 Position detection circuit

Claims

1. A pantograph device for a position detection device of a transport crane, an arm having a conductive contact at its tip; a base portion having an arm support portion that pivotally supports the arm at an arm fulcrum near a rear end of the arm; a biasing means for applying a biasing force to the arm to press the conductive contact against the conductive marker for position detection; Equipped with the biasing means includes a link shaft, a spring, and a spring base plate that is disposed in a manner that allows the spring to be pressed against and compressed; The link shaft has a rear end joined to an arm force point located further rearward than the arm fulcrum, a spring holder is formed in the vicinity of the tip of the link shaft, the link shaft is movable in the axial direction so as to be able to pull the arm force point toward the spring holder, and is disposed in a state of being inserted inside the spring, The spring is arranged such that both ends are sandwiched between the spring base plate and the spring retainer, The biasing means is configured so that the link shaft pulls the arm force point due to a restoring force of the spring against compression, thereby applying the biasing force to the arm. Pantograph device.

2. The arm is made up of a pair of opposing plate-like bodies, one link shaft is disposed midway between the pair of plate-like bodies, and a rear end of the link shaft is joined to a center of an arm force point shaft that is installed connecting the arm force points of each of the plate-like bodies, the center of the arm force point shaft being regarded as the arm force point; The pantograph device according to claim 1 .

3. a bolt portion is formed in the vicinity of the tip of the link shaft, and the spring retainer is a nut threaded onto the bolt portion; The pantograph device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. A vehicle equipped with the pantograph device according to any one of claims 1 to 3. Position detection device for transport cranes.

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