Traffic control device

Abstract

To provide a travel regulation device which can bring a conveyance vehicle into an emergency stop quickly even in the case where the conveyance vehicle starts travelling unintentionally.SOLUTION: In a conveyance facility including a travel rail 20, and a conveyance vehicle which has wheels rolling on a travel surface 21 of the travel rail 20, a drive device for the wheels, and a bumper 14 and which travels along the travel rail 20, a travel regulation device 1 regulates the travel of the conveyance vehicle. The travel regulation device includes a body part 3, a locking part 4, and a connection part 5. The body part 3 includes an opposing surface 31 arranged at a position opposing the bumper 14 in a state of being placed on the travel surface 21, and a supported part 34 which becomes a portion supported by the travel surface 21 when the opposing surface 31 is pressed by the bumper 14. The locking part 4 is configured to come into contact with a rail lower surface 29 on the approach side in the travel direction, relative to the opposing surface 31 and the supported part 34, when the opposing surface 31 is pressed by the bumper 14.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a travel control device.

Background Art

[0002] For example, International Publication No. 2014 / 129066 (Patent Document 1) discloses a technique related to a travel control device. Hereinafter, the signs shown in parentheses in the description of the background art are those of Patent Document 1.

[0003] In the automatic warehouse of Patent Document 1, a carrier vehicle (stacker crane 2) is used as a conveyance device for conveying articles. This carrier vehicle includes a lower carriage (4) guided by a lower rail (12), an upper carriage (6) guided by an upper rail (14), a mast (8) fixed to the lower carriage (4) and connecting the lower carriage (4) and the upper carriage (6), and a transfer device (10) provided on the mast (8). The lower carriage (4) includes wheels (drive wheels 22) that roll on the upper surface of the lower rail (12) and a support portion (28) located at a position away from the wheels. Further, a displacement mechanism is provided in the lower carriage (4). The displacement mechanism raises and lowers the support portion (28) between a grounding position supported by the lower rail (12) and a retracted position floating upward from the lower rail (12). When operating the carrier vehicle, the support portion (28) is raised to the retracted position. Also, when installing the carrier vehicle on the lower rail (12) and the upper rail (14) or when stopping the carrier vehicle for maintenance, the support portion (28) is lowered to the grounding position.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] In the automated warehouse described in Patent Document 1, the posture of the lower trolley (4) and mast (8) can be stabilized by lowering the support section (28) to the ground position. This makes it easier to install the transport vehicles on the rails and to perform maintenance work on the transport vehicles. On the other hand, there are times when workers must move the transport vehicles during such work, but the transport vehicles may start moving unintentionally during this process. In such cases, it is necessary to stop the transport vehicles immediately from the standpoint of ensuring worker safety and avoiding damage to the equipment, but Patent Document 1 does not address this point.

[0006] Therefore, a vehicle control device is desired that can quickly bring a transport vehicle to an emergency stop even if it starts moving unintentionally. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The travel restriction device according to this disclosure is for restricting the travel of a transport vehicle in a transport facility comprising: a travel rail having an upward-facing travel surface and a lower rail surface positioned below the travel surface and facing downward; a transport vehicle having wheels that roll on the travel surface of the travel rail, a drive device for the wheels, and a bumper positioned above the travel surface and stopping the drive device upon collision with an obstacle, and traveling along the travel rail, the travel restriction device for restricting the travel of the transport vehicle, The main body is placed on the aforementioned running surface, A locking portion is positioned opposite the lower surface of the rail, The device comprises a connecting portion which integrally connects the main body portion and the locking portion on the outside in the width direction relative to the running surface, with the direction along the running rail being the running direction and the direction perpendicular to the running direction when viewed from above being the width direction, The side moving away from the bumper in the aforementioned direction of travel is defined as the side moving away from the bumper in the aforementioned direction of travel, and the side moving closer to the bumper in the aforementioned direction of travel is defined as the side moving closer to the bumper in the aforementioned direction of travel. The main body comprises an opposing surface positioned opposite the bumper from the side away from the direction of travel when placed on the travel surface, and a supported portion which is the part that is supported by the travel surface when the opposing surface is pressed by the bumper toward the side away from the direction of travel. The locking portion is configured to contact the lower surface of the rail at a point closer to the rail in the direction of travel than the opposing surface and the supported portion, when the opposing surface is pressed by the bumper toward the away side in the direction of travel.

[0008] In this configuration, if the transport vehicle moves unintentionally and the bumper presses against the opposing surface, the main body is supported by the running surface at the supported portion, and the locking portion abuts against and presses against the underside of the rail on the side closer to the opposing surface and the supported portion in the direction of travel. In this way, the travel restriction device can be fixed to the running rail by utilizing the pressing force of the bumper against the opposing surface and the frictional force with the running rail caused by pressing the locking portion against the underside of the rail. Therefore, since the bumper can be pushed back by the opposing surface, the drive system of the transport vehicle can be reliably brought to an emergency stop. Furthermore, with this configuration, the main body can be placed on the running surface and the locking part can be positioned opposite the underside of the rail, making it easy to install the running restriction device on the running rail. Furthermore, this configuration utilizes the pressing force of the bumper against the opposing surface to fix the travel restrictor to the travel rail through frictional force with the travel rail. Therefore, even after the transport vehicle has been stopped by the travel restrictor, the travel restrictor can be easily removed from the travel rail simply by separating the locking part from the underside of the rail.

[0009] Further features and advantages of the driving restriction device will become clear from the following description of exemplary and non-limiting embodiments, which will be illustrated with reference to the drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] A schematic plan view showing the trolley section of the transport vehicle. [Figure 2] Control block diagram [Figure 3] Perspective view of the traffic control device [Figure 4] Rear view of the vehicle traffic control device [Figure 5] A schematic side view showing how the bumper presses against the opposing surface of the speed control device. [Figure 6] Rear view of a driving restriction device in another embodiment [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] The following describes an embodiment of the travel restriction device, specifically an example of its use in a transport device, based on the drawings.

[0012] As shown in Figures 1 to 4, the transport equipment 9 comprises a running rail 20 and a transport vehicle 10 that travels along the running rail 20. In this embodiment, the transport equipment 9 is configured to transport articles. Specifically, the transport vehicle 10 is an article transport vehicle that transports articles, and by traveling along the running rail 20, it transports articles to a predetermined destination. The transport equipment 9 may be installed inside an automated warehouse equipped with storage shelves for storing multiple articles, and may be used to move articles in and out of the storage shelves.

[0013] In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 3 to 5, the running rail 20 comprises a running surface 21 facing upward and a rail underside 29 positioned below the running surface 21 and facing downward. In this example, the running rail 20 comprises a rail body 20a and a rail support 20b that supports the rail body 20a from below. The rail support 20b is provided on the floor of the conveying equipment 9 or the like. Here, the running surface 21 is the surface facing upward of the rail body 20a. The rail underside 29 is the surface facing downward of the rail body 20a. In the illustrated example, the rail underside 29 is formed in an area other than the connection portion between the rail body 20a and the rail support 20b. Specifically, the width Y dimension of the rail body 20a is larger than the width Y dimension of the rail support 20b, and the rail underside 29 is formed in pairs, separated in the width Y direction with the connection portion in between. Furthermore, in the illustrated example, a groove 61 is formed on the upper side of each of the pair of lower rail surfaces 29. The groove 61 is formed along the extending direction of the running rail 20.

[0014] In this example, as shown in Figures 1 and 4, a pair of running rails 20 are provided, separated in the width direction Y. The transport vehicle 10 is configured to travel in the travel direction X, guided by the pair of running rails 20. Hereafter, the direction along the running rails 20 will be referred to as the travel direction X, and the direction perpendicular to the travel direction X when viewed from above will be referred to as the width direction Y. Furthermore, the side moving away from the first bumper 14 in the travel direction X will be referred to as the travel direction away side X2, the side moving towards the first bumper 14 in the travel direction X will be referred to as the travel direction approach side X1, one side in the width direction Y will be referred to as the width direction first side Y1, and the opposite side as the width direction second side Y2.

[0015] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the transport vehicle 10 includes wheels 11 that roll on the running surface 21 of the running rail 20, a drive unit 12 for the wheels 11, and a first bumper 14 positioned above the running surface 21 to stop the drive unit 12 in the event of a collision with an obstacle. In this embodiment, the transport vehicle 10 further includes a second bumper 18. The first bumper 14 corresponds to the "bumper".

[0016] In this example, as shown in FIG. 1, on the carrier vehicle 10, a plurality of wheels 11 (here, four) are provided separately in the traveling direction X and the width direction Y so as to correspond to each of the pair of traveling rails 20. Further, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the carrier vehicle 10 includes a traveling carriage portion 17 that is guided by the traveling rail 20 and moves, a transfer device 28 that transfers the articles to be conveyed, a lifting portion 27 that raises and lowers the articles, and a control unit H that controls the entire carrier vehicle 10. The traveling carriage portion 17 is provided with the above-described wheels 11, and a driving device 12 that drives the wheels 11 and the control unit H are housed therein.

[0017] The driving device 12 is configured to drive at least one of the plurality of wheels 11. As shown in FIG. 1, the driving device 12 includes a traveling motor M and a transmission mechanism 19 that transmits the driving force of the traveling motor M to the wheels 11. In the illustrated example, a plurality of driving devices 12 are provided corresponding to the wheels 11 arranged separately in the traveling direction X (that is, the front-side wheel 11 and the rear-side wheel 11 in the traveling direction X). In the example of FIG. 1, a plurality of guide wheels 24 corresponding to the pair of traveling rails 20 are provided on the traveling carriage portion 17. Further, with each of the side surfaces on both sides in the width direction Y of the traveling rail 20 as a rail side surface 23, the plurality of guide wheels 24 are configured to roll on each of the rail side surfaces 23 on both sides in the width direction Y. In the present embodiment, the rail side surface 23 is the side surface on both sides in the width direction Y of the rail main body portion 20a. In this example, a wheel support member 71 is provided corresponding to each of the plurality of wheels 11. In the example of FIG. 1, the wheel support member 71 is provided on the traveling carriage portion 17. Further, the wheel support member 71 supports the wheel 11 so as to be rotatable about an axis P along the width direction Y. Here, the wheel support member 71 is formed so as to cover both outer sides in the traveling direction X and the outer side in the width direction Y (the side where the traveling carriage portion 17 is not arranged) of the wheel 11.

[0018] The transfer device 28 is configured to hold the article being conveyed and perform the transfer operation of the article to and from the transfer target location. The transfer device 28 places and holds the article and transfers the article to the transfer target location by moving the article in and out in the width direction Y. In this example, the transfer device 28 is of the conveyor type, but it may be of the slide fork type or the like. Here, the transfer device 28 is provided on the elevating part 27. In this example, the transport vehicle 10 is a stacker crane. Therefore, a mast (not shown) is provided on the traveling bogie part 17 along the vertical direction. The elevating part 27 is configured to be able to move up and down along the mast.

[0019] Note that the transport vehicle 10 is not limited to a stacker crane and may be a transport cart (so-called shuttle cart) that places and transports articles. In that case, the transfer device 28 can also be provided on the traveling bogie part 17. Further, the transport vehicle 10 may be a parent cart on which a child cart that travels in the width direction Y and transports articles can be placed, or may be a ceiling transport vehicle that is guided by a rail suspended and supported from the ceiling and travels.

[0020] A plurality (here, four) of the first bumpers 14 are arranged corresponding to each of the plurality of wheels 11. The first bumper 14 is arranged outside the traveling direction X (the separation side X2 in the traveling direction) with respect to the wheel 11. In this example, the first bumper 14 is fixed to the wheel support member 71 via the bumper support member 76. The first bumper 14 is arranged so as to protrude on the separation side X2 in the traveling direction with respect to the traveling bogie part 17 when viewed in the vertical direction. In the present embodiment, the first bumper 14 is arranged above the traveling rail 20 (more specifically, the traveling surface 21). And when an object such as an obstacle is placed on the traveling rail 20 in front of the transport vehicle 10 in the traveling direction, in principle, the first bumper 14 contacts the object.

[0021] As shown in Figure 2, the transport vehicle 10 is further equipped with a switch unit 7. The switch unit 7 is configured to turn on, for example, when an obstacle on the running rail 20 in front of the transport vehicle 10 in the direction of travel hits the first bumper 14. When the switch unit 7 switches from the off state to the on state, the power supply to the drive unit 12 is cut off, and the transport vehicle 10 stops. In this example, the first bumper 14 has a switch function. That is, the first bumper 14 itself is the switch unit 7. Specifically, when the transport vehicle 10 is in motion, if the tip of the first bumper 14 comes into contact with another object and is pushed inward (towards the approaching side X1 in the direction of travel), the transport vehicle 10 stops. In this way, because the first bumper 14 has a switch function, in addition to its original function of protecting the wheels 11, wheel support members 71, and running chassis 17 etc. from impact when the transport vehicle 10 collides with an object on the running rail 20, it also performs the function of making an emergency stop of the transport vehicle 10. The switch unit 7 can also be provided separately from the first bumper 14. For example, the switch unit 7 may be provided on the running bogie 17 or the wheel support member 71, etc.

[0022] The second bumpers 18 are positioned on both outer sides of the traveling chassis 17 in the direction of travel X. The second bumpers 18 are also positioned between a pair of traveling rails 20. In the example shown in Figure 1, the second bumpers 18 are positioned between a pair of first bumpers 14, which are separated in the width direction Y. Here, the second bumpers 18 have the same functions as the first bumpers 14. Specifically, the second bumpers 18 have the function of protecting the traveling chassis 17, etc., from impact in the event of a collision between the transport vehicle 10 and an obstacle, and also have a switch function to emergency stop the transport vehicle 10. Specifically, if the tip of the second bumper 18 comes into contact with another object while the transport vehicle 10 is traveling and is pushed inward (towards the approaching side X1 in the direction of travel), the transport vehicle 10 will stop. Note that the second bumpers 18 do not necessarily have a switch function.

[0023] For example, when the control unit H receives command information from a higher-level controller that controls the entire automated warehouse (not shown), it controls the lifting unit 27, the transfer device 28, and the drive device 12 based on that command information. Also, when the first bumper 14 switches from the off state to the on state, the control unit H cuts off the power supply to the drive device 12 and stops the transport vehicle 10. The control unit H is equipped with a processor such as a microcomputer and peripheral circuits such as memory, and the above functions are realized through the cooperation of this hardware and a program executed on the hardware such as the processor.

[0024] As shown in Figures 3 to 5, the travel restriction device 1 restricts the movement of the transport vehicle 10. The travel restriction device 1 is supported on the running surface 21 of the running rail 20, so that the transport vehicle 10 does not travel beyond the travel restriction device 1. Specifically, the travel restriction device 1 is positioned X2 away from the first bumper 14 in the direction of travel, facing the first bumper 14 of the transport vehicle 10. For example, when a worker performs maintenance work on the transport vehicle 10, the travel restriction device 1 is placed on the running rail 20.

[0025] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the running restriction device 1 comprises a main body 3 placed on the running surface 21, a locking part 4 positioned opposite the lower surface 29 of the rail, and a connecting part 5 that integrally connects the main body 3 and the locking part 4 on the outside in the width direction Y relative to the running surface 21. In this embodiment, the connecting part 5 is supported by the main body 3 and connects the main body 3 and the locking part 4 so as to support the locking part 4.

[0026] As shown in Figures 3 to 5, the main body 3 comprises an opposing surface 31 positioned opposite the first bumper 14 from the side X2 away from the running direction when placed on the running surface 21, and a supported portion 34 which is the part supported by the running surface 21 when the opposing surface 31 is pressed toward the side X2 away from the running direction by the first bumper 14. The main body 3 also comprises a bottom surface 33 configured to be parallel to the running surface 21 when the opposing surface 31 is pressed toward the first bumper 14 and the locking portion 4 is in contact with the lower surface 29 of the rail. In this embodiment, the main body 3 is a columnar member extending in the width direction Y. In this example, the dimension of the main body 3 in the width direction Y is larger than the dimension of the running rail 20 in the width direction Y. In the following description, the posture in which the running restriction device 1 is properly attached to the running rail 20 (right side of Figure 5) will be referred to as the reference posture T1. In this example, as shown in Figure 5, the reference posture T1 is defined as the posture of the driving restriction device 1 in which the supported portion 34 is in contact with the driving surface 21 and the bottom surface 33 is inclined without contacting the driving surface 21. Furthermore, in the following description, the posture of the driving restriction device 1 in which the first bumper 14 presses against the opposing surface 31 and the entire bottom surface 33 is in contact with the driving surface 21 (left side of Figure 5) will be described as the overturned posture T2.

[0027] The opposing surface 31 is the surface facing the approaching side X1 in the travel direction of the main body 3 in the reference posture T1. The opposing surface 31 is the surface that comes into contact with the first bumper 14 when the transport vehicle 10 is traveling. In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 3 and 5, the opposing surface 31 has a concave shape that is recessed on the side X2 away from the travel direction of the first bumper 14 so that the tip 16 on the side X2 away from the travel direction of the first bumper 14 fits into it. In this example, as shown in Figures 3 and 5, the opposing surface 31 has a concave shape that conforms to the shape of the tip 16 of the first bumper 14. Here, the opposing surface 31 has multiple surfaces (in this case, inclined surfaces). More specifically, the opposing surface 31 has an upper opposing surface 31a and a lower opposing surface 31b. The upper opposing surface 31a extends in the width direction Y and is an inclined surface that slopes toward the side X2 away from the travel direction as it goes downwards. The lower opposing surface 31b is formed continuously from the lower end of the upper opposing surface 31a and is an inclined surface that slopes toward the side X1 approaching the vehicle in the direction of travel as it extends downwards. That is, the opposing surface 31 is formed in a concave shape such that the connection portion between the upper opposing surface 31a and the lower opposing surface 31b is recessed toward the side X2 away from the vehicle in the direction of travel. In the illustrated example, the first bumper 14 is formed in an arc shape that protrudes toward the side X2 away from the vehicle in the direction of travel when viewed in the width direction Y. When the transport vehicle 10 travels, the tip portion 16 of the first bumper 14 and the portion above the tip portion 16 come into contact with and press against the upper opposing surface 31a. Note that the opposing surface 31 does not have multiple surfaces and may, for example, be a single curved surface.

[0028] The bottom surface 33 is the surface that contacts the running surface 21 when the running restriction device 1 is in an overturned position T2. ​​That is, the bottom surface 33 is the surface facing downwards (the lowest surface) of the main body 3 in the overturned position T2. ​​In the overturned position T2, the bottom surface 33 ideally makes surface contact with the running surface 21, but strictly speaking, surface contact is not required. In this example, the bottom surface 33 is formed in the region of the main body 3 that overlaps with the running surface 21 when viewed in the vertical direction, and is not formed at both ends of the main body 3 (in the illustrated example, the parts located on both outer sides in the width direction Y of the running rail 20).

[0029] In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 3 and 5, the supported portion 34 is formed using the edge of the bottom surface 33 on the side X1 approaching in the direction of travel. When the opposing surface 31 is pressed against the first bumper 14, the main body 3 rotates around an axis along the width direction Y, with the supported portion 34 as the pivot point. In this example, in the reference posture T1, the bottom surface 33 is an inclined surface that slopes upward as it approaches the side X2 away from the direction of travel, and the area of ​​the bottom surface 33 other than the supported portion 34 does not come into contact with the travel surface 21. When the opposing surface 31 is pressed against the first bumper 14, the main body 3 rotates with the supported portion 34 as the pivot point, causing the entire bottom surface 33 to rotate and come into contact with the travel surface 21. In this way, the bottom surface 33 is in a position parallel to the travel surface 21 in the overturned posture T2.

[0030] The locking portion 4 is positioned below the running surface 21 and on the side X1 approaching the main body 3 in the running direction, in both the standard posture T1 and the overturned posture T2 of the running restriction device 1. Furthermore, the locking portion 4 is positioned so as to overlap with the running rail 20 (e.g., the running surface 21, the rail underside 29, etc.) when viewed in the vertical direction. Here, the locking portion 4 is configured to contact the rail underside 29 on the side X1 approaching the running direction in the running direction, when the opposing surface 31 is pressed by the first bumper 14 toward the side X2 away from the running direction. The locking portion 4 rotates around an axis along the width direction Y with the supported portion 34 as the pivot point. Furthermore, the locking portion 4 rotates integrally with the main body 3 described above. In this embodiment, the running restriction device 1 is provided with a pair of such locking portions 4. The pair of locking portions 4 are positioned separately in the width direction Y. In this example, the pair of locking parts 4 are arranged to correspond to the pair of rail undersides 29, which are formed in the width direction Y. The pair of locking parts 4 are configured to contact the pair of rail undersides 29 from below. Here, the pair of locking parts 4 have the same structure as each other.

[0031] As shown in Figures 3 to 5, in this embodiment, the portion of the locking portion 4 that abuts against the lower surface 29 of the rail is designated as the contact portion 42, and at least the contact portion 42 is configured to be detachably attached to the target portion 40, which is either the connecting portion 5 or the portion of the locking portion 4 other than the contact portion 42 (hereinafter referred to as the "locking body portion 43"). In this example, the locking portion 4 comprises the contact portion 42 and the locking body portion 43 that supports the contact portion 42. Here, the target portion 40 is the locking body portion 43. That is, the contact portion 42 is detachably attached to the locking body portion 43. The locking body portion 43 connects the contact portion 42 and the connecting portion 5 and also supports the contact portion 42. In the illustrated example, the locking body portion 43 supports the contact portion 42 from below. The contact portion 42 may be fixed to the locking body portion 43 by fastening members or the like. Furthermore, the contact portion 42 may be fixed to the locking body portion 43 by a fitting mechanism, or by a combination of these. In this embodiment, the contact portion 42 is made of an elastic material (for example, synthetic rubber). The contact portion 42 is formed in a shape corresponding to the lower surface 29 of the rail. In the illustrated example, a groove 61 is formed on the lower surface 29 of the rail as described above. The contact portion 42 is formed in a convex shape so as to lock into the groove 61. The contact portion 42 may be made of metal with knurling, for example. Also, the shape of the contact portion 42 can be appropriately changed according to the shape of the lower surface 29 of the rail.

[0032] In the examples shown in Figures 3 to 5, the contact portion 42 abuts against the lower surface 29 of the rail and engages with the groove 61 in the reference position T1. Here, the contact portion 42 is an elastic member formed in a convex shape, with the width Y dimension decreasing as it moves upward. The width Y dimension of the upper end of the contact portion 42 is formed to be slightly larger than the width Y dimension of the groove 61. Therefore, in the reference position T1, the upper end of the contact portion 42 abuts against the lower surface 29 of the rail and engages with the groove 61.

[0033] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the running restriction device 1 is provided with a pair of connecting parts 5 corresponding to each of the pair of locking parts 4. The pair of connecting parts 5 are positioned on both outer sides in the width direction Y relative to the running rail 20. Each of the pair of connecting parts 5 is provided to connect the end of the main body 3 in the width direction Y to the corresponding locking part 4. Hereinafter, the connecting part 5 on the first side Y1 in the width direction of the pair of connecting parts 5 may be referred to as the first connecting part 54, and the connecting part 5 on the second side Y2 in the width direction may be referred to as the second connecting part 53. In this embodiment, the pair of connecting parts 5 are configured to sandwich the running rail 20 from both sides in the width direction Y when the main body 3 is placed on the running surface 21. In this example, the connecting parts 5 face the rail side surface 23 with a small gap in the width direction Y (Figure 5). Therefore, when placing the main body 3 on the running surface 21, interference between each of the pair of connecting parts 5 and the running rail 20 can be avoided.

[0034] The connecting portion 5 is positioned to incline downwards as it approaches the direction of travel X1 in both the standard posture T1 and the overturned posture T2. Furthermore, the connecting portion 5 is a member that extends from below the rail underside 29 to above the running surface 21 in a view in the width direction Y. In this example, the first connecting portion 54 is fixed to the end of the first side Y1 in the width direction of the main body 3. The locking body portion 43 of the locking portion 4 is connected to the tip (lower end portion) of the first connecting portion 54. Here, the first connecting portion 54 and the locking body portion 43 are integrally formed. The locking body portion 43 is positioned to protrude inward in the width direction Y (here, the first side Y1 in the width direction) from the tip of the first connecting portion 54. The contact portion 42 is attached to the upper-facing surface of the locking body portion 43 (here, the surface that faces upward and towards the direction of travel approach X1). In this embodiment, at least one of the pair of connecting parts 5 is configured to be detachably attached to the main body 3. Here, the second connecting part 53 is configured to be detachably attached to the main body 3. In this example, the second connecting part 53 is detachably fixed to the end of the second side Y2 in the width direction of the main body 3. Note that the other configurations of the second connecting part 53 are the same as those of the first connecting part 54, so their explanation is omitted. The following describes the configuration in which the second connecting part 53 is detachably attached to the main body 3. In the example of Figure 4, the first connecting part 54 is fixed to the main body 3 by a fastening member, but it is not limited to this, and may be fixed by welding, for example.

[0035] In the examples shown in Figures 3 to 5, a fitting groove 64 is formed at the upper end of the second connecting portion 53, opening in the width direction Y and upward. The end of the second side Y2 in the width direction of the main body portion 3 is configured to fit into this fitting groove 64. In the illustrated example, when the main body portion 3 is fitted into the fitting groove 64, the second connecting portion 53 and the main body portion 3 are fixed by fastening with a fastening member 52 (Figure 5). Holes are formed in the fitting groove 64 and the end of the second side Y2 in the width direction of the main body portion 3 for inserting the fastening member 52. A knob is attached to the fastening member 52. Therefore, by using the knob on the fastening member 52 to remove the second connecting portion 53 from the main body portion 3, the travel restriction device 1 in the overturned position T2 can be easily removed from the travel rail 20. Thus, the work efficiency after stopping the transport vehicle 10 that has traveled unintentionally can be improved.

[0036] In this embodiment, the running restriction device 1 further comprises a pair of widthwise guide portions 44 that are integrally fixed to the main body 3 and are positioned to face a pair of rail side surfaces 23 from both outer sides in the width direction Y, thereby restricting the movement of the main body 3 in the width direction Y. At least one of the pair of widthwise guide portions 44 is configured to also function as a connecting portion 5. In this example, both of the pair of widthwise guide portions 44 function as connecting portions 5. That is, of the pair of widthwise guide portions 44, the widthwise guide portion 44 on the first widthwise side Y1 is the first connecting portion 54, and the widthwise guide portion 44 on the second widthwise side Y2 is the second connecting portion 53. The pair of widthwise guide portions 44 (here, the pair of connecting portions 5) face the rail side surfaces 23 with a small gap in the width direction Y. Therefore, when placing the main body 3 on the running surface 21, it is easy to position the main body 3 in the width direction Y. Also, when the main body 3 is placed in the reference posture T1, the movement of the running restriction device 1 in the width direction Y is restricted. Therefore, the opposing surface 31 is pressed against the first bumper 14, preventing the travel restriction device 1 from falling off the travel rail 20 during the change in posture from the standard posture T1 to the overturned posture T2. In this example, as described above, the second connecting portion 53 is configured to be detachably attached to the main body portion 3. Accordingly, it can also be said that the widthwise guide portion 44 of the pair of widthwise guide portions 44, the widthwise second side Y2, is configured to be detachably attached to the main body portion 3.

[0037] As shown in Figure 5, in the standard posture T1 of the travel restriction device 1, the supported portion 34 abuts against the travel surface 21, and the locking portion 4 (in this case, a pair of locking portions 4) abuts against the lower surface 29 of the rail and locks in place. This maintains the standard posture T1 of the travel restriction device 1. When the opposing surface 31 (in this case, the upper opposing surface 31a) is pressed against the first bumper 14 by the movement of the transport vehicle 10, the travel restriction device 1 moves toward the away side X2 in the travel direction, and changes its posture from the standard posture T1 to the overturned posture T2 by rotating around an axis along the width direction Y with the supported portion 34 as the pivot point. In the overturned posture T2, the entire bottom surface 33 of the main body 3 abuts against the travel surface 21. Also, the abutting portion 42 of the locking portion 4 locks into the groove 61 of the lower surface 29 of the rail. Therefore, when the travel restriction device 1 is in the overturned posture T2, the rotation of the travel restriction device 1 stops. As a result, the upper opposing surface 31a assumes an upright position compared to the reference position T1. The first bumper 14 is then pushed relative to the opposing surface 31 toward the side X1 approaching in the direction of travel by the reaction force from the upper opposing surface 31a, thereby stopping the drive unit 12 of the transport vehicle 10. In this example, the contact portion 42 of the locking portion 4 is configured to contact the lower surface 29 of the rail and lock into the groove 61, but this is not the only configuration. For example, if the groove 61 is not formed on the lower surface 29 of the rail, the contact portion 42, which is an elastic member, can contact the lower surface 29 of the rail, and the contact portion 42 can elastically deform and press against the lower surface 29 of the rail from below, thereby locking the locking portion 4 to the lower surface 29 of the rail.

[0038] [Other Embodiments] (1) In the above embodiment, the running bogie section 17 was described as being guided by a pair of running rails 20, but the system is not limited to this configuration. For example, the running bogie section 17 may be guided by a single running rail 20.

[0039] (2) In the above embodiment, an example was described in which the main body 3 and the connecting part 5 are made of separate members, and the contact portion 42 of the locking part 4 is made of a separate member from the connecting part 5, but the invention is not limited to this. For example, the main body 3, the connecting part 5, and the locking part 4 may each be made of separate members, or they may all be formed integrally.

[0040] (3) In the above embodiment, the opposing surface 31 was described as having a concave shape recessed on the side X2 away from the direction of travel, but the invention is not limited to this. The opposing surface 31 may be, for example, a planar shape along the vertical direction and the width direction Y. Thus, the shape of the opposing surface 31 can be changed as appropriate.

[0041] (4) In the above embodiment, the supported portion 34 was described as being configured using the edge X1 on the side approaching in the direction of travel on the bottom surface 33, but the invention is not limited to this configuration. For example, the supported portion 34 can also be configured using the edge of a different surface that is not adjacent to the bottom surface 33. On the other hand, in the reference posture T1 of Figure 5, the shape of the supported portion 34 can be a surface that abuts the travel surface 21. In this case, it is preferable to make the dimension of the supported portion 34 in the direction of travel X relatively small so that the travel restricting device 1 can easily change its posture. Thus, the shape and position of the supported portion 34 can be changed as appropriate.

[0042] (5) In the above embodiment, a configuration in which the contact portion 42 is detachably attached to a portion of the locking portion 4 other than the contact portion 42 was described as an example, but the invention is not limited to this. For example, the entire locking portion 4 (here, the contact portion 42 and the locking body portion 43) may be configured to be detachably attached to the connecting portion 5. In this case, the target portion 40 is the connecting portion 5.

[0043] (6) In the above embodiment, a configuration in which both of the pair of widthwise guide portions 44 function as the connecting portion 5 was described as an example, but the invention is not limited to this. For example, each of the pair of widthwise guide portions 44 may be provided as a separate member from the connecting portion 5.

[0044] (7) In the above embodiment, a configuration in which at least one of the pair of connecting parts 5 is detachably attached to the main body part 3 was described as an example, but the embodiment is not limited to this. Both of the pair of connecting parts 5 may be configured to be detachably attached to the main body part 3, or both of the pair of connecting parts 5 may not be configured to be detachably attached to the main body part 3.

[0045] (8) In the above embodiment, the running restriction device 1 was described as having a configuration in which a pair of connecting parts 5 correspond to each of the pair of locking parts 4, but it is not limited to this. As shown in Figure 6, the connecting part 5 may be provided on only one side in the width direction Y with respect to the running surface 21 and be integrally configured with the main body part 3. In this example, the running restriction device 1 is provided with a locking part 4 that locks to the lower surface 29 of the rail on the first side Y1 in the width direction, and no locking part 4 that locks to the lower surface 29 of the rail on the second side Y2 in the width direction is provided. For this reason, a first connecting part 54 that connects the locking part 4 and the main body part 3 is provided on the first side Y1 in the width direction, and no second connecting part 53 is provided. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 6, a width-direction guide portion 44 is provided on the other side of the running surface 21 in the width direction Y, and the connecting portion 5 and the width-direction guide portion 44 are configured to sandwich the running rail 20 from both sides in the width direction Y when the main body portion 3 is placed on the running surface 21. In this example, the width-direction guide portion 44 is provided on the second side Y2 in the width direction of the running surface 21, which is the side where the locking portion 4 is not provided. Specifically, the width-direction guide portion 44 is fixed to the end of the main body portion 3 on the second side Y2 in the width direction. The first connecting portion 54 and the width-direction guide portion 44 then sandwich the running rail 20 (here, the rail main body portion 20a) from both sides in the width direction Y. In the example in Figure 6, the first connecting portion 54 functions as the width-direction guide portion 44. Therefore, it can also be said that the running restriction device 1 is provided with a pair of width-direction guide portions 44 arranged separately in the width direction Y.

[0046] (9) The configurations disclosed in each of the embodiments described above can be applied in combination with configurations disclosed in other embodiments (including combinations of embodiments described as other embodiments), as long as no inconsistencies arise. With regard to other configurations, the embodiments disclosed herein are merely illustrative in all respects. Therefore, various modifications can be made as appropriate without departing from the spirit of this disclosure.

[0047] [Summary of the above embodiments] The following is a summary of the driving restriction devices described above.

[0048] The travel restriction device according to this disclosure is for restricting the travel of a transport vehicle in a transport facility comprising: a travel rail having an upward-facing travel surface and a lower rail surface positioned below the travel surface and facing downward; a transport vehicle having wheels that roll on the travel surface of the travel rail, a drive device for the wheels, and a bumper positioned above the travel surface and stopping the drive device upon collision with an obstacle, and traveling along the travel rail, the travel restriction device for restricting the travel of the transport vehicle, The main body is placed on the aforementioned running surface, A locking portion is positioned opposite the lower surface of the rail, The device comprises a connecting portion which integrally connects the main body portion and the locking portion on the outside in the width direction relative to the running surface, with the direction along the running rail being the running direction and the direction perpendicular to the running direction when viewed from above being the width direction, The side moving away from the bumper in the aforementioned direction of travel is defined as the side moving away from the bumper in the aforementioned direction of travel, and the side moving closer to the bumper in the aforementioned direction of travel is defined as the side moving closer to the bumper in the aforementioned direction of travel. The main body comprises an opposing surface positioned opposite the bumper from the side away from the direction of travel when placed on the travel surface, and a supported portion which is the part that is supported by the travel surface when the opposing surface is pressed by the bumper toward the side away from the direction of travel. The locking portion is configured to contact the lower surface of the rail at a point closer to the rail in the direction of travel than the opposing surface and the supported portion, when the opposing surface is pressed by the bumper toward the away side in the direction of travel.

[0049] In this configuration, if the transport vehicle moves unintentionally and the bumper presses against the opposing surface, the main body is supported by the running surface at the supported portion, and the locking portion abuts against and presses against the underside of the rail on the side closer to the opposing surface and the supported portion in the direction of travel. In this way, the travel restriction device can be fixed to the running rail by utilizing the pressing force of the bumper against the opposing surface and the frictional force with the running rail caused by pressing the locking portion against the underside of the rail. Therefore, since the bumper can be pushed back by the opposing surface, the drive system of the transport vehicle can be reliably brought to an emergency stop. Furthermore, with this configuration, the main body can be placed on the running surface and the locking part can be positioned opposite the underside of the rail, making it easy to install the running restriction device on the running rail. Furthermore, this configuration utilizes the pressing force of the bumper against the opposing surface to fix the travel restrictor to the travel rail through frictional force with the travel rail. Therefore, even after the transport vehicle has been stopped by the travel restrictor, the travel restrictor can be easily removed from the travel rail simply by separating the locking part from the underside of the rail.

[0050] In this case, it is preferable that the opposing surface has a concave shape that is recessed on the side separated in the direction of travel, so that the tip portion of the bumper on the side separated in the direction of travel fits into it.

[0051] This configuration reduces the possibility that when the bumper presses against the opposing surface, the tip of the bumper may detach vertically from the opposing surface, preventing proper pressure from being applied. Therefore, the reliability of the operation of fixing the vehicle control device to the vehicle rail using the pressure applied by the bumper against the opposing surface can be improved.

[0052] Furthermore, the main body portion includes a bottom surface configured to be parallel to the running surface when the opposing surface is pressed by the bumper and the locking portion is in contact with the lower surface of the rail, Preferably, the supported portion is formed using the edge of the bottom surface on the side approaching in the direction of travel.

[0053] With this configuration, the supported portion can be formed using the edge on the side approaching in the direction of travel on the bottom surface of the main body, making it easier to simplify the structure of the main body. Furthermore, with this configuration, the locking portion is in contact with the underside of the rail, and the bottom surface of the main body is parallel to the running surface. This makes it easier to secure a large frictional force between the bottom surface of the main body and the running surface. Consequently, it is easier to increase the force that fixes the running restriction device to the running rail. Furthermore, this configuration allows the main body to rotate easily around the supported part as a pivot point, thus increasing the force with which the locking part contacts the underside of the rail. Consequently, the force that secures the running restriction device to the running rail can be effectively increased.

[0054] Furthermore, it is preferable that the portion of the locking portion that abuts against the lower surface of the rail is designated as the contact portion, and that at least the contact portion is configured to be detachably attached to a target portion which is either the connecting portion or a portion of the locking portion other than the contact portion.

[0055] With this configuration, even if the contact portion is damaged by contact with the underside of the rail, it can be replaced with another contact portion. In this way, by making the relatively easily damaged contact portion detachable, it is not necessary to replace the entire running control device due to damage to the contact portion.

[0056] Furthermore, each of the two sides in the width direction of the running rail is considered a rail side, The main body is further provided with a pair of widthwise guide portions, which are integrally fixed to the main body and are arranged to face the pair of rail sides from both outer sides in the width direction, thereby restricting the movement of the main body in the width direction. It is preferable that at least one of the pair of widthwise guide portions is configured to also function as the connecting portion.

[0057] This configuration allows the train travel restriction device to be easily positioned at the correct widthwise location relative to the running rail, and also prevents the train travel restriction device from shifting in the widthwise direction even when the opposing surface is pressed against by the bumper. Therefore, when the opposing surface is pressed against by the bumper, the locking portion can be reliably brought into contact with the underside of the rail.

[0058] Furthermore, it is provided with a pair of locking parts, and a pair of connecting parts corresponding to each of the pair of locking parts, The pair of connecting parts are configured to sandwich the running rail from both sides in the width direction when the main body is placed on the running surface. It is preferable that at least one of the pair of connecting parts is configured to be detachably attached to the main body.

[0059] According to this configuration, since it includes a pair of connecting parts and a pair of locking parts connected to the main body by each connecting part, when the opposing surface is pressed by the bumper, the load can be evenly supported in the width direction by the locking parts on both sides in the width direction. Therefore, even if there is a bias in the width direction in the pressing force applied by the bumper to the opposing surface, the load of the bumper can be stably supported and the running restriction device can be fixed to the running rail. Furthermore, with this configuration, since the pair of connecting parts are configured to sandwich the running rail from both sides in the width direction, the running restriction device can be easily positioned in the correct width direction relative to the running rail, and even if the opposing surface is pressed by the bumper, the running restriction device can be prevented from shifting in the width direction. Furthermore, with this configuration, by removing at least one of the pair of connecting parts from the main body, the train travel restriction device, which is pressed by the bumper, can be easily removed from the train travel rail.

[0060] Furthermore, the connecting portion is provided on only one side in the width direction with respect to the running surface and is integrally formed with the main body portion. A widthwise guide portion is provided on the other side in the widthwise direction relative to the running surface, and is integrally fixed to the main body portion. Preferably, the connecting portion and the widthwise guide portion are configured to sandwich the running rail from both sides in the widthwise direction when the main body portion is placed on the running surface.

[0061] With this configuration, since the connecting and locking parts are provided on only one side in the width direction, installation of the running control device on the running rail becomes easier compared to a configuration in which they are provided on both sides in the width direction. Furthermore, with this configuration, since the connecting section and the widthwise guide section are configured to sandwich the running rail from both sides in the widthwise direction, the running restriction device can be easily positioned at an appropriate widthwise position relative to the running rail, and even if the opposing surface is pressed by the bumper, the running restriction device can be prevented from shifting in the widthwise direction. Therefore, this configuration makes it possible to achieve both ease of installation of the vehicle control device on the vehicle rail and stability of the vehicle control device's position when the opposing surface is pressed against by the bumper.

[0062] The driving restriction device described herein only needs to achieve at least one of the effects described above. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0063] 1: Vehicle traffic control device 3: Main body 4: Locking part 5:Connection part 9: Conveying equipment 10: Transport vehicle 11: Wheels 12: Drive unit 16:Tip 20: Running rails 21: Running surface 23: Side of the rail 29: Underside of the rail 31: facing each other 33: Bottom 34: Supported Department 40:Correspondence Department 42: When connecting parts 44: Width direction ガイド section X: Direction of travel X1: Traveling direction is closer to the side X2: Traveling direction, separation side Y: width direction

Claims

1. A transport system comprising: a travel rail having an upward-facing travel surface and a lower rail surface positioned below the travel surface and facing downward; a transport vehicle having wheels that roll on the travel surface of the travel rail, a drive device for the wheels, and a bumper positioned above the travel surface to stop the drive device upon collision with an obstacle, and traveling along the travel rail, wherein a travel restriction device for restricting the travel of the transport vehicle is provided, The main body is placed on the aforementioned running surface, A locking portion is positioned opposite the lower surface of the rail, The device comprises a connecting portion which integrally connects the main body portion and the locking portion on the outside in the width direction relative to the running surface, with the direction along the running rail being the running direction and the direction perpendicular to the running direction when viewed from above being the width direction, The side moving away from the bumper in the aforementioned direction of travel is defined as the side moving away from the bumper in the aforementioned direction of travel, and the side moving closer to the bumper in the aforementioned direction of travel is defined as the side moving closer to the bumper in the aforementioned direction of travel. The main body comprises an opposing surface positioned opposite the bumper from the side away from the direction of travel when placed on the travel surface, and a supported portion which is the part that is supported by the travel surface when the opposing surface is pressed by the bumper toward the side away from the direction of travel. A travel restriction device wherein the locking portion is configured to contact the lower surface of the rail at a point closer to the travel direction than the opposing surface and the supported portion when the opposing surface is pressed by the bumper toward the away side in the travel direction.

2. The driving restriction device according to claim 1, wherein the opposing surface has a concave shape that is recessed on the side away from the direction of travel so that the tip portion of the bumper on the side away from the direction of travel can be fitted into it.

3. The main body portion includes a bottom surface configured to be parallel to the running surface when the opposing surface is pressed by the bumper and the locking portion is in contact with the lower surface of the rail, The travel restriction device according to claim 1, wherein the supported portion is formed using the edge of the bottom surface on the side approaching in the direction of travel.

4. The running restriction device according to claim 1, wherein the portion of the locking portion that contacts the lower surface of the rail is designated as the contact portion, and at least the contact portion is configured to be detachably attached to a target portion which is either the connecting portion or a portion of the locking portion other than the contact portion.

5. Each of the two sides in the width direction of the running rail is considered a rail side, The main body is further provided with a pair of widthwise guide portions, which are integrally fixed to the main body and are arranged to face the pair of rail sides from both outer sides in the width direction, thereby restricting the movement of the main body in the width direction. The travel restriction device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein at least one of the pair of widthwise guide portions is configured to also function as the connecting portion.

6. It is provided with a pair of the aforementioned locking parts, and each of the pair of aforementioned locking parts is provided with a pair of the aforementioned connecting parts, The pair of connecting parts are configured to sandwich the running rail from both sides in the width direction when the main body is placed on the running surface. The driving restriction device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein at least one of the pair of connecting parts is configured to be detachably attached to the main body.

7. The connecting portion is provided on only one side in the width direction with respect to the running surface and is integrally formed with the main body portion. A widthwise guide portion is provided on the other side in the widthwise direction relative to the running surface, and is integrally fixed to the main body portion. The running restriction device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the connecting portion and the widthwise guide portion are configured to sandwich the running rail from both sides in the widthwise direction when the main body portion is placed on the running surface.

Images