Container for linear motor driven transport system

Abstract

A linear motor driven transport system of an improved design is presented. The conventional roller configuration for holding the transport vehicle on the rail track has been replaced with a spring-loaded design so as to maintain the contact between the roller and the rail surface regardless of the curvatures in the routing track. Weighing device of an improved direct-loading design is adopted to improve the ruggedness of the device. Devices for controlling the positioning of the transport vehicle, including the carrier, have been simplified and the number of component pieces reduced to lower the cost of manufacturing the transport system. The container and track configurations have also been modified to enable efficient track set-up and loading/unloading of goods in complex track routing in a limited space. The primary drive unit, the vehicle stopping device, the vehicle positions detection device and the emergency braking unit provided only in the vertical section of the track are all placed on the side of the rail which faces the transport vehicle. This arrangement of the components on one side of the rail facilitates manufacturing, assembling and servicing of the components. The overall result is that not only the cost of manufacturing the system has been reduced, but also the overall transportation operation has been improved with minimal maintenance requirements so as to enable the application of the transport system in any facility requiring handling of a large number of goods and information, such as parts, medical charts, and documentations in factories, hospitals, libraries and other such organizations.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.