Overhead Transport and Route Management System
An overhead transport system includes a suspended railway and a motorized carrier configured to travel along the suspended railway. The motorized carrier includes a motorized trolley configured to move the motorized carrier along the suspended railway, chassis/beam configured to carry an object below the motorized trolley, and a bumper and deflection system configured to prevent the object from contacting another object.
1 . An overhead transport and route management system comprising:
a carrier that carries a container; and
a container logistics system that controls the movement of said carrier.
2 . The overhead transport and route management system of claim 1 , wherein said carrier comprises a bumper and deflection system that prevents said container from contacting a second container.
3 . The overhead transport and route management system of claim 1 , further comprising a suspended railway.
4 . The overhead transport and route management system of claim 3 , wherein said suspended railway is multi-tiered and multi-tracked.
5 . The overhead transport and route management system of claim 3 wherein said suspended railway further comprises:
an at least one electric power pick-up point.
6 . The overhead transport and route management system of claim 3 , wherein said suspended railway comprises:
an at least one track switch to communicate directly with said carrier to selectively direct said carrier to different portions of said suspended railway.
7 . The overhead transport and route management system of claim 3 wherein said carrier comprises:
a trolley that moves said carrier along said suspended railway, wherein an electric motor receives power from and deliver power to an a least one electric power pick-up point.
8 . The overhead transport and route management system of claim 1 wherein said carrier includes an electric motor with an internal braking mechanism capable of providing regenerative power.
9 . The overhead transport and route management system of claim 1 , wherein said container logistics system receives a plurality of container information related to a second container.
10 . The overhead transport and route management system of claim 9 wherein said wherein said plurality of container information includes a container location, and a container destination.
11 . The overhead transport and route management system of claim 10 wherein said container logistics system uses said container location to plan a path for said carrier.
12 . The overhead transport and route management system of claim 10 wherein said container logistics system uses said container destination to plan a path for said carrier.
13 . The overhead transport and route management system of claim 1 wherein said carrier comprises at least one spatial sensor for providing information regarding location and movement of said carrier to a remote control system.
14 . The overhead transport and route management system of claim 13 wherein said carrier comprises an on-board control system that controls acceleration and deceleration of said carrier and communicate spatial information detected by said at least one spatial sensor to said remote control system.
15 . The overhead transport and route management system of claim 13 , further comprising a suspended railway.
16 . The overhead transport and route management system of claim 15 , wherein said suspended railway is multi-tiered and multi-tracked.
17 . The overhead transport and route management system of claim 15 wherein said carrier comprises:
a motorized trolley that moves said carrier along said suspended railway, wherein an electric motor is configured to receive power from and deliver power to an a least one electric power pick-up point.
18 . The overhead transport and route management system of claim 15 , wherein said suspended railway extends in a longitudinal direction.
19 . The overhead transport and route management system of claim 15 further comprising a second carrier configured to travel along said suspended railway.
20 . The overhead transport and route management system of claim 15 wherein a second carrier is configured to carry a second container.