OHT vehicle traction device and method for recoverying malfunctioned vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12441374-B2
Application number	US-202117494717-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 5, 2021
Priority date	Oct 6, 2020
Publication date	Oct 14, 2025
Grant date	Oct 14, 2025

Abstract

Proposed are an OHT (overhead hoist transport) vehicle traction device and a method of managing an OHT system using same. The OHT vehicle traction device may solve problems of a driving-malfunction vehicle on the rails of an OHT system or tows the vehicle, and the method of managing the OHT system may increase the management efficiency of the entire OHT system by solving problems of a driving-malfunction vehicle or towing the vehicle in an unmanned type.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An overhead hoist transport (OHT) vehicle traction device comprising:
a moving unit configured to be driven on a rail of an OHT system;
a wireless power supply unit configured to wirelessly provide power to a driving-malfunction vehicle having a wireless power input unit;
a traction unit configured to be engaged with a traction jig fastener of the driving-malfunction vehicle to tow the driving-malfunction vehicle;
a traction jig fastener configured to be engaged with a traction unit of the driving-malfunction vehicle to tow the driving-malfunction vehicle;
a traction jig controller; and
a malfunction vehicle control unit,
wherein the traction unit comprises:
a traction support member protruding forward; and
a traction jig mounted at an end of the traction support member and configured to be fastened to the traction jig fastener of the driving-malfunction vehicle,
wherein the traction jig comprises:
a hooked jig configured to be fastened to a ring-shaped traction jig fastener; and
a rotary jig joint connected to an end of the hooked jig and configured to fasten or separate the hooked jig to or from the traction jig fastener by rotating the hooked jig,
wherein the traction jig controller controls rotation of the rotary jig joint, and
wherein the malfunction vehicle control unit is configured to:
control the traction jig controller to couple the traction jig to the traction jig fastener;
control the wireless power supply unit to wirelessly supply power to the driving-malfunction vehicle;
wirelessly reset a controller of the driving-malfunction vehicle having a wireless control communication module;
check whether the controller of the driving-malfunction vehicle is normally operated; and
control the driving-malfunction vehicle via the wireless control communication module so that a brake of the driving-malfunction vehicle is released and a steering device of the driving-malfunction vehicle is controlled.

2. The OHT vehicle traction device of claim 1 ,
wherein the traction unit further comprises:
a traction jig member room configured to receive and keep the traction support member, and
wherein the traction jig controller is configured to control the traction support member pulled out of or inserted into the traction jig member room.

3. The OHT vehicle traction device of claim 1 ,
wherein the traction support member comprises a shock-absorbing member disposed at a middle portion or at an end of the traction support member and comprising an elastic member configured to absorb shock.

4. The OHT vehicle traction device of claim 1 ,
wherein the traction support member comprises a joint formed at a middle portion of the traction support member and configured to rotate left and right a portion of the traction support member.

5. The OHT vehicle traction device of claim 1 ,
wherein the OHT vehicle traction device is mounted on an OHT vehicle for transporting articles.

6. A method of managing an overhead hoist transport (OHT) system, the method comprising:
designating, by an OHT control system (OCS), a plurality of transport works to a plurality of OHT vehicles, respectively, wherein the plurality of OHT vehicles include a plurality of first type OHT vehicles having an OHT vehicle traction device and a plurality of second type OHT vehicles without an OHT vehicle traction device;
distributing, by the OCS, the plurality of first type OHT vehicles and the plurality of second type OHT vehicles at a predetermined ratio for each transport section;
recognizing a driving-malfunction vehicle having a problem on a rail of the OHT system;
designating, by the OCS, an OHT vehicle traction device by giving an instruction to the OHT vehicle traction device to solve the problem of the driving-malfunction vehicle, wherein the designating of the OHT vehicle traction device includes choosing one of the plurality first type OHT vehicle which is close to the driving-malfunction vehicle among the plurality of OHT vehicles;
approaching the OHT vehicle traction device to the driving-malfunction vehicle;
wirelessly supplying power to a wireless power input unit of the driving-malfunction vehicle and wirelessly resetting a controller through a wireless control communication module of the driving-malfunction vehicle, by the OHT vehicle traction device; and
checking whether the controller of the driving-malfunction vehicle is normally operated, by the OHT vehicle traction device.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
coupling a traction unit and a traction jig fastener to each other by the OHT vehicle traction device; and
towing the driving-malfunction vehicle through the traction unit and the traction jig fastener by the OHT vehicle traction device.

8. The method of claim 7 ,
wherein the towing of the driving-malfunction vehicle comprises:
releasing a brake through a wireless control communication module of the driving-malfunction vehicle by supplying power to a wireless power input unit of the driving-malfunction vehicle; and
controlling a steering device through the wireless control communication module of the driving-malfunction vehicle while towing the driving-malfunction vehicle.

9. The method of claim 8 ,
wherein in the towing of the driving-malfunction vehicle, the steering device of the driving-malfunction vehicle is controlled in consideration of a bottleneck or a bend in a route from a location where the driving-malfunction vehicle is stopped to a destination where the driving-malfunction vehicle is to be repaired.

10. The method of claim 7 ,
wherein the approaching of an OHT vehicle traction device includes moving the OHT vehicle traction device to the driving-malfunction vehicle within a possible-coupling distance between the traction unit and the traction jig fastener, and
wherein the coupling of the traction unit and the traction jig fastener to each other comprises:
pulling out a traction support member from a traction support member room; and
coupling a traction jig at an end of the traction support member to the traction jig fastener.

Assignees

• Semes Co Ltd

Inventors

• Yoon Ki Sub
• Jung Ji Yoon

Classifications

• H10P72/3218

  Conveying cassettes, containers or carriers · CPC title

• H10P72/3221

  Overhead conveying · CPC title

• H10P72/3202

  Mechanical details, e.g. rollers or belts · CPC title

• H10P72/3214 Primary

  by means of a cart or a vehicle · CPC title

• H10P72/32 Primary

  between different workstations · CPC title