Ceiling Transport Vehicle Inactive Gas Supply Actuator
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional article transport facilities face difficulties in quickly transporting containers that have been supplied with inactive gas, as the nitrogen gas supply passage becomes disconnected during horizontal movement of the eject portion, requiring reconnection and retraction to resume gas supply, which hinders efficient relocation of gas-supplied containers.
Innovation Solution
An article transport facility with a ceiling-suspended transport vehicle and an inactive gas supplying device where the eject portion is moved relative to the support portion using a connecting actuator device to maintain connection and separation, allowing continuous gas supply and quick repositioning for container transport.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the eject portion is horizontally moved by the horizontal movement actuator to disconnect the nitrogen gas supply passage, then the inactive gas supplying device cannot eject inactive gas through the eject portion, but the positional relationship between the support portion and eject portion can be changed for container connection and separation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the movement function into two independent actuators: horizontal movement actuator for positional adjustment and vertical movement actuator for connection/separation. This segmentation allows the horizontal movement to occur without disrupting the gas supply connection, as the vertical connection path remains intact during horizontal traversal.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic coordination between multiple actuators where the horizontal and vertical movements are controlled simultaneously and independently. This dynamic control enables the eject portion to maintain connection with the container while changing horizontal position, ensuring continuous gas supply during repositioning operations.
2Reliability
If the eject portion is retracted horizontally by the horizontal movement actuator to reconnect the nitrogen gas supply passage, then inactive gas can be supplied to the container, but the transport vehicle cannot quickly transport the container to another location
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables continuous inactive gas supply during the entire transport process by maintaining the connection between the eject portion and container throughout horizontal movement. The gas supply action continues uninterrupted while the container is being repositioned, eliminating the need to pause for reconnection and ensuring continuous protective atmosphere.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent establishes the connection between the eject portion and container before horizontal movement begins, and maintains this connection throughout the transport process. This preliminary establishment of connection allows the system to proceed directly to transport without intermediate reconnection steps, improving transport efficiency.
3Productivity
If another article transport vehicle is caused to travel to the travel stop position to transport a gas-supplied container, then the container can be moved to another location, but the process becomes time-consuming and inefficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the article transport vehicle multi-functional by equipping it with both horizontal movement actuator and vertical movement actuator, enabling it to perform both positional adjustment and connection/separation operations. This universal capability allows a single vehicle to handle gas-supplied containers efficiently without requiring another dedicated vehicle, reducing time loss and improving productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines the horizontal movement function and vertical connection function into a single integrated article transport vehicle system. By merging these functions in one vehicle, the system eliminates the need for coordination between multiple vehicles and reduces the time required for container relocation operations.
Data Source
AI summary
An article transport facility includes a connecting actuator device for moving an eject portion of an inactive gas supplying device relative to a support portion of a ceiling transport vehicle in order to change the positional relationship between the support portion and the eject portion between a connecting positional relationship and a separating positional relationship. The inactive gas supplying device is configured to eject the inactive gas from the eject portion with the connection between the eject portion and the container maintained after the positional relationship between the support portion and the eject portion is changed to the connecting positional relationship.