Overhead traveling vehicle system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11932096-B2
Application number	US-201917265784-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 27, 2019
Priority date	Aug 9, 2018
Publication date	Mar 19, 2024
Grant date	Mar 19, 2024

Abstract

An overhead traveling vehicle system having an overhead traveling vehicle includes a main body, at least an upper surface of which is of a rectangular shape as viewed in a plan view, and a traveling wheel provided in each of four corners on the upper surface of the main body and rolls on a traveling surface of a track, the main body being arranged below the track by connectors each extending downwardly from the traveling wheel, wherein the overhead traveling vehicle includes charging electrodes on the upper surface of the main body, and a charger is arranged in a space above the traveling surface, at least a part of which overlaps with a movement space for the traveling wheels as viewed in a side view, and does not overlap with the movement space as viewed in a plan view.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An overhead traveling vehicle system having an overhead traveling vehicle comprising:
a main body, at least an upper surface of which is of a rectangular shape as viewed in a plan view, and a traveling wheel provided in each of four corners on the upper surface of the main body and rolls on a traveling surface of a track, the main body being arranged below the track by connectors each extending downwardly from the traveling wheel,
wherein the overhead traveling vehicle includes charging electrodes on the upper surface of the main body, and
a charger is arranged in a space above the traveling surface, at least a part of which overlaps with a movement space for the traveling wheels as viewed in a side view, and does not overlap with the movement space as viewed in a plan view.

2. The overhead traveling vehicle system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the track includes a first track provided along a first direction and a second track provided along a second direction intersecting with the first direction,
the overhead traveling vehicle can travel, moving from the first track to the second track, or from the second track to the first track, and
the charger is arranged at an intersection between the first track and the second track.

3. The overhead traveling vehicle system according to claim 2 ,
wherein the track is a grid-patterned track in which a plurality of the first tracks and a plurality of the second tracks orthogonally intersect with each other and a plurality of cells are adjacent to each other as viewed in a plan view,
the charger includes at least a power supply unit and a terminal unit, and
the power supply unit and the terminal unit are each arranged in a manner of being distributed to adjacent cells.

4. The overhead traveling vehicle system according to claim 3 , wherein the first tracks and the second tracks are both provided along the same or substantially the same horizontal plane.

5. The overhead traveling vehicle system according to claim 3 , wherein the terminal unit can be raised or lowered between a connection position to be in contact with the charging electrodes and a waiting position to be away from the charging electrodes.

6. The overhead traveling vehicle system according to claim 3 ,
wherein the charger includes a control unit which controls the power supply unit and the terminal unit, and
the control unit is arranged in a cell different from the cells in which the power supply unit and the terminal unit are arranged.

7. The overhead traveling vehicle system according to claim 6 ,
wherein the power supply unit, the terminal unit, and the control unit are electrically connected to each other by wiring, and
the wiring is arranged above the movement space.

8. The overhead traveling vehicle system according to claim 2 ,
wherein the overhead traveling vehicle includes a steerer that causes the traveling wheel to pivot around an axis in the vertical direction, and
the charger is arranged in a space that does not overlap with a pivoting space of the traveling wheel as viewed in a plan view.

9. The overhead traveling vehicle system according to claim 8 , wherein the charging electrodes are arranged in a portion that does not overlap with a pivoting space of the steerer as viewed in a plan view.

Assignees

• Murata Machinery Ltd

Inventors

• OGO Haruki
• Ito Yasuhisa

Classifications

• H10P72/3221 Primary

  Overhead conveying · CPC title

• B60K1/04 Primary

  of the electric storage means for propulsion · CPC title

• B61B13/00

  Other railway systems · CPC title

• B60K2001/0494

  with arrangements for sliding · CPC title

• B60L53/36 Primary

  by positioning the vehicle · CPC title