Shared Rail Vehicle Positioning Across Installation Gaps
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Solution Overview
Problem
When traveling rails are installed in a site with gaps between divided sections, existing detection systems fail to accurately determine the position of traveling vehicles due to disengagement of rotary encoders, necessitating a solution to absorb errors between site and product dimensions.
Innovation Solution
A traveling vehicle system with a dual-rail configuration, including detectable parts and detectors for each rail section, allows vehicles to detect their positions accurately by forming gaps between rail members adjusted to site dimensions, and controlling travel to prevent vehicle overlap.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a single traveling rail is installed to allow two traveling vehicles to share a common traveling area, then vehicle positioning can be detected using rotary encoders, but the system cannot absorb errors between site dimensions and product dimensions
Solution Approach 1:
The traveling rail is divided into multiple separate rail members (first rail member and second rail member) that can be installed with gaps between them. This segmentation allows the rail system to adapt to dimensional variations in the installation site while maintaining the ability to detect vehicle positions using rotary encoders that mesh with detectable parts on each rail member.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple divided traveling rails are installed with gaps to absorb dimensional errors, then adaptability to site dimensions is improved, but rotary encoders cannot properly detect vehicle positions due to disengagement from detectable parts
Solution Approach 1:
Detectable parts (such as chains or racks) are provided on each rail member to serve as intermediaries between the rotary encoders and the rail structure. These detectable parts extend continuously across the gaps between rail members, allowing the encoders to maintain engagement and detect vehicle positions accurately even when the rail members are separated by gaps for dimensional adaptation.
3Adaptability or versatility
If detectable parts are installed with gaps between them to match divided rail members, then the rail system can adapt to site dimensions, but vehicle position detection fails because the meshing with rotary encoders disengages
Solution Approach 1:
The detectable parts on adjacent rail members are configured to form a continuous structure that spans across the gaps between rail members. This merging of detectable parts ensures that rotary encoders remain engaged with the detectable parts throughout the entire traveling range, maintaining reliable position detection while allowing the rail members themselves to be separated for dimensional adaptation.
Data Source
AI summary
A traveling vehicle system (10) is configured such that, in a shared area (12B), a first detectable part (35A, 35B) is disposed at a position detectable by a first detector (85A, 85B) and a second detectable part (36A, 36B) is disposed at a position undetectable by the first detector (85A, 85B) when a first traveling vehicle (7A) is located in a first position (P1), and the second detectable part (36A, 36B) is disposed at a position detectable by a second detector (87A, 87B) and the first detectable part (35A, 35B) is disposed at a position undetectable by the second detector (87A, 87B) when a second traveling vehicle (7B) is located in a second position (P2).