JP3765041B2 - Non-contact power feeding device for moving objects - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a non-contact power feeding device for a moving body that performs necessary operations such as traveling and loading / unloading of a load with an electric motor, such as an electric transport vehicle that moves between load storage racks in a cargo handling / loading warehouse or the like.
[0002]
[Prior art]
As a conventional example of a power supply device for power required for the operation of the mobile body, a battery is mounted on the mobile body and power is supplied from the battery. In this case, since all the electric power is supplied from the battery, the capacity becomes as large as several hundred Ah, and the battery occupies much of the vehicle body volume. When the moving body is a forklift, it is useful to use it as a counterweight at the time of cargo handling work by placing a battery at the rear of the vehicle body, but it is not necessary to use a counterweight that places and loads the load on the center of gravity of the vehicle body. In an electric conveyance vehicle, since a small turning radius and a low cargo handling height are required and the vehicle body must be made compact, there is a problem in mounting this large-capacity battery. Therefore, the battery capacity is reduced as much as possible to increase the charging frequency, but the operation rate is high and it is not suitable for continuous operation.
[0003]
In order to solve such problems of the conventional power feeding apparatus for a moving body, various means for feeding power from the outside have been proposed as follows.
[0004]
(1) “Lighting device for measuring instrument pointer” disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 52-35703 shows a configuration in which electric power is supplied to a moving body from the outside without contact. This is composed of a primary coil on the external fixed side and a secondary coil on the moving side.
[0005]
(2) Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 3-289302 discloses a method for supplying power to a moving body in a non-contact manner by installing a coil at a position where the moving body stops. . This is non-contact power transmission between coils, and in this embodiment, a station for carrying in / out an article is given as a stop position.
[0006]
(3) Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 5-328508 discloses a “contactless power feeding facility for a moving body” that shows a means for installing a power feeding line along a moving body guiding guide path of a work station. Yes. This is intended to charge a battery mounted on the moving body during traveling, and power is supplied from the track to the coil in a non-contact manner.
[0007]
(4) In the “contactless power feeding equipment for moving body” disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-336606, a magnetic member is provided at a predetermined position on the moving body traveling path, and the power supply at that position is increased. Means are shown. As an example of the predetermined position, a station that performs transfer work such as lift-up is cited.
[0008]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
As in the conventional technique (2) described above, in the conventional technique in which traveling is stopped at the cargo handling point and the power is transmitted in a non-contact manner between the coils, the power feeding positions are set at several places as in the cargo handling station. If there are about 1000 pallet handling points in a room, such as a pallet rack, there is a problem that it is too expensive to prepare an iron core with a coil wound around each handling point. There is.
[0009]
Moreover, in the conventional technique which transmits electric power in a non-contact manner between the line and the coil as in the conventional technique (1) described above, the ground-side line and the moving object-side coil in the form of traveling on the track. However, it is very difficult for a moving body that travels between racks without a track to travel while keeping the clearance constant. On the contrary, if the design is made with a margin so as to make this possible, the protruding portion of the power feeding portion to the inter-rack passage becomes large, resulting in a useless space.
[0010]
On the other hand, in the above conventional techniques (3) and (4), the moving body moves along a certain route along the guide path so that the power receiving coil of the moving body does not deviate from the power feeding induction line. However, in this conventional technique (3), a guide line is provided over the entire length of the work platform installed along the guide path in the direction of the guide path. During the movement of the body, power is supplied for as long as possible, so that a long induction wire is required and the cost becomes high. In addition, a facility for a guide path is required, and the degree of freedom of the moving body is reduced accordingly.
[0011]
In the prior art (4), a magnetic member for power supply is provided for each station for transferring a load, and power is supplied every time the moving body stops for the load transfer. However, in this conventional technique, a guide path is used as in (3) above, and the degree of freedom of the moving body is small, and a magnetic member for power feeding is embedded in the traveling road surface. There is a problem in that this becomes a permanent facility, and when the number increases, the cost increases almost directly.
[0012]
In any of the above conventional techniques, there are a large number of cargo handling points, and nothing is described about the point where power is supplied to the trackless moving body at each cargo handling point.
[0013]
The present invention is considered in view of the above, and it is ensured that a moving body having a large number of cargo handling points and having a large degree of freedom with respect to the traveling path without any track is reliably provided at each cargo handling point. It is an object of the present invention to provide a non-contact power feeding device for a moving body that can feed power.
[0014]
[Means for solving the problems and effects]
In order to achieve the above object, a non-contact power feeding device for a moving body according to the present invention is a moving body that moves along a pallet rack, and serves as one rack beam of a pallet rack as a tipping prevention mechanism when handling the pallet rack. Of a moving body that supplies power in a non-contact state via a power receiving coil provided on the moving body from a power feeding coil of a power feeding circuit provided on the ground side to a moving body provided with a support arm that contacts the end surface of the movable body. In the non-contact power supply apparatus, the power supply coil of the ground-side power supply circuit is in contact with the end surface of the rack beam with which the front end member of the support arm comes into contact, and the front end surface of the support arm comes into contact with the pallet rack when the moving body is loaded. The power receiving coil on each side of the moving body is provided at the tip of the tip member of the support arm, and the moving body moves along the pallet rack, When the support arm is extended to prevent overturning at the position to take out the load on the rack beam, the power receiving coil provided on the tip member of the support arm is the power supply coil of the power supply circuit provided on the rack beam. The dielectric electromotive force generated during this time is received in a non-contact state from the power feeding coil side to the power receiving coil side.
[0015]
Therefore, according to this configuration, each time the loading operation of the moving body is performed, power can be received from the pallet rack side in accordance with the extension operation of the support arm, so that it has a large number of cargo handling points and is trackless. Thus, it is possible to reliably supply power to the moving body having a large degree of freedom with respect to the traveling path at each of the above cargo handling points.
[0016]
In the above configuration, the power supply coil of the power supply circuit is configured by partially extending the two reciprocating conductors, so that the power supply coil is a component compared to a structure in which a coil is wound around an iron core. The number of points can be reduced, the configuration can be simplified, and the installation work at the site can be greatly facilitated.
[0017]
In addition, by arranging a magnetic material that becomes the core of the power feeding coil between the conductors of the power feeding coil that is partially widened, the transmission efficiency as the power feeding coil can be improved. it can.
[0018]
The power supply circuit is configured by connecting a plurality of power supply modules in which at least one power supply coil is embedded in a non-magnetic body, and each power supply module is fixed to the rack beam. The module can be used to configure a power supply circuit of any length and can be applied to pallet racks of various lengths. This greatly helps to stabilize the quality of the feeding circuit and greatly simplify the assembly work on site.
[0019]
In addition, since a variable impedance element is interposed between the power supply circuit and the AC power supply, the problem that occurs when the length of the power supply circuit and the power supply point change as described above, that is, the load impedance of the AC power supply. Can be solved, and the problem that resonance at a used frequency (for example, 10 KHz) cannot be solved can be solved.
[0020]
In addition, the power feeding circuit and the AC power source are connected via an output switch, and the power receiving coil is provided so as to be able to protrude and retract in the tip member of the support arm and to be in a protruding state, and to receive power. An immersion detection sensor is provided for detecting that the coil is in contact with the power supply unit and is in an immersive state where power can be received. The immersion detection sensor and the output switch are connected to the immersion detection sensor via a controller and a wireless communication device. By connecting so that the output switch is turned on by the detection signal of, when the moving body stops at the cargo handling position and extends the support arm, when the tip member of this contacts the power feeding circuit side, The power receiving coil opposes the power feeding coil and is immersed in the tip member of the support arm. This operation is detected by the immersive detection sensor, the output switch is turned on by the detection signal, and an alternating current flows through the power feeding circuit only when the power receiving coil is opposed.
[0021]
Therefore, the power feeding circuit can be energized only when the power feeding action is performed, thereby saving power.
[0022]
Also, using a plurality of pallet racks, connecting each power supply circuit of each pallet rack to an AC power supply via a selector switch, the selector switch with an immersion detection sensor, a controller, a wireless communication device, etc. With the detection signal of the immersion detection sensor, the power supply circuit that is in contact with the support arm having the immersion detection sensor is connected so that the load handling operation can be performed even when a plurality of pallet racks are used. It is possible to energize only the power supply circuit of the current pallet rack. As a result, power saving can be achieved when a plurality of pallet racks are used, and the load on the AC power supply can be reduced.
[0023]
Furthermore, the power receiving coil is selectively connected to the battery of the vehicle-mounted electric circuit and the cargo handling motor in which the traveling motor and the cargo handling motor are connected in parallel to the battery of the moving body via the changeover switch. Thus, the cargo handling motor can be driven by the received power, and the burden on the battery can be greatly reduced. The cargo handling motor is a load that is larger than that of the traveling motor, and the fact that the cargo handling motor can be operated with external power can reduce the battery capacity. Further, when the moving body is at rest, charging the battery can extend the life of the battery and extend the running time. Further, in the case of a moving object that operates in a freezer warehouse, it is necessary to wait by heating electronic equipment or oil. In such a case, the power receiving coil is replaced with a battery and the power receiving coil is used. External power from the battery can be used, and battery consumption can be prevented. Further, when used with a plurality of mobile racks, a power feeding conductor is provided together with the transition cables of the mobile racks.
[0024]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows the inside of a storage warehouse. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a pallet rack, and reference numeral 2 denotes an electric transport vehicle that travels in a path provided between the pallet racks 1. The pallet rack 1 includes a plurality of, for example, three-stage rack beams 1a, 1b, and 1c. A pallet 4 loaded with a load 3 on the rack beams 1a, 1b, and 1c holds the support bases 5 and 5 to a predetermined level. It is designed to be stored at intervals.
[0025]
In addition, the electric transport vehicle 2 has masts 6a and 6b on both sides in the traveling direction, and the lift 7 is moved between the masts 6a and 6b along the masts 6a and 6b. Is provided. The lifting platform 7 is provided with a loading device 8 for loading in the direction perpendicular to the traveling direction. This unloading device 8 is provided with two telescopic forks (not shown) so as to be able to project and retract in a direction perpendicular to the traveling direction, and the two forks are extended so that the tip of the forks is the above-mentioned By inserting the bases 5 and 5 on the beams 1a, 1b and 1c and inserting them under the pallet 4 stored therein, the elevator 7 is slightly raised and shortened to move onto the elevator 2 The load 3 is picked up by the electric transport vehicle 2 together with the pallet 4.
[0026]
Support arms 9 protrude in the horizontal direction on both side surfaces of the masts 6a and 6b before and after the electric transport vehicle 2, respectively. Each of the support arms 9 includes a support tube 9a, an expandable member 9b that can be expanded and contracted with respect to the support tube 9a, and a support member 9c that is fixed to the tip of the expandable member 9b. The telescopic member 9b is expanded and contracted by a telescopic device (not shown) such as a hydraulic cylinder provided in the support cylinder 9a. Each support arm 9 has a height opposite to the middle stage of the pallet rack 1 described above, for example, the second rack beam 1b, and travels along the pallet rack 1 with the electric transport vehicle 2 running. When the side support arms 9, 9 are extended, their respective support members 9C, 9c come into contact with the end face of the rack beam 1b.
[0027]
The electric transport vehicle 2 is a wirelessly operated unmanned vehicle, and is driven by a vehicle-mounted controller 34 according to a predetermined program, travels along a path between the pallet racks 1, stops at a predetermined position, and lifts 7 Is raised to the height of a predetermined rack beam, the predetermined pallet 4 is unloaded by the loading device 8 and lowered again, and then travels to its unloading position. When the electric transport vehicle 2 is stopped at the loading position as described above, the two front and rear support arms 9 and 9 on the side facing the pallet rack on the loading side are extended, and the tip member 9c thereof is extended. , 9c abuts against the rack beam 1b to act as a stiff bar during loading, that is, to prevent overturning.
[0028]
The power feeding circuit 10 is provided on the end surface of the rack beam 1b in the second stage from the bottom where the front end of the support arm 9 of the electric transport vehicle 2 faces, and the front end members 9c of the four support arms 9 of the electric transport vehicle 2 are provided. A power receiving coil 11 is provided opposite to the power feeding circuit 10.
[0029]
The power feeding circuit 10 is configured as shown in FIG. 2 and includes two reciprocal conductors 14a and 14b connected to an AC power source 12 via an output switch 13, and the power feeding circuit 10 has a predetermined interval in the longitudinal direction. In other words, at the placement position (loading position) of each pallet 4 placed on the rack beam 1b, the two conductive wires 14a and 14b are partially placed at the position of the interval S between the support arms 9 and 9 before and after the electric transport vehicle 2. In particular, a power supply coil 15 spaced apart by a coil interval d is formed. The power supply circuit 10 is provided with an impedance variable element 16.
[0030]
On the other hand, the power receiving coil 11 is connected to an in-vehicle electric circuit 18 of the electric transport vehicle 2 via a stabilized power source 17 as shown in FIG. The in-vehicle electric circuit 18 includes a traveling motor 20, a cargo handling motor 21, and a main switch 22 connected in parallel to the battery 19. The stabilized power source 17 is connected to a circuit between the motors 20 and 21 via a changeover switch 23. A changeover switch 23 a is turned on when the cargo handling motor 21 is driven by the battery 19.
[0031]
Specific embodiments of the power feeding circuit 10 and the power receiving coil 11 will be described with reference to FIGS. The power feeding circuit 10 has a configuration in which a power feeding module body 24 in which the rack beam 1b is divided into a plurality of pieces in the longitudinal direction is connected as necessary.
[0032]
As shown in FIGS. 4 and 7, the power supply module body 24 has two conductive wires 14 a and 14 b built in a base 25 made of a non-magnetic material such as plastic or aluminum, and is located at the longitudinal intermediate portion of the base 25. The feeding coil 15 is separated by a predetermined distance d, and this portion is exposed. An E-type magnetic body (ferrite) 26 is embedded in the power supply coil 15, and the conductive wires 14 a and 14 b are inserted into the grooves of the magnetic body 26. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, connection terminals 14 c and 14 d are provided at both ends of each of the conductors 14 a and 14 b, and each conductor 14 a and 14 b uses a screw 14 e and a nut 14 f for each adjacent power supply module 24. Can be connected freely. Each power supply module 24 has its base 25 fixed to the rack beam 1 b with screws 27.
[0033]
As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the power receiving coil 11 is wound around an intermediate portion (core) of an E-type magnetic body (ferrite) 28. The magnetic body 28 protrudes from the front end of the magnetic body 28 over a distance of 2 to 3 mm by a spring 29 in a natural state so that the magnetic body 28 can move in and out of the front end member 9c of the support arm 9. The tip member 9c of the support arm 9 is made of a nonmagnetic material such as plastic. The power receiving coil 11 includes an immersion detection sensor 9d that detects that the magnetic body 28 is in contact with the magnetic body 26 of the power supply circuit 10 and is immersed until it is flush with the distal end surface of the distal end member 9c of the support arm 9. It is provided. When the immersion detection sensor 9d is turned on, the electric vehicle 2 is wirelessly notified to the equipment on the ground side and the output switch 13 of the power feeding circuit 10 shown in FIG. 2 is turned on.
[0034]
In the above configuration, the electric transport vehicle 2 is traveled by the travel motor 20 driven by the electric power of the battery 19. Further, power to the actuator that is activated during the cargo taking operation or the like is obtained from a cargo handling motor 21 that is also driven by the electric power of the battery 19. When the electric transport vehicle 2 stops to pick up the pallet 4 at a predetermined position, first, the front and rear support arms 9 and 9 on the pallet rack 1 side on which the pallet 4 is placed extend, The front end members 9c and 9c are in contact with the base 25 of the power supply circuit 10 fixed to the rack beam 1a of the pallet rack 1, and the action of a stick is made to the rack beam 1a through the base 25 of the power supply circuit 10. The
[0035]
At this time, the power receiving coil 11 provided on the front end member 9c of both the front and rear support arms 9, 9 is brought into contact with the magnetic body 26 of the power feeding coil 15 of the power feeding circuit 10, and this operation is applied to the immersing detection sensor 9d. The output switch 13 is actuated by this detection signal, and an alternating current from the alternating current power supply 12 flows through the power supply circuit 10. At the same time, the extending operation of each support arm 9 stops.
[0036]
In this state, the power receiving coil 11 provided on the distal end member 9c of the both support arms 9 is non-contact powered to the power feeding coil 15, and the dielectric electromotive force generated between the power feeding coil 15 and the power receiving coil 11 is generated therebetween. Is received. The received power is supplied to the on-vehicle electric circuit 18 via the stabilized power source 17. At this time, by switching the changeover switch 23 to the cargo handling side with the changeover switch 23b turned off, the cargo handling motor 21 can be driven by the received external power. Further, when the traveling motor 20 is stopped, the external power can be charged to the battery 19 by turning on the main switch 22 and switching the changeover switch 23 to the charging side.
[0037]
In the above embodiment, the case where there is one pallet rack 1 has been described. However, a plurality of pallet racks 1 are used in parallel as shown in FIG. . In this case, as shown in FIG. 8, the power feeding circuits 10, 10... Of each pallet rack 1, 1... Are connected to each of the variable impedance elements 16, 16. Connected to the selector switch 31. The selector switch 31 is connected to an AC power supply 12 that is turned on and off by the output switch 13. The output switch 13 and the selector switch 31 are controlled by a ground controller 32. The terrestrial controller 32 is operated and input from the terrestrial radio communication device 33 by radio signals. The terrestrial wireless communication device 33 is configured to receive an output signal from the in-vehicle controller 34 of the electric transport vehicle 2 as a signal from the in-vehicle wireless communication device 35.
[0038]
As described above, on the electric transport vehicle 2 side, the power receiving coil 11 including the immersion detection sensor 9d and the output thereof are stabilized so that the voltage is controlled to the rated voltage of the cargo handling motor 21 that drives the hydraulic pump motor as a load. A power supply 17 is mounted, and the stabilized power supply 17 not only adjusts the voltage but also detects an overcurrent when the load is short-circuited and monitors a temperature abnormality. In this example, the load handling motor 21 that drives the hydraulic pump and the motor is shown as a load. However, a motor for another work machine may be used, and the battery 19 for traveling is charged if there is a margin in power. May be.
[0039]
On the other hand, the ground controller 32 also manages the operation of the electric transport vehicle 2 and teaches the cargo handling position (pallet position) to the electric transport vehicle 2 using wireless communication. The electric transport vehicle 2 moves the cargo handling position according to the control program of the in-vehicle controller 34. The feeding coil 15 is formed in the form described above at the cargo handling position, and is the same as the feeding position. And in this electric power feeding position, the electrically-driven conveyance vehicle 2 extends the support arm 9, and begins preparations for cargo handling. When the magnetic body 26 on the power feeding side and the magnetic body 28 on the power receiving side are pressure-bonded, the immersion detection sensor 9d of the power receiving coil 15 is activated. The state of the sensor 9d is monitored by the in-vehicle controller 34. When it is detected that the sensor 9d has been activated, the in-vehicle controller 34 notifies the ground controller 32 via the in-vehicle wireless communication device 35 and the ground wireless communication device 33. Since the ground controller 32 knows the current position of the electric transport vehicle 2, the selector switch 31 is switched so that an alternating current can flow through the power supply circuit 10 connected to the corresponding pallet rack. After switching, an alternating current flows only through the power supply circuit 10 selected by turning on the output switch 13. In the above embodiment, the power receiving coil 11 is provided on each of the front and rear support arms 9, 9. However, the power receiving coil 11 is provided only on the front or rear support arm 9. Also good.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the inside of a storage warehouse.
FIG. 2 is a power supply circuit diagram.
FIG. 3 is an in-vehicle electric circuit diagram.
FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a power supply module of the power supply circuit.
FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view showing a terminal portion of a conducting wire of the power supply module.
FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a power receiving coil.
FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a power feeding coil and a power receiving coil.
FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing a power feeding circuit and a power receiving circuit when a plurality of pallet racks are used.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Pallet rack 1b ... Rack beam 2 ... Electric conveyance vehicle 3 ... Load 4 ... Pallet 5 ... Support stand 7 ... Lifting stand 8 ... Unloading device 9 ... Support arm 9c ... Tip member 9d ... Immersion detection sensor 10 ... Feeding circuit 11 Power receiving coil 12 AC power supply 13 Output switches 14a and 14b Conductor 14c 14d Connection terminals 14e and 14f Screws and nuts 15 Feeding coil 16 Impedance variable element 17 Stabilized power supply 18 In-vehicle electric circuit DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 19 ... Battery 20 ... Traveling motor 21 ... Cargo handling motor 22 ... Main switch 23 ... Changeover switch 23b ... Changeover switch 24 ... Feeding module 25 ... Base 26, 28 ... Magnetic body 29 ... Spring 30 ... Transition cable 31 ... Selector switch 32, 34 ... Controllers 33, 35 ... Wireless communication devices

Claims (9)

A moving body that moves along the pallet rack, and is provided on the ground side to a movable body that is provided with an extendable support arm that abuts the end surface of one rack beam of the pallet rack as a fall prevention mechanism when handling the pallet rack. In the non-contact power feeding device of the mobile body that feeds power in a non-contact state from the power feeding coil of the power feeding circuit via the power receiving coil provided on the mobile body side,
The power supply coil of the ground-side power supply circuit is arranged at each end of the rack beam where the tip member of the support arm abuts and at the position where the tip surface of the support arm abuts when the movable body is loaded on the pallet rack. ,
A non-contact power feeding apparatus for a mobile body, wherein a power receiving coil on the mobile body side is provided at a tip portion of a tip member of a support arm. 2. The non-contact power feeding device for a moving body according to claim 1, wherein the power feeding coil of the power feeding circuit is constituted by two reciprocating conductors partially widened. apparatus. 3. The non-contact power feeding apparatus for a moving body according to claim 2, wherein a magnetic body serving as a core of the power feeding coil is disposed between conductors separated from each other by the power feeding coil. 2. A non-contact power feeding apparatus for a moving body according to claim 1, wherein the power feeding circuit is constituted by connecting a plurality of power feeding modules each having at least one power feeding coil embedded in a non-magnetic body, and each power feeding module is connected to a rack beam. A non-contact power feeding device for a moving body, characterized by being fixed to 2. The non-contact power feeding apparatus for a moving body according to claim 1, wherein an impedance variable element is interposed between the power feeding circuit and the AC power source. 2. The non-contact power feeding device for a moving body according to claim 1, wherein the power feeding circuit and the AC power source are connected via an output switch, and the power receiving coil can be protruded from and retracted from the tip member of the support arm. And an immersion detection sensor for detecting that the power receiving coil is in contact with the power feeding portion and is in an immersive state where power can be received, and the immersion detection sensor and the output switch are connected to the controller and A non-contact power feeding device for a moving body, characterized in that the output switch is turned on by a detection signal of an immersion detection sensor via a wireless communication device or the like. 7. A non-contact power feeding device for a moving body according to claim 6, wherein a plurality of pallet racks are used, and each power feeding circuit of each pallet rack is connected to an AC power source via a selector switch, and the selector switch is connected to an immersion detection sensor. The movement is characterized in that the power supply circuit with which the support arm having the immersion detection sensor is in contact is turned on by the detection signal of the immersion detection sensor via a controller, a wireless communication device, etc. Body non-contact power feeding device. The contactless power feeding device for a moving body according to claim 1, wherein a power receiving coil is connected to a battery and a cargo handling motor of an in-vehicle electric circuit in which a traveling motor and a cargo handling motor are connected in parallel to the battery of the movable body via a changeover switch. A non-contact power feeding device for a moving body, characterized by being selectively connected. The non-contact power feeding apparatus for a moving body according to claim 1, wherein when used together with a plurality of mobile racks, a power feeding conductor is provided together with a transition cable for the mobile rack.

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