IP Library Granted Patent US 8,408,142
Granted Patent B2
US 8,408,142 · App. 13/379,673 · Granted Apr 2, 2013

Guide rail type vehicle with guide device

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,408,142
App. No.
13/379,673
Granted
Apr 2, 2013
Kind
B2
Abstract

In a guide rail type vehicle, a guide wheel includes a main guide wheel that rolls in contact with a main guide rail and a branch guide wheel that rolls in contact with a branch guide rail, a guide frame includes a guide arm that extends in a vehicle width direction and a guide link, the guide arm and the guide link are rotatably connected to each other via a first rotational shaft, the guide link includes a second rotational shaft in which the main guide wheel and the branch guide wheel are rotatably mounted to both ends, a buffer mechanism is provided between the guide arm and the guide link, and when the guide link rotates around the first rotational shaft with the guide wheel contacting with the guide rail, the buffer mechanism suppresses rotation of the guide link.

Claims (16)

1. A guide rail type vehicle with a guide device comprising a guide rail provided on both sides of a running track, and a guide wheel mounted to a guide frame on the vehicle side, the guide wheel rolling in contact with the guide rail to guide the vehicle,

wherein the guide wheel includes a main guide wheel that rolls in contact with a main guide rail of the guide rail provided along the running track and a branch guide wheel that rolls in contact with a branch guide rail of the guide rail provided at a branch position of the running track,

wherein the guide frame includes a guide arm that extends in a vehicle width direction and a guide link mounted to an end portion in the vehicle width direction of the guide arm, the guide arm and the guide link being rotatably connected to each other via a first rotational shaft,

wherein the guide link includes a second rotational shaft in which the main guide wheel and the branch guide wheel are rotatably mounted to both ends, and

wherein a buffer mechanism is provided between the guide arm and the guide link, and when the guide link rotates around the first rotational shaft with the guide wheel contacting with the guide rail, the buffer mechanism suppresses rotation of the guide link.

2. The guide rail type vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the buffer mechanism is arranged on an opposite side across the first rotational shaft from the guide wheel, and the buffer mechanism is an elastic member.

3. The guide rail type vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein the elastic member is arranged so as to be parallel to the first rotational shaft such that both ends thereof are mounted to the guide arm and the guide link, and the elastic member receives in a shear direction a load applied when the guide link rotates around the first rotational shaft.

4. The guide rail type vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the buffer mechanism is arranged on an opposite side across the first rotational shaft from the guide wheel, the buffer mechanism includes a shaft member arranged between the guide arm and the guide link so as to be parallel to the first rotational shaft, a cylindrical receiving member arranged so as to surround the shaft member, and a cylindrical elastic member arranged between the shaft member and the cylindrical receiving member, and a plurality of slits are formed in the cylindrical elastic member in a direction planarly perpendicular to a direction of a load applied to the guide wheel, and are arranged symmetrically with respect to the shaft member.

5. The guide rail type vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the guide arm includes a guide wheel receiver at an end portion on an outer side of the vehicle width direction, the guide link is rotatably mounted to the guide wheel receiver via the first rotational shaft, the buffer mechanism is arranged on an opposite side across the first rotational shaft from the guide wheel, and the buffer mechanism is a buffer spring that connects between an end portion of the guide link on the first rotational shaft side and the guide frame.

6. The guide rail type vehicle according to claim 5 , wherein the guide link and the buffer spring are axially coupled to each other via an elastic bush or a spherical bush, and the guide frame and the buffer spring are axially coupled to each other via an elastic bush or a spherical bush.

7. The guide rail type vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the buffer mechanism includes a connection member that connects between an end portion of the guide link on an opposite side across the guide wheel from the first rotational shaft and the guide frame, and an elastic member arranged between the connection member and the guide frame.

8. The guide rail type vehicle according to claim 7 , wherein the elastic member is arranged so as to be parallel to the first rotational shaft such that both ends thereof are mounted to the connection member and the guide frame, and the elastic member receives in a shear direction a load applied when the guide link rotates around the first rotational shaft.

9. The guide rail type vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the buffer mechanism includes a connection member that connects between an end portion of the guide link on an opposite side across the guide wheel from the first rotational shaft and the guide frame, a shaft member arranged between the connection member and the guide frame so as to be parallel to the first rotational shaft, a cylindrical receiving member arranged so as to surround the shaft member, and a cylindrical elastic member arranged between the shaft member and the cylindrical receiving member, and a plurality of slits are formed in the cylindrical elastic member in a direction planarly perpendicular to a direction of a load applied to the guide wheel, and are arranged symmetrically with respect to the shaft member.

10. The guide rail type vehicle according to claim 7 , wherein a plurality of grooves extending in a vertical direction are formed parallel to each other in the vehicle width direction in an outer surface of the end portion of the guide link on the connection member side, a plurality of groove receiving portions extending in the vertical direction are formed parallel to each other in the vehicle width direction in an outer surface of an end portion of the connection member on the guide link side, and the guide link and the connection member are connected to each other with the grooves and the groove receiving portions being engaged with each other.

11. The guide rail type vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the buffer mechanism is arranged on an opposite side across the guide wheel from the first rotational shaft, the buffer mechanism is a plate-like elastic member that connects between an end portion of the guide link on an opposite side from an end portion on the first rotational shaft side and the guide frame, and the plate-like elastic member is formed in a crank shape from the guide link to the guide frame, and is arranged such that a width direction thereof is aligned with a vertical direction.

12. The guide rail type vehicle according to claim 11 , wherein a plurality of grooves extending in the vertical direction are formed parallel to each other in the vehicle width direction in an outer surface of the end portion of the guide link on the elastic member side, a plurality of groove receiving portions extending in the vertical direction are formed parallel to each other in the vehicle width direction in an outer surface of an end portion of the plate-like elastic member on the guide link side, and the guide link and the plate-like elastic member are connected to each other with the grooves and the groove receiving portions being engaged with each other.

Assignments (4)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Dec 14, 2023
From: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES ENGINEERING, LTD.
To: MHI ENGINEERING, LTD.
Reel/Frame 066014/0774 →
NUNC PRO TUNC ASSIGNMENT Recorded Dec 14, 2023
From: MHI ENGINEERING, LTD.
To: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
Reel/Frame 066014/0870 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 12, 2018
From: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
To: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES ENGINEERING, LTD.
Reel/Frame 047054/0898 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 21, 2011
From: MAEYAMA, HIROYUKI; KONO, HIROYUKI; KATAHIRA, KOUSUKE
To: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
Reel/Frame 027423/0597 →