Vehicle pick-up and delivery device and track-based transportation system provided therewith

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9353485-B2
Application number	US-201214240122-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 23, 2012
Priority date	Aug 31, 2011
Publication date	May 31, 2016
Grant date	May 31, 2016

Abstract

A vehicle pick-up and delivery device includes: two mainline tracks including a pair of first guide portions which guide a pair of first guide wheels provided on a vehicle on an outer side of each of the first guide wheels; a pick-up and delivery travel path on which the vehicle is capable of traveling and which is provided between the two mainline tracks and is configured to pick up and deliver the vehicle between the two mainline tracks; a second guide portion which is provided inside the pick-up and delivery travel path and guides a second guide wheel disposed below the vehicle; and a switching unit which is provided on the mainline tracks and is capable of switching a direction of the vehicle between a direction along the mainline tracks and a direction along the pick-up and delivery travel path.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vehicle pick-up and delivery device comprising:
two mainline tracks which include a pair of first guide portions which guide a pair of first guide wheels provided on a vehicle, the first guide portions being disposed outside the respective first guide wheels;
a pick-up and delivery travel path on which the vehicle is capable of traveling and which is provided between the two mainline tracks and is configured to pick up and deliver the vehicle between the two mainline tracks;
a second guide portion which is provided inside the pick-up and delivery travel path and guides a second guide wheel disposed below the vehicle; and
a switching unit which is mechanically connected to the mainline tracks and is capable of switching a direction of the vehicle between a direction along the mainline tracks and a direction along the pick-up and delivery travel path, wherein
the switching unit includes:
a branch guide portion which is provided on an end of the second guide portion and includes a first end and a second end; and
a moving unit which is connected to the second end and rotates the branch guide portion around the first end.

2. The vehicle pick-up and delivery device according to claim 1 , wherein the two mainline tracks include the pair of first guide portions only at a position in which the vehicle is switched by the switching unit.

3. The vehicle pick-up and delivery device according to claim 1 , wherein the pair of first guide portions are guide rails which are disposed outside both side portions of the vehicle.

4. The vehicle pick-up and delivery device according to claim 1 , wherein the pair of first guide portions are guide rails which are disposed between both side portions of the vehicle in a width direction of the vehicle.

5. The vehicle pick-up and delivery device according to claim 1 , wherein the pair of first guide portions are provided to be convex on the mainline tracks and the pick-up and delivery travel path, and are configured of inner surfaces in a width direction of a travel path on which a pair of tires are rolled.

6. The vehicle pick-up and delivery device according to claim 1 , wherein the second guide portion is provided at a center in a width direction of the pick-up and delivery travel path.

7. The vehicle pick-up and delivery device according to claim 1 , wherein
the second guide wheel is a guide roller which is capable of rotating around an axis extending in a vertical direction, and
the second guide portion is a guide rail which regulates the second guide wheel in a width direction of the vehicle.

8. The vehicle pick-up and delivery device according to claim 7 , wherein a concave portion, which is opened upward in a longitudinal direction of the second guide portion and into which the second guide wheel is inserted from above, is formed in the second guide portion.

9. The vehicle pick-up and delivery device according to claim 7 , wherein the second guide portion is interposed by the second guide wheels which are provided in pairs on the vehicle.

10. The vehicle pick-up and delivery device according to claim 1 , wherein the switching unit includes:
a pair of branch guide portions each of which is capable of guiding the second guide wheel; and
a moving unit which is provided on an outer side in a width direction of the branch guide portions, and is capable of moving the pair of branch guide portions to a first position in which one of the branch guide portions is capable of guiding the second guide wheel in a direction along the mainline track and the other of the branch guide portions does not interfere with the second guide wheel, and to a second position in which the other of the branch guide portions is capable of guiding the second guide wheel in a direction along the pick-up and delivery travel path and the one of the branch guide portions does not interfere with the second guide wheel.

11. The vehicle pick-up and delivery device according to claim 10 , wherein the branch guide portions are provided at a center in a width direction of the mainline track.

12. The vehicle pick-up and delivery device according to claim 11 , wherein one of the pair of branch guide portions is a first branch rail which is capable of guiding the second guide wheel to the first position, and the other of the pair of branch guide portions is a second branch rail which is capable of guiding the second guide wheel to the second position.

13. The vehicle pick-up and delivery device according to claim 12 , wherein concave portions, which are opened upward in longitudinal directions of the first branch rail and the second branch rail and into which the second guide wheel is inserted from above, are formed on the first branch rail and the second branch rail.

14. A track-based transportation system comprising:
the vehicle pick-up and delivery device according to claim 1 ; and
the vehicle, wherein the second guide wheel is disposed below the vehicle.

Assignees

• Mukai Yasuyuki
• Asanoma Toshiaki
• Murakami Yoshinobu
• Maeyama Hiroyuki
• Kubo Akihiro
• Katahira Kousuke
• Mitsubishi Heavy Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Mukai Yasuyuki
• Asanoma Toshiaki
• Murakami Yoshinobu
• Maeyama Hiroyuki
• Kubo Akihiro
• Katahira Kousuke

Classifications

• E01B25/28

  Rail tracks for guiding vehicles when running on road or similar surface (wheel tracks on roads E01C9/02) · CPC title

• B61B13/00

  Other railway systems · CPC title

• E01B7/00 Primary

  Switches; Crossings (operating mechanisms B61L) · CPC title

• B62D1/26

  mechanical, e.g. by a non-load-bearing guide (railways B61) · CPC title