Conveying system and conveying method

Abstract

To provide improved transportation system and transportation method.SOLUTION: A transportation system 1 comprise a duct line 20 having a travelling surface 21 formed with a ferromagnetic body and extending from a first level 11 to second levels 12, 13 different from the first level 11 of a building 10, and a travelling body 30 having a magnet M and movable in the duct line 20 along the duct line 20 with the magnet M attached to the travelling surface 21, and a cargo is loaded on the travelling body 30 and the cargo is transported from the first level 11 to the second levels 12, 13. A transportation method is also provided.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a conveying system and a conveying method for conveying luggage in a building.

Background Art

[0002] In order to efficiently convey luggage in a building, various conveying systems or conveying methods are used.

[0003] For example, in a medical institution such as a hospital, many items such as drugs, medical materials, steel small parts, specimens, documents, etc. are handled, and it is necessary to convey these items to a predetermined place regularly, temporarily, or urgently. Therefore, a conveying system using an air shooter is constructed in the hospital to convey the items. However, the air shooter is expensive and has a problem that it is difficult to cope with future plan changes.

[0004] Therefore, in recent years, a conveying system using a robot that runs on the passage in the hospital and a conveying system using a drone that flies in the air-conditioning duct installed in the building have been developed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] However, in the conveying system using a robot, since the passage used by patients is utilized, there is a risk that the robot may collide with patients or the like. In addition, in the conveying system using a flying drone, there are problems such as noise during flight, conveying route, and limitation of the load that can be conveyed (the limit is light items such as several blood collection tubes). Therefore, a more improved conveying system and conveying method have been desired.

[0007] The present invention aims to solve these problems, and its objective is to provide an improved conveying system and conveying method. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The transport system of the present invention is equipped with a travel surface formed of a ferromagnetic material and transports from a first floor of a building to a second floor different from the first floor. Standing straight in a vertical position The extending pipeline and, Multiple inlet portions connected to the side of the conduit and extending horizontally from the conduit, Equipped with a magnet, the magnet is attracted to the running surface and inside the pipe and the interior of the retractable portion to the aforementioned conduit or the aforementioned retractable portion A mobile body that can move along a certain line, and a load is loaded onto the mobile body and the load is transported from the first level to the second level. Transport Transmission system The mobile body is configured to include a control device and a reading unit for controlling the operation of the mobile body, and to recognize its current position by reading position information markers provided on the inner surface of the pipeline or the pull-in portion using the reading unit, and to control the mobile body based on the current position. .

[0009] In the above configuration of the transport system of the present invention, it is preferable that the conduit is located on the outer wall of the building.

[0010] In the conveying system of the present invention, it is preferable that the internal space of the pipeline is divided into a forward path and a return path.

[0011] The present invention provides a transport method comprising a travel surface formed of a ferromagnetic material, for transporting from a first floor of a building to a second floor different from the first floor. Standing straight in a vertical position Extending pipeline And, a plurality of inlet portions connected to the side of the conduit and extending horizontally from the conduit, The building is provided with a magnet, and the magnet is attached to the running surface and inside the pipeline and the interior of the retractable portion to the aforementioned conduit or the aforementioned retractable portion A vehicle that can move along the line is loaded with cargo, and the cargo is transported from the first level to the second level. A transport method characterized in that the transport body comprises a control device and a reading unit for controlling the operation of the transport body, and the reading unit reads position information markers provided on the inner surface of the pipeline or the pull-in portion to recognize the current position, and the control device controls the transport body based on the current position. . [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to the present invention, an improved conveying system and conveying method can be provided. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0013] [Figure 1] This is a cross-sectional view of a building provided with a transport system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is an explanatory view showing the appearance of the building shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 3] This is an explanatory view schematically showing the configuration of the traveling body shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 4] This is a cross-sectional view showing an example of the internal space of the pipeline. [Figure 5] This is a cross-sectional view showing another example of the internal space of the pipeline.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0014] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be exemplified and described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0015] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a transport system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention is provided in a building 10 having a plurality of floors, and conveys luggage from the first floor of the building 10 to a second floor different from the first floor.

[0016] In this embodiment, the building 10 is a hospital and has a plurality of floors including a first floor part 11, a second floor part 12, and a third floor part 13.

[0017] A storage room 14 is provided in the first floor part 11 of the building 10. In the storage room 14, articles 15 used in various places in the hospital, such as linen and medical materials (PPE), are stored. Note that the storage room 14 is not limited to the first floor part 11 of the building 10 and may be provided on other floors.

[0018] On the other hand, on the second floor part 12 and the third floor part of the building 10, rooms that require the above-mentioned articles 15, such as examination rooms 16 and nurse stations 17, are provided. Note that rooms that require the above-mentioned articles 15, such as examination rooms 16 and nurse stations 17, may be provided on other floors as long as they are provided on floors different from the floor where the storage room 14 is provided.

[0019] The transport system 1 includes a conduit 20 that extends from the first floor 11 to the second floor 12 and third floor 13 of the building 10, and a traveling body 30 that can move along the conduit 20 inside the conduit 20.

[0020] The conduit 20 is a rectangular tube with a rectangular cross-section perpendicular to the axial direction, and its inner surface is equipped with a running surface 21 made of a ferromagnetic material such as iron. In this embodiment, the conduit 20 is formed from a thin steel plate into a rectangular tube shape, and all four of its inner surfaces function as running surfaces 21 made of a ferromagnetic material.

[0021] Furthermore, the conduit 20 can be formed in the shape of a rectangular tube with a rectangular cross-section perpendicular to the axial direction using a material that does not attract magnets, such as synthetic resin, and a running surface 21 made of a ferromagnetic material can be fixed to one of its faces.

[0022] In this embodiment, the conduit 20 is attached to the outer surface of the outer wall 18 of the building 10 and positioned on the outer wall 18. As shown in Figure 2, the conduit 20 extends straight in a vertical position from the first floor 11 to the second floor 12 and third floor 13 on the outer wall 18 of the building 10.

[0023] As shown in Figure 1, the conduit 20 can also be configured with a service entrance section 22 connected to it. The service entrance section 22, like the conduit 20, is formed from thin steel plate into a rectangular tubular shape with a cross-section perpendicular to the axial direction. It is connected to the side of the conduit 20 and extends horizontally from the conduit 20, penetrating the outer wall 18, to reach the interior of the building 10. The internal space of the service entrance section 22 is in communication with the internal space of the conduit 20.

[0024] The retraction section 22 can be configured to extend horizontally through the interior of, for example, the storage room 14, the examination room 16, or the nurse station 17 and open at the workbench 19. Alternatively, the retraction section 22 can be configured to extend horizontally through the space above the ceiling 12a of the second floor 12, and then extend downwards to open at the workbench 19. The retraction section 22 can be placed in various locations, such as the underside of the floor or ceiling, as long as it is connected to the conduit 20 and extends to a desired location inside the building 10.

[0025] As shown in Figure 3, the vehicle 30 can be configured to be capable of autonomous driving, for example, by providing a vehicle body 31, a plurality of wheels 32 (four in the illustrated case) attached to the vehicle body 31, a drive source 33 such as an electric motor for driving the wheels 32, a battery 34 for supplying power to the drive source 33, and a control device 35 for controlling the operation of the vehicle 30.

[0026] The vehicle body 30 is equipped with an input unit 36 ​​on the vehicle body 31, and the control device 35 controls the vehicle based on destination information entered by the operator through the input unit 36, so that it can automatically move through the pipeline 20 to the desired destination.

[0027] Furthermore, the vehicle body 30 is equipped with a reading unit 38 on the vehicle body 31, and the reading unit 38 reads the position information marker 40 provided on the inner surface of the conduit 20 or the pull-in section 22 to recognize the current position. Based on this current position, the control device 35 performs control so that the vehicle can automatically move through the conduit 20 to the desired destination. In this case, a barcode can be used as the position information marker 40 provided on the inner surface of the conduit 20 or the pull-in section 22. With this configuration, the vehicle body 30 can be moved autonomously to the desired destination with high accuracy.

[0028] The running body 30 is equipped with magnets M that are attracted to the running surface 21, which is made of a ferromagnetic material. In this embodiment, the wheels 32 of the running body 30 are made of magnets M. As the magnets M that make up the wheels 32, for example, permanent magnets such as neodymium magnets can be used, but electromagnets may also be used.

[0029] The traveling body 30 is able to move vertically along the vertically extending conduit 20, that is, along the vertically extending conduit 20, by having its wheels 32 formed of magnets M, which attract the wheels 32 to the running surface 21.

[0030] Furthermore, the running body 30 may be configured to have magnets M on parts other than the wheels 32, and to run on the wheels 32 while the magnets M are attracted to the running surface 21. Alternatively, the running body 30 may be configured to run on tracks instead of wheels 32. In this case, it is preferable to have magnets M on the tracks and to run on the tracks while they are attracted to the running surface 21, but it is also possible to have magnets M on parts other than the tracks and run on the tracks while the magnets M are attracted to the running surface 21.

[0031] The vehicle 30 is equipped with a cargo bed 37. The vehicle 30 can carry goods 15 as cargo on the cargo bed 37. Preferably, the cargo bed 37 is provided with a mechanism to secure the goods 15 to the cargo bed 37 in order to prevent the goods 15 from falling off the cargo bed 37 when the vehicle 30 moves vertically along the pipeline 20. The vehicle 30 can be configured in various ways to carry goods 15 as cargo, such as by having a cargo compartment capable of storing goods 15 instead of the cargo bed 37.

[0032] Next, a method for transporting articles 15 from the storage room 14 to the examination room 16 or nurse station 17 using the transport system 1 having the above configuration will be described (a transport method according to one embodiment of the present invention).

[0033] First, at the workbench 19 in the examination room 16, the desired item 15 is loaded onto the cargo bed 37 of the vehicle 30.

[0034] Next, the input unit 36 ​​is operated to input the desired destination to the control device 35. For example, to deliver goods 15 to the nurse station 17 on the third floor 13, the location information of the nurse station 17 on the third floor 13 is input to the input unit 36.

[0035] Next, the vehicle 30, loaded with the item 15 and with its destination entered, is moved from the opening of the retraction section 22 toward the pipeline 20. As a result, the vehicle 30, carrying the item 15 as cargo, reaches the pipeline 20 from the retraction section 22, then uses the magnet M to attract to the running surface 21 and travels vertically through the inside of the pipeline 20, moving from the first floor 11 to the third floor 13. Upon reaching the third floor 13, it passes through the retraction section 22 and moves to the workbench 19 installed at the nurse station 17.

[0036] Furthermore, the connection between the conduit 20 and the inlet section 22 can be, for example, made into a curved shape that allows the traveling body 30 to move smoothly, or the traveling body 30 can be configured to have a mechanism that allows it to overcome the corners of the connection section.

[0037] Once the vehicle 30 has moved to the workbench 19 at the nurse station 17, the goods 15 are unloaded from the vehicle 30's cargo bed 37, and the transport is complete.

[0038] Furthermore, the retraction section 22 can be connected to storage equipment such as shelves, and after the vehicle 30 moves to the storage equipment, a handling device or the like can be used to automatically store the cargo from the vehicle 30 into the storage equipment.

[0039] Thus, according to the transport system 1 or transport method of this embodiment, cargo can be transported quickly by the transport vehicle 30 without requiring a large number of personnel for transport, thereby reducing labor costs related to transport.

[0040] Furthermore, in the transport system 1 or transport method of this embodiment, the transport vehicle 30 loaded with cargo is moved from one floor to another using a dedicated conduit 20 installed in the building 10 as its route. This allows for the safe transport of cargo without the transport vehicle 30 coming into contact with people such as patients in the passages of the building 10.

[0041] Furthermore, in the transport system 1 or transport method of this embodiment, the traveling body 30 is configured to travel inside the pipeline 20 by attracting magnets M to the traveling surface 21. Therefore, it is possible to transport heavier and larger loads compared to a transport system using a drone flying inside an air conditioning duct.

[0042] Furthermore, in the transport system 1 or transport method of this embodiment, the traveling body 30 is configured to travel inside the pipeline 20 by attracting magnets M to the traveling surface 21. Therefore, unlike a drone flying inside an air conditioning duct, it can reliably transport cargo without being affected by wind and causing crashes or collisions.

[0043] Furthermore, in the transport system 1 or transport method of this embodiment, the conduit 20 is arranged on the outer wall 18 of the building 10. Therefore, if the layout and arrangement of the storage room 14, examination room 16, nurse station 17, etc. are changed due to renovations of the building 10, the arrangement or route of the conduit 20 attached to the outer wall 18 can be changed to match the changed plan, making it easy to adapt to the change in the plan.

[0044] In the transport system 1 or transport method of this embodiment, a large amount of cargo can be transported more efficiently by having multiple traveling bodies 30 simultaneously travel along the pipeline 20 or the access section 22.

[0045] In this case, to prevent the traveling bodies 30 from colliding with each other inside the conduit 20 or the inlet portion 22, the internal space can be divided into a forward path and a return path. More specifically, as shown in Figure 4, the conduit 20 can be configured such that the forward path 20a and the return path 20b are arranged left and right by dividing the internal space into left and right sections by a partition wall 23, or as shown in Figure 5, the conduit 20 can be configured such that the forward path 20a and the return path 20b are arranged vertically by dividing the internal space into upper and lower sections by a partition wall 23. In either case, a traveling surface 21 made of a ferromagnetic material is provided for both the forward path 20a and the return path 20b.

[0046] In this configuration, the worker places the vehicle 30 loaded with goods 15 as cargo on the outbound route 20a and transports the cargo along the outbound route 20a. Conversely, after the cargo is unloaded from the vehicle 30 upon arrival at the desired destination, the worker places the vehicle 30 without cargo on the return route 20b and moves the vehicle 30 to the storage room 14 along the return route 20b. This reliably prevents collisions between the two vehicles 30 traveling in opposite directions inside the pipeline 20, and prevents the vehicle 30 from falling inside the pipeline 20, causing blockages in the pipeline 20 and preventing the vehicle 30 from traveling through the pipeline 20.

[0047] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and it goes without saying that various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0048] For example, in the above embodiment, the building 10 was a hospital, but it is not limited to this, and the building 10 may be used for other purposes, such as an office building or a factory.

[0049] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the items 15 transported by the vehicle 30 were linens and medical supplies (PPE), but the vehicle is not limited to these, and various other items may be transported as cargo.

[0050] Furthermore, although the above embodiment shows the conduit 20 being located on the outer wall 18, the conduit 20 may also be located in the area inside the outer wall 18 of the building 10, that is, inside the building 10.

[0051] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the conduit 20 is shaped to extend straight vertically, but it is not limited to this, and its shape can be changed in various ways as needed, for example, by providing a portion that branches off from the portion that extends straight vertically and extends horizontally along the outer wall 18. Also, the cross-sectional shape of the conduit 20 is not limited to a rectangular shape, but can be any shape as long as it is a shape that the traveling body 30 can travel through.

[0052] Furthermore, although the above embodiment shows that the inlet portion 22 is connected to the conduit 20, the invention is not limited to this, and the traveling body 30 may be configured to enter and exit the conduit 20 through an opening provided in the outer wall 18 without providing the inlet portion 22. [Explanation of symbols]

[0053] 1. Conveying System 10 Buildings 11. First floor (first level) 12. Second floor (second level) 12a Attic space 13. Third floor (second level) 14 Storage room 15 Goods 16 Examination room 17 Nurse Station 18 Exterior Wall 19 Workbench 20 conduit 20a Outbound 20b Return trip 21 Running surface 22 Retraction section 23 Bulkhead 30 Running bodies 31 Body 32 wheels 33 Power source 34 batteries 35 Control device 36 Input section 37 Cargo bed 38 Reading Unit 40 Location information sign M magnet

Claims

1. A conduit having a running surface formed of a ferromagnetic material, extending straight in a vertical position from a first floor of a building to a second floor different from the first floor, Multiple inlet portions connected to the side of the conduit and extending horizontally from the conduit, It comprises a traveling body equipped with a magnet, which is able to move along the inside of the conduit and the inside of the retraction portion by attracting the magnet to the traveling surface, A transport system that loads cargo onto the vehicle and transports the cargo from the first level to the second level, A transport system characterized in that the traveling body comprises a control device and a reading unit for controlling the operation of the traveling body, the reading unit reads a position information marker provided on the inner surface of the pipeline or the pull-in portion to recognize the current position, and the control device controls the traveling body based on the current position.

2. The transport system according to claim 1, wherein the conduit is located on the outer wall of the building.

3. The transport system according to claim 1, wherein the internal space of the pipeline is divided into a forward path and a return path.

4. A pipeline is provided in the building, having a running surface made of a ferromagnetic material, extending straight in a vertical position from a first floor of the building to a second floor different from the first floor, and a plurality of inlet portions are connected to the side of the pipeline and extend horizontally from the pipeline. A transport method for transporting cargo from a first level to a second level, comprising: a transport body equipped with a magnet, wherein the magnet is attracted to the travel surface, and the transport body is capable of moving along the inside of the pipeline and the inside of the retraction section, and the cargo is loaded onto the transport body. A transport method characterized in that the transport body is equipped with a control device and a reading unit for controlling the operation of the transport body, and the reading unit reads a position information marker provided on the inner surface of the pipeline or the pull-in portion to recognize the current position, and the control device controls the transport body based on the current position.

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