Transport vehicle and transport vehicle system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10065840-B2
Application number	US-201615068982-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 14, 2016
Priority date	Mar 19, 2015
Publication date	Sep 4, 2018
Grant date	Sep 4, 2018

Abstract

A transport vehicle travels on first and second paths orthogonally or diagonally crossing each other and each including an opening at a center and treads on both sides of the opening. The transport vehicle includes a vehicle in an upper portion; a transport in a lower portion to hold an article; and a column extending downward from the vehicle to the transport. The vehicle includes on front and rear of the column along the first path, at least a pair of first traveling units each including a first traveling wheel that travels on the tread of the first path, and first auxiliary wheels on front and rear of the first traveling wheel along the first path; on front and rear of the column along the second path, at least a pair of second traveling units each including a second traveling wheel that travels on the tread of the second path, and second auxiliary wheels on front and rear of the second traveling wheel along the second path; and a lifting mechanism that raises and lowers one of the at least the pair of first traveling units and the at least the pair of second traveling units.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A transport vehicle which travels on a first path and a second path orthogonally or diagonally crossing each other, the first path including a first opening at a center of the first path and first treads on both sides of the first opening, and the second path including a second opening at a center of the second path and second treads on both sides of the second opening, the transport vehicle comprising:
a vehicle in an upper portion of the transport vehicle;
a transport in a lower portion of the transport vehicle to hold an article; and
a column extending downward from the vehicle to the transport; wherein
the vehicle includes:
on a front and a rear of the column along the first path, at least a pair of first traveling units each including a first traveling wheel that travels on a tread included in the first treads of the first path, and first auxiliary wheels on a front and a rear of the first traveling wheel along the first path;
on a front and a rear of the column along the second path, at least a pair of second traveling units each including a second traveling wheel that travels on a tread included in the second treads of the second path, and second auxiliary wheels on a front and a rear of the second traveling wheel along the second path; and
an elevator that raises and lowers one of the at least the pair of first traveling units and the at least the pair of second traveling units.

2. The transport vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein
each of the at least the pair of first traveling units further includes at least two guide rollers, which are located within the first opening at the center of the first path and located in different positions from the center of the first opening along a direction perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to a direction of the first path within a horizontal plane, and a first expansion/reduction mechanism that includes a first cam and a first linkage and expands and reduces a space between the at least two guide rollers;
each of the at least the pair of second traveling units further includes at least two guide rollers, which are located within the second opening at the center of the second path and located in different positions from the center of the second opening along a direction perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to a direction of the second path within the horizontal plane, and a second expansion/reduction mechanism that includes a second cam and a second linkage and expands and reduces a space between the at least two guide rollers; and
the space between the guide rollers of either of the first traveling unit and the second traveling unit that is lowered by the elevator is expanded.

3. The transport vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein
an interval between a wheel shaft of the first traveling wheel and a wheel shaft of each of the first auxiliary wheels on the front and the rear of the first traveling wheel is larger than a width of the second opening in the second path; and
an interval between a wheel shaft of the second traveling wheel and a wheel shaft of each of the second auxiliary wheels on the front and the rear of the second traveling wheel is larger than a width of the first opening in the first path.

4. The transport vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the first traveling units and the second traveling units are arranged in a cross structure with the column located at a center of the cross structure.

5. A transport vehicle system, comprising:
a traveling path including a first path including a first opening at a center thereof and first treads on both sides of the first opening, and a second path including a second opening at a center thereof and second treads on both sides of the second opening, the second path orthogonally or diagonally crossing the first path; and
a transport vehicle including a vehicle which travels on the first path and the second path and is located in an upper portion of the transport vehicle, a transport which holds an article and is located in a lower portion of the transport vehicle, and a column which extends downward from the vehicle to the transport through the first opening and the second opening; wherein
the vehicle includes:
on a front and a rear of the column along the first path, at least a pair of first traveling units each including a first traveling wheel that travels on a tread included in the first treads of the first path, and first auxiliary wheels on a front and a rear of the first traveling wheel along the first path;
on a front and a rear of the column along the second path, at least a pair of second traveling units each including a second traveling wheel that travels on a tread included in the second treads of the second path, and second auxiliary wheels on a front and a rear of the second traveling wheel along the second path; and
an elevator that raises and lowers one of the at least the pair of first traveling units and the at least the pair of second traveling units.

6. The transport vehicle system according to claim 5 , wherein
the first traveling wheel and the second traveling wheel are driving wheels, and the first auxiliary wheels and the second auxiliary wheels are driven wheels;
the first traveling wheel and each of the first auxiliary wheels are located in different positions in a direction of a short side of the first path along the first treads of the first path;
the second traveling wheel and each of the second auxiliary wheels are located in different positions in a direction of a short side of the second path along the second treads of the second path; and
a groove is provided in a position facing each of the first auxiliary wheels on one of the first treads of the first path and a groove is provided in a position facing each of the second auxiliary wheels on one of the second treads of the second path in a range other than a predetermined range from a crossing portion of a cross where the first path and the second path cross each other such that the first auxiliary wheels come into contact with the first treads of the first path and the second auxiliary wheels come into contact with the second treads of the second path in the predetermined range, and the first auxiliary wheels and the second auxiliary wheels are away from the first treads and the second treads in the other range.

Assignees

• Murata Machinery Ltd

Inventors

• Izumi Takanori

Classifications

• H10P72/3221

  Overhead conveying · CPC title

• B66C9/02

  for underhung trolleys or cranes · CPC title

• B66C7/12 Primary

  Devices for changing direction of travel or for transferring from one runway to another; Crossings; Combinations of tracks of different gauges (transfer devices of general application E01B) · CPC title

• B66C7/02

  for underhung trolleys or cranes · CPC title

• B66C9/04

  to facilitate negotiation of curves · CPC title