Transfer system and controlling method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12279376-B2
Application number	US-202318133435-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 11, 2023
Priority date	Apr 11, 2022
Publication date	Apr 15, 2025
Grant date	Apr 15, 2025

Abstract

Provided is a transfer system that efficiently allocates tasks to a plurality of transfer vehicles that operate by the power through a track. The transfer system comprises: a first track installed on a rail; a first power supplier configured to supply power to the first track; a plurality of transfer vehicles configured to move along the rail, have a battery installed inside, and charge the battery by the power from the first track; and a controller configured to allocate tasks of the plurality of transfer vehicles based on a first allowable power in the first track.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A transfer system, comprising:
a first track installed on a rail;
a first power supplier configured to supply power to the first track;
a plurality of transfer vehicles configured to move along the rail, have a battery installed inside, and charge the battery by the power from the first track; and
a controller configured to allocate tasks of the plurality of transfer vehicles based on a first allowable power in the first track, the first allowable power including a value calculated by subtracting a first used power in the first track from a first limit power in the first track,
wherein each of the plurality of transfer vehicles is configured to transmit information on an actual used power to the controller, and the controller is configured to calculate the first used power by summing the actual used power of the plurality of transfer vehicles transmitted from the plurality of transfer vehicles.

2. The transfer system of claim 1 , wherein the first used power is calculated based on the number of transfer vehicles disposed on the first track.

3. The transfer system of claim 1 , wherein the first power supplier includes a sensor for sensing the power used in the first track, and the first used power is a value measured by the sensor.

4. The transfer system of claim 1 , wherein the first allowable power exceeds a first reference power, and the controller moves a transfer vehicle disposed on the first track and having a charge amount that exceeds a first reference charge amount to another track with an allowable power below the first allowable power.

5. The transfer system of claim 4 , wherein the controller first charges a transfer vehicle with a charge amount below a second reference charge amount among the plurality of transfer vehicle disposed on the first track, wherein the second reference charge amount is below the first reference charge amount.

6. The transfer system of claim 1 , wherein the first allowable power is below the second reference power, and the controller moves a transfer vehicle disposed on the first track and having a charge amount below a second reference charge amount to another track with an allowable power that exceeds the first allowable power.

7. The transfer system of claim 1 , wherein the first allowable power is below the second reference power, and the controller charges the plurality of transfer vehicles disposed on the first track at a charging speed slower than a reference charging speed.

8. The transfer system of claim 7 , wherein the first allowable power is below a third reference power, the third reference power is below the second reference power, and the controller controls at least one of the plurality of transfer vehicles disposed on the first track to operate only with the battery and then moves a transfer vehicle disposed on another track to the first track.

9. The transfer system of claim 8 , wherein a first maximum number of charging vehicles on the first track means the maximum number of transfer vehicles capable of receiving power from the first track, and after moving the transfer vehicle on another track to the first track, the number of transfer vehicles disposed on the first track exceeds the first maximum number of charging vehicles.

10. The transfer system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second track installed on the rail; and
a second power supplier configured to supply power to the second track,
wherein, when the second power supplier suddenly stops operating, the controller controls the first power supplier to supply power to the first track and the second track.

11. The transfer system of claim 10 , wherein the controller controls at least one of the plurality of transfer vehicles disposed on the first and second tracks to operate only with the battery and charges the transfer vehicles disposed on the first and second tracks at a charging speed slower than a reference charging speed.

12. A transfer system, comprising:
a track installed on a rail;
a power supplier configured to supply power to the track;
a plurality of transfer vehicles configured to move along the rail, have a battery installed inside, and charge the battery by the power from the track; and
a controller configured to allocate tasks of the plurality of transfer vehicles,
wherein
the controller is configured to, when the number of transfer vehicles disposed on the track is a maximum number of charging vehicles,
control a first transfer vehicle among the plurality of transfer vehicles disposed on the track to operate only by the battery,
introduce a second transfer vehicle onto the track,
move a third transfer vehicle among the plurality of transfer vehicles disposed on the track to another track, and
terminate the operation of the first transfer vehicle only by the battery.

13. The transfer system of claim 12 , comprising: after the second transfer vehicle enters the track, charging a transfer vehicle disposed on the track and having a charge amount below a reference charge amount at a charging speed slower than a reference charging speed before the third transfer vehicle moves to another track.

14. A controlling method of a transfer system, the method comprising:
providing the transfer system including a first track installed on a rail, a first power supplier configured to supply power to the first track, and a plurality of transfer vehicles configured to move along the rail and have a battery installed inside;
when a first allowable power in the first track exceeds a first reference power, introducing a transfer vehicle with a charge amount below a second reference charge amount onto the first track; and
when the first allowable power in the first track is below a second reference power, moving a transfer vehicle disposed on the first track and having a charge amount below the second reference charge amount to another track.

15. The controlling method of a transfer system of claim 14 , further comprising: when the first allowable power in the first track exceeds the first reference power, charging the transfer vehicle disposed on the first track at a charging speed that exceeds a reference charging speed.

16. The controlling method of a transfer system of claim 14 , further comprising: when the first allowable power in the first track is below the second reference power, charging the transfer vehicle disposed on the first track at a charging speed slower than the reference charging speed.

17. The controlling method of a transfer system of claim 14 , wherein the transfer system further comprises:
a second track installed on the rail; and
a second power supplier configured to supply power to the second track,
wherein, when the second power supplier suddenly stops operating, the first power supplier is further configured to supply power to the first and second tracks.

18. The controlling method of a transfer system of claim 17 , further comprising: controlling at least one of the plurality of transfer vehicles disposed on the first and second tracks to operate with only the battery.

19. The transfer system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to, when the first allowable power is below a third reference power, control at least one of the plurality of transfer vehicles disposed on the first track to be operated with the battery only and move a transfer vehicle disposed on another track to the first track such that after the transfer vehicle disposed on the another track is moved to the first track a number of the plurality of transfer vehicles disposed on th

Assignees

• Semes Co Ltd

Inventors

• Yoon Ki Sub

Classifications

• H10P72/3216

  using a general scheme of a conveying path within a factory · CPC title

• H10P72/0612

  Production flow monitoring, e.g. for increasing throughput · CPC title

• H10P72/3221 Primary

  Overhead conveying · CPC title

• B60L9/00

  Electric propulsion with power supply external to the vehicle (electric propulsion for monorail vehicles, suspension vehicles or rack railways B60L13/00; in combination with batteries or fuel cells within the vehicle B60L50/53) · CPC title

• B61B5/00 Primary

  Elevated railway systems without suspended vehicles (with monorail B61B13/04; tracks therefor E01B25/00) · CPC title