Overhead Conveyance Steering Layout to Prevent Rail-Gap Vibration
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Overhead transport systems experience vibrations during steering operations due to traveling wheels falling into gaps between straight and intersection rails.
Innovation Solution
The system incorporates steerable wheels positioned on intersection rails with a steering center inward from the ground contact point, and auxiliary wheels on the front and rear sides to prevent wheel fall into gaps, reducing vibration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the wheels are positioned on rails arranged in a grid pattern with gaps between straight rails and intersection rails, then the overhead transport vehicle can travel along the rails, but vibrations occur during steering operation when wheels fall into the gaps
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit is configured to execute steering control in a specific state where each wheel is positioned on an intersection rail before steering occurs. This preliminary positioning ensures that during steering operation, the wheels remain on the intersection rails and do not fall into the gaps between rails, thereby preventing vibration from occurring in the first place
Solution Approach 2:
The intersection rail serves as an intermediary element that mediates between the straight rails. By positioning the steering center on the intersection rail, the system uses this intermediate structure to support the wheels during steering, preventing direct contact with the harmful gaps between rails while still enabling directional change
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the steering center is positioned on the intersection rail and inward from the ground contact point, then wheels remain on rails during steering, but the control complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit creates a controlled state where all four wheels are simultaneously positioned on intersection rails, establishing an equipotential condition for steering. This symmetric positioning simplifies the control logic by ensuring all wheels experience the same support conditions, making the steering control more manageable despite the constrained positioning requirement
Data Source
AI summary
An overhead transport system includes an overhead transport vehicle including a conveyor and a body, and a controller. The conveyor includes wheels to travel on rails including straight rails and intersection rails alternately arranged with a gap in each of a first direction and a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. The controller is configured or programmed to execute steering control to steer the wheels in a state in which each of the wheels is positioned on one of the intersection rails different from one another. A steering center of the wheel under the steering control is on the intersection rail and inward of the body from a ground contact point of the wheel on the intersection rail.