Movable platform, overhead traveling vehicle system, and method for vertically moving overhead traveling vehicle
AssigneeMurata Machinery, Ltd.
InventorsHideki Kato, Tatsuo Tsubaki
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A moving carriage that moves an overhead travelling vehicle that has been unloaded to the ground, includes a frame including travelling wheels, elevating mechanisms provided at a plurality of locations on the frame along a longitudinal direction of the frame, a track for an overhead travelling vehicle, the track being supported by the elevating mechanisms so as to be lifted and lowered and being configured to allow the overhead travelling vehicle to be transferred to and from another track, and a synchronizing mechanism that synchronizes the elevating mechanisms to lift and lower the track by the same or substantially the same amount.
Claims5
A moving carriage for moving an overhead travelling vehicle lowered to the ground, the moving carriage comprising:
- a frame including travelling wheels;
- a plurality of elevating mechanisms respectively provided at a plurality of locations on the frame along a longitudinal direction of the frame;
- a track for the overhead travelling vehicle, the track being supported by the plurality of elevating mechanisms so as to be lifted and lowered and being configured to allow the overhead travelling vehicle to be transferred to and from another track;
- and
- a synchronizing mechanism configured to synchronize the plurality of elevating mechanisms so as to lift and lower the track for an overhead travelling vehicle by a same amount or substantially a same amount;
- wherein
- the plurality of elevating mechanisms includes at least one front elevating mechanism located at a front of the frame and at least one rear elevating mechanism located at a rear of the frame, with respect to a traveling direction of the overhead travelling vehicle.
An overhead travelling vehicle system comprising:
- an overhead travelling vehicle;
- a moving carriage including:
- a frame including travelling wheels;
- a plurality of elevating mechanisms respectively provided at a plurality of locations on the frame along a longitudinal direction of the frame;
- a track for the overhead travelling vehicle, the track being supported by the plurality of elevating mechanisms so as to be lifted and lowered and being configured to allow the overhead travelling vehicle to be transferred to and from another track;
- and
- a synchronizing mechanism configured to synchronize the plurality of elevating mechanisms so as to lift and lower the track for the overhead travelling vehicle by a same amount or substantially a same amount;
- a travelling track provided at an elevated location and along which the overhead travelling vehicle travels;
- a lifter configured to lift and lower the overhead travelling vehicle between the travelling track and the ground in a state in which the overhead travelling vehicle is supported by a track configured to be connected with the travelling track;
- and
- another moving carriage including another frame with travelling wheels and another track for the overhead travelling vehicle, wherein the another frame is configured to support the another track at a fixed height;
- wherein
- the plurality of elevating mechanisms includes at least one front elevating mechanism located at a front of the frame and at least one rear elevating mechanism located at a rear of the frame, with respect to a traveling direction of the overhead travelling vehicle.
A method for lifting and lowering an overhead travelling vehicle lowered to the ground, while keeping the overhead travelling vehicle horizontal, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing a moving carriage including:
- a frame including travelling wheels;
- a plurality of elevating mechanisms respectively provided at a plurality of locations on the frame along a longitudinal direction of the frame;
- a track for the overhead travelling vehicle, the track being supported by the plurality of elevating mechanisms so as to be lifted and lowered and being configured to allow the overhead travelling vehicle to be transferred to and from another track;
- and
- a synchronizing mechanism configured to synchronize the plurality of elevating mechanisms so as to lift and lower the track for an overhead travelling vehicle by a same amount or a substantially same amount;
- transferring the overhead travelling vehicle to the track;
- and
- driving the plurality of elevating mechanisms in synchronization by a same amount or a substantially same amount by the synchronizing mechanism;
- wherein
- the plurality of elevating mechanisms includes at least one front elevating mechanism located at a front of the frame and at least one rear elevating mechanism located at a rear of the frame, with respect to a traveling direction of the overhead travelling vehicle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.