Transport System

Abstract

To provide a conveyance system and a holding apparatus capable of efficiently treating a to-be-treated item (conveyance item) being conveyed.SOLUTION: A conveyance system 1 includes a holding apparatus 10 that is conveyed on a prescribed conveyance path while holding a conveyance item 11, and a conveyance apparatus 2 that forms the prescribed conveyance path and conveys the holding device along the prescribed conveyance path. The holding apparatus includes a processing device that executes a prescribed processing work on the conveyance item, and a power reception unit 40 that receives, from the conveyance apparatus side, driving power for driving the processing device while the holding apparatus is being conveyed by the conveyance apparatus. The conveyance apparatus includes a power transmission unit 5 that supplies the driving power to the power reception unit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3A

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a transport system that transports a workpiece and a holding device that holds the workpiece. [Background technology]

[0002] Generally, when a large number of workpieces are subjected to a predetermined processing process, a processing mode is widely adopted in which the workpieces are sequentially transported by a transport device such as a belt conveyor, and the processing is performed when the workpieces reach a predetermined location or while the workpieces are being transported. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a processing mode in which the transported workpieces are subjected to a heating process and a cooling process, in which a heating section that performs the heating process and a cooling section that performs the cooling process are moved relative to the transported workpiece, thereby realizing the processing without stopping the transport of the workpieces. Furthermore, Patent Document 2 discloses a configuration in which a holding and cooling section provided on a robot gripping arm performs a cooling process on a portion of the workpiece during the process of transporting the workpiece from a heating process to a hot pressing process by a robot.

[0003] Furthermore, when a processing process such as cutting is performed on an object to be processed, a technique for maintaining the object in a state that is easy to process is disclosed, for example, in Patent Document 3. In this technique, a holding means for holding the object to be processed is provided with a heating / cooling means for heating and cooling the object to be processed, and the object to be processed can be heated or cooled and maintained in a state suitable for processing while performing processing such as cutting. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-7202 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-130513 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-57030 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] To efficiently process workpieces, it is useful to perform the necessary processing while transporting the workpieces. However, even in such a configuration, it is necessary to supply drive power to the processing device that performs the processing. Conventionally, the processing device has been installed in a predetermined location to receive power. This limits the area in which the processing device can be located, making it difficult to flexibly design an environment for processing the workpieces, thereby hindering efficient processing of the workpieces.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of such problems, and aims to provide technology that enables efficient processing of transported processing objects (hereinafter referred to as "transported objects"). [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A conveying system according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a holding device configured to convey an object along a predetermined conveying path while holding the object, and a conveying device that forms the predetermined conveying path and conveys the holding device along the predetermined conveying path. The holding device has a processing device that performs a predetermined processing operation on the object, and a power receiving unit that receives drive power for driving the processing device from the conveying device while the object is being conveyed by the conveying device, and the conveying device has a power transmitting unit that transmits the drive power to the power receiving unit.

[0008] In the above-mentioned conveying system, the object to be processed is held by a holding device, and the holding device is then conveyed by the conveying device. Since the holding device has a processing device, processing work is performed on the object by the processing device on the holding device (or within the holding device) during the process of conveying the object. In other words, in the conveying system, the processing device is conveyed together with the object by the holding device, and the system is configured so that processing work is performed during the conveyance.

[0009] The power supply to the processing device of the holding device is realized by transmitting drive power from a power transmitting unit of the transport device to a power receiving unit of the holding device, and the power receiving unit receives the drive power. With this configuration, it is not necessary for the holding device to secure all of the power required to drive the processing device, and the holding device can receive power while being transported by the transport device. As a result, it is possible to minimize any restrictions on the transportation of the transported object to be processed due to the power supply to the processing device, thereby flexibly designing the environment for performing processing work on the transported object and improving the processing efficiency.

[0010] The power supply method between the power transmitting unit of the transport device and the power receiving unit of the holding device can be any of various known power supply methods. One example is a contactless power supply method. Examples of such contactless power supply methods include electromagnetic induction, magnetic resonance, and electric field coupling for relatively short distances, and microwave and laser methods for relatively long distances. The terms "power transmitting unit" and "power receiving unit" also vary depending on the type of contactless power supply method used. For example, if a magnetic resonance method is used, both units include a resonant circuit, and if a microwave method is used, both units include an antenna.

[0011] The processing device may be a DC-driven device or an AC-driven device, and a suitable device can be adopted depending on the processing work to be performed on the transported object to be processed. If necessary, the holding device may be equipped with a rectifier or a power storage device for storing the drive power received by the power receiving unit, a power conversion device for driving the processing device, etc.

[0012] Here, in the above-described conveying system, the power transmitting unit may be configured to transmit a first signal, which is a wireless signal related to the driving power, and the power receiving unit may receive the first signal and extract the driving power. This configuration employs a contactless power supply method for power supply between the power transmitting unit of the conveying device and the power receiving unit of the holding device. As an example, the power transmitting unit may be disposed in part or all of the predetermined conveying path so as to transmit the first signal when the holding device reaches a predetermined position on the predetermined conveying path. As another example, the power transmitting unit may be configured to transmit the power required for the predetermined processing operation to the power receiving unit based on the conveying speed of the holding device by the conveying device. This configuration allows for optimal supply of driving power to the processing device in association with the conveyance of the transported object. Furthermore, since wireless power supply is less likely to cause "resistance" to the conveyance of the holding device, extremely efficient processing operations can be expected.

[0013] Alternatively, in the above-described conveying system, the power transmitting unit may be arranged in part or all of the predetermined conveying path and configured to transmit a first signal related to the driving power, and the power receiving unit may be configured to receive the first signal and extract the driving power by contacting the power transmitting unit when the holding device is being conveyed on the predetermined conveying path. This configuration employs a contact power feeding method for feeding power between the power transmitting unit of the conveying device and the power receiving unit of the holding device. When a contact power feeding method is employed, "resistance" to the conveyance of the holding device occurs at the contact point between the power transmitting unit and the power receiving unit, but the supply of power from the conveying device to the holding device via the contact point can be more reliably executed.

[0014] In the above-described conveying system, the power transmitting unit may superimpose a control signal for controlling the processing operation by the processing device on the first signal and transmit the superimposed signal, and the power receiving unit may separate and extract the drive power and the control signal from the first signal transmitted from the power transmitting unit. This configuration allows the drive power and control signal of the processing device to be transmitted simultaneously, enabling flexible design of processing operations for the transported object. For example, by adjusting the control signal superimposed on the drive power depending on the location of the transported object, optimal power supply and processing operations can be achieved during the transport process.

[0015] In the above-described conveying system, the processing device may be, for example, a device that heats or cools the transported object as the predetermined processing operation. Alternatively, the processing device may be a robot device that attaches a predetermined part to the transported object as the predetermined processing operation. Other forms of processing device may also be employed. Furthermore, the robot device may receive the driving power via the power receiving unit so that it retrieves the predetermined part located near the transporting device when the transported object reaches a predetermined position after being transported along the predetermined transport path. By adopting such a configuration, if the predetermined part is appropriately located at a predetermined position on the transporting device, the robot device transported along with the transported object retrieves the predetermined part and attaches it to the transported object. This eliminates the need to place a robot device or the like that provides the predetermined part to each transported object near the transporting device, thereby enabling a compact environment for processing operations to be constructed.

[0016] Here, in the above-described conveying system, the conveying device may be a belt conveyor device having a belt on which the conveyed object is placed and a drive motor for driving the belt. Other types of conveying devices may also be used.

[0017] The present disclosure can also be specified in terms of a holding device for holding an object during transport. That is, the holding device includes a storage unit that stores the object while holding it, a support unit configured to support the storage unit so that the holding device can move along a predetermined transport path along which the object is transported, a processing device supported by the support unit and performing a predetermined processing operation on the object, and a power receiving unit that receives a wireless signal related to drive power for driving the processing device from the predetermined transport path and extracts the drive power. By adopting a holding device configured in this manner, it is possible to minimize any restrictions on the transportation of the object to be processed due to the need to supply power to the processing device, thereby flexibly designing an environment for performing processing operations on the object and improving the processing efficiency.

[0018] In the holding device, a control signal for controlling a processing operation by the processing device may be superimposed on the wireless signal transmitted from the predetermined transport path, and the power receiving unit may be configured to separate and extract the drive power and the control signal from the wireless signal transmitted from the predetermined transport path. By adopting such a configuration, the drive power and the control signal for the processing device can be transmitted simultaneously, allowing for flexible design of processing operations for the transported objects. Furthermore, the technical concepts disclosed in the above-described conveying system can also be applied to the holding device as long as no technical inconsistencies arise. [Effects of the Invention]

[0019] It is possible to provide a technology that enables efficient processing of transported processing objects (transported objects). [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0020] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a first diagram showing a schematic configuration of a transport system. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a first diagram showing a schematic configuration of a holding device. [Figure 3A]FIG. 1 is a first diagram for explaining a mode of power supply between a transport device and a holding device in a transport system. [Figure 3B] FIG. 10 is a second diagram for explaining a mode of power supply between the transport device and the holding device in the transport system. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a second diagram showing a schematic configuration of the transport system. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a second diagram showing a schematic configuration of the holding device. [Figure 6] FIG. 3 is a third diagram showing a schematic configuration of the holding device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0021] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, identical or corresponding parts are designated by the same reference numerals, and their description will not be repeated. In this disclosure, a conveying system for a manufacturing line in a factory or the like is shown as an exemplary embodiment of the conveying system.

[0022] First Embodiment FIG. 1 shows a transport system 1 including a holding device 10 and a transport device 2 according to a first embodiment. 3 is a schematic diagram of the conveying system 1. The conveying system 1 further includes a conveying device 3. The conveying devices 2 and 3 are belt conveyor devices each having a belt 2a on which an object to be conveyed is placed and a drive motor 2b that drives the belt 2a (see FIGS. 3a and 3b), and have a known configuration as a device for conveying an object, so a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0023] Here, the flow of work for processing a transported object in the conveying system 1 will be described. A transported object 11 to be processed is accommodated in a holding device 10, which will be described in detail later, and the holding device 10 is placed on the belt of the conveying device 2. In this embodiment, the holding device 10 (hereinafter simply referred to as "holding device 10") accommodating the transported object 11 is conveyed on the belt of the conveying device 2 from the lower left to the upper right of FIG. 1. A robot device 21 is installed at a predetermined position on the conveying device 2. The robot device 21 has a hand device 21a as an end effector. The robot device 21 grasps parts 24 loaded on a table 23 installed nearby with the hand device 21a one by one. When the holding device 10 is conveyed to a predetermined position within the movable range of the robot device 21, the robot device 21 is controlled to position the grasped part 24 on the transported object 11 accommodated therein.

[0024] When the robot device 21 positions the component 24 on the transported object 11, it presses the component 24 with a predetermined pressure using the hand device 21a. Because the holding device 10 is being transported on the transport device 2, the robot device 21 performs the pressing while controlling the hand device 21a in consideration of the transport speed of the transport device 2. As will be described in detail later, at this time, the holding device 10 is performing a heating treatment or cooling treatment on the transported object 11 to promote bonding between the transported object 11 and the component 24. Once the robot device 21 has bonded the component 24, the transported object 11 becomes a primary finished product 12. When the holding device 10 containing the primary finished product 12 reaches the end of the belt 2a of the transport device 2, another robot device 22 located at that end uses its hand device 22a to remove the primary finished product 12 from the holding device 10 and place it again on the belt of the transport device 3, which can transport the component 24 in a direction different from the transport direction of the transport device 2.

[0025] Thereafter, the primary finished product 12 is conveyed on the conveying device 3. The conveying device 3 is also formed as a belt conveyor device, just like the conveying device 2. In this embodiment, the primary finished product 12 is conveyed on the belt of the conveying device 3 from the upper left to the lower right in FIG. 1. A gate-shaped inspection device 31 is installed on the conveying device 3 so as to straddle the belt surface. The inspection device 31 has an inspection camera 31a, which takes an image of the primary finished product 12 conveyed on the belt surface from above, and performs a predetermined inspection process related to the joining of the parts 24 that was performed in the previous process, and then performs an inspection. Depending on the result, the post-processing of the primary finished product 12 will be differentiated.

[0026] 1, the conveying device 2 of the conveying system 1 shown in Fig. 1 performs predetermined heating and cooling processes on the conveyed object 11 housed in the holding device 10 and conveyed on the belt 2a, while the part 24 is positioned by the robot device 21, and finally the conveyed object 11 and the part 24 are joined together. The heating and cooling processes, as well as the power supply for each process, will now be described.

[0027] 2 shows a schematic configuration of the holding device 10. The holding device 10 has a storage section 16 that stores the transported object 11, and a device main body 15 configured to support the storage section 16. The device main body 15 corresponds to the support section disclosed in the present application and has a generally rectangular body. The storage section 16 is formed in a concave shape on the upper surface side of the device main body 15. The depth of the storage section 16 is designed to be shallower than the thickness of the transported object 11 stored therein.

[0028] Furthermore, the holding device 10 has a heating unit 42 and a cooling unit 43, which correspond to the processing device of the present disclosure. The heating unit 42 is formed as a heater that receives DC power and performs a heating process. The cooling unit 43 is formed as a Peltier element that receives DC power and performs a cooling process. The heating unit 42 and the cooling unit 43 are supplied with DC power stored in the power storage unit 41, thereby performing the respective heating and cooling processes. The heating and cooling processes are performed on the transported object 11 stored in the storage unit 16 in order to bond the above-mentioned component 24 to the transported object 11. In each process, the heating unit 42 first performs a heating process on the transported object 11, softening any adhesive previously applied to the transported object 11. Thereafter, when the robot device 21 positions and presses the component 24 on the transported object 11, a cooling process is performed instead of the heating process, and the adhesive hardens to promote bonding between the transported object 11 and the component 24. Such heating and cooling processes are performed by controlling the heating unit 42 and the cooling unit 43 with the control unit 45. A program for the heating and cooling processes is pre-recorded in the memory of the control unit 45, and the program is read out and executed at a predetermined timing related to the movement of the robot device 21, thereby realizing the joining operation of the part 24 to the transported object 11.

[0029] In this embodiment, the driving power stored in the power storage unit 41 is generated by transmitting a wireless signal related to the driving power from the power transmission unit 5 provided on the conveyance device 2 side, as shown in FIG. 3A, and receiving and extracting the signal from the power receiving unit 40 of the holding device 10. That is, driving power for the heating unit 42 and the cooling unit 43 of the holding device 10 is supplied from the conveyance device 2 side by a contactless power supply system while the holding device 10 is being conveyed. The conveyance device 2 is provided with an AC power source 7, and AC power is supplied via a supply path 6 to the power transmission unit 5, which is a plurality of power transmission coils for electromagnetic induction arranged along the conveyance direction of the conveyance device 2. When the power receiving unit 40 of the holding device 10, which is a power receiving coil, is positioned opposite the power transmission coil of the power transmission unit 5, driving power is transmitted from the conveyance device 2 to the holding device 10 by electromagnetic induction, which is a contactless power supply system, between the power transmission unit 5 and the power receiving unit 40. Since the power received by the power receiving unit 40 is directly AC power, it is converted into DC power through a rectifier circuit (not shown) after receiving the power and stored in the power storage unit 41. As an alternative to the contactless power feeding method, a magnetic resonance method may be adopted, in which case a resonance coil for transmitting and receiving power is included in each of the power transmitting unit 5 and the power receiving unit 40.

[0030] Here, as shown in Fig. 3A, driving power is supplied from the conveying device 2 to the holding device 10 by the contactless power supply method in the section between conveying positions P1 and P2 set along the conveying direction of the conveying device 2. That is, when the holding device 10 containing the article 11 is conveyed on the conveying device 2 and reaches the conveying position P1, power supply from the power transmitting unit 5 begins, and the power supply continues until the holding device 10 reaches the conveying position P2. This power is Since the material is subjected to heating processing by the heating section 42 and cooling processing by the cooling section 43, the power transmission section 5 in the section P1 to P2 (for example, the length of the section P1 to P2 and the number of power transmission coils) is designed taking into account the conveying speed of the conveying device 2, etc., so that the power required for these processes can be secured in the power storage section 41.

[0031] Furthermore, transfer position P2 is a transfer position where the supply of drive power by the contact power supply system ends. The joining operation of component 24 to transported object 11 is an operation in which robot device 21 positions and presses component 24 as shown in Fig. 1, and it is particularly preferable that cooling processing be performed by cooling unit 43 at this timing. Therefore, transfer position P2 is a position before robot device 22 removes primary finished product 12, and is preferably near a transfer position corresponding to the timing at which the pressing operation by robot device 21 ends.

[0032] According to the conveyance system 1 configured in this manner, it is no longer necessary for the holding device 10 to secure all of the power required to drive the heating unit 42 and the cooling unit 43, and the holding device 10 can receive power supply while being conveyed by the conveyance device 2. As a result, it is possible to minimize any restrictions imposed on the conveyance of the transported object 11 or processing operations such as joining the parts 24 to the transported object 11 due to the power supply to the heating unit 42 and the cooling unit 43, thereby enabling a flexible design of the environment for realizing processing operations on the transported object 11 and improving the processing efficiency.

[0033] Another method for supplying drive power from the transport device 2 to the holding device 10 will now be described with reference to FIG. 3B. FIG. 3B shows a schematic configuration of another method for supplying power from the transport device 2 to the holding device 10 in the transport system 1. In this method, a drive power signal is transmitted from a power transmitting unit 8 provided on the transport device 2 side, and is received and extracted by a power receiving unit 40 of the holding device 10. This method differs from the method shown in FIG. 3A in that power is exchanged by the power transmitting unit 8 directly contacting the power receiving unit 40. That is, drive power for the heating unit 42 and the cooling unit 43 in the holding device 10 is supplied from the transport device 2 side by a contact power supply method while the holding device 10 is being transported. A power source 7a is provided on the transport device 2, and power is supplied via a supply path 6 to a power transmitting unit 8, which is a plurality of contacts arranged along the transport direction of the transport device 2.

[0034] Each of the multiple contacts, which are the power transmitting unit 8, is exposed from the belt 2a of the conveyor device 2 and protrudes slightly above the surface of the belt 2a. The holding device 10 conveyed on the belt 2a has the power receiving unit 40 exposed on the underside (the surface that contacts the belt 2a) of its device body 15. With this configuration, each holding device 10 conveyed on the belt 2a sequentially contacts the power transmitting unit 8, which is the contact on the conveyor device 2, and DC power is supplied upon contact. The supplied DC power is stored in the power storage unit 41. The exposed length of each contact (the length in the conveying direction of the conveyor device 2) is designed to be long enough to maintain favorable contact with the power receiving unit 40. The spacing between adjacent contacts is preferably set to a distance that sufficiently shortens the time that the power receiving unit 40 is not in contact with the contact and prevents the power receiving unit 40 from shorting out the two adjacent contacts.

[0035] <Second embodiment> 4 is a schematic diagram of the transport system 1 in the second embodiment. The transport system 1 similarly includes a holding device 10, a transport device 2, and a transport device 3. The transport device 3 has substantially the same configuration as that in the first embodiment, so a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0036] Here, the flow of processing work of the transported object 11 in the transport device 2 will be described. As in the first embodiment, the transported object 11 is accommodated in the holding device 10, and the holding device 10 is placed on the belt of the transport device 2. In this embodiment, the holding device 10 is placed on the belt of the transport device 2 as shown in the lower left of FIG. The object 11 is transported on the belt of the conveying device 2 from the upper right to the lower right. As in the first embodiment, the conveying device 2 of this embodiment has a robot device 22 installed at the end of the belt 2a of the conveying device 2, but the robot device 21 shown in FIG. 1 is not installed. Instead, a substitute robot device 48 is installed on the holding device 10 on which the object 11 is stored, and the holding device 10 is transported together with the robot device 48 on the belt 2a of the conveying device 2. The robot device 48 has a hand device 48a as an end effector. During the process of being transported by the conveying device 2, when a table 23 installed at a predetermined position close to the conveying device 2 comes within the movable range of the robot device 48, the robot device 48 grasps the part 24 loaded on the table 23 with the hand device 48a and positions the part 24 on the object 11. In Figure 4, only one table 23 on which parts 24 are loaded is shown, but as an alternative, multiple tables 23 may be arranged along the conveying device 2, and the robot device 48 may sequentially retrieve parts from each table 23 according to the conveying flow and perform tasks such as positioning them relative to the conveyed object 11.

[0037] When the robot device 48 positions the component 24 on the transported object 11, it uses its hand device to press the component 24 with a predetermined pressure to bond the component 24 to the transported object 11. In this embodiment, the robot device 48 is installed on the holding device 10, so the relative speed between the robot device 48 and the transported object 11 is zero, facilitating the pressing operation. This allows the component 24 to be bonded to the transported object 11 without reducing the transport speed of the transport device 2, significantly contributing to shortening the takt time. Note that, in this embodiment, the holding device 10 also performs heating and cooling treatments on the transported object 11 to promote bonding between the component 24 and the transported object 11. After the robot device 21 bonds the component 24, the transported object 11 becomes a primary finished product 12. At the end of the belt 2a of the transport device 2, the robot device 22 uses its hand device 22a to remove the primary finished product 12 from the holding device 10 and place it back on the transport device 3. The robot device 22 then grasps the holding device 10 from which the primary finished product 12 has been removed and places it on a nearby table 25 .

[0038] Next, with reference to FIG. 5, the heating and cooling processes for joining the transported object 11 and the component 24, and the power supply for controlling the robot device 48 will be described. FIG. 5 shows a schematic configuration of the holding device 10 of this embodiment. The holding device 10 has a device main body 15 and a storage unit 16, and also has a power receiving unit 40, a power storage unit 41, a heating unit 42, and a cooling unit 43, similar to the embodiment shown in FIG. 2. Note that a power converter that converts DC power supplied from the power storage unit 41 into AC power is installed in the holding device 10 to drive the actuator of the robot device 48. The heating and cooling processes, and the gripping and pressing processes of the robot device 48 for joining the component 24 to the transported object 11 stored in the storage unit 16 are executed by a control unit 49.

[0039] In this embodiment, control signals for driving the heating process, the cooling process, and the robot device 48 are supplied from the transport device 2 along with drive power. For example, as shown in FIG. 3A , when a drive power signal is transmitted from the power transmission unit 5 of the transport device 2 using a contactless power supply system, control signals for controlling the heating unit 42, the cooling unit 43, and the robot device 48 are superimposed on the drive power signal. Therefore, the power receiving unit 40 receives a signal in which the drive power signal and the control signal are superimposed. The signal received by the power receiving unit 40 is then separated into the drive power signal and the control signal by the separation unit 44. The signal separation process is realized by a known technique based on, for example, frequency information of the signals previously set for the drive power and the control.

[0040] Control signals for controlling the heating unit 42, the cooling unit 43, and the robot device 48 are generated by a control device (PLC or the like) (not shown) for controlling the transport system 1. The control device controls parameters detected by various sensors included in the transport system 1 and inspection data. The control signal can be adjusted based on the inspection results by the device 31, etc. For example, the control signal to these processing devices can be adjusted by adjusting the duration and amount of current flow to the heating unit 42 and the cooling unit 43 depending on the joining result of the part 24 to the transported object 11, or by adjusting the acceleration conditions of the drive motor that drives the joints of the robot device 48 if the positioning of the part 24 by the robot device 48 is vibratory. The adjusted control signal is then superimposed on a signal related to the drive power on the transport device 2 side and supplied from the power transmitting unit 5 to the control unit 49 of the holding device 10 via the power receiving unit 40.

[0041] With this configuration, it is possible to realize suitable control according to the processing status of the transported object 11 while suitably supplying power to processing devices such as the heating unit 42, the cooling unit 43, and the robot device 48. In other words, the transport system 1 of this embodiment can achieve both efficient processing of the transported object 11 and improved processing accuracy. Note that the control signal superimposed on the signal related to the driving power need not be a control signal for all devices included in the transport system 1, but may be a control signal for some of the devices.

[0042] <Third embodiment> Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram of a holding device 10 according to a third embodiment. Similar to the holding device shown in Fig. 2, the holding device 10 of this embodiment has a power receiving unit 40, a power storage unit 41, a heating unit 42, a cooling unit 43, and a control unit 45. Components with the same reference numerals are substantially the same, and therefore detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0043] In this embodiment, the holding device 10 has wheels 17 that support the device body 15 so that it can move. Therefore, the holding device 10 is configured to be movable (e.g., like a vehicle) on a floor surface FL by an external force or by a driving force generating device such as a motor provided inside the holding device 10. Here, multiple power transmitting units 5 shown in FIG. 3A are embedded inside the floor surface FL, and AC power is supplied to them from an AC power source 7 via a supply path 6. When the holding device 10 moves on the floor surface configured in this manner, driving power can be supplied from the power transmitting unit 5, which is a power transmitting coil, to the power receiving unit 40. While receiving the driving power, processing operations can be performed on the transported object 11 stored in the storage unit 16 using processing devices such as a heating unit 42 and a cooling unit 43. In other words, processing operations on the transported object 11 can be performed without being affected by the form of power supply to the processing devices. For example, by receiving power from the power transmission unit 5 while the transported object 11 is accommodated in the accommodation unit 16, the transported object 11 can be transported while being constantly cooled.

[0044] Alternatively, the holding device 10 of this embodiment may have the same configuration as the holding device shown in Fig. 5. In that case, a control signal for the processing device is superimposed on a driving power signal, and power is supplied from the power transmission unit 5, thereby enabling more suitable processing work to be performed on the transported object 11.

[0045] <Appendix 1> a holding device (10) configured to hold an object (11) and transport it along a predetermined transport path (2a); a conveying device (2) that forms the predetermined conveying path (2a) and conveys the holding device (10) along the predetermined conveying path (2a); A transport system (1) comprising: The holding device (10) processing devices (42, 43, 48) that perform predetermined processing operations on the transported object (11); The driving power for driving the processing devices (42, 43, 48) is supplied to the conveying device (2). a power receiving unit (40) that receives power from the transport device (2) while being transported by the transport device; and The transport device (2) has a power transmitting unit (5, 8) that transmits the driving power to the power receiving unit (40). Conveying system (1).

[0046] <Appendix 2> A holding device (10) for holding an object (11) during transport of the object, a storage section (16) for storing the object (11) in a held state; a support portion (15) configured to support the storage portion (16) so that the holding device (10) can move on a predetermined conveying path (2a) along which the holding device (10) is conveyed; a processing device supported by the support portion (15) and configured to perform a predetermined processing operation on the transported object (11); a power receiving unit (40) that receives a wireless signal related to driving power for driving the processing devices (42, 43, 48) from the predetermined conveying path side and extracts the driving power; A holding device (10) comprising: [Explanation of symbols]

[0047] 1. Transport system 2, 3 Conveyor device 5, 8 Power transmission section 6 Supply route 7 AC power supply 7a power supply 10 Holding device 11 Transported goods 12 Primary finished product 21, 22 Robotic devices 24 parts 31 Inspection equipment 40 Power receiving unit 41 Power storage unit 42 Heating section 43 Cooling section 44 Separation part 48 Robotic Device

Claims

1. a holding device configured to hold an object to be conveyed and convey the object along a predetermined conveying path; a conveying device that forms the predetermined conveying path and conveys the holding device along the predetermined conveying path; A transport system comprising: The holding device a processing device that performs a predetermined processing operation on the transported object; a power receiving unit that receives driving power for driving the processing device from the transport device side while the processing device is being transported by the transport device; and the transport device includes a power transmitting unit that transmits the drive power to the power receiving unit, the power transmitting unit transmits a first signal that is a wireless signal related to the driving power; the power receiving unit receives the first signal and extracts the driving power; the power transmitting unit is configured to transmit the power required for the predetermined processing operation to the power receiving unit based on the transport speed of the holding device by the transport device. Conveying system.

2. the power transmitting unit superimposes a control signal for controlling a processing operation by the processing device on the first signal and transmits the superimposed signal; the power receiving unit separates and extracts the driving power and the control signal from the first signal transmitted from the power transmitting unit; The transport system according to claim 1 .

3. The processing device is a device that performs a heating treatment or a cooling treatment of the transported object as the predetermined processing operation.

3. The transport system according to claim 1 or 2.

4. the processing device is a robot device that attaches a predetermined part to the transported object as the predetermined processing work, The robot device is configured to receive the predetermined part arranged near the transport device when the transported object is transported on the predetermined transport path and reaches a predetermined position. The driving power is supplied via a power unit. The transport system according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The conveying device is a belt conveyor device having a belt on which the object to be conveyed is placed and a drive motor that drives the belt. The transport system according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

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