Relay Conveyance Apparatus for Overhead Transport Transfer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Overhead transport systems are limited in transferring articles to areas below curved segments of traveling rails, restricting the placement of load ports and processing equipment due to the inability of overhead and local vehicles to directly transfer articles at these positions.
Innovation Solution
An intermediate transport apparatus is introduced, featuring a traveling rail for a local vehicle that extends parallel to the overhead transport vehicle's rail, allowing articles to be transferred between buffers and load ports, even under curved segments, thereby enabling transfer at positions inaccessible to overhead transport vehicles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If overhead transport vehicles and local vehicles are used for article transfer, then article transfer capacity is improved, but the transferable area is limited to below straight segments of traveling rails
Solution Approach 1:
A relay conveyance apparatus is introduced as an intermediary system between overhead transport vehicles and ground-level positions. This apparatus includes a relay conveyance vehicle that travels on a relay traveling rail extending from below a straight segment to below a curved segment, enabling article transfer to positions that were previously inaccessible to both overhead and local vehicles.
Solution Approach 2:
The relay traveling rail is configured to extend in a different spatial dimension compared to traditional local vehicle rails. It starts from below a straight segment and extends to below a curved segment, utilizing the vertical and horizontal space differently to reach areas that were previously inaccessible for article transfer.
2Adaptability or versatility
If load ports are provided at positions below curved segments, then processing equipment placement flexibility is improved, but article transfer to these positions becomes impossible
Solution Approach 1:
The relay conveyance apparatus serves as a mediator between the overhead transport system and ground-level positions below curved segments. The relay conveyance vehicle collects articles from overhead vehicles at positions below straight segments and delivers them to ground-level positions below curved segments, enabling both processing equipment placement flexibility and article transfer capability.
3Device complexity
If a simple configuration is used for article transfer, then device complexity is reduced, but the transferable area remains limited
Solution Approach 1:
The transport system is segmented into distinct functional components: overhead transport vehicles for high-level transport, buffers for temporary storage, local vehicles for lateral transfer, and the relay conveyance apparatus for extending reach to curved segment areas. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function simply while collectively achieving expanded transferable area.
Data Source
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Figure 5
AI summary
Overhead transport vehicles with a hoist travel on a traveling rail for the overhead transport vehicles including a straight segment and a curved segment. A traveling rail for a local vehicle is provided below the traveling rail for the overhead transport vehicles, allows articles passing upward and downward over the traveling rail, has one end below the straight segment, extends from the one end parallelly to an extended line of the straight segment to a transfer position at the ground side, and has the other end outside an area under the straight segment. A buffer for the articles is provided below the straight segment and also below the traveling rail for the local vehicle. The local vehicle with a hoist traveling on the traveling rail for the local vehicle transfers the articles between the transfer position at the ground side and the buffer.