Physical distribution/transportation system and integrated physical distribution system

• US 6,311,102 B1
• Filed: 04/07/1999
• Issued: 10/30/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Minakami, Hiroyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Ellis, Christopher P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Butler, Michael E.
• Application Number:
  US09/284,084
• Time in Patent Office: 937 Days
• Field of Search: 700/217, 700/229, 700/225, 700/215, 340/825.36, 340/35, 705/8, 705/9, 705/26
• US Class Current: 700/217
• CPC Class Codes: B61B 1/00 General arrangement of stations, platforms, or sidings; Railway networks; Rail vehicle marshalling systems shunting humps and shunting devices B61J; construction of platforms E01F1/00; time-tables G09D
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 63/004 for containers

Abstract

A physical distribution/transportation system comprises a plurality of nodes (2) for collecting cargoes from shipment parties and discharging cargoes to delivery destinations. A dedicated traveling line (4) connects the plurality of nodes (2). Pallet vehicles (6) travel between the nodes (2) along the dedicated traveling line, and a travel controlling system (22) controls operation of the pallet vehicles. Between the nodes (2) and users are utilized ordinary vehicles which travel on ordinary roads (18). The physical distribution/transportation system is constituted by a combination of the dedicated traveling line (4) and ordinary traveling lines, which are the ordinary roads (18). Further, an integrated physical distribution system includes such a physical distribution/transportation system.

Claims

1. A physical distribution/transportation system comprising:

a plurality of nodes;

a dedicated traveling line for connecting the plurality of nodes;

pallet vehicles which travel between the plurality of nodes along the dedicated traveling line; and

travel controlling means for controlling operation of the pallet vehicles between the plurality of nodes,

the plurality of nodes including a specific node provided so as to correspond to a specific area,

the specific node being provided with a dedicated traveling line connected thereto, for loading and unloading cargoes of the pallet vehicle, and an ordinary traveling line connected thereto, for the ordinary vehicle which at least one of collects a cargo from a delivery destination within a specific are and delivers a cargo to delivery destination within a specific area,

the dedicated traveling line being arranged on one side of the specific node,

the ordinary traveling line being arranged on the other side of the specific node opposed to the one side so as to be nearly parallel to the dedicated traveling line and move in a direction opposite to that of the dedicated traveling line,

the travel controlling means controlling operation of the pallet vehicles which travel the dedicated traveling line, based on transporting party information and transported destination information regarding the delivery cargoes,

wherein when a cargo is delivered from a shipment party of a first specific area to a delivery destination of a second specific area, the cargo is collected from the shipment party to a first specific node corresponding to the first specific area by an ordinary vehicle, transported by the pallet vehicle between the first specific node and a second specific node corresponding to the second specific area, and delivered by the ordinary vehicle from the second specific node to the delivery destination.

2. A physical distribution/transportation system, comprising:

a plurality of nodes including a first node corresponding to first area and a second node corresponding to a second area;

a dedicated traveling line to interconnect said first node and said second node,

an ordinary traveling line associated with said first node;

at least one pallet vehicle arranged to travel along said dedicated traveling line between said first node and said second node, whereby a cargo is capable of being delivered from a shipping location within the first area to a receiving location within the second area; and

a controller to control travel of said at least one pallet vehicle based upon cargo information of the shipping location and cargo information of the receiving location, such that when a cargo is to be delivered from the shipping location to the receiving location, the cargo is transported by an ordinary vehicle along said ordinary traveling line from the shipping location to said first node, then transported by said at least one pallet vehicle along said dedicated traveling line from said first node to said second node, and then transported by an ordinary vehicle from said second node to the receiving location,

wherein said dedicated traveling line extends generally parallel to said ordinary traveling line, with said dedicated traveling line being arranged on a first side of said first node and said ordinary traveling line being arranged on an opposite second side of said first node, and wherein said controller is to control travel of said at least one pallet vehicle such that said at least one pallet vehicle travels from said first node to said second node in a direction that is one of generally opposite to and generally the same as the direction in which the ordinary vehicle travels along said ordinary traveling line from the shipping location to said first node.

3. The physical distribution/transportation system according to claim 2, wherein said at least one pallet vehicle includes structure for loading and securing a cargo, guidance structure to automatically control traveling of said at least one pallet vehicle along said dedicated traveling line, and a control system to automatically control said guidance structure such that said at least one pallet vehicle travels along said dedicated traveling line based upon information of the cargo.

4. The physical distribution/transportation system according to claim 3, wherein said first node comprises

a first unloading dock to unload a cargo from a respective one of said at least one pallet vehicle,

a first loading dock to load a cargo onto a respective one of said at least one pallet vehicle,

a second unloading dock to unload a cargo from an ordinary vehicle,

a second loading dock to load a cargo onto an ordinary vehicle,

a first transfer apparatus to transfer a cargo from said first unloading dock to said second loading dock, and

a second transfer apparatus to transfer a cargo from said second unloading dock to said first loading dock,

wherein said first unloading dock, said first transfer apparatus and said second loading dock are arranged on a third side of said first node, and said second unloading dock, said second transfer apparatus and said first loading dock are arranged on an opposite fourth side of said first node, with said first and opposite second sides being generally perpendicular to said third and opposite fourth sides.

5. The physical distribution/transportation system according to claim 4, and further comprising

a first storage yard to temporarily stock a cargo unloaded at said first unloading dock,

a second storage yard to temporarily stock a cargo unloaded at said second unloading dock,

a pallet vehicle storage yard to stock a plurality of said at least one pallet vehicle not loaded with cargoes, respectively, provided between said first unloading dock and said first loading dock, and

a vehicle parking yard to park ordinary vehicles not loaded with cargoes, respectively, provided between said second unloading dock and said second loading dock.

6. The physical distribution/transportation system according to claim 2, wherein said plurality of nodes further includes a harbor node to of unload a cargo from a ship and load a cargo onto a ship, and wherein said controller is to control travel of said at least one pallet vehicle such that at least one of the following conditions is met:

(i) when a cargo unloaded from a ship at said harbor node is to be delivered to a receiving location, the cargo is transported by said at least one pallet vehicle along said dedicated traveling line to a node corresponding to an area containing the receiving location; and

(ii) when a cargo delivered from a shipping location is to be loaded onto a ship at said harbor node, the cargo is transported by said at least one pallet vehicle along said dedicated traveling line from a node corresponding to an area containing the shipping location to said harbor node.

7. The physical distribution/transportation system according to claim 6, and further comprising a crane to unload a cargo from a ship and then deposit the cargo directly onto said at least one pallet vehicle, and also to load a cargo directly onto a ship from said at least one pallet vehicle, and also further comprising an area at or near said harbor node where said at least one pallet vehicle is to at least one of travel at a low speed and temporarily stop.

8. The physical distribution/transportation system according to claim 2, wherein said plurality of nodes further includes a harbor pallet vehicle node to load said at least one pallet vehicle loaded with cargo onto a ship and unload said at least one pallet vehicle loaded with cargo from a ship, wherein said harbor pallet vehicle node includes part of said dedicated traveling line to be connected with part of a dedicated traveling line carried by the ship, and wherein said controller is to control travel of said at least one pallet vehicle along the connected dedicated traveling lines such that said at least one pallet vehicle is at least one of directly loaded onto the ship and directly unloaded from the ship.

9. The physical distribution/transportation system according to claim 2, wherein said plurality of nodes further includes an airport node to unload cargo from an airplane and load cargo onto an airplane, and wherein said controller is to control travel of said at least one pallet vehicle such that at least one of the following conditions is met:

(i) when a cargo unloaded from an airplane at said airport node is to be delivered to a receiving location, the cargo is transported by said at least one pallet vehicle along said dedicated traveling line to a node corresponding to an area containing the receiving location; and

(ii) when a cargo delivered from a shipping location is to be loaded onto an airplane at said airport node, the cargo is transported by said at least one pallet vehicle along said dedicated traveling line from a node corresponding to an area containing the shipping location to said airport node.

10. The physical distribution/transportation system according to claim 9, and further comprising a crane to unload a cargo from an airplane and then deposit the cargo directly onto said at least one pallet vehicle, and also to load a cargo directly onto an airplane from said at least one pallet vehicle, and also further comprising an area at or near said airport node where said at least one pallet vehicle is to at least one of travel at a low speed and temporarily stop.

11. The physical distribution/transportation system according to claim 2, wherein said plurality of nodes further includes an airport pallet vehicle node to load said at least one pallet vehicle loaded with cargo onto an airplane and unload said at least one pallet vehicle loaded with cargo from an airplane, wherein said airport pallet vehicle node includes part of said dedicated traveling line to be connected with part of a dedicated traveling line carried by the airplane, and wherein said controller is to control travel of said at least one pallet vehicle along the connected dedicated traveling lines such that said at least one pallet vehicle is at least one of directly loaded onto the airplane and directly unloaded from the airplane.

12. The physical distribution/transportation system according to claim 2, wherein said plurality of nodes includes an offshore node provided at an offshore area remote from an inland area, with said offshore node and the inland area to be connected by one of a bridge and tunnel provided with a dedicated traveling line.

13. The physical distribution/transportation system according to claim 2, and further comprising at least one container to be transported by said at least one pallet vehicle, wherein said at least one container is to contain a cargo of a plurality of items.

14. The physical distribution/transportation system according to claim 13, wherein said at least one container includes a first container and a second container, and further comprising a reloading yard located at each of said plurality of nodes to remove items from said first container and load the items into said second container.

15. The physical distribution/transportation system according to claim 2, wherein the cargo includes containers containing a plurality of items, and further comprising a reloading yard located at each of said plurality of nodes to remove items from one of the containers and load the items into another of the containers.