JPH0755607Y2 - Vehicle and orbit - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial application] The present invention relates to a vehicle and a track, and more specifically proposes a vehicle and a track that can be accurately stopped at a fixed position on the track.

[Conventional technology]

The applicant of the present application has already applied for a method of controlling the speed of a suspension type vehicle (hereinafter referred to as a vehicle) traveling on a track. FIG. 10 is a side view of a vehicle traveling on a track by the speed control method. The drive wheel 36 and the driven wheel 32 of the vehicle 3 are provided so as to roll on the track 2 of the H-shaped material made of aluminum, and the drive wheel 36 is driven by the motor 20 via the speed reducer 33. ing. The motor 20 incorporates a pulse encoder 34 that outputs a number of pulses corresponding to the amount of rotation of the drive wheels 36, that is, the amount of travel of the vehicle 3. On the drive wheel 36 side, there are provided guide wheels 53a, 53a, 53b, 53b (only one side is shown) facing the upper and lower parts of the track 2 separately, and the guide wheels 53a, 53a are attached. Upper guide wheel mounting plate 54
And the lower guide wheel mounting plate 55 on which the guide wheels 53b, 53b are mounted.
And are connected by a connecting tool (not shown) that extends between the upper and lower portions of the track 2. Further, the driven wheel 32 side also has a structure in which guide wheels 53c, 53c, 53d, 53d and a connecting tool are provided similarly to the drive wheel 36 side.

The drive wheel 36 side and the driven wheel 32 side are the drive wheel 36 side and the driven wheel 32 side.
Track 2 through the support shafts 51 and 52 extending downward from the side
Is rotatably connected to each end of the vehicle body 50 located below the vehicle body 50. The vehicle body 50 is provided with a hanger 4 for suspending a vehicle body in the process of being manufactured. Vehicle body 50
Has a speed control unit CTR attached to its driven wheel 32 side.
On the lower guide wheel mounting plate 55, on which the guide wheels 53b and 53b are mounted on the drive wheel 36 side, the photo sensor P is mounted at the same height as the guide wheels 53b and 53b.
S is installed.

On one side of the web 2c of the track 2, a striker 12 having an inverted L shape in a side view and having a tip directed downward and defining a fixed position is attached. Power line P on the other side of the web 2c
W, signal line SW, and control line CW are provided along the length direction of the track 2. The power line PW is a current collector and speed controller not shown
The motor 20 is connected via the CTR, and the signal line SW and the control line CW are connected to the speed control unit CTR via a current collector (not shown).

In this vehicle 3, when a traveling command signal and a speed signal are given to the speed control unit CTR via the control line CW and the signal line SW, the motor 20 is driven in accordance with the speed signal to move in the direction indicated by the white arrow To run. When the vehicle 3 runs, the pulse encoder 34
Outputs a large number of pulses according to the traveling amount of the vehicle 3.

The speed control unit CTR counts the pulses, and the speed control unit CTR
Controls the rotation speed of the motor 20 based on the counted number of pulses. When the counted number of pulses reaches the predetermined number of pulses and it is detected that the vehicle 3 approaches the striker 12 that defines the stop position, the speed control unit CTR causes the motor 20
Is controlled to gradually reduce the speed of the vehicle 3.
So when vehicle 3 reaches the striker 12 position,
When the photo sensor PS detects the striker 12, the speed control unit
The CTR stops the power supply to the motor 20, and the vehicle 3 stops at the striker 12 position. After that, as described above, the traveling command signal and the speed signal are again given to the speed control unit CTR, so that the vehicle 3 starts traveling.

[Problems to be solved by the device]

As described above, the speed of the vehicle 3 is controlled so as to stop at the fixed position provided with the striker 12.

By the way, the vehicle 3 has slight rattling that differs for each vehicle 3 due to its assembly margin and dimensional error of the assembled parts, and the vehicle portion above the track 2 and the vehicle portion below the track 2 are in the front-back direction of the vehicle 3. A slight deviation may occur. Therefore, when the speed of vehicle 3 is being reduced,
Due to inertia, the vehicle portion below the track 2 advances slightly in the traveling direction of the vehicle from the vehicle portion above the track 2, and when the vehicle 3 stops, the vehicle part below the track 2 advances. Move back by the amount of movement. That is, as is apparent from FIG. 10, the vehicle portion below the track 2 swings slightly in the arrow direction indicated by the arc with the contact point A between the drive wheel 36 and the track 2 as the fulcrum.

Therefore, when the photo sensor PS detects the striker 12 and the vehicle 3 stops, the vehicle portion below the track 2 retreats, and the vehicle 3 stops slightly before the striker 12, and the striker 12 There is a problem that an error occurs between the vehicle and the stop position, and the vehicle cannot be stopped at the position specified by the striker 12 with high accuracy. For this reason, conventionally, a vehicle that has been stopped is moved by a positioning device that corrects the stop position, and cumbersome control is required to improve the stop accuracy.

In view of such a problem, the present invention has
An object is to provide a vehicle and a track that can be stopped with high accuracy.

[Means for Solving the Problems]

A vehicle according to a first invention is a vehicle having wheels that roll on a track and configured to detect a fixed position on the track, and a means for detecting the fixed position is a contact between the wheel and the track. It is characterized in that it is provided at substantially the same height position as the point and in the vicinity of the contact point.

A track according to a second invention is a track configured to detect that a vehicle including wheels rolling on the track is located at a fixed position on the track, and means for detecting the vehicle,
It is characterized in that it is provided at substantially the same height as the contact point between the wheel and the track and in the vicinity of the contact point.

[Action]

In the vehicle which is the first invention, when the vehicle speed is accelerated (decelerated), the vehicle portion below the track slightly moves forward (backward) in the traveling direction of the vehicle with the contact point between the wheel and the track as the fulcrum. . The means for detecting the fixed position on the track is at substantially the same height as the contact point between the wheel and the track, and detects the fixed position at the contact point. As a result, the position where the fixed position is detected and the stop position of the vehicle always match. Therefore, the vehicle can be stopped at a fixed position on the track without error.

In the track which is the second invention, the means for detecting the vehicle provided on the track is at substantially the same height as the contact point between the wheel of the vehicle and the track, and the vehicle is on the track at the contact point. It detects that it is located at a fixed position. As a result, the vehicle detection position and the vehicle stop position always match. Therefore, the vehicle can be stopped at a fixed position on the track without error.

〔Example〕

 Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings showing an embodiment thereof.

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a vehicle body transportation route when a suspension type vehicle (hereinafter referred to as a vehicle) and a track according to the present invention are applied to an automobile assembling process in an automobile factory, for example.
In the assembly process, the front vehicle body line A, the undercarriage line B, and the rear vehicle body line C are conveyed in this order in the order of assembly. The front rigging line A is a process of first assembling parts to the painted vehicle body, and the vehicle body is in a low position near the work floor. The undercarriage line B is a process of assembling the undercarriage parts of an automobile, and the automobile body is hung by a hanger to reach a high position where an operator and an assembly robot can work from under the suspended body. In the rear rigging line C, the vehicle body is again in a low position near the work floor. The striker 12, 1 to be described later is provided at a required position where the assembly robot, which is an automated process of the suspension line B, works.
Two are provided.

FIG. 2 is a side view showing a transportation state on the underbody line B. A track 2 is installed at a high place above the work floor 1 along the transportation route, and a plurality of vehicles 3, 3 ... Which are driven by a travel command signal from the ground side are provided on the track 2 so that they can travel. There is.

A hanger 4 capable of suspending a car body is attached to the underside of each vehicle 3,3 ..., and a car body 5,5 ... Is suspended on each hanger 4,4. In this suspension line B, there are a work range M in which the workers 6, 6 ... Assemble the parts and a work range R in which the assembling robots 7, 7 assemble the parts.
In the work range M, the vehicle body 5,
It is necessary to drive the vehicles 3, 3 at a low speed, at a constant speed, and at a constant pitch so that the workers 6, 6 ... Further, in the work range R, the vehicles 3, 3 are stopped at fixed positions in order to ensure the assembly work by the assembly robots 7, 7. When the assembling work is completed, it is necessary to perform tact traveling in which the vehicle 3 is rapidly accelerated and then rapidly decelerated to stop at the next fixed position in order to improve the transportation efficiency.

Further, the vehicle 3 needs to satisfy conditions such as high stop accuracy, no impact, and no runaway.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the vehicle according to the first invention provided so as to be able to travel on the track 2. The track 2 is made of, for example, an H-shaped section member made of aluminum and is installed above the work floor with the web 2c in the vertical direction. The raceway 2 has an upper flange 2a and a lower flange 2b of equal length extending on the upper end side and the lower end side thereof in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the raceway 2, respectively. The drive wheels 36 of the vehicle 3 are arranged so as to roll on the upper surface of the track 2.
The rotary shaft 36a to which the drive wheel 36 is attached is connected to the rotary shaft of the motor 20 attached to the reducer 33 via the reducer 33.

An upper guide wheel mounting plate 54 for mounting a guide wheel to be described later is provided on the lower side of the reduction gear 33, and the upper guide wheel mounting plate 54 has an upper flange 2a of the track 2 on each of the front side and the rear side thereof. Guide wheels 53a, which roll the side of the
53a (only one side is shown) are provided respectively. On the speed reducer 33, an upper end of a connecting tool (not shown) that is capable of straddling between the upper and lower portions of the track 2 so as not to contact the track 2 is attached to the opposite side of the drive wheel 36 (the back side of the paper surface), A lower guide wheel mounting plate 55, which is positioned below the track 2 and for mounting a guide wheel, is attached to the lower end of the connecting tool. Lower guide wheel mounting plate
55 is provided with guide wheels 53b, 53b (only one side is shown) rolling on the side surface of the lower flange 2b of the track 2 and sandwiching the track 2 in the same manner as described above. And these guide wheels 53a, 53
The drive wheels 36 are guided along the track 2 by a, 53b, 53b and guide wheels (not shown) that are opposed to each other with the track 2 interposed therebetween, so that the drive wheel 36 does not come off the track 2. On the other hand, a driven wheel 32 is arranged at a position distant from the drive wheel 36 by an appropriate length so as to roll on the upper surface of the track 2. Below the driven wheel case 41 to which the driven wheel 32 is mounted, an upper guide wheel mounting plate 54 similar to that on the drive wheel 36 side is provided, and the upper flange of the track 2 is provided on the front side and the rear side thereof, respectively. Guide wheels 53c, 53c (only one side is shown) rolling on the side surface of 2a and sandwiching the track 2 are provided. In the driven wheel case 41, an upper end of a connecting tool similar to that of the drive wheel 36 side is mounted on the side opposite to the driven wheel 32, and a lower guide wheel mounted below the track 2 is mounted on the lower end of the connecting tool. A plate 55 is attached. The lower guide wheel mounting plate 55 is provided with guide wheels 53d, 53d (only one side is shown) that rolls on the side surface of the lower flange 2b of the track 2 to sandwich the track 2. These guide wheels 53c, 53c, 53d, 53d and the guide wheels (not shown) facing each other across the track 2 guide the driven wheel 32 along the track 2 so that the driven wheel 32 does not come off from the track 2. There is. The drive wheel 36 side and the driven wheel 32 side straddle support shafts 51a, 51b that are provided on the lower guide wheel mounting plates 55, 55 on the drive wheel 36 side and the driven wheel 32 side and extend downward from each. A vehicle body 50 rotatably supported by its support shafts 51a and 51b.
Are connected by. On the driven wheel 32 side of the vehicle body 50,
A speed control unit CTR described later, which incorporates a drive control unit 60 described later that drives the motor 20, is attached. A hanger 4 for suspending the vehicle body is attached to the lower side of the vehicle body 50. A photosensor PS having a groove and a cross-sectional shape is formed on one side surface of the upper guide wheel mounting plate 54 on the drive wheel 36 side.
As a position separated from the upper flange 2a of the track 2 by an appropriate length,
The groove is faced downward and mounted along the length direction of the track 2. The photosensor PS has a structure in which emitted light is projected from the inner surface of one side to the inner surface of the other side so as to traverse the groove. The mounting position of this photo sensor PS is the drive wheel 36 and the track 2.
It is selected at the height position where it comes into contact with. That is, the photo sensor is placed at a position serving as a fulcrum where the vehicle portion below the track 2 swings.
By mounting the PS, the position of the emitted light of the photosensor PS is selected to be stable even if the lower vehicle part swings. An L-shaped striker 12 is attached to the web 2c of the orbit 2.
The tip is directed upward, and a position where the tip can pass through the groove of the photosensor PS in a non-contact manner is selected and attached. Further, on the web 2c of the track 2, a power line PW for supplying drive power of the motor 20 to the side where the striker 12 is not attached (back side of the paper), a signal line SW for transmitting a speed signal to the speed control unit CTR, and the vehicle 3 Control lines CW for transmitting command signals for instructing running and stopping are arranged along the length direction of the track 2. These power line PW, signal line SW and control line CW
Is connected to the speed control unit CTR and a drive control unit 60 described later through a current collector (not shown) provided in the vehicle 3.

This vehicle 3 supplies drive power through the power line PW, and when a drive command signal is given through the control line CW, the motor 20 drives and the drive wheels 36 start to rotate, based on the commanded target speed. It will run along the track 2. In the section where the track 2 is curved, the drive wheel 36 and the driven wheel 32 side swing according to the bending of the track 2, that is, the drive wheel 36 side and the driven wheel 32 side operate in the same manner as a bogie truck. And drive smoothly as in a straight section.

Fig. 4 shows the striker attached to the track 2 that defines the fixed position.
FIG. 12 is a perspective view of 12. The striker 12 is formed by bending an L-shaped light shielding plate, which is a strip-shaped metal, into an L shape, and has a tapered plate-like tip. The striker 12 is attached to the web 2c of the track 2 with its tip end facing upward and the width direction thereof along the length direction of the track 2. Then, when the above-mentioned photosensor PS approaches the striker 12 from the arrow direction, and the striker 12 enters the groove PSs of the photosensor PS, the light emitted from the photosensor PS (not shown) is generated at the edge of the striker 12. The photo sensor PS is turned on by being shielded from light. Further, when the photo sensor PS separates from the striker 12, the light shielding state is canceled and the photo sensor PS is turned off.

For this reason, the striker 12 and the photosensor PS allow the vehicle 3
Can reach the fixed position on the track 2.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of the main part of the speed control unit CTR. The power supply line PW is connected to the drive control unit 60 that drives and controls the motor 20, and the signal line SW and the control line CW are connected to the multiplex communication unit 61. Signals are mutually transmitted between the multiplex communication unit 61 and the control unit 62. The ON / OFF signal of the photo sensor PS attached to the vehicle 3 is given to the control unit 62. Control unit
The output signal of 62 is given to the drive control unit 60. The pulse output from the pulse encoder 34 is given to the control unit 62. The control unit 62 includes a counting unit (not shown).

Next, the state in which the vehicle configured as described above is stopped at a fixed position is described in the sixth control content of the control unit 62 in the speed control unit CTR.
It will be described together with the flowchart shown in the figure.

Now, when the traveling command signal and the velocity signal are given to the speed control unit CTR, the control unit 62 controls the drive control unit 60 in association therewith, the motor 20 is driven, and the vehicle 3 travels (S1). When the vehicle 3 travels, the pulse encoder 34 outputs a number of pulses according to the traveling amount of the vehicle 3. The pulse is sent to the control unit 62
Counts and controls the rotation speed of the motor 20 based on the counted pulses to control the speed of the vehicle 3. When the counted number of pulses reaches the predetermined number of pulses and it is detected that the vehicle 3 approaches the striker 12 that defines the stop position, the control unit 62 reduces the rotation speed of the motor 20 to reduce the number of pulses of the vehicle 3. Gradually reduce the speed of. Then, due to inertia, the vehicle portion below the track 2 slightly advances with respect to the vehicle portion above the track 2. However, since the photosensor PS is positioned at the contact point between the drive wheel 36 and the track 2, the position of the photosensor PS, that is, the photosensor PS.
The position of the light emitted from the PS does not move in the traveling direction even when the vehicle 3 decelerates, and the position is stable.

In such a state, striker 1 into groove PSs of photo sensor PS
When 2 enters and the light emitted from the photosensor PS is blocked by the striker 12, the photosensor PS turns on. It is checked whether or not the photo sensor PS is turned on (S2), and if it is turned on, the drive control unit 60 is controlled (S3), the power supply to the motor 20 is stopped, and the vehicle 3 is stopped accordingly (S4). . When the vehicle 3 stops, the inertia disappears, and the vehicle part below the track 2
It will move backward by the amount of movement that was moving forward until it stopped. However, even in this case, the position of the emitted light of the photosensor PS does not move in the direction opposite to the traveling direction even when the vehicle 3 is stopped, and the position is stable. Therefore, the vehicle 3
The photo sensor PS accurately stops at the position where the striker 12 is detected, the position where the photo sensor PS detects the striker 12 and the stop position of the vehicle 3 coincide with each other, and no error occurs at the stop position.

In this way, the sensor for detecting the striker that defines the stop position is positioned at substantially the same height as the contact point between the wheel of the vehicle and the track, so that the vehicle can be stopped at a fixed position with high accuracy. It will be possible. As a result, the vehicle can be stopped at a predetermined position in the work range R by the assembly robot with high accuracy, and the work accuracy of the assembly work by the assembly robot can be improved.

FIG. 7 is a side view of the vehicle in which the photosensor PS is attached to the driven wheels 32. Upper guide wheel mounting plate 54 provided under the driven wheel 32
The photo sensor PS is mounted on the upper guide wheel mounting plate 54 on the drive wheel 36 side in the same manner as the photo sensor PS, and the other structures are the same as those of the vehicle shown in FIG.

Even when the photosensor PS is provided on the driven wheel 32 side as described above, the vehicle 3 is accurately positioned at the position where the striker 12 is detected by setting the mounting position to the height of the contact point between the driven wheel 32 and the track 32. It can be stopped.

FIG. 8 is a side view of the vehicle 3 in which the photosensor PS is attached to the encoder carrier to which the encoder 34 is attached. Driving wheel
The arm Y is extended toward the driven wheel 32 side from a portion near the track 2 on the 36 side, and an encoder carrier EC rolling on the track 2 is attached to the tip of the arm Y. The encoder carrier EC has a diameter significantly smaller than the diameter of the drive wheel 36. This encoder carrier EC has a pulse encoder 34
Is installed. Other than that, the structure of the vehicle 3 is similar to the structure of the vehicle 3 shown in FIG. 3 with the pulse encoder 34 incorporated in the motor 20 removed.

Then, the photo sensor PS has an encoder carrier EC and an orbit 2
It is attached using the brat attached to the arm Y at the same height position where it comes into contact with. Thus, even when the photosensor PS is attached to the encoder carrier EC side, the same effect as when the photosensor PS is attached to the drive wheel 36 side can be obtained.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the track 2 according to the second invention. An L-shaped sensor mounting bracket 13 is attached to the web 2c of the track 2. A photo sensor PS is mounted on the tip side of the sensor mounting bracket 13 with its groove PSs facing upward and along the length direction of the track 2. The mounting height of the photo sensor PS is such that the tip of a later-described striker 12 provided on the vehicle side is located in the groove PSs of the photo sensor PS. In this case, the striker 12 detected by the photo sensor PS
Is attached to a vehicle (not shown) traveling on the track 2. The mounting position of the striker 12 is selected at substantially the same height as the contact point between the vehicle wheel and the track 2. That is, the striker 12 is provided at the mounting position of the photo sensor PS (see FIG. 3) provided on the vehicle. The output signal of the photosensor PS provided on the track 2 is given to the vehicle side through the signal line.

In this way, the photosensor PS is used to define the fixed position on the track 2.
Even when the track sensor 2 is provided on the track 2, the vehicle surely stops at the position where the photosensor PS detects the striker on the vehicle side. Then, the same effect as when the photosensor PS is provided on the vehicle side can be obtained.

In the present embodiment, the vehicle according to the invention was applied to an automobile assembly line, but this is merely an example and the present invention is not limited to this. Further, in the present embodiment, the so-called suspension type vehicle in which the vehicle body 50 traveling along the track is provided on the lower side of the track 2 has been described. Even if the vehicle has a structure for mounting
Of course, the same effect can be obtained.

[Effect of device]

As described above in detail, according to the vehicle and the track according to the present invention, even if the vehicle portion located below or above the track may oscillate due to inertia, the vehicle can be reliably placed at the position where the home position is detected. It can be stopped. As a result, the accuracy of the stop position for stopping the vehicle traveling on the track at a fixed position can be significantly improved. Therefore, it is not necessary to move the vehicle once stopped by the positioning device for correcting the stop position as in the conventional case, and the excellent effect of being released from such troublesome control is exerted.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a vehicle body transporting route in an automobile assembling process, FIG. 2 is a side view showing a vehicle body transporting state in a suspension line, and FIG. 3 is a side view of a vehicle according to the present invention installed on a track. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a mounted state of the striker, FIG. 5 is a block diagram of the speed control unit, FIG. 6 is a flow chart showing control contents of the control unit, and FIG. 7 is a vehicle in which a photo sensor is attached to a driven wheel. A side view, FIG. 8 is a side view of a vehicle in which a photo sensor is attached to an encoder carrier, and FIG. 9 is a side view.
FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a track according to the invention of FIG. 10, and FIG. 10 is a side view of a conventional suspension type vehicle. 2 ... Orbit, 3 ... Suspended vehicle, 4 ... Hanger, 12 ... Striker, 20 ... Motor, 32 ... Driven wheel, 36 ... Drive wheel, 50 ... Vehicle body, 60 ... Drive control unit, PW ... Power line, SW … Signal lines, CW…
Control line, EC ... Encoder carrier, PS ... Photo sensor

Claims (2)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A vehicle having wheels rolling on a track and configured to detect a fixed position on the track, wherein means for detecting the fixed position is substantially a contact point between the wheel and the track. A vehicle provided at the same height position and in the vicinity of the contact point. 2. In a track having a structure in which a vehicle equipped with wheels rolling on the track is located at a fixed position on the track, a means for detecting the vehicle is a contact between the wheel and the track. A trajectory, which is provided at substantially the same height as the point and near the contact point.