Conveying system

Abstract

To provide a transport system capable of suppressing an unintended behavior of a carrier even in the case of shutting off the supply of electric power to a transport stage.SOLUTION: A transport system 100 comprises a transport stage 10, a carrier 60 and a control section 80. The carrier 60 has a permanent magnet, and the transport stage 10 has a magnetic-force generating unit 26. The transport stage 10 has power shut-off slated and retreat zones allowed to independently shut off electric power respectively to be fed to the magnetic-force generating unit 26. The power shut-off slated zone is a zone for which electric power shut-off is slated, and the retreat zone 32 is a zone for which electric power supply is slated to continue. The control section 80 executes control to retreat the carrier 60 from the power shut-off slated zone for which electric power shut-off is slated to the retreat zone 32 for which electric power supply is slated to continue.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a conveyance system and a production method.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a conveyance system (displacement device in the same document) including a conveyance stage (working area in the same document) and a conveyance device (movable stage in the same document) that holds an article and moves along the conveyance stage. The conveyance device has a permanent magnet for levitating and moving the conveyance device by magnetic force applied from the conveyance stage, and the conveyance stage has a magnetic force generation unit that generates a magnetic force for levitating and moving the conveyance device from the conveyance stage by electric power.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the above-described conveyance system, when the power supply to the conveyance stage is cut off, the conveyance device may behave unexpectedly due to the magnetic force of the permanent magnet.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and relates to a conveyance system capable of suppressing unexpected behavior of a conveyance device even when the power supply to the conveyance stage is cut off.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The present invention relates to a transport system comprising a transport stage, a transport device that holds an article and moves on the transport stage, and a control unit that performs control including the movement of the transport device, wherein the transport device has a permanent magnet, the transport stage has a magnetic force generating unit that generates magnetic force using electric power, and the transport device levitates and moves due to the interaction between the magnetic force generating unit and the permanent magnet, the transport stage has a power cutoff area and a refuge area, the power cutoff area is an area where power cutoff is scheduled, and the refuge area is an area where power supply is scheduled to continue, and the control unit performs control to refuge the transport device from the power cutoff area to the refuge area.

[0007] Furthermore, the present invention relates to a method for producing a finished product of an article by performing work on the article using the transport system of the present invention, wherein the transport stage has work areas and movement path areas that can independently cut off the power supplied to the magnetic force generating unit, the transport stage has a plurality of work areas and each work area is provided with a work device, the movement path areas connect the work areas, and the finished product is produced by sequentially performing work on the article using the work devices, a correspondence is made between each work area and whether or not that work area is a power cut-off area, and after moving the transport device from the power cut-off area to the refuge area, the power supply to the power cut-off area is cut off. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, the control unit moves the transport device from the power-off zone where power is scheduled to be cut off to the temporary zone where power supply is scheduled to continue. Therefore, even if the power supply to the power-off zone is cut off, it is possible to suppress unintended behavior of the transport device. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is a schematic plan view of the transport system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 2(a) is a front view of the finished product in the first embodiment, and Figure 2(b) shows the state in which the cap portion has been removed from the state shown in Figure 2(a). [Figure 3] Figure 3(a) is a perspective view of the conveying device in the first embodiment, and Figure 3(b) is a perspective view of the permanent magnet of the conveying device. [Figure 4] Figure 4(a) is a perspective view of the segment in the first embodiment, and Figure 4(b) is a perspective view of the magnetic field generating section of the segment. [Figure 5] This is a block diagram of the transport system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] This is a schematic plan view of the transport system according to the first embodiment, showing an example of the movement path of the transport device. [Figure 7] This is a schematic plan view showing the first work area and its surrounding structure in the first embodiment, and shows an example of the movement path of the conveying device. [Figure 8] This is a schematic plan view of the transport system according to the first embodiment, showing an example of the movement path when the transport device moves away from the work area. [Figure 9] This is a schematic plan view of the transport system according to the first embodiment, showing an example of the movement path when the transport device returns to the work area. [Figure 10] Figures 10(a), 10(a), and 10(c) are schematic plan views showing examples of the arrangement of multiple transport devices that have been moved to a refuge area. [Figure 11] This is a schematic plan view of a transport system according to a modified example 1 of the first embodiment, showing an example of the movement path of the transport device. [Figure 12] This is a schematic plan view of a transport system according to a modified example 2 of the first embodiment, showing an example of the movement path of the transport device. [Figure 13] This is a schematic plan view of the transport system according to the second embodiment, showing an example of the movement path when the transport device moves away from the work area. [Figure 14]It is a schematic plan view of the conveyance system according to the second embodiment, showing a state in which the conveyance device has completed its retreat to the retreat section from the state shown in FIG. 13. [Figure 15] It is a block diagram of the conveyance system according to the second embodiment. [Figure 16] It is a schematic plan view of the conveyance system according to a modification of the second embodiment, showing an example of the movement path when the conveyance device retreats from the work section. [Figure 17] It is a schematic plan view of the conveyance system according to a modification of the second embodiment, showing an example of the state in which the conveyance device is arranged from the state shown in FIG. 16. [Figure 18] It is a schematic plan view of the conveyance system according to a modification of the second embodiment, showing an example of the process in which the conveyance device returns to the work section from the state shown in FIG. 17. [Figure 19] It is a schematic plan view showing the first work section and its peripheral structure in the third embodiment, showing an example of the movement path when the conveyance device retreats from the first work section. [Figure 20] It is a schematic plan view of the conveyance system according to the third embodiment, showing a state in which the conveyance device has completed its retreat to the retreat section from the state shown in FIG. 19. [Figure 21] It is a schematic plan view showing the first work section and its peripheral structure in the third embodiment, showing an example of the movement path when the conveyance device returns to the first work section. [Figure 22] It is a schematic plan view showing the first work section and its peripheral structure in the third embodiment, showing a state in which the return of the conveyance device to the first work section has been completed from the state shown in FIG. 21. [Figure 23] It is a schematic plan view showing the first work section and its peripheral structure in a modification of the third embodiment, showing an example of the movement path when the conveyance device returns to the first work section. [Figure 24] It is a schematic plan view showing the first work section and its peripheral structure in a modification of the third embodiment, showing a state in which the return of the conveyance device to the first work section has been completed from the state shown in FIG. 23.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0010] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In all the drawings, the same reference numerals are given to the same components, and redundant descriptions will be omitted as appropriate.

[0011] 〔First Embodiment〕 First, the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 10. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 5 and the like, the transport system 100 according to the present embodiment includes a transport stage 10, a transport device 60 that holds an article and moves on the transport stage 10, and a control unit 80 that performs a control operation including control of the movement of the transport device 60. As shown in FIG. 3, the transport device 60 has a permanent magnet for levitating and moving the transport device 60 by the magnetic force applied from the transport stage 10. In the case of the present embodiment, the transport device 60 has a plurality of magnet arrays each including a plurality of permanent magnets (magnet arrays 70a, 70b, 70c, 70d described later). As shown in FIG. 4, the transport stage 10 has a magnetic force generation unit 26 that generates a magnetic force by electric power, and the transport device 60 levitates and moves on the transport stage 10 by the interaction between the magnetic force generation unit 26 and the permanent magnet. In this specification, the force for levitating the transport device 60 or the force for moving it is generated by the interaction between the magnetic field generated by electric power and the permanent magnet included in the transport device 60, which is simply described as "generating a magnetic force by electric power", and an electromagnet (a combination thereof) for generating the above magnetic field by electric power is referred to as the magnetic force generation unit 26. The transport stage 10 has a power cut planned section and a standby section 32 that can independently cut off the electric power supplied to the magnetic force generation unit 26. The power cut planned section is a section where a power cut is planned, and the standby section 32 is a section where the continuation of power supply is planned. In addition, the control unit 80 can control to move the transport device 60 from the power cut planned section to the standby section 32.

[0012] According to this embodiment, the control unit 80 executes control to move the transport device 60 from the power-off zone where power is scheduled to be cut off to the temporary storage zone 32 where power supply is scheduled to continue. This makes it possible to suppress unintended behavior of the transport device 60 due to the magnetic force of the permanent magnets in the transport device 60, even when the power supply to the power-off zone is cut off. Here, unintended behavior of the conveying device 60 includes things like metal parts or tools worn by the worker being attracted to the conveying device 60, or the conveying devices 60 repelling each other.

[0013] In the following explanation of the positional relationships of the components of the transport system 100, the X direction shown in Figure 1, etc., may be referred to as the left-right direction, and the Y direction shown in Figure 1, etc., may be referred to as the front-back direction. Furthermore, one side of the left-right direction (X direction) (the left side in Figure 1) may be referred to as left (left), and the other side (the right side in Figure 1) may be referred to as right (right), and one side of the front-back direction (Y direction) (the bottom in Figure 1) may be referred to as front (forward), and the other side (the top in Figure 1) may be referred to as rear (rear).

[0014] The conveying system 100 is used, for example, in a production method (details described later) in which operations are performed sequentially on an item to produce a finished product 200 (Figure 2(a)) of that item. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 2(a), the finished product 200 produced using the transport system 100 comprises a container body 210 and a cap portion 240 detachably attached to the container body 210. As shown in Figure 2(b), the container body 210 comprises a storage portion 230 for accommodating contents 251 and metal balls 252, and a discharge portion 220 attached to the upper end of the storage portion 230. The housing section 230 has a cylindrical body 231 with its vertical direction as its axial direction, and a bottom 232 that closes the lower end of the body 231. An opening is formed at the upper end of the housing section 230 (the upper end of the body 231). The discharge section 220 has a cylindrical neck portion 222 with a discharge port 221 at its upper end, and a shoulder portion 223 that protrudes outward from the base end of the neck portion 222. The discharge section 220 is attached to the housing portion 230 such that the shoulder portion 223 closes the opening at the upper end of the housing portion 230. The lower part of the neck portion 222 is a male threaded portion with screw threads formed on its outer surface. The upper part of the neck portion 222 tapers upward. The cap portion 240 has a mounting portion 241 which is a female threaded portion that is detachably screwed onto the mouth neck portion 222, a cylindrical portion 243 that covers the periphery of the mounting portion 241, and a closing portion 242 that closes the upper ends of the mounting portion 241 and the cylindrical portion 243. The contents 251 are not particularly limited, but examples include liquid cosmetics such as liquid foundation, nail polish, or sunscreen. The metal sphere 252 is for stirring the contents 251. By shaking the container body 210, the contents 251 are stirred by the metal sphere 252, allowing the pigments, pearlescent agents, titanium dioxide, etc. contained in the contents 251 to be well dispersed in the liquid. The metal material constituting the metal sphere 252 is not particularly limited, but stainless steel is one example. The finished product 200 described here is just one example, and the finished product 200 produced using the conveying system 100 may be anything else.

[0015] The operating principle for levitating and moving the transport device 60 using the magnetic force generating unit 26 of the transport stage 10 is the same as the operating principle for levitating and moving a movable stage using the coils of a stator stage described in Patent Document 1. As shown in Figures 1, 6, and 7, the transport stage 10 is composed of multiple segments 20. Here, a segment refers to the smallest unit of hardware that is individually supplied with power to generate magnetic force. In this embodiment, a section (power cutoff section, evacuation section 32, and the work section and movement path section 34, which will be described later) is a virtual area composed of one segment 20 or a collection of multiple segments 20. The segments 20 are arranged, for example, in the front-to-back direction (Y direction as shown in Figure 1) and the left-to-right direction (X direction as shown in Figure 1). The transport device 60 is movable horizontally on the transport stage 10 in any direction (at least any direction in the X and Y directions). Furthermore, the path (route) of the transport device 60 from the starting point to the target point on the transport stage 10 is not necessarily uniquely determined, and may be changed to any path as appropriate depending on the movement and arrangement of other transport devices 60. Note that Figures 1 and 6-9 are shown, for convenience, as having gaps between adjacent segments 20, but in reality, they are arranged virtually without any gaps. As shown in Figure 4, each of the multiple segments 20 comprises, for example, a main body 21 formed in the shape of a flat plate and arranged horizontally (with the plate surface facing vertically), and a magnetic force generating unit 26 built into the main body 21. The magnetic force generating unit 26 is composed of a plurality (for example, four) of coils 26a to 26d. The plan view shape of the main body 21 and, consequently, the plan view shape of the segment 20 is, for example, approximately square, with two sides of the square extending in the X direction and the remaining two sides of the square extending in the Y direction. In this embodiment, the plan view shape of the segment 20 is square. Since the upper surfaces of the main body 21 of each segment 20 are arranged on substantially the same plane, the upper surface of the assembly of each main body 21 is substantially flat with no steps. The conveying device 60 floats above the upper surface of the main body 21 (i.e., the upper surface of the segment 20) and moves along that upper surface. The four coils 26a to 26d are arranged in a roughly rectangular ring shape in a plan view. More specifically, of the four coils 26a to 26d, the axes of two coils 26a and 26c extend in the X direction, and these two coils 26a and 26c are arranged parallel to each other. Of the four coils 26a to 26d, the axes of the remaining two coils 26b and 26d extend in the Y direction, and these two coils 26b and 26d are arranged parallel to each other. In the transport system 100, under the control of the control unit 80, power is supplied to the magnetic force generating units 26 (multiple coils 26a to 26d) of each segment 20, thereby generating magnetic force in both the X and Y directions. This magnetic force allows the transport device 60 to levitate above the upper surfaces of each segment 20 (the upper surfaces of the main body 21) and to move the transport device 60 horizontally. The direction of movement of the conveying device 60 on each segment 20 changes according to the way (combination, etc.) power is supplied to the multiple coils 26a to 26d provided on that segment 20. This allows the conveying device 60 to move on each segment 20 in a desired direction selected from forward, backward, left, or right. Furthermore, each conveying device 60 floats to approximately the same height on each segment 20. More specifically, the height to which the conveying device 60 floats is, for example, about 1 mm to 5 mm, and in this embodiment, it is about 2 mm.

[0016] As shown in Figure 3, the conveying device 60 of this embodiment comprises a conveying device body 66 formed in the shape of a flat plate, a pair of article holding parts 67 provided on the upper surface of the conveying device body 66 for holding articles, and a plurality of magnet arrays 70a, 70b, 70c, and 70d built into the conveying device body 66. The transport device body 66 is positioned horizontally, and its plate surface faces vertically. The plan view shape of the transport device body 66, and consequently the plan view shape of the transport device 60, is, for example, approximately square, with two sides of the square extending in the X direction and the remaining two sides of the square extending in the Y direction. In this embodiment, the plan view shape of the transport device 60 is square, and the length of one side is 120 mm. The article is held in an upright position on the upper surface of the transport device body 66 by being held, for example, by a pair of article holding parts 67. In this embodiment, one article is held and transported by one transport device 60. In the present invention, the conveying device 60 does not need to be equipped with an article holding section 67. In this case, the article may be conveyed simply by being placed on the conveying device 60. Each magnet array 70a to 70d is composed of multiple permanent magnets. In a plan view, the magnet arrays 70a to 70d are arranged in a roughly rectangular ring shape. More specifically, of the magnet arrays 70a to 70d, two magnet arrays 70a and 70c extend in the X direction, and these two magnet arrays 70a and 70c are arranged parallel to each other. Of the magnet arrays 70a to 70d, the remaining two magnet arrays 70b and 70d extend in the Y direction, and these two magnet arrays 70b and 70d are arranged parallel to each other. In the present invention, the number of magnet arrays in the conveying device 60 is not limited to the above example, and the conveying device 60 may have one magnet array 70e, as shown in the example in Figure 10(c).

[0017] The planar dimensions of the transport stage 10 are larger than the planar dimensions of the transport device 60. On the other hand, the planar dimensions of the individual segments 20 that make up the transport stage 10 may be larger than the planar dimensions of the transport device 60, may be the same as, or may be smaller than, the planar dimensions of the transport device 60. In this embodiment, the planar dimensions of segment 20 are larger than the planar dimensions of the conveying device 60. For example, the length of one side of segment 20 is more than twice the length of one side of the conveying device 60.

[0018] If the power supplied to the transport stage 10 is cut off, the magnetic force that the multiple transport devices 60 on the transport stage 10 receive from the magnetic force generating unit 26 disappears. In this state, the permanent magnets of adjacent transport devices 60 may repel each other, potentially causing the transport devices 60 to move in unintended directions. In this embodiment, the control unit 80 executes control to move the transport device 60 within the section scheduled for power interruption to a temporary storage section 32 where power supply will continue, before interrupting the power supply to that section. This prevents the permanent magnets of adjacent transport devices 60 from repelling each other.

[0019] As shown in Figures 1 and 6, the transport stage 10 has work areas and movement path areas from which the power supplied to the magnetic force generating unit 26 can be independently shut off. The transport stage 10 has multiple work areas, each of which is equipped with a work device 90, and the movement path areas connect the work areas to each other. More specifically, in this embodiment, the transport stage 10 has two work areas (a first work area 41 and a second work area 51 shown in Figure 1) and a movement path area 34 connecting the first work area 41 and the second work area 51. Furthermore, the movement path section 34 includes an article supply section 35 that supplies articles (in this embodiment, a storage section 230) to the conveying device 60, and a finished product removal section 37 from which the finished product 200 is removed from the conveying device 60. As shown in Figure 6, as an example, the conveying device 60 conveys the articles (storage section 230) supplied in the article supply section 35 to the work section (first work section 41 or second work section 51) via the movement path section 34. In the work section, various processes (details described later) are carried out sequentially on the articles to produce the finished product 200. Furthermore, the conveying device 60 conveys the finished product 200 produced in the work section to the finished product removal section 37 via the movement path section 34. After the finished product 200 is removed from the conveying device 60 in the finished product removal section 37, the conveying device 60 moves back to the article supply section 35 from the finished product removal section 37.

[0020] In the example shown in Figure 1, multiple segments 20 are arranged in a grid pattern in the movement path section 34. More specifically, these grid-patterned segments 20 are arranged in, for example, three rows in the Y direction. In the first row from the back (hereinafter referred to as the first movement path 34a) and the second row (hereinafter referred to as the second movement path 34b), 11 segments 20 are arranged in the X direction. In the third row from the back, 4 segments 20 are arranged in the X direction, and of these, 2 segments 20 are located at the left end of the movement path section 34 and each constitutes an item supply section 35. The remaining 2 segments 20 are located at the right end of the movement path section 34 and each constitutes a finished product retrieval section 37. In other words, the first movement path 34a and the second movement path 34b, each with 11 segments 20 arranged in one row, substantially connect the two work sections. The left end of the first movement path 34a is connected to the first work area 41, and the right end of the first movement path 34a is connected to the second work area 51. The left end of the second movement path 34b is connected to the goods supply unit 35, and the right end of the second movement path 34b is connected to the finished product removal unit 37.

[0021] As shown in Figure 1, each article supply unit 35 is provided with an article supply device 95 that supplies articles (storage units 230) to the conveying device 60 (located adjacent to it). In this specification, "located adjacent to it" means that at least a portion of the article supply device 95 is located to the side and outside of the segment 20 that constitutes the article supply unit 35. In this embodiment, most of the article supply device 95 is located outside the segment 20 (and thus the movement path section 34) that constitutes the corresponding article supply unit 35. The article supply device 95 performs operations on the conveying device 60 located on the adjacent segment 20. Articles supplied onto the conveying device 60 by the corresponding article supply device 95 in one of the two article supply units 35 are transported to the first work area 41 by the conveying device 60. Similarly, articles supplied onto the conveying device 60 by the corresponding article supply device 95 in the other article supply unit 35 are transported to the second work area 51 by the conveying device 60. Similarly, each finished product removal unit 37 is provided with a finished product removal device 96 for removing the finished products 200 from the conveying device 60.

[0022] In Figure 6, arrows indicate three possible routes for the transport device 60: one from one article supply unit 35 to the finished product removal unit 37 via the first work area 41; another from the other article supply unit 35 to the finished product removal unit 37 via the second work area 51; and a third from the finished product removal unit 37 back to the article supply unit 35. Furthermore, the illustrations of the article supply device 95 and the finished product removal device 96 are omitted in Figures 6 to 9.

[0023] Here, the movement path section 34 includes an article supply waiting section 36 where the transport device 60 waits before moving to the article supply section 35, and a finished product removal waiting section 38 where the transport device 60 waits before moving to the finished product removal section 37. As a result, each conveying device 60 can wait during the process of returning from the finished product removal unit 37 to the article supply unit 35, or during the process of moving from the work area (first work area 41 or second work area 51) to the finished product removal unit 37. In the example shown in Figure 6, the middle section of the second movement path 34b (the portion between the left end and the right end) constitutes the item supply waiting section 36. The right end of the second movement path 34b constitutes the finished product retrieval waiting section 38.

[0024] In this embodiment, as an example, in each work area (first work area 41 and second work area 51), the following steps are performed on the article in this order: a metal ball insertion step in which metal balls 252 are inserted into the storage section 230; a filling step in which contents 251 are filled into the storage section 230; a capping step in which a discharge section 220 is attached to the storage section 230 (sealed); and a capping step in which a cap section 240 is attached to the discharge section 220. As a result, a finished product 200 is produced in each work area. That is, by performing the above steps on the article, the article becomes a finished product 200.

[0025] More specifically, as shown in Figure 1, the first work area 41 is equipped (or co-located) with the following work equipment 90: a metal ball feeding device 91, a filling device 92, a capping device 93, and a capping device 94. Note that the metal ball feeding device 91, filling device 92, capping device 93, and capping device 94 are not shown in Figures 6 to 9. The first work area 41 includes a metal ball insertion section 42b where a metal ball insertion device 91 is provided (or is installed alongside it), a filling section 43b where a filling device 92 is provided (or is installed alongside it), a capping section 44b where a capping device 93 is provided (or is installed alongside it), and a capper section 45b where a capping device 94 is provided (or is installed alongside it). In this embodiment, most of the work device 90 is located outside the work area. The work device 90 performs work on items held by the conveying device 60 located in the adjacent segment 20. The conveying device 60, having moved from the material supply unit 35 to the first work area 41, moves in the following order: metal ball input unit 42b, filling unit 43b, capping unit 44b, and capping unit 45b. As a result, the above-mentioned metal ball input process, filling process, capping process, and capping process are performed on the material in this order, and the finished product 200 is produced.

[0026] In this embodiment, as an example, the first work area 41 is composed of 10 segments 20. These segments 20 are arranged in a 4x3 grid with the central 2x1 space being blank. In the example shown in Figure 7, of the 10 segments 20, the segment 20 located in the second row from the front of the leftmost column constitutes the metal ball insertion section 42b, and the segment 20 located in the last row of the leftmost column constitutes the filling section 43b. Additionally, the segment 20 located in the last row of the rightmost column constitutes the capping section 44b, and the segment 20 located in the second row from the front of the rightmost column constitutes the capper section 45b.

[0027] As shown in Figure 7, the first work area 41 further includes a metal ball input waiting area 42a where the conveying device 60 waits before moving to the metal ball input area 42b, a filling waiting area 43a where the conveying device 60 waits before moving to the filling area 43b, a capping waiting area 44a where the conveying device 60 waits before moving to the capping area 44b, and a capper waiting area 45a where the conveying device 60 waits before moving to the capper area 45b. In the example shown in Figure 7, the segment 20 adjacent to the front of the segment 20 constituting the metal ball insertion section 42b constitutes the metal ball insertion waiting section 42a, the segment 20 adjacent to the front of the segment 20 constituting the filling section 43b constitutes the filling waiting section 43a, the segment 20 adjacent to the left side of the segment 20 constituting the capping section 44b constitutes the capping waiting section 44a, and the segment 20 adjacent to the rear of the segment 20 constituting the capper section 45b constitutes the capper waiting section 45a. In the first work area 41, the conveying device 60 moves in the following order: metal ball input standby section 42a, metal ball input section 42b, filling standby section 43a, filling section 43b, capping standby section 44a, capping section 44b, capper standby section 45a, and capper section 45b.

[0028] In this case, it is preferable that the control unit 80 controls the number of conveying devices 60 present in the work area and their operation so as to minimize the waiting time of the conveying devices 60 until the next process and minimize the idle time of each work device 90. For example, in the case where the first work area 41 has four work sections (metal ball input section 42b to capper section 45b) and four standby sections (metal ball input standby section 42a to capper standby section 45a), as in this embodiment, it is preferable for the control unit 80 to control each conveying device 60 so that there is at least one conveying device 60 in each work section and each standby section, that is, so that there are a total of eight or more conveying devices 60 in the first work area 41. Figures 6 and 7 show an example where there are eight (hereinafter referred to as first conveying devices 61a, 61b, 61c, 61d, 61e, 61f, 61g, and 61h) in the first work area 41.

[0029] As shown in Figure 6, the second work area 51 is configured symmetrically with the first work area 41. Therefore, the second work area 51 is equipped (and co-located with) the following work devices 90: a metal ball feeding device 91, a filling device 92, a capping device 93, and a capping device 94. In addition, the second work area 51, like the first work area 41, has a metal ball feeding standby section 52a, a metal ball feeding section 52b, a filling standby section 53a, a filling section 53b, a capping standby section 54a, a capping section 54b, a capper standby section 55a, and a capper section 55b. Furthermore, similar to the first work area 41, the control unit 80 controls the number and operation of the transport devices 60 located in the second work area 51 (for example, the second transport devices 63a to 63h shown in Figure 6, etc.) so that the waiting time of the transport devices 60 until the next process is minimized, and the idle time of each work device 90 is minimized. The second transport devices 63a to 63h move in the following order: metal ball input standby section 52a, metal ball input section 52b, filling standby section 53a, filling section 53b, capping standby section 54a, capping section 54b, capper standby section 55a, and capper section 55b.

[0030] In this invention, the types of work devices 90 provided in each of the multiple work areas are not limited to the examples above, and work devices 90 may include printing devices, visual inspection devices, labeling devices, and packing devices. Furthermore, in the present invention, the number of work devices 90 provided in each of the multiple work areas is not limited to the above example, and can be appropriately set according to the type of finished product 200 to be produced, etc.

[0031] Here, as shown in Figure 6, the minimum dimension of the movement path section 34 in the direction perpendicular to the direction connecting the work sections is more than twice the shortest length in the planar dimensions of the conveying device 60. This allows at least two transport devices 60 to move parallel or pass each other within the movement path section 34. Furthermore, within the movement path section 34, one transport device 60 can overtake another transport device 60, and one transport device 60 can avoid (detour around) another transport device 60. In addition, U-turn maneuvers by the transport devices 60 within the movement path section 34 are also possible. More specifically, in this embodiment, the segment 20 and the conveying device 60 have a square shape in plan view, and the length of one side of the segment 20 (i.e., the dimensions in the X and Y directions) is more than twice the length of one side of the conveying device 60. Furthermore, the movement path section 34 is constructed by arranging the segments 20 in a grid pattern. That is, the minimum dimensions of the movement path section 34 in the X and Y directions are never less than the length of one side of the segment 20. Therefore, the minimum dimensions of the movement path section 34 in the directions perpendicular to the movement path of the conveying device 60 (i.e., the X and Y directions) are more than twice the shortest length in the planar dimensions of the conveying device 60. In this embodiment, multiple segments 20 are arranged in the X direction in the movement path section 34 as described above. In this embodiment, the shape of the segment 20 in plan view is square, and the length of one side of each segment 20 (dimension in the X direction) is more than twice the length of one side of the conveying device 60. Therefore, in the X direction, the dimension of the movement path section 34 is more than twice the shortest length L2 of the conveying device 60. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the movement path section 34 connects the first work section 41 and the second work section 51 in the X direction. Since the two work sections are substantially connected by the first movement path 34a and the second movement path 34b, each consisting of one or more rows of segments 20, in the Y direction, the first movement path 34a and the second movement path 34b are each composed of one segment 20. The Y-direction dimensions (length of one side of the segment 20) of the first movement path 34a and the second movement path 34b are more than twice the shortest length L2 of the conveying device 60. Also, in the Y direction, the minimum dimension W1 of the movement path section 34 (see Figure 6) (the sum of the dimensions of the first movement path 34a and the second movement path 34b) is more than four times the shortest length L2 of the conveying device 60. With this configuration, the conveying device 60 moving from the first work area 41 to the finished product removal area 37, the conveying device 60 moving from the goods supply area 35 to the second work area 51, and the conveying device 60 moving from the finished product removal area 37 to the goods supply waiting area 36 can efficiently perform each of the above operations at the same time.

[0032] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the dimensions of the work areas (first work area 41 and second work area 51) in the direction perpendicular to the movement path of the conveying device 60 are more than twice the shortest length in the planar dimensions of the conveying device 60. As a result, each conveying device 60 can perform the overtaking and avoidance operations described above even within the work area, so that each conveying device 60 can move by overtaking (avoiding) other conveying devices 60 waiting in each process. More specifically, in this embodiment, the minimum dimensions (W2, W3 shown in Figure 6) in the direction perpendicular to the movement path of the conveying device 60 in the work area (i.e., the X and Y directions) are the length of one side of the segment 20, and as described above, the length of this one side is more than twice the shortest length L2 (length of one side) of the conveying device 60. Furthermore, while Figure 6 illustrates an example where one conveying device 60 is waiting in one segment 20 within a work area, it is possible for at least two conveying devices 60 to perform the above operations within a single segment 20. In this embodiment, up to four conveying devices 60 can perform the above operations within a single segment 20 (i.e., one work area or one waiting area). In addition, within each segment 20 of a work area, in addition to the conveying devices 60 used for work operations by the work device 90, conveying devices 60 that have finished their work in that process, or conveying devices 60 waiting to be used by the work device 90, may also be placed on the same segment 20.

[0033] In this embodiment, the transport system 100 can transition between normal mode and standby mode. When transitioning from normal mode to standby mode, the control unit 80 executes control to move the transport device 60 from the power cutoff zone where power cutoff is scheduled to occur to the standby zone 32 where power supply is scheduled to continue. In this invention, the transition from normal mode to standby mode may be triggered by an operation performed by an operator, or it may be triggered by the control unit 80 detecting the occurrence of an event that will cause a power outage in the area where a power outage is scheduled. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 5, in addition to the control unit 80, the transport system 100 includes an operation unit 84 that accepts operations from an operator, a display unit 86 such as a liquid crystal display that displays the number of finished products 200 produced and the progress information of work on the items, and a storage unit 82 that stores identification information of the transport device 60, which will be described later. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 5, the transport system 100 is equipped with a plurality of power interruption units (in this embodiment, a first power interruption unit 85a, a second power interruption unit 85b, and a third power interruption unit 85c) that individually interrupt power to the corresponding sections. The first power interruption unit 85a interrupts the power supply from the power source 85 to the travel path section 34. The second power interruption unit 85b interrupts the power supply from the power source 85 to the first work section 41. The third power interruption unit 85c interrupts the power supply from the power source 85 to the second work section 51. In this embodiment, each power interruption unit (first power interruption unit 85a, second power interruption unit 85b, and third power interruption unit 85c) receives an interruption operation from an operator and interrupts the power supply to the corresponding area.

[0034] In this embodiment, if the worker determines that a power outage has occurred in the first work area 41 or the second work area 51, the worker performs the necessary operations on the operation unit 84. In other words, if the first work area 41 or the second work area 51 becomes a work area where a power outage is scheduled, the worker performs the necessary operations on the operation unit 84. More specifically, the worker performs an operation to stop work in the work area where the power outage occurred, and also performs an operation to move the transport device 60 to the refuge area 32. Then, the transport system 100 switches from normal mode to evacuation mode, and the control unit 80 performs an evacuation operation to move all of the transport devices 60 located in the first work area 41 or the second work area 51 to the movement path area 34. In other words, the movement path area 34 becomes the evacuation area 32. Once the evacuation operation of all transport devices 60 is complete, the worker performs a cutoff operation on the power cutoff unit corresponding to the area scheduled for power cutoff, thereby cutting off the power supply to that area. Meanwhile, the power supply to the evacuation area 32 continues. Subsequently, once the cause of the power outage in the first work area 41 or the second work area 51 has been resolved, the worker will resume power supply to the area scheduled for power outage using the power outage unit corresponding to that area. Then, when an operator performs an operation on the control unit 84 (a return operation of the transport device 60), the transport system 100 switches from the evacuation mode to the normal mode, and the control unit 80 performs a return operation to return the multiple transport devices 60 in the evacuation area 32 to the area where the power is scheduled to be cut off.

[0035] Thus, in this embodiment, in the evacuation mode, either the first work area 41 or the second work area 51 becomes the area scheduled for power cutoff, and the movement path area 34 becomes the evacuation area 32. With this configuration, even if an event causing a power outage occurs in the first work area 41 (or the second work area 51), it is possible to continue production of finished products 200 in the second work area 51 (or the first work area 41) while addressing the event causing the power outage in the first work area 41 (or the second work area 51). Furthermore, in the evacuation mode, the movement path section 34 is used as the evacuation section 32, allowing the transport system 100 to be configured more compactly.

[0036] More specifically, when the first work area 41 is designated as the area where power will be cut off, in the evacuation mode, the control unit 80 executes control to move the transport devices 60 (first transport devices 61a to first transport devices 61h) within the first work area 41 to the evacuation area 32 (movement path area 34). Once the evacuation operation of the transport devices 60 is complete, the worker cuts off the power supply to the first work area 41 by performing an evacuation operation on the second power cutoff unit 85b. On the other hand, the worker does not perform an evacuation operation on the first power cutoff unit 85a and the third power cutoff unit 85c, thereby continuing the power supply to the second work area 51 and the movement path area 34 (evacuation area 32). When the second work area 51 is scheduled to have its power cut off, in the evacuation mode, the control unit 80 executes control to move the transport devices 60 (second transport devices 63a to 63h) in the second work area 51 to the evacuation area 32 (movement path area 34). Once the evacuation of the transport devices 60 is complete, the worker cuts off the power supply to the second work area 51 by performing an evacuation operation on the third power cutoff unit 85c. On the other hand, the worker does not perform an evacuation operation on the first power cutoff unit 85a and the second power cutoff unit 85b, and as a result, the power supply to the first work area 41 and the movement path area 34 (evacuation area 32) continues.

[0037] Here, the control unit 80 executes control to move the transport device 60 to the retraction area 32 so that the transport device 60, after being retracted, is positioned such that it does not deviate from the transport stage 10 due to the repulsion of the permanent magnet. More specifically, for example, the permanent magnet arrangement area 75 in the conveying device 60 forms a rectangle in plan view (see Figure 10), and the control unit 80 executes control to move the conveying devices 60 out of the way so that adjacent permanent magnets in adjacent conveying devices 60 do not overlap when viewed in a direction perpendicular to one of the sides of the rectangle (in this embodiment, the X and Y directions). Here, "forming a rectangle" means that in plan view, the permanent magnet arrangement area 75 may be either a rectangular ring or a solid rectangle, and at least the shape of the outer edge is rectangular. Furthermore, in the present invention, when the permanent magnet arrangement area 75 is rectangular, the shape of the conveying device 60 in plan view is not limited to a square, but may be a hexagon or a circle, etc. Alternatively, the control unit 80 executes control to move the conveying devices 60 to a side so that the distance between the centers of adjacent conveying devices 60 is greater than the diagonal dimension of the conveying device 60 in a plan view. The center of the conveying device 60 referred to here is the center 60a in the shape of the conveying device 60 in a plan view. The diagonal dimension referred to here means the diagonal dimension when the four corners of the conveying device 60 are not rounded (i.e., when a circumscribing rectangle is imagined), if the four corners of the conveying device 60 are rounded. With this configuration, it is possible to prevent the transport device 60 from deviating from the transport stage 10 due to the repulsion of the permanent magnet after it has moved to the refuge area 32.

[0038] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 10, the permanent magnet arrangement area 75 in the conveying device 60 forms a rectangular ring in plan view, with two sides of the rectangular ring extending in the X direction and the remaining two sides extending in the Y direction. Furthermore, the permanent magnet arrangement area 75 is located in the center of the conveying device 60 in plan view. Note that in Figure 10, each conveying device 60 is conveniently hatched upwards to the right. Then, the control unit 80 moves the transport device 60 to a staggered position. More specifically, the control unit 80 arranges adjacent transport devices 60 in the diagonal Y direction such that, when viewed in a direction perpendicular to any side of the permanent magnet arrangement area 75 (in this embodiment, the X and Y directions), adjacent permanent magnets in these transport devices 60 do not overlap with each other. On the other hand, the control unit 80 arranges adjacent conveying devices 60 in the X direction such that the distance L1 between the centers of these conveying devices 60 is greater than the diagonal dimension L3 in a plan view of the conveying devices 60 (see Figure 10). As an example, it is preferable that the distance L1 between the centers of adjacent conveying devices 60 in the X direction is 1.41 times or more the diagonal dimension L3. Also, it is preferable that the distance L4 between the centers of adjacent conveying devices 60 in the diagonal Y direction is 1.25 times or more the diagonal dimension L3. Thus, in this embodiment, the control unit 80 arranges the adjacent conveying devices 60 such that adjacent permanent magnets in these conveying devices 60 do not overlap when viewed in a direction perpendicular to one of the sides of the rectangle (in this embodiment, the X direction and the Y direction), or the distance between the centers of these conveying devices 60 is greater than the diagonal dimension of the conveying devices 60 in a plan view. However, in the present invention, when the arrangement area 75 of the permanent magnets is circular (or annular), it is preferable that the positional relationship of each conveying device 60 is such that the distance between the centers of adjacent conveying devices 60 is greater than the diagonal dimension of the conveying devices 60 in a plan view. Furthermore, in the present invention, adjacent conveying devices 60 only need to be in a positional relationship such that they do not deviate from the conveying stage 10 due to the repulsion of the permanent magnets. The positional relationship of adjacent conveying devices 60 may be in a staggered arrangement such that the sides of these conveying devices 60 do not overlap (see Figure 10(a)), or they may be arranged so that parts of the sides of these conveying devices 60 (for example, less than 1 / 4 of the entire side) overlap (see Figures 10(b) and 10(c)). In this embodiment, up to two transport devices 60 can be moved aside for each segment 20.

[0039] Furthermore, the control unit 80 may perform control to move the multiple transport devices 60 to the retraction area 32 such that the distance between the centers of the multiple transport devices 60 that have been moved to the retraction area 32 is longer than the shortest length L2 in the planar dimensions of the transport devices 60. This ensures sufficient distance between adjacent conveying devices 60, allowing each conveying device 60 to wait in the refrigeration section 32 at a position where it is less affected by the magnetic field (magnetic force) of the permanent magnets of these conveying devices 60.

[0040] In this invention, it is preferable that the distance L1 and L4 between the centers of the conveying devices 60 remain longer than the shortest length L2 in the planar dimensions of the conveying devices 60, even when the conveying devices 60 are moving. By doing so, it is possible to suppress vibrations of each conveying device 60 caused by the influence of the magnetic fields (magnetic force) of the permanent magnets of adjacent conveying devices 60. However, when the conveying devices 60 pass each other, the influence of the magnetic fields (magnetic force) of the permanent magnets of adjacent conveying devices 60 is small, so the distance L1 and L4 between the centers of the conveying devices 60 may be approximately the same length as the shortest length L2 in the planar dimensions of the conveying devices 60.

[0041] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the transport device 60 has identification information. The control unit 80 then performs control to identify each transport device 60 based on the identification information. As a result, even after multiple conveying devices 60 have been moved from the work area to the waiting area 32, the control unit 80 can determine the position of each conveying device 60 in the work area and the progress of each process in the work area based on the identification information of each conveying device 60. Therefore, when work in the work area is to be resumed, the moved conveying devices 60 can be quickly returned to their corresponding positions, and each process can be started smoothly. This reduces the need for rework or disposal of work-in-progress items. The identification information may be, for example, a two-dimensional barcode or a barcode, or it may be information stored in an identification information storage unit (such as RFID) that stores the identification information in a readable manner. The identification information may also be the arrangement of the magnet arrays 70a to 70d of the transport device 60, or the shape of a specific part of the transport device 60 (a shape unique to each individual transport device 60).

[0042] Furthermore, when the cause of the planned power outage in the power-out section is resolved, the control unit 80 executes control based on the identification information to return each of the transport devices 60 to the position it was in immediately before being moved to the side. This allows production of 200 finished products to resume from the state immediately before they were evacuated. In this context, "when the cause of the power interruption is resolved" means, in this embodiment, when the countermeasures for the cause of the power interruption have been completed, the worker has resumed supplying power to the area scheduled for power interruption, and the worker has performed an operation (reset operation) on the control unit 84.

[0043] Next, an example of a method (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "this method") for producing a finished product 200 by performing operations on an item using a transport system 100 will be described. This method involves the following steps in this order: an article supply step of supplying articles (storage section 230) to the conveying device 60; a metal ball insertion step of inserting metal balls 252 into the storage section 230; a filling step of filling the storage section 230 with contents 251; a capping step of attaching (capping) the discharge section 220 to the storage section 230; a capping step of attaching the cap section 240 to the discharge section 220; and a finished product removal step of removing the finished product 200 from the conveying device 60.

[0044] First, in the goods supply process, the goods supply device 95 mounts the storage unit 230 (which is empty inside) on the conveying device 60, which has moved from the goods supply standby unit 36 ​​to the goods supply unit 35. Of the two item supply units 35, the transport device 60 to which the storage unit 230 has been supplied moves toward the first work area 41 via the second movement path 34b and the first movement path 34a. Of the two article supply units 35, the conveying device 60 to which the storage unit 230 has been supplied in the other article supply unit 35 moves backward via the second movement path 34b and the first movement path 34a, and then moves further toward the second work area 51 along the first movement path 34a.

[0045] Next, in the metal ball loading process, the transport device 60 that has moved to the first work area 41 waits in the metal ball loading waiting area 42a for the loading of the metal balls 252 into the storage area 230 held by the previous transport device 60 to be completed, and then moves to the metal ball loading area 42b. In the metal ball insertion section 42b, the metal ball insertion device 91 inserts the metal balls 252 into the storage section 230. Once the insertion of the metal balls 252 into the storage section 230 is complete, the transport device 60 moves from the metal ball insertion section 42b to the filling waiting section 43a.

[0046] Next, in the filling process, the conveying device 60 on the filling waiting section 43a waits for the filling of contents 251 into the storage section 230 held by the previous conveying device 60 to be completed, and then moves to the filling section 43b. In the filling section 43b, the filling device 92 fills the contents 251 into the storage section 230. Once the contents 251 have been filled into the storage section 230, the transport device 60 moves from the filling section 43b to the capping waiting section 44a.

[0047] Next, in the capping process, the conveying device 60 on the capping waiting section 44a waits for the capping of the storage section 230 held by the previous conveying device 60 to be completed by the discharge section 220 before moving to the capping waiting section 44a. In the capping standby section 44a, the capping device 93 caps the discharge section 220 against the storage section 230. At this stage, the item is the container body 210 (with the metal ball 252 inserted and the contents 251 filled). Once the capping of the discharge section 220 against the storage section 230 is complete, the transport device 60 moves from the capping section 44b to the capper standby section 45a.

[0048] Next, in the capping process, the conveying device 60 on the capping waiting section 45a waits for the previous conveying device 60 to complete the attachment of the cap portion 240 to the container body 210 it is holding, and then moves to the capping section 45b. In the capping section 45b, the capping device 94 attaches the cap portion 240 to the discharge portion 220 of the container body 210. This results in the finished product 200. Once the attachment of the cap portion 240 to the discharge portion 220 is complete, the conveying device 60 moves from the capping section 45b to the finished product removal section 37. In addition, the metal ball insertion process and capping process are carried out in the second work area 51 in the same way as in the first work area 41, so the explanation of the operations in the second work area 51 will be omitted.

[0049] In the finished product removal process, the finished product removal device 96 removes the finished product 200, which has been moved from the finished product removal waiting section 38 to the finished product removal section 37, from the conveying device 60. The removed finished product 200 is then transported to another conveying system (not shown) where the following processes are performed on the finished product 200.

[0050] In the transport system 100 according to this embodiment, a correspondence is made between each work area and whether or not that work area is scheduled to be shut off. In other words, for each of the multiple types of shutdown factors, a correspondence is made between whether or not a power shutdown to the work area is necessary, and such a correspondence is set for each work area. Furthermore, if, for example, a worker determines that a shutdown factor requiring power cutoff has occurred in one of the multiple work areas (either the first work area 41 or the second work area 51), the worker will stop work in that work area and perform an operation to move the transport device 60 to the refuge area 32, as described above. The control unit 80 will then execute a control to move the transport device 60 from the work area where the shutdown factor occurred (the area scheduled for power cutoff) to the refuge area 32. After that, the worker will cut off the power to the work area. As can be seen from the above explanation, the sections scheduled for power outages and the evacuation sections 32 will differ each time depending on the cause of the outage; in other words, their location and scope will change.

[0051] In this invention, depending on the nature of the cause of the power outage, it may be possible to continue supplying power to the area where the power is scheduled to be cut off simply by moving the transport device 60 in the area where the power is scheduled to be cut off to the refuge area 32. Examples of such causes of power outage include changing the type of finished product 200 or contents 251 to be produced. Furthermore, examples of shutdown factors that necessitate the interruption of power supply to the area scheduled for power cutoff include maintenance of the work equipment 90, cleaning of the work equipment 90, and changeover operations for the types of finished products 200 being produced.

[0052] The following describes an example of the operation when the first transport devices 61a to 61h move from the first work area 41 to the evacuation area 32 in the evacuation mode. As shown in Figures 8 and 9, in this embodiment, the first conveying device 61a located in the metal ball input waiting section 42a, the first conveying device 61b located in the metal ball input section 42b, the first conveying device 61c located in the filling waiting section 43a, and the first conveying device 61d located in the filling section 43b move in this order counterclockwise toward the waiting area 32 and wait in the waiting area 32. Meanwhile, the first conveying device 61h located in the capper section 45b, the first conveying device 61g located in the capper waiting section 45a, the first conveying device 61f located in the capping section 44b, and the first conveying device 61e located in the capping waiting section 44a move clockwise in this order toward the waiting area 32 and wait there. However, if the first conveying device 61h is holding a finished product 200, the first conveying device 61h moves toward the article supply section 35 instead of the waiting area 32.

[0053] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 9, when the first conveying devices 61a to 61d return to the first work area 41, the first conveying device 61d, the first conveying device 61c, the first conveying device 61b, and the first conveying device 61a move clockwise toward the first work area 41 in this order (moving in the opposite direction to when they are retracted). Also, the first conveying device 61e, the first conveying device 61f, the first conveying device 61g, and the first conveying device 61h move counterclockwise toward the first work area 41 in this order (moving in the opposite direction to when they are retracted).

[0054] In this embodiment, while the first transport devices 61a to 61g are in a refuge area 32, the second transport devices 63a to 63h move to the second work area 51 via the movement path area 34, avoiding the refugeed first transport devices 61a to 61g, and work in the second work area 51 continues. In other words, even while production of finished goods 200 in the first work area 41 is stopped, production of finished goods 200 can continue in the second work area 51, thus enabling more efficient production of finished goods 200.

[0055] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as described above, the transport device 60 has identification information. The control unit 80 stores in the storage unit 82 progress information of the work performed on the items held by the transport device 60 that has been moved to the waiting area 32, linking it to the identification information. Then, when resuming work in the work area, the linked information is used to return the transport device 60 to the position it was in immediately before being moved, and then work is resumed. This configuration helps to reduce the need for rework or disposal of work-in-progress items. In this embodiment, the control unit 80 stores the work progress information in the storage unit 82, linking it to the identification information.

[0056] In this embodiment, in the second work area 51, the second conveying devices 63a to 63h move with a movement that is the left-right inverse of the retraction movement of the first conveying devices 61a to 61h, so a detailed explanation is omitted. However, in the present invention, the retraction movement of the second conveying devices 63a to 63h may be a different movement from the retraction movement of the first conveying devices 61a to 61h.

[0057] As described above, this method is a method for producing a finished product 200 of an article by performing work on an article using the transport system 100 according to this embodiment, wherein the transport stage 10 has work areas and movement path areas from which the power supplied to the magnetic force generating unit 26 can be independently cut off, the transport stage 10 has multiple work areas, each work area is equipped with a work device 90, the movement path areas connect the work areas, and the finished product 200 is produced by sequentially performing work on the article using the work devices 90, a correspondence is made between the factors that cause work to stop and whether or not that work area is a power cut-off area, the transport device 60 is moved to a refuge area 32 from a power cut-off area, and then the power supply to the power cut-off area is cut off.

[0058] Furthermore, in this method, the minimum dimension of the movement path section 34 in the direction perpendicular to the direction connecting the work sections is greater than twice the shortest length in the planar dimension of the movement path section 34 perpendicular to the direction of movement of the conveying device 60, and a portion of the movement path section 34 is the refuge section 32. When work in some work sections (in this embodiment, the first work section 41 or the second work section 51) stops and work in other work sections continues, and the conveying device 60 moves to the refuge section 32 from the work section where work has stopped, another conveying device 60 moves to another work section via the movement path section 34 while avoiding the conveying device 60 that has moved to the refuge section 32, and work in the other work section continues.

[0059] <Modified form of the first embodiment> Next, modifications 1 and 2 of the first embodiment will be described using Figures 11 and 12. In Figures 11 and 12, an example of the movement path of the conveying device 60 is shown by an arrow. Also, in Figures 11 and 12, the metal ball feeding device 91, filling device 92, capping device 93, and capping device 94 are not shown.

[0060] In the present invention, the segments 20 constituting the finished product removal waiting section 38 in the movement path section 34 can be appropriately changed according to the operating status of the first work section 41 and the second work section 51. More specifically, as shown in Figure 11, in Modification 1, the third segment 20 from the right of the first movement path 34a may be used as an article supply waiting section 36 where the conveying device 60 moving toward the second work area 51 waits. This ensures a good movement path for the conveying devices 60 (second conveying devices 63a to 63h) moving from the second work area 51 toward the finished product removal section 37.

[0061] Furthermore, in modified example 2, as shown in Figure 12, the rightmost segment 20 of the first movement path 34a may be used as an article supply waiting section 36 where the conveying device 60 moving toward the second work area 51 waits. This ensures a good movement path for the conveying devices 60 (first conveying devices 61a to first conveying devices 61h) moving from the first work area 41 toward the article supply section 35.

[0062] [Second Embodiment] Next, a second embodiment will be described using Figures 13 to 15. In Figures 13 and 14(b), an example of the movement path of the conveying device 60 is shown by arrows. Also, in Figures 13 and 14, the metal ball feeding device 91, filling device 92, capping device 93, and capping device 94 are not shown.

[0063] In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 13 and 14, in the retraction mode, the first conveying device 61h located at the capper section 45b moves forward and retracts from the first work area 41 to the retraction area 32 (movement path area 34), while the first conveying device 61a located at the metal ball input waiting section 42a, the first conveying device 61b located at the metal ball input section 42b, the first conveying device 61c located at the filling waiting section 43a, the first conveying device 61d located at the filling section 43b, the first conveying device 61e located at the capping waiting section 44a, the first conveying device 61f located at the capping section 44b, and the first conveying device 61g located at the capper waiting section 45a retract from the first work area 41 to the retraction area 32 (movement path area 34) in this order in a counterclockwise direction. Even with this configuration, if the first conveying device 61h is holding the finished product 200, the first conveying device 61h can be quickly moved to the finished product removal unit 37.

[0064] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 15, in this embodiment, the control unit 80 also performs operational control for each power interruption unit (first power interruption unit 85a to third power interruption unit 85c). More specifically, the transport system 100 includes a signal acquisition unit that acquires a trigger signal to cut off power, and the power cut-off units (first power cut-off units 85a to third power cut-off units 85c). In this embodiment, the control unit 80 functions as the signal acquisition unit. However, the transport system 100 may also have a signal acquisition unit separate from the control unit 80. For example, if the transport system 100 includes a wireless communication unit that acquires an error signal from the work device 90 via wireless communication and transmits it to the control unit 80, this wireless communication unit functions as the signal acquisition unit. When the signal acquisition unit (control unit 80) acquires a trigger signal, the control unit 80 moves the transport device 60 from the power cut-off area to the temporary storage area 32, and then causes the power cut-off unit to perform the power cut-off for the power cut-off area. Examples of trigger signals include an operation detection signal output from the operation unit 84 when an operator performs a predetermined operation on the operation unit 84, a sensor detection signal output when a person is detected by an area sensor such as a light curtain or laser scanner, and an error signal output when an error occurs in the work device 90, such as the filling device 92.

[0065] <Modified form of the second embodiment> Next, a modified example of the second embodiment will be described using Figures 16 to 18. In Figures 16 to 18, an example of the movement path of the conveying device 60 is shown by arrows.

[0066] In this modified example, the method for producing finished goods 200 using the transport system 100 includes the step of arranging the transport devices 60 in the temporary storage area 32 in such a way that the time required to return the transport devices 60 that have been temporarily stored in the temporary storage area 32 to their respective work areas according to priority is minimized, as shown in Figures 16 and 17. With this configuration, when moving the transport devices 60 out of the evacuation area 32, priority is given to each transport device 60 moving via the shortest path, and after the cause of the stoppage in the work area is resolved, the multiple transport devices 60 can be quickly returned to the work area in the desired order. More specifically, in this method, the time required for each process differs. Therefore, among the multiple conveying devices 60 that have been moved to the refuge area 32, the conveying device 60 holding the work-in-progress for the process that requires the longest time is prioritized for restoration. This allows for the priority resumption of work in the process that requires the longest time, and the overall restoration of production of finished products 200 in the work area can be carried out more efficiently. Here, "the process that requires the longest time" means "the process that processes the fewest items per unit time."

[0067] In this embodiment, the time required for each step is long in the order of filling, capping, plugging, and metal ball insertion. In the waiting area 32, the control unit 80 arranges the transport devices 60 so that the work in each step can be resumed in this order. Therefore, as shown in Figures 17 and 18, first, the control unit 80 returns the first transport devices 61c and 61d, which hold the work-in-progress in the filling process, to their respective positions, and prioritizes the resumption of work in the filling process. More specifically, the first transport device 61d, which was located in the filling section 43b immediately before transitioning to the standby mode, is first returned to the filling section 43b. Subsequently, the first transport device 61c, which was located in the filling standby section 43a immediately before transitioning to the standby mode, is returned to the filling standby section 43a. Next, as shown in Figure 18, the control unit 80 restores the first conveying devices 61g and 61h, which hold the work-in-progress for the capping process, the second longest process after the filling process, and resumes work in the capping process. Subsequently, it restores the corresponding conveying devices 60 for the capping process and the metal ball insertion process, respectively, and resumes work in the capping process and the metal ball insertion process in that order. Thus, according to this embodiment, the transport device 60 can be placed in the waiting area 32 so that work in each process can be efficiently resumed according to the desired priority. This makes it possible to restore the production of finished products 200 in the work area more efficient overall. Furthermore, depending on the progress of the filling process (for example, if there are many conveying devices 60 waiting in another process), it may be more efficient to prioritize and resume operations in other processes (for example, the capping process) rather than the filling process, thereby restoring the production of finished products 200 more efficiently overall. In such cases, the control unit 80 will arrange the conveying devices 60 so that operations in the capping process, as mentioned in the example, can be prioritized for resumption. Furthermore, in the present invention, instead of restarting the work in order of the time required for each process as described above, the conveying device 60 may be arranged so that the work in the process requiring the longest time is restarted first, and then the work in the processes before and after this process is restarted immediately.

[0068] Furthermore, when arranging each transport device 60, it is preferable to arrange them so as to secure a transport route between the work area where work is ongoing (for example, the second work area 51) and the article supply unit 35, as shown in Figure 16, etc. Alternatively, it is preferable to have multiple transport devices 60 loaded with articles waiting near the work area where work is ongoing (the second work area 51), stop the operation of the article supply unit 95, and arrange each transport device 60 in the waiting area 32.

[0069] [Third Embodiment] Next, a third embodiment will be described using Figures 19 to 22. In Figures 19 to 22, an example of the movement path of the conveying device 60 is shown by arrows. Also, in Figures 19 to 22, the metal ball feeding device 91, filling device 92, capping device 93, and capping device 94 are not shown.

[0070] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 19 and the like, the first work area 41 is composed of a plurality (for example, 16) of segments 20 arranged in a grid. More specifically, these grid-like segments 20 are arranged in four rows in the Y direction, and in each row, four segments 20 are arranged in the X direction.

[0071] In this embodiment, when moving the transport device 60 from the work area (first work area 41) to the waiting area 32, the control unit 80 first executes control to move the first transport device 61a located in the metal ball input waiting area 42a, the first transport device 61b located in the metal ball input area 42b, the first transport device 61g located in the capper waiting area 45a, and the first transport device 61h located in the capper area 45b to the waiting area 32 (see Figure 19). Next, the control unit 80 executes control to move the first transport device 61a located in the metal ball input standby section 42a, the first transport device 61b located in the metal ball input section 42b, the first transport device 61g located in the capper standby section 45a, and the first transport device 61h located in the capper section 45b to the waiting area 32 (see Figure 20). This allows each conveying device 60 (first conveying device 61a to first conveying device 61h) to be moved from the first work area 41 to the waiting area 32 via the shortest path. When all conveying devices 60 are retracted into the refuge area 32, each of the first conveying devices 61c, 61d, 61e, and 61f is positioned closer to the first work area 41 than the first conveying devices 61a, 61b, 61g, and 61h.

[0072] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 21 and 22, when the first conveying devices 61a to 61h return to the first work area 41, they move in the opposite direction to when they were retracted. This allows each conveying device 60 (first conveying device 61a to 61h) to return from the retraction area 32 to the first work area 41 via the shortest path.

[0073] <Modified form of the third embodiment> Next, a modified example of the third embodiment will be described using Figures 23 and 24. In Figures 23 and 24, an example of the movement path of the conveying device 60 is shown by arrows. Also, in Figures 23 and 24, the metal ball feeding device 91, filling device 92, capping device 93, and capping device 94 are not shown.

[0074] As shown in Figures 23 and 24, in this modified example, the first transport devices 61a to 61h, which have been moved to the staggered section 32, return together to the center of the first work section 41 while maintaining their staggered arrangement. Then, the first transport devices 61a to 61h return from the center of the first work section 41 to their respective positions immediately before being moved, using the shortest possible paths. This configuration also allows each of the transport devices 60 to be smoothly returned to the position it was in immediately before being moved, enabling a quick resumption of work in the work area.

[0075] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but also includes various modifications, improvements, and other forms as long as the objectives of the present invention are achieved.

[0076] For example, in the present invention, the arrangement of the movement path section 34, the first work section 41, and the second work section 51 in the transport system 100 is not limited to the above example, and both the first work section 41 and the second work section 51 may be located on the left end (or right end) of the movement path section 34. Also, for example, in the front-to-back direction, the first work section 41, the movement path section 34, and the second work section 51 may be arranged from rear to front.

[0077] Furthermore, in the present invention, the number and arrangement of segments 20 constituting the power cutoff area, the refuge area 32, the work area, and the movement path area 34 are not limited to the above example, and can be appropriately set according to the size of the goods to be produced and the number of processes.

[0078] Furthermore, although the above describes an example in which some work areas become areas scheduled for power outage and the movement path area 34 becomes a refuge area 32, the present invention is not limited to this example, and all work areas may become areas scheduled for power outage. Alternatively, some work areas may become areas scheduled for power outage and other work areas may become refuge areas 32. Furthermore, in this invention, the travel path section 34 may become the section scheduled for power cutoff, and the work section may become the refuge section 32. Alternatively, a portion of the travel path section 34 may become the section scheduled for power cutoff, and the remaining portion may become the refuge section 32.

[0079] Furthermore, in the present invention, the transport stage 10 is not divided into multiple segments 20 but is composed of a single panel, and power cutoff zones and refuge zones 32 can be provided on the single panel, each capable of independently cutting off power. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0080] 10 Transport Stages 20 segments 26 Magnetic field generating section 32 Evacuation Areas 34 Travel Path Sections 41. First work area (work area) 42a Metal ball input standby section 42b Metal ball input part 43a Filling standby section 43b Filling section 44a Plugging standby section 44b Capping part 45a Capper Standby Section 45b Capper section 51 Second work area (work area) 52a Metal ball input standby section 52b Metal ball input part 53a Filling standby section 53b Filling section 54a Plugging standby section 54b Capping part 55a Capper Standby Section 55b Capper Department 60 Conveying device 70a, 70b, 70c, 70d, 70e Magnet arrays (each containing multiple permanent magnets) 75 Placement area 80 Control Unit 82 Memory section 90 Work equipment 91 Metal ball feeding device 92 Filling equipment 93 Capping device 94 Capping device 95 Goods supply device 96 Finished product removal device 100 Conveyor Systems 200 Finished products 210 Container body 220 Discharge part 230 Storage Unit 240 Cap section 251 Contents 252 metal ball

Claims

1. A transport system comprising a transport stage, a transport device that holds an article and moves on the transport stage, and a control unit that controls the movement of the transport device, The transport device has a permanent magnet, The transport stage has a magnetic force generating unit that generates magnetic force using electric power, The interaction between the magnetic force generating unit and the permanent magnet causes the transport device to levitate and move. The transport stage has a power cutoff area and a refuge area, each capable of independently cutting off the power supplied to the magnetic field generating unit. The aforementioned section scheduled for power interruption is a section where power interruption is planned. The aforementioned evacuation area is an area where the continuation of power supply is planned. The control unit executes control to move the transport device from the power cutoff area to the evacuation area, thus forming a transport system.

2. The transport stage has a work area and a movement path area, each capable of independently shutting off the power supplied to the magnetic field generating unit. The transport stage has multiple work areas, and each work area is equipped with a work device. The aforementioned movement path sections connect the aforementioned work sections, The transport system according to claim 1, wherein the minimum dimension of the transport path section in a direction perpendicular to the direction connecting the work sections is more than twice the shortest length in the planar dimensions of the transport device.

3. The transport system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control unit executes control to move the transport device to the retraction area such that the transport device, after being retracted, is in a positional relationship with the transport stage such that it does not deviate from the transport stage due to the repulsion of the permanent magnet.

4. The transport device has identification information, The transport system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control unit performs control to identify each of the transport devices based on the identification information.

5. The transport system according to claim 4, wherein when the cause of power interruption in the area scheduled for power interruption is resolved, the control unit executes control to return each of the transport devices to the position immediately before they were moved to a safe position, based on the identification information.

6. A method for producing a finished product of an article by performing work on the article using the conveying system described in claim 1 or 2, The transport stage has a work area and a movement path area, each capable of independently shutting off the power supplied to the magnetic field generating unit. The transport stage has multiple work areas, and each work area is equipped with a work device. The aforementioned movement path sections connect the aforementioned work sections, The aforementioned work apparatus is configured to sequentially perform operations on the aforementioned article, thereby producing the finished product. For each of the aforementioned work areas, a correspondence has been made between the cause of work interruption and whether or not that work area is a designated area for power outage. A production method comprising moving the transport device from the area where power is scheduled to be cut off to the temporary storage area, and then cutting off the power supply to the area where power is scheduled to be cut off.

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