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US 5,664,929 AGranted
Article transportation system
AssigneeDaifuku Co., Ltd.
InventorsKunio Esaki, Haruhiro Watanabe
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An article transportation system includes a transporter vehicle driven by an electric power from a battery mounted on the vehicle and a station having a translator apparatus for translating an article to and from the vehicle. The station includes a power receiving unit for receiving electric power for driving the translator apparatus. The transporter vehicle includes power supplying devices for supplying the electric power from the battery to the power receiving unit.
Claims28
A transportation system for transporting an article, said transportation system comprising a transporter vehicle and a station, wherein said transporter vehicle includes
- a frame having a plurality of wheels rotatably mounted thereon,
- a vehicle battery,
- a propelling motor connected to propel said wheels,
- a vehicle translator apparatus mounted on said frame, said vehicle translator including a vehicle translator motor and a vehicle conveyor, said vehicle translator motor connected to drive the vehicle conveyor,
- a power supplying means including a retractable arm having a power supplying connector connected to a leading end of said arm and means for projecting and retracting said arm, said power supplying connector connected to receive electrical power from said vehicle battery,
- a vehicle controller connected to receive electrical power from said vehicle battery and which controls the supply of electrical power to the propelling motor, the vehicle translator motor and the means for projecting and retracting said arm, and
- a vehicle communication apparatus connected to said vehicle controller, and wherein said station includes,
- a power receiving unit engageable with said power supplying connector of said arm for receiving electric power therefrom,
- a station translator apparatus including a station translator motor and a station conveyor, said station translator motor connected to drive the station conveyor,
- a station controller connected to receive electric power from the power supplying connector and which controls the supply of electrical power to the station translator motor, and
- a station communication apparatus connected to said station controller, wherein:
- said station communication apparatus and said vehicle communication apparatus enable communication of information between said station controller and said vehicle controller, and
- said station controller communicates to said vehicle controller in response to receiving electrical power from the power supplying connector.
10 more elements
An article transportation system comprising:
- a transporter vehicle including
- a frame having a plurality of wheels rotatably mounted thereon,
- a vehicle battery,
- a propelling motor connected to propel said wheels in response to electrical energy supplied by said vehicle battery,
- a vehicle translator apparatus mounted on said frame, said vehicle translator including a vehicle translator motor and a vehicle conveyor wherein said vehicle translator motor is connected to drive the vehicle conveyor in response to electrical energy supplied by said vehicle battery,
- a power supplying means, said power supplying means including a retractable arm having a power supplying connector connected to a leading end of said arm and means for projecting and retracting said arm wherein said power supplying connector is electrically connected to said vehicle battery, and
- a switch control means, and a station including
- a power receiving unit configured to engage said power supplying connector of said arm,
- a station translator apparatus including a station translator motor and a station conveyor wherein said station translator motor is connected to drive the station conveyor in response to electrical energy supplied from the power receiving unit,
- a control apparatus for controlling operations of the station translator motor,
- a station battery for driving the control apparatus, and
- a switching means for switching ON/OFF power transmission from said station battery to said control apparatus, wherein:
- the switch control means causes said switching means to switch ON the power transmission when an article translation operation is initiated between the vehicle conveyor and the station conveyor and for causing the switching means to switch OFF the power transmission when the article translation operation is completed.
10 more elements
An article transportation system comprising:
- a transporter vehicle including
- a frame having a plurality of wheels rotatably mounted thereon,
- a vehicle battery,
- a dc/ac converter which converts dc from the vehicle battery to ac,
- a propelling motor connected to propel said wheels in response to electrical energy supplied by said dc/ac converter,
- a vehicle translator apparatus mounted on said frame, said vehicle translator including a vehicle translator motor and a vehicle conveyor, wherein said vehicle translator motor is connected to drive the vehicle conveyor in response to electrical energy supplied by said dc/ac converter, and
- a power supplying means, said power supplying means including a retractable arm having a power supplying connector connected to a leading end of said arm and means for projecting and retracting said arm wherein said power supplying connector receives electrical power from said dc/ac converter, a station including
- a power receiving unit configured to engage said power supplying connector of said arm,
- a station translator apparatus including a station translator motor and a station conveyor, wherein said station translator motor is connected to drive the station conveyor in response to electrical energy supplied from the dc/ac converter via the power receiving unit,
- a control apparatus for controlling operations of the station translator motor,
- a station battery for driving the control apparatus, and
- a rectifying device between the power receiving unit and the station battery for rectifying the ac received by the power receiving unit into rectified dc and for supplying the rectified dc to the station battery.
9 more elements
An article transportation system comprising:
- a transporter vehicle having a frame for supporting an article during transportation, a plurality of wheels rotatably mounted on said frame and driven by a propelling motor supplied with electric power from a vehicle battery mounted on the vehicle, a dc/ac converter for converting a direct current from said vehicle battery into an alternating current and a power supplying means having a retractable arm with a power supplying connector attached to a leading end of said arm and means for projecting and retracting said arm, wherein said dc/ac converter is connected to said power supplying connector;
- and
- a station having an ac-powered station translator motor connected to drive a station conveyor that translates said article to and from the vehicle frame in response to being driven by said station translator motor, a control apparatus for controlling operations of said station translator motor, a station battery for driving the control apparatus, and a power receiving unit connectable with the power supplying means for receiving electric power from the dc/ac converter for driving said station translator motor when the vehicle stops at a predetermined stop position of the station, wherein:
- said station further includes a switching means for switching ON/OFF power transmission from said station battery to said control apparatus,
- said vehicle includes a switch control means for causing said switching means to switch ON the power transmission when an article translation operation is initiated between the vehicle and the station and for causing the switching means to switch OFF the power transmission when the article translation operation is completed, and
- the station further includes a rectifying device connected between the power receiving unit and the station battery for rectifying the ac-power received by the power receiving unit into dc-power for said station battery.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.