Conveyor system for transporting articles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10030336-B2
Application number	US-201113576695-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 22, 2011
Priority date	Feb 5, 2010
Publication date	Jul 24, 2018
Grant date	Jul 24, 2018

Abstract

A conveyor system for transporting articles, comprising a rail system that comprises a plurality of track sections and at least one switch point, by which, via a switch point drive, a first track section can be connected to a second track section or to a third track section of the rail system. At least one drivable transport trolley can be driven along a path of movement on the rail system. A communications system with comprises at least one communications line that extends along the path of movement of the at least one transport trolley. A trolley communications unit disposed on the at least one transport trolley interacts with the communications line. The switch point drive can be controlled by means of a switch point control system, which is connected to the at least one communications line.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A conveyor system for transporting articles, comprising:
a rail system which includes a plurality of line sections;
at least one set of points by means of which, via a points drive, a first line section is connectable to either a second line section or a third line section, wherein the points drive is triggered by a points controller;
at least one drivable transport carriage which is movable along a movement path on the rail system, the at least one drivable transport carriage having a carriage communication unit arranged thereon;
a central control for providing at least one control signal to the at least one drivable transport carriage;
a communication system which includes a communication line extending along the movement path, wherein
the carriage communication unit of the at least one drivable transport carriage contacts the communication line to facilitate bi-directional communication between the at least one drivable transport carriage and the central control,
the points controller communicates with at least one of the at least one drivable transport carriage or the central control via the communication line, and the points controller communicates with both of the at least one drivable transport carriage and the central control by way of the communication line.

2. The conveyor system according to claim 1 , wherein the communication line takes the form of a contact conductor, and the points controller is connected to the contact conductor by means of a contact device.

3. The conveyor system according to claim 1 , wherein signals are fed to the communication line, or retrieved therefrom, without contact.

4. The conveyor system according to claim 3 , wherein the communication line is a leaky waveguide.

5. The conveyor system according to claim 3 , wherein the communication line is connected to the points controller by way of a data cable.

6. The conveyor system according to claim 1 , wherein there is a power supply line along the movement path which is connected to the points controller such that the set of points are supplied with electrical power.

7. The conveyor system according to claim 6 , wherein the power supply line is a contact conductor which cooperates with a contact conductor device of the at least one drivable transport carriage.

8. The conveyor system according to claim 7 , wherein the contact conductor is a combined communication and power line.

9. The conveyor system according to claim 7 , wherein the at least one drivable transport carriage includes a tapping module by means of which the transport carriage is supplied with electrical power inductively by way of the power supply line.

10. The conveyor system according to claim 6 , wherein the power supply line is connected to the points controller by way of a power line.

11. The conveyor system according to claim 6 , wherein supply of electrical power to the power supply line is optionally maintained or interrupted by means of the points controller, in a safety section of the rail system which is arranged upstream of the set of points, as seen in a direction of transport.

12. The conveyor system according to claim 1 , wherein the communication line includes multiple cores.

Assignees

• Roeckle Juergen
• Eisenmann Se

Inventors

• Roeckle Juergen

Classifications

• B61L23/002

  Control or safety means for heart-points and crossings of aerial railways, funicular rack-railway · CPC title

• E01B7/00 Primary

  Switches; Crossings (operating mechanisms B61L) · CPC title

• B61B13/04 Primary

  Monorail systems · CPC title