Transportation system of floated-carrier type

A transportation system of a floated-carrier type for transporting a cargo between predetermined positions, comprising:

• a plurality of track units, each of said track units being assembled with adjacent track units, each of said track units including a guide rail formed of a ferromagnetic material, each guide rail having end portions connected to end portions of the guide rails of adjacent track units;
• plural carriers for running said track units and carrying the cargo, each carrier including a magnetic unit for suspending said carrier from said guide rail in a non-contact manner, said magnetic unit including an electromagnet arranged to have an air gap with respect to said guide rail, and a permanent magnet magnetically coupled so said electromagnet, said guide rail, said air gap, said electromagnet and said permanent magnet providing magnetic energy, with which said carrier can be kept suspending against the weight thereof and the cargo thereon, said electromagnetic adapted to be excited so as to maintain a gap clearance, at which the magnetic attractive force acting between said permanent magnet and said guide rail balances with the total weight of said carrier itself and the load, regardless of weight of the cargo;
• a traffic controller which generates a control signal for controlling said carriers, said traffic controller comprising,
• a plurality of local controllers, each performing a traffic control of the carriers at each of the track units, and
• a supervisory controller for controlling the local controllers to manage and monitor the overall transportation system so that the carriers at the respective track units are distributed at an optimum timing to perform the transportation job;
• an electrical power source which generates electrical power;
• each of said track units further including:
• propelling means which receives the electrical power from said electrical power source and provides a propelling force to said carrier so as to cause said carrier to travel along the guide rails of said track units,
• a first sensor for detecting whether said carrier passes a predetermined position and emitting a detection signal,
• a second sensor for detecting a speed when said carrier passes the predetermined position and emitting a detection signal,
• a propelling means controller which receives the control signal from said traffic controller and the detection signals from the first and second sensors, and controls the propelling means based on the signals, with the result that running of the carrier is controlled by controlling propelling force,
• power line means for transmitting the electrical power supplied from said electrical power source to the propelling means, said power line means having both end portions,
• signal line means for transmitting the control signal supplied from said traffic controller to the propelling means controller, said signal line means having both end portions;
• and
• a pair of connectors, each of said connectors being connected to said end portions of said power line means and said signal line means, and being assembled with connectors of the adjacent track units;
• and
• a station which includes:
• a loader for loading and unloading a cargo onto and from said carrier, and
• a lifter for lifting the cargo between said loader and a predetermined position;
• wherein said guide rail is formed to have a linear shape and one of at least two track units includes a pair of first guide rails, and the other of said at least two track units includes a pair of second guide rails intersecting the pair of first guide rails;
• and
• which includes another track unit including:
• a coupling section connecting the first and second pairs of guide rails, and
• transfer means provided at the coupling section, and adapted so that, at the coupling section, the carrier, having so far been running along the first pair of guide rails, is stopped, and is then transferred from the coupling section to the second pair of guide rails, all in a non-contact manner,
• said second pair of guide rails extending by a distance larger than a transverse width of said carrier, and
• said station being located at an end portion of said second pair of guide rails.

A transportation system of a floated-carrier type for transporting a cargo between predetermined positions, comprising:

• a plurality of track units, each of said track units being assembled with adjacent track units, each of said track units including a guide rail formed of a ferromagnetic material, each guide rail having end portions connected to end portions of the guide rails of adjacent track units;
• a plurality of carriers of different types for running along said track units, said carrier carrying the cargo, and including a magnetic unit for suspending said carrier from said guide rail in a non-contact manner, said magnetic unit including an electromagnet arranged to have an air gap with respect to said guide rail, and a permanent magnet magnetically coupled to said electromagnet, said guide rail, said air gap, said electromagnet, and said permanent magnet providing magnetic energy, with which said carrier can be kept suspending against the weight thereof and the cargo thereon, said electromagnetic adapted to be excited so as to maintain a gap clearance, at which the magnetic attractive force acting between said permanent magnet and said guide rails balances with the total weight of said carrier itself and the load, regardless of weight of the cargo;
• a traffic controller which generates a control signal for controlling said carrier, said traffic controller comprising,
• a plurality of local controllers, each performing a traffic control of the carriers at each of the track units, and
• a supervisory controller for controlling the local controllers to manage and monitor the overall transportation system so that the carriers at the respective track units are distributed at an optimum timing to perform the transportation job;
• an electrical power source which generates electrical power;
• each of said track units further including:
• propelling means including a stator which receives the electrical power from said electrical power source and provides a propelling force to said carrier so as to cause said carrier to travel along the guide rails of said track units,
• a first sensor for detecting whether said carrier passes a predetermined position and emitting a detection signal,
• a second sensor for detecting a speed when said carrier passes the predetermined position and emitting a detection signal,
• a third sensor for identifying a type of each carrier,
• a propelling means controller which receives the control signal from said traffic controller and the detection signals from the first, second and third sensors, and controls the propelling means based on the signals, with the result that running of the carrier is controlled by controlling propelling force,
• power line means for transmitting the electrical power supplied from said electrical power source to the propelling means, said power line means having both end portions,
• signal line means for transmitting the control signal supplied from said traffic controller to the propelling means controller, said signal line means having both end portions,
• a pair of connectors, each of said connectors being connected to said end portions of said power line means and said signal line means, and being assembled with connectors of the adjacent track units,
• an invertor for supplying three-phase AC power to said stator,
• an inverter controller for controlling said inverter based on detection signals from said first and second sensors, and
• said electrical wire includes a wire, connected to said inverter, for supplying power, and a wire, connected to said first and third sensors, for transmitting the signal;
• wherein said guide rail is formed to have a linear shape and one of at least two track units includes a pair of first guide rails, and the other of said at least two track units includes a pair of second guide rails intersecting the pair of first guide rails;
• and
• which includes another track unit including:
• a coupling section connecting the first and second pairs of guide rails, and
• transfer means provided at the coupling section, and adapted so that, at the coupling section, the carrier, having so far been running along the first pair of guide rails, is stopped, and is then transferred from the coupling section to the second pair of guide rails, all in a non-contact manner,
• said second pair of guide rails extending by a distance larger than a transverse width of said carrier, and
• said station being located at an end portion of said second pair of guide rails.