Article Transport Facility Propelling Member Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing article transport facilities face challenges in increasing travel speeds in specific sections of the predetermined travel path without incurring excessive costs, as equipping each vehicle with a large electric motor and reinforcing travel rails to handle the increased weight is expensive and impractical for existing facilities.
Innovation Solution
The introduction of a rotatable member transporting device that supports and transports the propelling rotatable member, allowing the article transport vehicle to travel at higher speeds in specific sections by combining propelling force with transporting force, thereby reducing the need for high-output motors and reinforcing travel rails.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If a large high-output electric motor is provided to enable higher travel speeds, then the article transport vehicle can travel at higher speeds, but the facility becomes expensive and the travel rails need reinforcement
Solution Approach 1:
The travel path is divided into multiple sections with different speed requirements. The rotatable member transporting device is selectively provided only in specific sections where higher speeds are needed, rather than equipping the entire system with high-speed capability. This segmentation allows the vehicle to travel at higher speeds in certain sections while maintaining cost-effectiveness elsewhere.
Solution Approach 2:
A rotatable member transporting device is introduced as an intermediary mechanism between the vehicle's propulsion system and the travel rails. This device provides additional propelling force to the vehicle in specific sections, enabling higher speeds without requiring the vehicle itself to be equipped with a large high-output motor throughout the entire system.
2Productivity
If the article transport vehicle is equipped with a large electric motor for high speed, then productivity improves, but the weight of the vehicle increases requiring stronger travel rails
Solution Approach 1:
The high-speed capability is segmented to specific travel path sections rather than being a universal feature of the vehicle. The rotatable member transporting device is selectively deployed in sections where high productivity is needed, allowing the vehicle to maintain lower weight elsewhere while still achieving high productivity when required.
Solution Approach 2:
The rotatable member transporting device acts as an external intermediary that provides propelling force without being permanently integrated into the vehicle structure. This allows the vehicle to access high-speed capability when needed without permanently carrying the weight of high-power motor components throughout the entire system.
3Productivity
If the vehicle travels at high speed throughout the entire path, then efficiency improves, but it cannot accommodate sections requiring lower speeds for article transfer
Solution Approach 1:
The travel path is segmented into high-speed sections (with rotatable member transporting devices) and low-speed sections (with conventional travel surfaces). This allows the system to optimize for efficiency in appropriate sections while maintaining adaptability for article transfer operations in other sections.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts travel speed based on the section of the path being traversed. The vehicle can travel at higher speeds in sections equipped with rotatable member transporting devices and at lower speeds in sections designed for article transfer, providing both efficiency and adaptability.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution enables article transport vehicles to travel at higher speeds in desired sections without increasing the overall facility cost, as the rotatable member transporting device can be integrated into existing systems, improving efficiency and reducing vibration and cost burdens.
Implementation Method 1
the article transport vehicle travels by means of the propelling force obtained by drivingly rotating the propelling rotatable members with the propelling rotatable members in contact with a contact portion
Data Source
AI summary
An article transport facility includes an article transport vehicle and a rotatable member transporting device. The article transport vehicle is configured to travel along a predetermined travel path by obtaining propelling force by drivingly rotating a propelling rotatable member with the propelling rotatable member in contact with a contact portion. The propelling rotatable member can be in contact with the rotatable member transporting device. And the rotatable member transporting device transports, in an advancing direction, the propelling rotatable member in contact with the rotatable member transporting device, and is provided in place of the contact portion in a specific section included in the predetermined travel path. The propelling rotatable member is configured to be able to be drivingly rotated while in contact with the rotatable member transporting device.