Movable Rail Gap Reduction for Transport Facility Vibrations
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing transport facilities experience vibrations and reduced efficiency due to high-speed transport vehicles passing through gaps in guide rails, which are designed to accommodate fire doors, leading to lower travel speeds.
Innovation Solution
A transport facility with a movable rail system that shifts between connected and retracted orientations, reducing gaps and vibrations by using a restrictor to prevent vehicles from entering disconnected sections, and simplifying the restrictor's structure without a dedicated drive source.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If guide rails have a gap to allow the fire door to pass through, then the fire door can operate freely, but the transport vehicle experiences large vibrations when passing through the gap
Solution Approach 1:
The movable rail is positioned to be movable between a first position (connected orientation) where it connects the first and second fixed rails to reduce vibrations, and a second position (retracted orientation) where it disconnects to allow fire door operation. This dynamic positioning resolves the contradiction by adapting the rail configuration to different operational requirements.
2Productivity
If the transport vehicle travels at high speed, then transport efficiency is improved, but large vibrations occur when passing through the gap in the guide rails
Solution Approach 1:
The movable rail dynamically switches between connected and retracted orientations based on whether the fire door needs to pass through. When connected, it maintains continuous rail support for high-speed travel without vibrations. When retracted, it allows fire door operation. This enables high-speed transport efficiency while eliminating vibrations.
3Ease of operation
If the movable rail is shifted to the retracted orientation to allow fire door operation, then the fire door can pass through, but the transport vehicle cannot travel through the disconnected section
Solution Approach 1:
The restrictor acts as an intermediary mechanism that responds to the movable rail's retracted orientation by protruding into the transport vehicle's path to prevent entry into the disconnected section. This intermediary action ensures safety while allowing the fire door to operate freely through the opening.
4Reliability
If a restrictor mechanism is added to prevent the transport vehicle from entering the disconnected section, then safety is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The restrictor mechanism is designed to automatically respond to the movable rail's position changes without requiring a separate control system. When the movable rail shifts to the retracted orientation, the restrictor automatically protrudes to block the transport vehicle path, and when the movable rail returns to the connected orientation, the restrictor automatically retracts. This self-service mechanism improves safety while minimizing additional complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A transportation facility includes a rail extending through an opening, a door to open and close the opening, and a restrictor. The rail includes a movable rail, a first fixed rail, and a second fixed rail. The movable rail is shiftable between a connected orientation in which the movable rail is disposed in the overlapping area to connect the first fixed rail to the second fixed rail, and a retracted orientation in which the movable rail is disposed outside of the overlapping area to disconnect the first fixed rail from the second fixed rail. The restrictor is in a normal orientation with the movable rail in the connected orientation where the restrictor does not restrict travel of a transport vehicle, and shifts to a protruding orientation in response to the movable rail being shifted from the connected orientation to the retracted orientation where the restrictor restricts travel of the transport vehicle.