Hanger trolley system

• US 9,637,137 B2
• Filed: 12/02/2014
• Issued: 05/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Inventors: Park, Sang Kyu
• Primary Examiner(s): MCCARRY JR, ROBERT J
• Application Number:
  US14/558,524
• Publication Number:
  US 20160090106A1
• Time in Patent Office: 882 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B61B 10/022 Vehicles; trolleys
• CPC Class Codes: B61B 10/025 Coupling and uncoupling means between power track abd vehicles

Abstract

A hanger trolley system includes: a driving chain provided in a power rail; a hanger trolley including a hanger dog attached to and detached from a chain dog provided in the driving chain and moving along a free rail formed below the power rail; and a sensor confirming coupling between the chain dog and the hanger dog. A coupled state between the chain dog provided in the driving chain and the hanger dog provided in the hanger trolley is confirmed through the sensor, such that judgment on succession when the hanger trolley is succeeded from a pre-process driving chain to a post-process driving chain becomes clearer as compared with the related art.

Claims

1. A hanger trolley system comprising:

a driving chain provided in a power rail;

a hanger trolley having a hanger dog attached to and detached from a chain dog provided in the driving chain, a hanger feeder pushing the hanger dog from a pre-process power rail to a post-process power rail, and a linear module mounted on the hanger feeder to move along with the hanger dog when the hanger feeder pushes the hanger dog,

wherein the hanger trolley moves along a free rail disposed below the power rail; and

a sensor mounted on the linear module and sensing coupling between the chain dog and the hanger dog.

2. The hanger trolley system according to claim 1, wherein the sensor includes:

a laser vision camera photographing the chain dog and the hanger dog; and

an acceleration sensor measuring a moving speed of the hanger trolley.

3. The hanger trolley system according to claim 2, further comprising a controller receiving measured signals from the laser vision camera and the acceleration sensor and transmitting a signal to a power source moving the driving chain.

4. The hanger trolley system according to claim 1, wherein the pre-process power rail passes the hanger trolley to the post-process power rail, and

wherein the post-process power rail takes over the hanger trolley from the pre-process power rail.

5. The hanger trolley system according to claim 4, wherein the sensor is mounted on the linear module extended from the hanger feeder.

6. The hanger trolley system according to claim 4, wherein the sensor inspects a position, a posture, and a movement speed of the hanger dog.

7. The hanger trolley system according to claim 4, wherein the sensor operates from a time on which the hanger feeder starts to operate up to a time on which the hanger trolley is completely transferred from the pre-process power rail to the post-process power rail.