CN115551759A - Conveying system - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention provides a conveying system which can make a vehicle easily run with enough propelling force. A conveying system (1) is provided with a track (2) and a vehicle (40). The rail (2) has a guide rail (20). The vehicle (40) has guide wheels (730-732) that move along the guide rail (20). The track (2) has a 1 st section including the contact portion (24) and a 2 nd section not including the contact portion (24). The vehicle (40) further comprises a plurality of drive wheels (74) that sandwich the contact portion (24).

Description

Conveying system

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a conveying system, and more particularly, to a conveying system including a vehicle that travels along a track.

Background

Patent document 1 discloses a passenger conveyor. In the passenger conveyor, the track has a vehicle acceleration zone and a vehicle coasting zone. In the vehicle acceleration zone, the vehicle lifted by the lifting device is accelerated on a steep downward slope. In the vehicle coasting area, the vehicle is coasting mainly in a non-driving manner. The vehicle includes a small-sized drive motor and a drive wheel rotationally driven by the small-sized drive motor. In the vehicle inertia running zone, when the running speed of the vehicle becomes equal to or less than a predetermined value, the driving wheels descend and come into contact with the surface to be contacted formed on the track, whereby the vehicle runs while being driven.

In the passenger conveyor described above, it is not easy to generate sufficient frictional force between the driving wheel and the contacted surface portion, and it is not easy to run the vehicle with sufficient propulsive force.

Patent document 1: japanese patent laid-open publication No. 2002-29414

Disclosure of Invention

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a conveyance system capable of easily running a vehicle with a sufficient propulsive force.

A conveying system according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a rail and a vehicle. The track has a guide rail. The vehicle has guide wheels that move along the guide rail. The track has a 1 st section including a contact portion and a 2 nd section not including the contact portion. The vehicle further includes a plurality of drive wheels that sandwich the contact portion.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a top view schematically showing the conveying system of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a side view schematically showing a part of the above-described conveying system.

Fig. 3 is a side view showing a vehicle provided in the above-described conveyance system.

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view showing a connecting portion between the vehicle and the rail.

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view showing a connection portion of the vehicle and the rail in a portion of the rail having an upward slope as described above.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the 1 st wheel unit of the vehicle.

Fig. 7 is a side view of the 1 st wheel unit described above.

Fig. 8 is a side view schematically showing a part of a conveyance system according to a modification.

Fig. 9 is a plan view schematically showing a conveying system according to another modification.

Fig. 10 is a plan view schematically showing a conveying system according to still another modification.

Fig. 11 is a plan view schematically showing a conveying system according to still another modification.

Detailed Description

(1) Detailed description of the preferred embodiments

The following describes a conveying system 1 to which the technique of the present invention is applied. The transportation system 1 of the present embodiment shown in fig. 1 and 2 is a transportation system that transports people by vehicles 40 traveling along a track 2. The transport system 1 is not limited to a transportation system, and may be a transport system for transporting an article by the vehicle 40, for example. Further, the purpose of the conveyance system 1 of the present embodiment is to achieve downsizing and weight reduction of the vehicle 40 and to improve energy efficiency, and the technique of the present invention is applicable to various conveyance systems.

The transportation system 1 includes a track 2, a station (upper and lower stations) 10 provided along the track 2, and a vehicle 40 traveling along the track 2. In the present invention, the traveling direction of the vehicle 40 is defined as the front, the direction opposite to the traveling direction of the vehicle 40 is defined as the rear, and the direction orthogonal to the front-rear direction and the up-down direction is defined as the left-right direction.

(1.1) track

The track 2 is a single-track loop. The vehicle 40 can travel on the endless track 2 in a circulating manner. As shown in fig. 3 and 4, the track 2 includes a pair of left and right guide rails 20 that guide the vehicle 40. The pair of left and right guide rails 20 are arranged at an interval in the left-right direction (the direction horizontal and orthogonal to the traveling direction of the vehicle 40). The pair of left and right guide rails 20 are parallel.

The vehicle 40 travels along the pair of left and right guide rails 20. That is, the traveling direction of the vehicle 40 is the direction in which each guide rail 20 extends. Each guide rail 20 extends over the entire length of the track 2 in the longitudinal direction.

Each guide rail 20 is a cylindrical steel pipe. Each guide rail 20 has a circular outer peripheral surface with a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the guide rail 20. The shape of each guide rail 20 is not limited. For example, each guide rail 20 may have an outer peripheral surface having a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the guide rail 20, such as an elliptical shape or a rectangular shape. Further, each rail 20 may be formed of a metal other than steel.

The rail 2 further includes a support member 3 that supports the pair of right and left guide rails 20. The support member 3 is made of metal. The support member 3 includes a main beam 30 extending in the traveling direction of the vehicle 40, and a plurality of connecting members 31 arranged at intervals in the longitudinal direction of the main beam 30. The main beam 30 is located below the pair of left and right guide rails 20. The main beam 30 is, for example, a cylindrical steel pipe. The main beam 30 is fixed to the ground via a foundation or the like, for example.

Each connecting member 31 connects the main beam 30 and the pair of left and right guide rails 20. The lower end of the connecting member 31 is connected to the main beam 30. The connecting member 31 has a pair of left and right arm portions 32 branched into two from a lower end portion of the connecting member 31 and projecting upward. The pair of left and right arm portions 32 correspond to the pair of left and right guide rails 20, respectively, one for one. The upper end of each arm 32 is connected to the corresponding rail 20.

As shown in fig. 1, the track 2 has at least one 1 st section 21 and at least one 2 nd section 22. The 1 st section 21 is a section in which the propulsive force of the vehicle 40 is increased by the plurality of drive wheels 74 (see fig. 4). The 2 nd section 22 is a section in which the plurality of drive wheels 74 do not increase the propulsive force of the vehicle 40.

As shown in fig. 4, the 1 st section 21 has a contact portion 24 sandwiched between a plurality of drive wheels 74 of the vehicle 40. The contact portion 24 extends over the entire length of the 1 st section 21. That is, the portion of the rail 2 where the contact portion 24 is provided is the 1 st section 21.

The contact portion 24 is a plate-like member (fin) protruding upward from the support member 3. The contact portion 24 may be connected to the plurality of connecting members 31, or may be connected to the main beam 30. The contact portion 24 extends along the main beam 30 in the direction of travel of the vehicle 40. The longitudinal direction of the contact portion 24 is parallel to the longitudinal direction of the guide rail 20. In the 1 st section 21, as shown in fig. 4, the contact portion 24 is sandwiched between the plurality of drive wheels 74 of the vehicle 40 from both the left and right sides, and each drive wheel 74 is in contact with the contact portion 24. In this state, each drive wheel 74 rotates, whereby the propulsive force of the vehicle 40 increases. That is, the 1 st zone 21 is an acceleration travel zone in which the vehicle 40 can accelerate.

In the track 2 shown in fig. 1, the 1 st section 21 is, for example, a portion where the vehicle 40 stops or a portion where the propulsive force of the vehicle 40 is reduced. For example, in the track 2, a horizontal portion, a portion having a downward slope, or a portion having an upward slope can become the 1 st section 21. In the track 2, the portion where the vehicle 40 stops is, for example, a portion of the track 2 following the station 10. The portion of the track 2 where the propulsive force of the vehicle 40 is reduced is, for example, a portion departing from the station 10 at the time of starting or a portion immediately after an uphill section.

The 2 nd zone 22 does not have the contact portion 24. The vehicle 40 travels in the 2 nd zone 22 by the inertia force of the vehicle 40 in a state where the driving force is not transmitted from the plurality of driving wheels 74 to the contact portion 24. That is, the 2 nd zone 22 is an inertia running zone in which the vehicle 40 can run only by the inertia force.

The 2 nd section 22 is, for example, a portion of the track 2 where the vehicle 40 does not need to increase the propulsive force of the vehicle 40, such as a portion where the vehicle 40 travels after the 1 st section 21 or a portion having a downward slope. For example, in the track 2, a horizontal portion or a portion having a downward slope can become the 2 nd section 22.

The track 2 of the present embodiment further has a 3 rd section 23. As shown in fig. 2, the 3 rd section 23 is an uphill section with an upward slope in the track 2. The 3 rd section 23 has an upward slope to the extent that the train 4 cannot be run only by the driving force transmitted to the contact portion 24 by the plurality of driving wheels 74.

The 3 rd section 23 has a lifting device 25 that lifts the vehicle 40 along the pair of rails 20. In the 3 rd section 23, the vehicle 40 travels by driving the lifting device 25. The lifting device 25 includes a plurality of sprockets 26 and an endless chain 27 wound around the plurality of sprockets 26.

As shown in fig. 5, the lifting device 25 further has a chain guide 250. The chain guide 250 includes a base 251 having a U-shaped cross section with an upper opening, and a plurality of guide members 252 attached to an inner surface of the base 251. The base 251 is formed of, for example, channel steel having higher rigidity than the guide member 252. Each guide member 252 is formed of, for example, high density polyethylene having a lower friction coefficient than the base 251. The 3 rd segment 23 of the present embodiment has a contact portion 24, and the base 251 is connected to the upper end portion of the contact portion 24.

The chain 27 is disposed at a position surrounded by the plurality of guide members 252. The chain 27 moves along a plurality of guide members 252. Thereby, the moving direction of the chain 27 is restricted. A hook 54 provided in the vehicle 40 is hooked to the chain 27 so as to be able to be disengaged and engaged.

The lifting device 25 lifts the vehicle 40 along the pair of guide rails 20 by rotating the sprocket 26 shown in fig. 2 by the prime mover in a state where the hook 54 is hooked on the chain 27. The clasps 54 disengage from the chain 27 at the moment the vehicle 40 climbs through the 3 rd interval 23. Further, as the lifting device 25, a known device that lifts the vehicle 40 along the track 2 having an upward slope can be utilized.

As shown in fig. 4, the track 2 further includes a power supply unit 28 that supplies electric power to the vehicle 40. The power supply unit 28 is, for example, a trolley wire. Power supply unit 28 is connected to an external commercial power supply. The power supply portion 28 is attached to, for example, a plurality of coupling members 31 of the support member 3. The power supply unit 28 may be provided over the entire length of the track 2, or may be provided only in a part of the longitudinal direction of the track 2.

(1.2) vehicle

As shown in fig. 1 and 2, the transportation system 1 includes at least 1 train 4. The transportation system 1 may include only 1 train 4, or may include 2 or more trains.

The train 4 has a vehicle 40. The train 4 includes, for example, a power car 41 and an accompanying car 42 as the vehicle 40. The vehicle 41 is a vehicle capable of inertia running, and includes a plurality of prime movers 76 and a plurality of drive wheels 74 (see fig. 4) for inertia running. The attached vehicle 42 is a vehicle that does not have power for inertia running and can run by being coupled to the vehicle 41 using power of the vehicle 41.

Note that the train 4 may have at least 1 power car 41, and the number of power cars 41 included in the train 4 is not limited. The train 4 may have only 1 power car 41, or may have 2 or more power cars 41, for example. In addition, all of the vehicles 40 of the train 4 may be the power vehicles 41. The train 4 may have only 1 power vehicle 41.

The attached vehicle 42 is different from the vehicle 41 mainly in that a mechanism for inertial travel, such as a plurality of prime movers 76 and a plurality of drive wheels 74, included in the vehicle 41, is not provided. In the following description, the power vehicle 41 will be described in detail, and descriptions of the accompanying vehicle 42 and the components common to the power vehicle 41 will be omitted.

As shown in fig. 3, the power vehicle 41 has a vehicle body 5 and a bogie 6 that supports the vehicle body 5. The vehicle body 5 has a passenger compartment 50 for carrying passengers. That is, the vehicle 41 is a powered passenger car. The vehicle body 5 further includes an upper and lower doorway 51 communicating with the passenger cabin 50, a door 52 opening and closing the upper and lower doorway 51, and a plurality of seats 53 provided in the passenger cabin 50. Further, the vehicle body 5 may not have the passenger compartment 50. That is, the vehicle 41 may be a vehicle without the passenger compartment 50.

The carriage 6 can travel along the rail 2. The carriage 6 has a carriage frame 60. The carriage frame 60 is located below the vehicle body 5, and supports the vehicle body 5 from below.

As shown in fig. 4, the carriage 6 further includes a power receiving unit 61 to which electric power is supplied from the power supply unit 28. The power receiving portion 61 is, for example, a current collector. The power receiving unit 61 is fixed to the carriage frame 60. When the vehicle 41 is running or stopped, the power receiving portion 61 comes into contact with the power feeding portion 28 of the track 2, thereby supplying electric power from the track 2 to the vehicle 41. The train 4 may also include a battery that accumulates the electric power supplied from the power supply unit 28.

As shown in fig. 3, the carriage 6 further has a plurality of wheel units 7. The plurality of wheel units 7 are arranged below the carriage frame 60 at intervals in the front-rear direction. Each wheel unit 7 is attached to the carriage frame 60.

The bogie 6 includes two kinds of wheel units 7, i.e., a 1 st wheel unit 71 and a 2 nd wheel unit 72, as the plurality of wheel units 7. The 1 st wheel unit 71 is located at the front of the vehicle 41. The 2 nd wheel unit 72 is located at the rear of the vehicle 40.

The 1 st wheel unit 71 has a plurality of guide wheel groups 73 and a plurality of drive wheels 74 (refer to fig. 4). The 1 st wheel unit 71 regulates the movement of the vehicle 40 in the up-down direction and the left-right direction by the plurality of guide wheel groups 73, and increases the propulsive force of the power truck 41 by the plurality of drive wheels 74.

The 2 nd wheel unit 72 has a plurality of guide wheel sets 73 without drive wheels 74. The 2 nd wheel unit 72 restricts the movement of the vehicle 41 in the up-down direction and the left-right direction by a plurality of guide wheel sets 73. Furthermore, the vehicle 41 may have a plurality of 1 st wheel units 71 as the wheel units 7. Further, power vehicle 41 may not have wheel No. 2 unit 72.

The 2 nd wheel unit 72 is different from the 1 st wheel unit 71 mainly in that the plurality of drive wheels 74 included in the 1 st wheel unit 71 are not included. Therefore, the 1 st wheel unit 71 will be described in detail below, and descriptions of the items common to the 1 st wheel unit 71 in the 2 nd wheel unit 72 will be omitted.

As shown in fig. 4 and 6, the 1 st wheel unit 71 further has a mounting frame 75. The mounting frame 75 is made of steel, for example. The mounting frame 75 is located below the carriage frame 60 and is rotatably attached to the carriage frame 60. Further, the mounting frame 75 may also be formed of metal other than steel.

The 1 st wheel unit 71 includes a pair of left and right guide sheave groups 73 as a plurality of guide sheave groups 73. The pair of left and right guide wheel sets 73 correspond to the pair of left and right guide rails 20 of the track 2, respectively, one for one. Each guide wheel set 73 travels along a corresponding guide rail 20. The vehicle 41 travels in a state where the pair of left and right guide wheels 73 is along the pair of left and right guide rails 20.

The pair of left and right guide sheaves 73 are attached to both ends in the left-right direction in the attachment frame 75, respectively. The pair of left and right guide pulleys 73 are arranged at a left-right interval. The pair of left and right guide pulleys 73 are arranged at the same position in the front-rear direction and are located at the same height.

The pair of left and right guide wheel sets 73 have a plurality of guide wheels 730 to 732, respectively. Each of the guide wheels 730 to 732 is formed of a material having elasticity. Specifically, each of the guide wheels 730 to 732 is made of polyurethane. The guide wheels 730 to 732 may be formed of a synthetic resin other than polyurethane, or may be formed of a material other than a synthetic resin.

As shown in fig. 3 to 6, each guide wheel group 73 includes, as a plurality of guide wheels, a total of 5 guide wheels of a front and rear pair of upper guide wheels 730, a lower guide wheel 731, and a front and rear pair of lateral guide wheels 732. In other words, the pair of left and right guide wheel sets 73 has a total of 10 guide wheels of the pair of left and right upper guide wheels 730 positioned on the front side, the pair of left and right upper guide wheels 730 positioned on the rear side, the pair of left and right lower guide wheels 731, the pair of left and right lateral guide wheels 732 positioned on the front side, and the pair of left and right lateral guide wheels 732 positioned on the rear side. The front and rear pair of upper guide wheels 730 of each guide wheel set 73 are arranged at a spacing in the front-rear direction. Each of the upper guide wheels 730 is rotatable about a rotation axis parallel to a direction intersecting the vertical direction and the front-rear direction. Each upper guide wheel 730 is located above the corresponding guide rail 20. Each upper guide wheel 730 is in contact with the upper portion of the corresponding guide rail 20 from above, and is supported by the corresponding guide rail 20 from below.

The upper guide wheels 730 transmit a downward load applied to the vehicle 40 to the guide rail 20. To improve the strength of the upper guide wheel 730, the diameter of the upper guide wheel 730 is larger than the diameter of the lower guide wheel 731 and larger than the diameter of the lateral guide wheel 732.

The lower guide wheels 731 of each guide wheel group 73 are rotatable about a rotation axis parallel to a direction intersecting the vertical direction and the front-rear direction. The lower guide wheels 731 are located below the corresponding guide rail 20. Of the front and rear pairs of upper guide wheels 730, the rotation axis of the front upper guide wheel 730 is located forward of the rotation axis of the lower guide wheel 731, and the rotation axis of the rear upper guide wheel 730 is located rearward of the rotation axis of the lower guide wheel 731. Each lower guide wheel 731 contacts the lower portion of the corresponding guide rail 20 from below. This restricts upward movement of vehicle 40.

The front and rear pair of lateral guide wheels 732 of each guide wheel set 73 are arranged at a spacing in the front-rear direction. Each lateral guide wheel 732 is rotatable about a rotation axis parallel to a direction intersecting the front-rear direction and the left-right direction. Each lateral guide wheel 732 is positioned on a lateral side of the corresponding guide rail 20, and contacts a lateral side of the corresponding guide rail 20 from the lateral side. Of the pair of front and rear lateral guide wheels 732, the rotation axis of the front lateral guide wheel 732 is located forward of the rotation axis of the lower guide wheel 731, and the rotation axis of the rear lateral guide wheel 732 is located rearward of the rotation axis of the lower guide wheel 731.

The lateral guide wheels 732 of the left guide wheel group 73 of the pair of left and right guide wheel groups 73 are positioned on the left side of the corresponding guide rail 20, and contact the corresponding guide rail 20 from the left side. The lateral guide wheels 732 of the right guide wheel group 73 of the pair of left and right guide wheel groups 73 are positioned on the right side of the corresponding guide rail 20, and contact the corresponding guide rail 20 from the right side. That is, the pair of left and right guide wheel groups 73 includes a pair of left and right lateral guide wheels 732 each including the lateral guide wheel 732 of the left guide wheel group 73 and the lateral guide wheel 732 of the right guide wheel group 73, and the pair of left and right guide rails 20 is positioned between the pair of left and right lateral guide wheels 732.

As described above, the vehicle 40 includes the pair of left and right guide wheel groups 73, and each guide wheel group 73 includes the plurality of guide wheels 730 to 732 that contact the corresponding guide rail 20 from three directions, i.e., from above, from the side, and from below. Therefore, the pair of left and right guide wheel groups 73 can restrict the vehicle 40 from moving in the up-down direction and the left-right direction, and safety can be improved. Further, the torsional load applied to the vehicle 41 can be dispersed and received by the pair of left and right guide rails 20, and deformation of the vehicle 41 can be suppressed.

Each of the lateral guide wheels 732 may be disposed on either the left or right side of the corresponding guide rail 20. For example, each lateral guide wheel 732 of the left guide wheel set 73 may be positioned on the right side of the corresponding rail 20, and each lateral guide wheel 732 of the right guide wheel set 73 may be positioned on the left side of the corresponding rail 20.

The number of guide sheaves 73 included in the 1 st wheel unit 71, and the positions, orientations, numbers, and the like of the guide wheels 730 to 732 included in each guide sheave 73 are not limited. For example, the lower guide wheels 731 may be located diagonally downward from the guide rail 20.

The 1 st wheel unit 71 of the present embodiment includes a pair of left and right drive wheels 74 as a plurality of drive wheels 74. The pair of left and right drive wheels 74 is positioned below the middle portion in the left-right direction of the mounting frame 75, and is rotatably attached to the mounting frame 75.

A pair of left and right drive wheels 74 is located between the pair of left and right guide wheels 73. Specifically, the pair of left and right driving wheels 74 is located between the pair of left and right lower guide wheels 731 formed by the lower guide wheels 731 of the left guide wheel group 73 and the lower guide wheels 731 of the right guide wheel group 73.

The position of the pair of left and right drive wheels 74 is not limited. For example, the pair of left and right drive wheels 74 may be positioned between the pair of left and right upper guide wheels 730 or between the pair of left and right lateral guide wheels 732. The pair of left and right drive wheels 74 may not be located between the pair of left and right guide sheaves 73.

The pair of left and right drive wheels 74 are rotatable about rotation axes parallel to directions intersecting the front-rear direction and the left-right direction, respectively. The rotation axis of each driving wheel 74 is arranged at the same position in the front-rear direction as the rotation axis of the lower guide wheel 731. Of the front and rear pairs of upper guide wheels 730, the rotation axis of the front upper guide wheel 730 is positioned forward of the rotation axis of each drive wheel 74, and the rotation axis of the rear upper guide wheel 730 is positioned rearward of the rotation axis of each drive wheel 74. Of the pair of front and rear lateral guide wheels 732, the rotation axis of the front lateral guide wheel 732 is located forward of the rotation axis of each drive wheel 74, and the rotation axis of the rear lateral guide wheel 732 is located rearward of the rotation axis of each drive wheel 74.

When the vehicle 41 is located in the 1 st section 21 (see fig. 1) of the track 2, the pair of left and right drive wheels 74 sandwich the contact portion 24 of the track 2 from both the left and right sides as shown in fig. 4, and in this state, each drive wheel 74 rotates, whereby the propulsive force of the vehicle 40 increases. In this case, the plurality of driving wheels 74 sandwich the contact portion 24, and thereby the frictional force between the plurality of driving wheels 74 and the contact portion 24 can be sufficiently generated. Therefore, the vehicle 40 can be easily driven with a sufficient propulsive force.

The pair of left and right drive wheels 74 is disposed in a space between the pair of left and right guide wheel groups 73. Therefore, the vertical dimension of the vehicle 41 can be suppressed from increasing. Further, this can suppress an increase in the weight of the vehicle 41, and can suppress the amount of energy consumption for traveling of the train 4. In addition, the distance in the vertical direction from each guide sheave group 73 to the vehicle body 5 can be shortened. Therefore, the person riding on the vehicle 41 can be made less likely to feel rattle.

The 1 st wheel unit 71 has a plurality of prime movers 76 that drive a plurality of drive wheels 74. The 1 st wheel unit 71 includes a pair of right and left prime movers 76 arranged at a spacing in the right-left direction as a plurality of prime movers 76. The pair of left and right prime movers 76 is located rearward of the pair of left and right drive wheels 74. Each of the prime movers 76 is an electric motor, specifically, a geared motor. Each motor 76 rotationally drives a corresponding drive wheel 74. Each of the motors 76 is controlled by a control device provided in the train 4, for example.

Each of the prime movers 76 is a prime mover 76 having a braking function. The prime mover 76 is, for example, a motor with an electromagnetic brake. By controlling the rotation speed of each of the motors 76 in a state where the plurality of drive wheels 74 are in contact with the contact portion 24 of the track 2, the power vehicle 41 can be accelerated or decelerated at a high speed, a low speed, or the like. In addition, the power vehicle 41 can be stopped by applying a brake to each of the prime movers 76 in a state where the plurality of drive wheels 74 are in contact with the contact portion 24 of the track 2. Braking the vehicle 41 can be achieved by providing a braking device to the plurality of driving wheels 74 or by providing a device for applying a braking force to the train 4 to the track 2. Therefore, each of the prime movers 76 may be a prime mover 76 having no braking function.

As shown in fig. 6 and 7, the 1 st wheel unit 71 further includes a plurality of support bases 77. The plurality of support bases 77 are positioned above the plurality of drive wheels 74 and the plurality of motors 76, and support the plurality of drive wheels 74 and the plurality of motors 76. The 1 st wheel unit 71 includes a pair of left and right support bases 77 arranged at a spacing in the left-right direction as a plurality of support bases 77. Each support table 77 is located below the mounting frame 75. Each support table 77 is rotatably attached to the mounting frame 75. Each support table 77 is rotatable about a rotation shaft 770 parallel to a direction intersecting the front-rear direction and the left-right direction with respect to the mounting frame 75. The rotary shaft 770 of each support base 77 is located at the rear end of the support base 77.

The pair of left and right support bases 77 correspond to the pair of left and right motors 76, respectively, in a one-to-one manner, and correspond to the pair of left and right drive wheels 74, respectively, in a one-to-one manner. A corresponding motor 76 and a corresponding drive wheel 74 are mounted on each support base 77. In each support base 77, the drive wheel 74 is positioned forward of the rotation shaft 770 of the support base 77.

The 1 st wheel unit 71 further has an actuator 78. The actuator 78 changes the distance between the pair of left and right drive wheels 74 by rotating the pair of left and right support bases 77 about the rotary shaft 770.

The actuator 78 is a pneumatic cylinder. The actuator 78 is located between the front end portions of the pair of left and right support bases 77. Actuator 78 has a cylinder 780 and a piston 781. A cylinder 780 is connected to one of the pair of left and right support bases 77, and a piston 781 is connected to the other. When piston 781 reciprocates relative to cylinder 780, left and right pair of support bases 77 rotate about rotation shaft 770, respectively, and the distance between left and right pair of drive wheels 74 changes.

The actuator 78 is controlled by a control device provided in the train 4, for example. The control device can change the magnitude of the force with which the pair of left and right drive wheels 74 sandwich the contact portion 24 (see fig. 4) of the rail 2, or change the presence or absence of contact between the pair of left and right drive wheels 74 and the contact portion 24, by changing the interval between the pair of left and right drive wheels 74 by controlling the actuator 78.

The 1 st wheel unit 71 may further include an adjuster that adjusts the driving force of the actuator 78. In this case, the speed of the vehicle 41 can be easily controlled by controlling the regulator to adjust the force with which the pair of left and right drive wheels 74 sandwich the contact portion 24 (see fig. 4) of the track 2. As the regulator, for example, a regulator that regulates the air pressure of an air cylinder constituting the actuator 78 is used. The driving of the regulator or actuator 78 may be automatically controlled based on the detection result of a detector that detects the speed or speed change of the train 4, for example.

In the present embodiment, when the vehicle 41 travels in the 1 st section 21 and the 3 rd section 23 of the track 2, the magnitude of the force with which the contact portion 24 is sandwiched between the pair of left and right drive wheels 74 is adjusted by controlling the actuator 78, so that the propulsion force and the braking force of the vehicle 41 can be adjusted.

The actuator 78 may be a double-acting type cylinder or a single-acting type cylinder having a spring. The actuator 78 is not limited to a cylinder, and may be a hydraulic cylinder, for example. The plurality of drive wheels 74 and the plurality of prime movers 76 may be fixed to the mounting frame 75, and the actuators 78 and the support base 77 may be omitted.

As shown in fig. 1, when the track 2 has a plurality of 1 st segments 21, the maximum thickness Tmax (see fig. 4) of the portion of the contact portion 24 sandwiched between the plurality of drive wheels 74 may be set to a different size for each 1 st segment 21. That is, the maximum thickness Tmax of the contact portion 24 may be different between one 1 st segment 21 and the other 1 st segment 21 of the plurality of 1 st segments 21. By making the maximum thickness Tmax of the contact portion 24 different for each 1 st section 21 in this way, the magnitude of the force with which the plurality of drive wheels 74 sandwich the contact portion 24 can be adjusted by merely adjusting the maximum thickness Tmax of the contact portion 24, and an appropriate propulsive force of the motor vehicle 41 can be obtained. That is, in this case, the magnitude of the force with which the contact portion 24 is sandwiched by the plurality of driving wheels 74 can be changed without changing the interval between the pair of left and right driving wheels 74.

The maximum thickness Tmax of the portion of each contact portion 24 sandwiched between the plurality of drive wheels 74 may be the same. The thickness T of the portion of each contact portion 24 sandwiched between the plurality of drive wheels 74 may vary in the traveling direction of the vehicle 40 in one contact portion 24, or may be the same. For example, in the contact portion 24, the thickness T of a part of the contact portion 24 may be larger than the thickness T of the other part (the part of the plurality of drive wheels 74 that comes into contact with the front of the part) located in front of the part. In the contact portion 24, the thickness T of a part of the contact portion 24 may be larger than the thickness T of the other part (the part where the plurality of drive wheels 74 contact before one part) located rearward of the part.

(2) Modification examples

The conveying system 1 of the above embodiment can be modified as appropriate. For example, the track 2 may not have the 3 rd section 23 on which the vehicle 40 travels by the lifting device 25. In this case, the 1 st section 21 may or may not have an upward slope as long as the vehicle can travel only by the driving force transmitted to the contact portion 24 by the plurality of driving wheels 74 (see fig. 4). That is, the conveyor system 1 may be configured to allow the train 4 to travel on the entire track 2 by only the driving force transmitted to the contact portion 24 by the plurality of driving wheels 74 (see fig. 4).

Further, as shown in fig. 2, the track 2 of the above embodiment has a section (1 st section 21 or 3 rd section 23) having an upward slope, but as shown in fig. 8, may not have a section having an upward slope. That is, the rail 2 may not have an upward slope. In this case, the rail 2 is constituted, for example, by only a horizontal portion, or by only a portion having a downward slope, or by a combination of a horizontal portion and a portion having a downward slope. In this case, the train 4 can travel on the entire track 2 only by the driving force transmitted to the contact portion 24 through the plurality of driving wheels 74.

In addition, the rail 2 may not have a downward slope. In this case, the rail 2 is constituted, for example, only by a portion having an upward slope, or by a combination of a horizontal portion and a portion having an upward slope. In this case, the train 4 can travel on the entire track 2 only by the driving force transmitted to the contact portion 24 through the plurality of driving wheels 74.

In addition, the track 2 may have a section having an upward slope and a section having a downward slope regardless of whether the track 2 has the 3 rd section 23. The track 2 is not limited to the endless path of the single track shown in fig. 1. For example, as shown in fig. 9, the rail 2 may be a double-track loop. As shown in fig. 10, the track 2 may be a double track whose ends are connected by a terminal endless track 29 for turning back the train 4. Alternatively, the track 2 may be a single track with ends that are not connected, as shown in fig. 11.

In addition, the shape, size, position, number, material, and the like of each element of the conveying system 1 can be appropriately changed.

(3) Mode(s) for carrying out

As is clear from the above-described embodiment and the modifications, the transport system (1) according to claim 1 of the present invention includes a track (2) and a vehicle (40). The rail (2) has a guide rail (20). The vehicle (40) has guide wheels (730-732) that move along the guide rail (20). The track (2) has a 1 st section (21) including the contact portion (24) and a 2 nd section (22) not including the contact portion (24). The vehicle (40) further comprises a plurality of drive wheels (74) that sandwich the contact portion (24).

According to this aspect, the vehicle (40) can be caused to travel by driving the plurality of drive wheels (74) while the contact portion (24) is sandwiched between the plurality of drive wheels (74). In this case, the plurality of drive wheels (74) sandwich the contact portion (24), so that the frictional force between the plurality of drive wheels (74) and the contact portion (24) can be sufficiently generated, and the vehicle (40) can be caused to travel with sufficient propulsive force.

The conveyance system (1) according to claim 2 can be realized by combining with the conveyance system according to claim 1. In the 2 nd aspect, the rail (2) has a pair of left and right guide rails (20) as the guide rails (20). A pair of left and right guide rails (20) are arranged at a distance in the left-right direction. The vehicle (40) has a pair of left and right guide wheel sets (73) that correspond one-to-one to the pair of left and right guide rails (20). The pair of left and right guide wheel sets (73) each have a plurality of guide wheels (730-732) that contact the corresponding guide rail (20) from the upper, side, and lower directions as guide wheels (730-732).

According to this aspect, the vehicle (40) can be restricted from moving in the vertical direction and the lateral direction by the pair of left and right guide wheel sets (73).

The conveyance system (1) according to claim 3 can be realized by combining with the conveyance system according to claim 1. In the 3 rd aspect, the rail (2) has a pair of left and right guide rails (20) as the guide rails (20). A pair of left and right guide rails (20) are arranged at a distance in the left-right direction. A vehicle (40) has a pair of left and right guide wheels (730-732) as guide wheels (730-732). The pair of left and right guide wheels (730-732) correspond to the pair of left and right guide rails (20) one by one. The plurality of drive wheels (74) are positioned between a pair of left and right guide wheels (730-732).

According to this aspect, since the plurality of drive wheels (74) are disposed in the space between the pair of left and right guide wheels (730-732), the vertical dimension of the vehicle (40) can be suppressed from increasing.

The conveyance system (1) according to claim 4 can be realized by combining with any one of the embodiments 1 to 3. In the 4 th mode, the rail (2) does not have an upward slope.

According to this aspect, the vehicle (40) can be driven without providing a large-sized device such as a lifting device (25) for lifting the vehicle (40).

The conveyance system (1) according to claim 5 can be realized by combining with any one of the embodiments 1 to 3. In the 5 th mode, the rail (2) has a section (1 st section 21) having an upward slope. The vehicle (40) can travel on the entire track (2) only by the driving force transmitted to the contact portion (24) by the plurality of driving wheels (74).

According to this aspect, the vehicle (40) can be caused to travel only by the driving forces of the plurality of driving wheels (74).

The conveyance system (1) according to claim 6 can be realized by combining it with any one of claims 1 to 3. In the 6 th mode, the track (2) further has an uphill section (the 3 rd section 23) and a lifting device (25). The uphill section has an upward slope. The lifting device (25) lifts the vehicle (40) in the uphill section.

According to this aspect, the vehicle (40) can be lifted by the lifting device (25) in the uphill section.

The conveyance system (1) according to claim 7 can be realized by combining with any one of claims 1 to 6. In mode 7, the track (2) is a single track with ends.

According to the mode, the vehicle (40) reciprocates on the track (2), thereby being capable of conveying people or goods.

The conveyance system (1) according to claim 8 can be realized by combining with any one of the embodiments 1 to 7. In the 8 th aspect, the track (2) has a plurality of 1 st sections (21) as the 1 st sections (21). The maximum thickness (Tmax) of the portion of the contact portion (24) sandwiched between the plurality of drive wheels (74) is different between one 1 st segment (21) of the plurality of 1 st segments (21) and the other 1 st segment (21).

According to this aspect, by adjusting the maximum thickness (Tmax) of the portion of the contact portion (24) that is sandwiched between the plurality of drive wheels (74) for each 1 st segment (21), the amount of force with which the contact portion (24) is sandwiched between the plurality of drive wheels (74) can be adjusted for each 1 st segment (21), and appropriate propulsive force can be imparted to the vehicle (40).

The conveyance system (1) according to claim 9 can be realized by combining with any one of the embodiments 1 to 8. In a 9 th aspect, the vehicle (40) further has a passenger compartment (50).

According to the mode, people can be loaded in the passenger cabin (50) and conveyed.

Description of the reference numerals

A maximum thickness of a portion of the contact portion that is clamped by the plurality of drive wheels; a delivery system; a track; a guide rail; interval 1; interval 2; section 3 (uphill section); a contact portion; a lifting device; a vehicle; 73.. An upper guide wheel (guide wheel); a lower guide wheel (guide wheel); a transverse guide wheel (guide wheel); drive wheels.

Claims (9)

1. A transport system is characterized by comprising:

a track and a vehicle, wherein the track is provided with a track,

the track is provided with a guide rail,

the vehicle has guide wheels that move along the guide rail,

the track has a 1 st section including a contact portion and a 2 nd section not including the contact portion,

the vehicle further includes a plurality of drive wheels that sandwich the contact portion.

2. The delivery system of claim 1,

the track has a pair of left and right guide rails disposed at an interval in the left-right direction as the guide rail,

the vehicle has a pair of left and right guide wheel sets corresponding one-to-one to the pair of left and right guide rails,

the pair of left and right guide wheel groups each have, as the guide wheels, a plurality of guide wheels that respectively contact the corresponding guide rail from three directions, i.e., from above, from the side, and from below.

3. The delivery system of claim 1,

the track has a pair of left and right guide rails disposed at an interval in the left-right direction as the guide rail,

the vehicle has, as the guide wheels, a pair of left and right guide wheels corresponding to the pair of left and right guide rails, respectively, one for one,

the plurality of drive wheels are located between the pair of left and right guide wheels.

4. The conveying system according to any one of claims 1 to 3,

the track does not have an upward slope.

5. The conveying system according to any one of claims 1 to 3,

the track is provided with a section having an upward slope,

the vehicle can travel on the entire track only by the driving force transmitted to the contact portion by the plurality of driving wheels.

6. The conveying system according to any one of claims 1 to 3,

the track further includes an uphill section having an upward slope, and a lifting device that lifts the vehicle in the uphill section.

7. The conveying system according to any one of claims 1 to 6,

the track is a single track with ends.

8. The conveying system according to any one of claims 1 to 7,

the track has a plurality of 1 st sections as the 1 st section,

the maximum thickness of the portion of the contact portion sandwiched by the plurality of drive wheels is different in one 1 st section from the other 1 st section among the plurality of 1 st sections.

9. The conveying system according to any one of claims 1 to 8,

the vehicle further has a passenger compartment.

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