Operating device, and three-dimensional movement apparatus

Abstract

In a movement control apparatus manipulation can be carried out while watching the movement of the moving body, without needing to watch one's hands, so even a novice operator can perform the manipulation easily, safely, reliably, and quickly. The apparatus can include a signal transmission cable, a casing of a manipulation remote controller disposed at one end of the cable, a rotary encoder that produces a signal corresponding to the direction of the casing, and a motor drive control circuit that is disposed on the other side of the cable and controls the movement of a moving body on the basis of a signal corresponding to the direction of the casing. The signal corresponding to the direction of the casing can be supplied from the rotary encoder, through the cable, to the motor drive control circuit. Therefore, the operator can hold down a manipulation switch without looking at his hands and thereby adjust the direction of the casing of the manipulation remote controller while looking at the movement direction of a load.

Claims

1. A three-dimensional movement apparatus comprising: a movement mechanism comprising an X-axis motor, a Y-axis motor, and a Z-axis motor, and configured to move a moving body in three dimensional directions via the X-axis motor, the Y-axis motor, and/or the Z-axis motor; a controller that is configured to drive the X-axis motor, the Y-axis motor, and/or the Z-axis motor to thereby move the moving body to a desired location; a cable; and an operating device that is electrically coupled to the controller via the cable and configured to operate a movement of the moving body, wherein the operating device comprises: a main shaft coupled to the cable; a casing having a surface and configured to be rotatable with respect to the main shaft; at least one operating unit provided on the surface and configured to be operated by an operator of the three-dimensional movement apparatus; and a plurality of detectors provided in the casing and configured to detect an operation to the at least one operating unit, the plurality of detectors being located in mutually different fixed positions with respect to the main shaft such that at least one detector of the plurality of detectors corresponding to a position of the at least one operating unit detects the operation to the at least one operating unit.

2. The three-dimensional movement apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one operating unit comprises a plurality of operating units, and wherein the plurality of operating units are provided on the surface along the main shaft.

3. The three-dimensional movement apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the surface comprises a first area and a second area, the second area being located in an opposite position to the first area in a direction perpendicular to an extension direction of the main shaft, and wherein the plurality of operating units comprises a first operating unit located in the first area and a second operating unit located in the second area.

4. The three-dimensional movement apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising at least one plate member fixed to the main shaft, wherein the plurality of detectors is provided on the at least one plate member.

5. The three-dimensional movement apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the at least one plate member comprises a plurality of plate members arranged along the main shaft and fixed to the main shaft.

6. The three-dimensional movement apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the at least one plate member is in a disk shape.

7. The three-dimensional movement apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the main shaft is coupled to one end portion of the cable.

8. The three-dimensional movement apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the main shaft extends inside the casing.

9. The three-dimensional movement apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the casing is in a cuboid shape.

10. The three-dimensional movement apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one operating unit comprises a plurality of operating units, and wherein a number of the plurality of operating units is smaller than a number of the plurality of detectors.

11. The three-dimensional movement apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one operating unit is configured to be in a form of a push button.

12. The three-dimensional movement apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the movement mechanism is configured to be provided near a ceiling of a building.

13. The three-dimensional movement apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cable is configured to bend but not twist.

14. The three-dimensional movement apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cable comprises: a communication wire; and a cable tube that is configured to house the communication wire therein.

15. The three-dimensional movement apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cable is fixed to a rod-like member.

16. The three-dimensional movement apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the main shaft comprises one end portion, and wherein the operating device further comprises an encoder fixed to the one end portion of the main shaft.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENT

(1) Embodiments of the presently disclosed subject matter will now be described through reference to the drawings.

Embodiment 1

(2) First, the three-dimensional movement apparatus pertaining to Embodiment 1 of the presently disclosed subject matter will be described through reference to FIGS. 1 to 4.

(3) FIG. 1 is an oblique view of the overall configuration of an overhead crane, which is an example of the three-dimensional movement apparatus pertaining to Embodiment 1 of the presently disclosed subject matter. FIG. 2 is a diagram of the structure of a lifting device of an overhead crane, which is an example of the three-dimensional movement apparatus pertaining to Embodiment 1 of the presently disclosed subject matter. FIG. 3A is an oblique view of the remote casing portion of a manipulation remote in a three-dimensional movement apparatus pertaining to Embodiment 1 of the presently disclosed subject matter, and FIG. 3B is an oblique view of the remote casing portion of a manipulation remote in a three-dimensional movement apparatus pertaining to a modification of Embodiment 1 of the presently disclosed subject matter. FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating the control mechanism in an overhead crane, which is an example of the three-dimensional movement apparatus pertaining to Embodiment 1 of the presently disclosed subject matter.

(4) As shown in FIG. 1, an overhead crane 1 serving as an example of the three-dimensional movement apparatus in Embodiment 1 of the presently disclosed subject matter comprises a crane girder 4 which is equipped with a winder 5 (serving as a lifting device) capable of lateral movement, and which spans the distance between a pair of saddles 3A and 3B that travel on wheels over travel rails 2A and 2B set up in parallel near the ceiling of a building. A hook 7 (serving as a moving body) is fixed to the distal end of a support cable 6 that is wound up by the winder 5 (lifting device).

(5) Because the overhead crane 1 is thus configured such that the crane girder 4 is installed substantially perpendicular to the travel rails 2A and 2B, and the winder 5 with the hook 7 at its distal end moves over this crane girder 4, it is applicable as the three-dimensional movement apparatus pertaining to the presently disclosed subject matter, which focuses on a movement mechanism equipped with a Z axis motor for moving the hook 7 (moving body) in the up and down direction, and an X axis motor and Y axis motor for moving within the horizontal plane.

(6) A communication cable 8 (serving as the slender member) that will bend but does not twist (hangs down from the winder 5 to near the floor, and the lower end of the communication cable 8 is connected to a remote casing 10 via a rotary connector 12 that is able to rotate with respect to the communication cable 8. The communication cable 8 here that will bend but does not twist comprises a communication wire enclosed in a bendable, non-twist cable tube, and the casing direction identification means comprises a rotary encoder provided inside the rotary connector 12 that rotatably connects the remote casing 10 to the lower end of the cable tube. A specific example of the bendable, non-twist cable tube is the flexible metal electrical wire tube and vinyl-covered flexible metal electrical wire tube specified in JIS C8309. For example, the Plica Tube or Waterproof Plica Tube (trade names) made by Sankei Manufacturing can be used.

(7) Two-stage push-button manipulation switches 11 are provided to the front face of the cuboid remote casing 10. When lightly pressed, the manipulation switches 11 do not stay in place, and return under spring force when released. When pressed firmly, they stay down, and return under spring force when pressed firmly again. An optical type of rotary encoder (serving as the casing direction identification means) is built into the rotary connector 12. The manipulation remote 9 pertaining to Embodiment 1 is made up of the remote casing 10 having these manipulation switches 11, and the rotary connector 12 that rotatably connects the remote casing 10 to the communication cable 8.

(8) As shown in FIG. 2, the winder 5 has a pair of wheels 14 provided on either side of the crane girder 4. These wheels 14 are driven and rotated by a lateral motion motor (Y axis motor) 13, so that the winder 5 moves laterally along the crane girder 4. The lateral travel unit is such that a winder main body 17 hangs down from and is supported by a support member 15, and a winding motor (Z axis motor) 16 for winding up or playing out the support cable 6 is attached to the winder main body 17.

(9) Travel wheels and travel motors (X axis motors) (not shown) are provided to the saddles 3A and 3B that travel over travel rails 2A and 2B and support the ends of the crane girder 4 shown in FIG. 1. The winder main body 17 shown in FIG. 2 has a built-in motor drive control circuit for driving the X axis motor, the Y axis motor 13, and the Z axis motor 16 according to the manipulation of the manipulation remote 9.

(10) The structure of the manipulation remote 9 pertaining to Embodiment 1 will now be described through reference to FIG. 3A. As shown in FIG. 3A, the remote casing 10 is attached via the rotary connector 12 so as to be rotatable over 360 degrees with respect to the communication cable 8. The large manipulation switch 11 in the middle is provided to the front face of the remote casing 10, and an up switch 11A and a down switch 11B (serving as the up and down switches) are provided above and below this.

(11) As discussed above, an optical rotary encoder is provided as the casing direction identification means in the interior of the rotary connector 12, and the way and how many times the remote casing 10 turns are measured with respect to a reference direction (in Embodiment 1, a direction in which the remote casing 10 is parallel to the crane girder 4 as shown in FIG. 1), and this rotational angle data is sent as an electrical signal through a communication cable built into the communication cable 8 to the motor drive control circuit built into the winder main body 17.

(12) When the manipulation switch 11 is lightly pressed, an electrical signal indicating that the manipulation switch 11 has been lightly pressed is sent through a communication cable built into the communication cable 8 to the motor drive control circuit built into the winder main body 17, the X axis motor and/or the Y axis motor 13 is actuated under the control of the motor drive control circuit, and the hook 7 (the moving body) moves horizontally in the exact opposite direction from the direction of the remote casing 10, that is, the front face of the remote casing 10.

(13) The control of the motor drive control circuit will be described through reference to FIGS. 1 to 4.

(14) As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the manipulation switch 11, the up switch 11A, and the down switch 11B are provided to the remote casing 10 that is part of the manipulation remote 9, and a rotary encoder (optical rotary encoder) 19 is built as a casing direction identification means into the rotary connector 12. The motor drive control circuit 18 built into the winder main body 17 is constituted by a microprocessor 20 and an inverter (or contactor) 21.

(15) The microprocessor 20 here comprises a CPU (central processing unit), ROM, RAM, or other such memory apparatus, and an input/output (I/O) apparatus, receives electrical signals sent from the remote casing 10 through the communication wire in the communication cable 8, performs necessary or desired computation, and outputs the processing result as an electrical signal to the inverter (or contactor) 21. The microprocessor 20 may be what is known as a one-chip microprocessor, or may be made up of a plurality of chips, elements, and parts.

(16) The optical rotary encoder 19 measures which way and how many times the remote casing 10 turns from a home position with respect to the communication cable 8, and sends the measurement value as an electrical signal through the communication wire in the communication cable 8 to the microprocessor 20. When the manipulation switch 11 is pressed, a specific electrical signal is sent through the communication wire in the communication cable 8 to the microprocessor 20, the microprocessor 20 sends a control signal to the inverter (or contactor) 21, the inverter (or contactor) 21 supplies drive current to the X axis motor 23 and/or the Y axis motor 13 according to the control signal, the X axis motor 23 and/or the Y axis motor 13 is driven, and the hook 7 serving as the moving body is moved in the direction in which the remote casing 10 is facing.

(17) The motor drive control circuit 18 that includes the inverter 21 and the microprocessor 20 performs drive control of the X axis motor 23 and/or the Y axis motor 13, and a contactor 22 controls the drive of the Z axis motor 16.

(18) Therefore, the motor drive control circuit 18 and the contactor 22 constitute a drive control apparatus 61, and this drive control apparatus 61 and the manipulation remote 9 constitute a movement manipulation apparatus 60 including the communication cable 8 in FIG. 1.

(19) The X axis motor 23, the Y axis motor 13, and the Z axis motor 16 correspond to a movement mechanism 62.

(20) Here, when the inverter 21 is used, continuously variable control of the amount of drive current supplied to the X axis motor 23 and the Y axis motor 13 is possible, so the winder 5 can be moved linearly in the direction in which the remote casing 10 is facing, but when the contactor 22 is used, since the amount of drive current supplied to the X axis motor 23 and the Y axis motor 13 should remain the same, the direction of movement of the hook 7 of the winder 5 should be a direction parallel to the travel rails 2A and 2B, a direction parallel to the crane girder 4, or a direction that is intermediate to these, for a total of eight directions. Therefore, if observed closely, the hook 7 of the winder 5 travels in a zigzag path while moving in the direction in which the remote casing 10 is facing.

(21) When the up switch 11A and down switch 11B serving as the up and down switches and provided to the manipulation remote 9 are pressed, a specific electrical signal is transmitted through the communication wire in the communication cable 8 to the contactor 22 built into the winder main body 17, just as with the motor drive control circuit 18, and drive current is supplied from the contactor 22 to the Z axis motor 16. When the up switch 11A is pressed, the Z axis motor 16 winds up the support cable 6 and raises the hook 7, and when the down switch 11B is pressed, the Z axis motor 16 plays out the support cable 6 and lowers the hook 7.

(22) Therefore, an operator operating the overhead crane 1 shown in FIG. 1 first presses the down switch 11B on the manipulation remote 9 to actuate the Z axis motor 16 and lower the hook 7, attaches the hook 7 to the load sitting on the floor, then presses the up switch 11A to actuate the Z axis motor 16 and wind up the support cable 6 until the load is hanging high enough that its movement in the horizontal direction will not be impeded. Then, the operator aims the remote casing 10 in the direction in which the load is to be moved, lightly presses the manipulation switch 11, and fine tunes the orientation of the remote casing 10 while watching the movement direction of the load hanging on the hook 7 and moving. This allows the load to be moved in horizontally in the desired direction.

(23) When the operator lets go of the manipulation switch 11, the manipulation switch 11 returns by spring force and the hook 7 of the winder 5 stops. After confirming that the load is moving in the proper direction, the operator presses the manipulation switch 11 firmly so that the manipulation switch 11 stays down, after which the electrical signal for the direction of the remote casing 10 is no longer transmitted, and a change in the orientation of the remote casing 10 will not affect the direction in which the hook 7 of the winder 5 moves.

(24) When the load hanging from the hook 7 of the winder 5 has thus been moved horizontally to the desired location, the operator lets go of the manipulation switch 11 (if it had been lightly pressed) or presses it firmly again (if the manipulation switch 11 was fixed in place) to return the manipulation switch 11 and stop the hook 7 of the winder 5, and presses the down switch 11B to actuate the Z axis motor 16 in the direction of lowering the hook 7, so that the support cable 6 is played out and the load descends under its own weight, thereby being lowered to the specified location.

(25) Thus, with the overhead crane 1 pertaining to Embodiment 1, since the hook 7 of the winder 5 is moved in the direction of the remote casing 10 by pressing the manipulation switch 11, there is no need for the operator to look at his hands, and he can adjust the orientation of the remote casing 10 while watching the movement direction of the load, so he can move the load to the desired location without taking his eyes of the load hanging from the hook 7 of the winder 5.

(26) Therefore, even a novice can operate the overhead crane 1 quickly, safely, and reliably, and since the remote casing 10 can have only three switches (the manipulation switch 11, the up switch 11A, and the down switch 11B), even if the remote casing 10 should become soiled (e.g., dirty, covered, or otherwise obstructed from view) through use in a painting facility or the like, there will be no risk of pressing the wrong switch.

(27) Since there is no need to look at his hands, an operator can manipulate a load hanging from the hook 7 of the winder 5 while watching the movement of the load, the overhead crane 1 can be obtained with which even a novice can manipulate easily, safely, reliably, and quickly.

(28) In Embodiment 1, a situation was described in which the manipulation switch 11 was one that can be pressed in two stages, when pressed down firmly the manipulation switch 11 stayed down, and thereafter a change in the orientation of the remote casing 10 did not affect the movement direction of the hook 7 of the winder 5, but the switch does not necessarily have to be one that can be pressed in two stages, and may be a type with which the movement direction of the hook 7 of the winder 5 varies according to the orientation of the remote casing 10 as long as the manipulation switch 11 is held down.

(29) Next, a manipulation remote in a crane apparatus pertaining to a modification of Embodiment 1 will be described through reference to FIG. 3B.

(30) The manipulation remote 9 pertaining to Embodiment 1 above had only one manipulation switch 11, as shown in FIG. 3A, and the remote casing 10 had to be turned 180 degrees and the manipulation switch 11 pressed in order to make the hook 7 of the winder 5 move backwards. Specifically, to move the hook 7 of the winder 5 in all directions in the horizontal plane, the remote casing 10 had to be rotated 360 degrees.

(31) In contrast, as shown in FIG. 3B, with a manipulation remote 9A pertaining to a modification of Embodiment 1, a second manipulation switch 11C is provided to the rear face of the manipulation switch 11. When the second manipulation switch 11C is pressed, the microprocessor 20 in FIG. 4 performs control so that the hook 7 of the winder 5 will be moved in the opposite direction from the direction of the remote casing 10 (180 degree direction).

(32) Consequently, when the hook 7 of the winder 5 is to be moved backward, this can be reliably accomplished by pressing the second manipulation switch 11C without moving the remote casing 10. Therefore, when the two manipulation switches 11 and 11C are used in conjunction, the remote casing 10 only need be rotated within a range of 180 degrees to move the hook 7 of the winder 5 in all directions in the horizontal plane.

(33) Thus, with the overhead crane pertaining to this modification of Embodiment 1, the crane can be operated while watching the movement of the load hanging from and conveyed by the hook 7 of the winder 5, even a novice can operate the crane easily, safely, reliably, and quickly, and the operator does not have to move as far, so the work is easier.

(34) Furthermore, with this modification of Embodiment 1, the manipulation switch 11 and/or the second manipulation switch 11C may be a type that can be pressed in two stages, so that the switch stays down when pressed firmly, and thereafter a change in the orientation of the remote casing 10 does not affect the movement direction of the hook 7 of the winder 5, or so that the movement direction of the hook 7 of the winder 5 varies according to the orientation of the remote casing 10 as long as the manipulation switch 11 or the second manipulation switch 11C is held down.

Embodiment 2

(35) Next, an overhead crane will be described through reference to FIGS. 5 and 6, as an example of a three-dimensional movement apparatus pertaining to Embodiment 2 of the presently disclosed subject matter.

(36) FIG. 5 is an oblique view of the overall configuration of an overhead crane, which is an example of the three-dimensional movement apparatus pertaining to Embodiment 2 of the presently disclosed subject matter.

(37) FIG. 6 is an oblique view of the manipulation remote in the three-dimensional movement apparatus pertaining to Embodiment 2 of the presently disclosed subject matter.

(38) The overhead crane 1A pertaining to Embodiment 2 of the presently disclosed subject matter has the same external appearance as the overhead crane 1 in Embodiment 1 shown in FIG. 1, except for the portion of a manipulation remote 35, so portions that are the same are numbered the same as in FIG. 1 and will not be described in detail again. The constitution of the motor drive control circuit is also the same as that in Embodiment 1 shown in FIG. 4, except for the different structure of the manipulation switches, so will be discussed through reference to FIG. 4 and will not be described in detail again.

(39) As shown in FIG. 5, with the overhead crane 1A pertaining to Embodiment 2, just as discussed in Embodiment 1, a manipulation remote 35 having a flat remote casing 36 different from that in Embodiment 1 is attached to the lower end of a communication cable 8 having a tube that will bend but not twist. The remote casing 36 is attached via a rotary connector 12 rotatably with respect to the communication cable 8, and a cross key 37 (manipulation switch) is provided in the middle of the front face of the remote casing 36.

(40) Next, the configuration of the manipulation remote 35 will be described in reference to FIG. 6.

(41) As shown in FIG. 6, with the manipulation remote 35 pertaining to Embodiment 2, the cross key 37 is provided as a manipulation switch, as mentioned above, in the middle of the front face of the remote casing 36, and an up switch 38A and a down switch 38B are provided as up and down switches above and below the cross key 37. The upper part 37A, lower part 37B, left part 37C, and right part 37D of the cross key 37 can all be of a type that can be pressed in two stages, so that when pressed lightly, they return under spring force upon being released, and when pressed down firmly, they stay in place, and return under spring force when pressed firmly again.

(42) As shown in FIG. 4, a rotary encoder (optical rotary encoder) 19 provided inside the rotary connector 12, and data indicating which way and how many times the remote casing 36 has been turned from an initial position with respect to the communication cable 8 (in Embodiment 2, the direction in which the remote casing 36 is facing parallel to the crane girder 4, as shown in FIG. 5) is sent as an electrical signal through a communication wire in the communication cable 8 to the microprocessor 20 in the winder main body 17.

(43) Here, the cross key 37 serving as the manipulation switch shown in FIG. 6 is controlled by the microprocessor 20 and the inverter (or contactor) 21 so that the hook 7 of the winder 5 moves horizontally in the direction of the remote casing 36 when the upper part 37A is pressed, the hook 7 of the winder 5 moves horizontally in the opposite direction from the direction of the remote casing 36 (180 degree direction) when the lower part 37B is pressed, the hook 7 of the winder 5 moves horizontally in the 90 degree left direction with respect to the remote casing 36 when the left part 37C is pressed, and the hook 7 of the winder 5 moves horizontally in the 90 degree right direction with respect to the remote casing 36 when the right part 37D is pressed.

(44) Therefore, the hook 7 of the winder 5 can be moved in all directions over 360 degrees in the horizontal plane merely by rotating the remote casing 36 within a range of 90 degrees to the left or right from its initial position.

(45) Thus, when the hook 7 of the winder 5 is to be moved horizontally to the desired position, the cross key 37 serving as the manipulation switch is released (when lightly held down) or is pressed firmly again (when pressed firmly and fixed in place) to return the cross key 37 and stop the hook 7 of the winder 5, and when the down switch 38B is pressed, an electrical signal is sent through the communication wire in the communication cable 8 to the contactor 22 inside the winder main body 17, drive current is supplied by the contactor 22 to the Z axis motor 16, the Z axis motor 16 is driven in the direction of lowering the hook 7, and the support cable 6 is played out so that the load descends under its own weight to the specified location.

(46) Thus, with the overhead crane 1A pertaining to Embodiment 2, since the hook 7 of the winder 5 moves in a specific direction with respect to the direction of the remote casing 36 when the upper part 37A, lower part 37B, left part 37C, or right part 37D of the cross key 37 serving as the manipulation switch is pressed, there is no need for the operator to look at his hands, and he may adjust the orientation of the remote casing 36 while watching the movement direction of the load, so he can move the load to the desired location without taking his eyes off the load hanging from the hook 7 of the winder 5.

(47) Thus, with the overhead crane 1A pertaining to this modification of Embodiment 2, there is no need for the operator to look at his hands, and he can operate the crane while watching the movement of the load hanging from and conveyed by the hook 7 of the winder 5, even a novice can operate the crane easily, safely, reliably, and quickly, and the work is easier.

(48) With Embodiment 2, a situation was described in which the parts 37A, 37B, 37C, and 37D of the cross key 37 serving as the manipulation switch were a type that can be pressed in two stages, when pressed down firmly the they stayed down, and thereafter a change in the orientation of the remote casing 36 did not affect the movement direction of the hook 7 of the winder 5, but the switches do not necessarily have to be a type that can be pressed in two stages, and may be a type with which the movement direction of the hook 7 of the winder 5 varies according to the orientation of the remote casing 36 as long as the parts 37A, 37B, 37C, and 37D of the cross key 37 are held down.

Embodiment 3

(49) An overhead crane will now be described through reference to FIGS. 7 to 9, as an example of the three-dimensional movement apparatus pertaining to Embodiment 3 of the presently disclosed subject matter.

(50) FIG. 7 is an oblique view of the overall configuration of an overhead crane, which is an example of the three-dimensional movement apparatus pertaining to Embodiment 3 of the presently disclosed subject matter. FIG. 8 is an oblique view of the manipulation remote in the three-dimensional movement apparatus pertaining to Embodiment 3 of the presently disclosed subject matter. FIG. 9 is an oblique view of the manipulation remote in a modification of the three-dimensional movement apparatus pertaining to Embodiment 3 of the presently disclosed subject matter.

(51) The overhead crane 1B pertaining to Embodiment 3 of the presently disclosed subject matter has the same external appearance as the overhead crane 1 in Embodiment 1 shown in FIG. 1 except for a manipulation remote 40, so portions that are the same are numbered the same and will not be described in detail again. The constitution of the motor drive control circuit is also the same as that in Embodiment 1 shown in FIG. 4, except for the different structure of the manipulation switches and that the rotary encoder is an absolute encoder, so will be discussed through reference to FIG. 4 and will not be described in detail again.

(52) As shown in FIG. 7, with the overhead crane 1B, which is an example of a three-dimensional movement apparatus pertaining to Embodiment 3, just as discussed n Embodiment 1, the manipulation remote 40 having a flat remote casing 41 and provided with a grip portion that is different than those in Embodiment 1 and Embodiment 2 is attached to the lower end of a communication cable 8 having a tube that will bend but not twist. The remote casing 41 is attached via a rotary connector 12 rotatably with respect to the communication cable 8 and perpendicular to the flat plane, and a cross key 42 (manipulation switch) is provided in the middle of the top face of the remote casing 41.

(53) Next, the configuration of the manipulation remote 40 will be described in reference to FIG. 8.

(54) As shown in FIG. 8, with the manipulate remote 40 pertaining to Embodiment 3, the cross key 42 is provided as a manipulation switch to the top face of the remote casing 41, and a rotary up and down switch 43 that doubles as a grip is provided to the distal end of the remote casing 41. The upper part 42a, lower part 42b, left part 42c, and right part 42d of the cross key 42 can all be designed so that when held down, a specific electrical signal is sent to the microprocessor 20 through the communication wire in the communication cable 8, and they return under spring force upon being released.

(55) Even if the operator holds down the remote casing 41 with one hand, the up and down switch 43 is designed not to turn unless the operator exerts force with the other hand. When the switch is turned to the right, the hook 7 rises, and when it is turned to the left, the hook 7 descends, and the words up and down are clearly indicated along with arrows on the surface of the up and down switch 43. This indication may be accomplished by engraving.

(56) Further, an optical rotary encoder (optical absolute encoder) 19 is built as a casing direction identification means into the rotary connector 12, and data indicating absolute angle information for the remote casing 41, which tells how many turns the remote casing 41 has made from its initial position with respect to the communication cable 8, is sent through the communication wire in the communication cable 8 to the microprocessor 20 inside the winder main body 17. The remote casing 41 can rotate to any position 360 degrees around the communication cable 8, as indicated by the imaginary lines (dotted lines) and arrows, but no matter in which direction it is turned, it is controlled by the microprocessor 20 shown in FIG. 4 so that when the upper part 42a of the cross key 42 (manipulation switch) is pressed, the hook 7 of the winder 5 moves in the direction in which the upper part 42a of the manipulation switch 42 is facing.

(57) Specifically, since data about the direction in which the remote casing 41 is currently facing is constantly being sent by the rotary encoder (absolute encoder) 19 to the microprocessor 20, when an electrical signal indicating that the upper part 42a of the cross key 42 (manipulation switch) is pressed sent to the microprocessor 20, the microprocessor 20 sends a control signal to the inverter or (contactor) 21 so that the hook 7 of the winder 5 will move forward in the direction in which the remote casing 41 is facing at that point, and drive current is supplied from the inverter or (contactor) 21 to the X axis motor 23 and the Y axis motor 13.

(58) Similarly, when the lower part 42b of the cross key 42 (manipulation switch) is pressed, the hook 7 of the winder 5 is controlled to move horizontally in the opposite direction from the direction in which the remote casing 41 is facing at this point; when the left part 42c of the cross key 42 is pressed, the hook 7 of the winder 5 is controlled to move horizontally in a direction 90 degrees to the left with respect to the direction in which the remote casing 41 is facing at this point; and when the right part 42d of the cross key 42 is pressed, the hook 7 of the winder 5 is controlled to move horizontally in a direction 90 degrees to the right with respect to the direction in which the remote casing 41 is facing at this point.

(59) Therefore, the hook 7 of the winder 5 can be moved in all directions over 360 degrees within the horizontal plane merely by rotating the remote casing 41 within a range of 90 degrees to the right or left from its initial position, and the operator can operate the remote after turning to a position that affords easy manipulation, so he does not have to move as far and the manipulation is easier.

(60) Thus, when the hook 7 of the winder 5 is to be moved horizontally to the desired position, the cross key 42 serving as the manipulation switch is released to stop the hook 7 of the winder 5, and when the up and down switch 43 is turned to the left, an electrical signal is sent through the communication cable 8 to the contactor 22 inside the winder main body 17, drive current is supplied by the contactor 22 to the Z axis motor 16, the Z axis motor 16 is driven in the direction of lowering the hook 7, and the support cable 6 is played out so that the load descends under its own weight to the specified location.

(61) Thus, with the overhead crane 1B pertaining to Embodiment 3, since the hook 7 of the winder 5 moves in a specific direction with respect to the direction of the remote casing 41 when the upper part 42a, lower part 42b, left part 42c, or right part 42d of the cross key 42 serving as the manipulation switch is pressed, there is no need for the operator to look at his hands, and he may adjust the orientation of the remote casing 41 while watching the movement direction of the load, so he can move the load to the desired location without taking his eyes off the load hanging from the hook 7 of the winder 5.

(62) Thus, with the overhead crane 1B pertaining to Embodiment 3, there is no need for the operator to look at his hands, and he can operate the crane while watching the movement of the load hanging from and conveyed by the hook 7 of the winder 5, even a novice can manipulate the crane easily, safely, reliably, and quickly, and the work is easier.

(63) Furthermore, with the overhead crane 1B pertaining to Embodiment 3, since an absolute encoder is used as the casing direction identification means, that is, an encoder that not only measures the rotational direction and angle as with an ordinary rotary encoder, but also can detect the absolute direction in which the remote casing is currently facing, when the main power supply to the overhead crane 1B is shut off when the work is finished, interrupted, etc., and the main power supply to the overhead crane 1B is then turned back on, the absolute encoder can instantly detect the direction in which the remote casing 41 is facing, so there is no need for resetting every time the main power supply to the overhead crane 1B is turned off and on, and manipulation of the overhead crane 1B can start right away.

(64) Next, a manipulation remote 40A pertaining to a modification of Embodiment 3 will be described through reference to FIG. 9. As shown in FIG. 9, the overall structure of the manipulation remote 40A pertaining to this modification of Embodiment 3 is similar to that of the manipulation remote 40 shown in FIG. 8. What is different is that a grip 44 fixed to the remote casing 41 does not rotate or double as the up and down switch of the winder main body 17, and instead, as shown in FIG. 9, an up switch 43A and a down switch 43B are provided independently to a side face of the remote casing 41.

(65) Consequently, as shown in FIG. 8, there is no need for the operator to first make sure which direction lowers the hook 7 when the grip (up and down switch) 43 is turned, so the up switch 43A shown in FIG. 9 may be pressed when the hook 7 is to be raised, and the down switch 43B may be pressed when the hook 7 is to be lowered, which means that the operator can make quicker decisions and the raising and lowering of the hook 7 with the winder main body 17 can be carried out more easily.

(66) Thus, with the overhead crane and manipulation remote 40A pertaining to this modification of Embodiment 3, the crane can be operated while watching the movement of the load hanging from and conveyed by the hook 7 of the winder 5, even a novice can operate the crane easily, safely, and reliably, and the raising and lowering manipulations can also be carried out more reliably and quickly.

(67) With Embodiment 3, a situation was described in which the movement direction of the hook 7 (the moving body) changed according to the orientation of the remote casing 41 as long as the parts 42a, 42b, 42c, and 42d of the cross key 42 (manipulation switch) were held down, but the parts 42a, 42b, 42c, and 42d of the cross key 42 may be a type that can be pressed in two stages, and may be a type with which the parts stay down when pressed firmly, so that the movement direction of the hook 7 (the moving body) does not vary thereafter even if the orientation of the remote casing 41 is changed.

Embodiment 4

(68) An overhead crane will now be described through reference to FIGS. 10 and 11, as an example of the three-dimensional movement apparatus pertaining to Embodiment 4 of the presently disclosed subject matter.

(69) FIG. 10 is an oblique view of the overall configuration of an overhead crane, which is an example of the three-dimensional movement apparatus pertaining to Embodiment 4 of the presently disclosed subject matter. FIG. 11 is an oblique view of the manipulation remote in the three-dimensional movement apparatus pertaining to Embodiment 4.

(70) The overhead crane 1C pertaining to Embodiment 4 of the presently disclosed subject matter has the same external appearance as the overhead crane 1 in Embodiment 1 shown in FIG. 1 except for a manipulation remote 45, so portions that are the same are numbered the same and will not be described in detail again.

(71) As shown in FIG. 10, with the overhead crane 1C pertaining to Embodiment 4, the manipulation remote 45 having a cuboid remote casing 46 that is different from that in the Embodiments 1 to 3 is attached to the lower end of a communication cable 8 having a tube that will bend but does not twist as discussed in Embodiment 1. The remote casing 46 is fixed and attached rotatably with respect to the communication cable 8, and manipulation switches 47A, 47B, 47C, and 47D are provided to the various side faces of the cuboid remote casing 46.

(72) The configuration of the manipulation remote 45 will now be described through reference to FIG. 11. As shown in FIG. 11, with the manipulation remote 45 pertaining to Embodiment 4, as mentioned above, the remote casing 46 is fixed to the lower end of the communication cable 8, and the manipulation switches 47A, 47B, 47C, and 47D are provided to the four side faces of the remote casing 46. Also, an up switch 48A and a down switch 48B are provided as up and down switches above and below the manipulation switch 47A on the side face where the manipulation switch 47A is provided.

(73) The side faces where the manipulation switches 47A and 47C are provided are parallel to the travel rails 2A and 2B of the overhead crane 1C, and the side faces where the manipulation switches 47B and 47D are provided are parallel to the saddles 3A and 3B of the overhead crane 1C.

(74) Furthermore, only a contactor can be provided as a control device inside the winder main body 17, and drive current is supplied to the lateral motion motor (Y axis motor) 13 or to the X axis motor 23 (not shown) provided to the saddles 3A and 3B, so that the hook 7 of the winder 5 shown in FIG. 1 moves along the crane girder 4 to the saddle 3A side when the manipulation switch 47A is pressed, the hook 7 of the winder 5 moves along the crane girder 4 to the saddle 3B side when the manipulation switch 47C is pressed, the crane girder 4 moves upward and to the right in FIG. 1 when the manipulation switch 47B is pressed, and the crane girder 4 moves downward and to the left when the manipulation switch 47D is pressed.

(75) Therefore, an operator operating the overhead crane 1C can move the hook 7 of the winder 5, and in turn the load, in the desired direction by pressing any of the four manipulation switches 47A, 47B, 47C, and 47D of the remote casing 46 while watching the load hanging on the hook 7, and particularly when the load is to be moved diagonally, can move the load in a zigzag pattern by alternately pressing any two of the manipulation switches 47A, 47B, 47C, and 47D.

(76) Once the hook 7 of the winder 5 has thus been moved horizontally to the desired location, the manipulation switches 47A, 47B, 47C, and 47D are released to stop the hook 7 of the winder 5, and the down switch 48B is pressed to supply drive current to the Z axis motor 16, so that the Z axis motor 16 is driven in the direction of lowering the hook 7, the support cable 6 is played out, and the load descends under its own weight to a specific location.

(77) Thus, with the overhead crane 1C pertaining to Embodiment 4, when the manipulation switches 47A, 47B, 47C, and 47D are pressed, the hook 7 of the winder 5 moves in the direction of the pressed switch, so the operator need not look at his hands, and can press the manipulation switches 47A, 47B, 47C, and 47D while watching the movement direction of the load, so he can move the load to the desired location without taking his eyes off the load hanging from the hook 7 of the winder 5.

(78) Furthermore, with the overhead crane 1C pertaining to Embodiment 4, unlike with Embodiments 1 to 3, a simple structure can be used that does not involve any expensive apparatus such as an optical rotary encoder or microprocessor, so the apparatus is less expensive and is easy to install in smaller facilities, etc.

(79) Thus, with the overhead crane 1C pertaining to Embodiment 4, since there is no need to look at his hands, an operator can manipulate a load hanging from the hook 7 of the winder 5 while watching the movement of the load, even a novice can manipulate easily, safely, reliably, and quickly, and the cost is reduced.

Embodiment 5

(80) An overhead crane will now be described through reference to FIGS. 12 to 14, as an example of the three-dimensional movement apparatus pertaining to Embodiment 5 of the presently disclosed subject matter. FIG. 12 is an oblique view of the overall configuration of an overhead crane, which is an example of the three-dimensional movement apparatus pertaining to Embodiment 5 of the presently disclosed subject matter. FIG. 13A is a front view of the overall configuration of a remote casing of a manipulation remote in the three-dimensional movement apparatus pertaining to Embodiment 5 of the presently disclosed subject matter, and FIG. 13B is a left side view. FIG. 14 is a block diagram illustrating the control of the manipulation remote in the three-dimensional movement apparatus pertaining to Embodiment 5 of the presently disclosed subject matter.

(81) The overhead crane 1D pertaining to Embodiment 5 of the presently disclosed subject matter has the same external appearance as the overhead crane 1 in Embodiment 1 shown in FIG. 1, except that there is no communication cable 8, and except for the manipulation remote 50 portion and the configuration of the motor drive control circuit in the winder, so portions that are the same are numbered the same and will not be described in detail again.

(82) As shown in FIG. 12, the most prominent difference to the overhead crane 1D pertaining to Embodiment 5 is that it employs wireless manipulation, as opposed to the wired manipulation using the communication cable 8 of the overhead cranes in Embodiments 1 to 4.

(83) Specifically, with Embodiment 5, as shown in FIG. 14, a radio wave transmitter 30 is built into a remote casing 51, a radio wave receiver 31 is built into a winder 29, and when a cross key 52 (manipulation switch) or the like in the remote casing 51 is pressed, this data is converted into a wireless signal and sent as a radio wave from the radio wave transmitter 30, the radio wave receiver 31 receives this radio wave and converts it into an electrical signal, and this is inputted to an input/output (I/O) port on the microprocessor 20 inside a motor drive control circuit 28, so that the movement of the hook 7 (the moving body) is controlled.

(84) Therefore, while this is somewhat more expensive, movement of the hook 7 can be controlled from anywhere in the building in which the overhead crane 1D is installed, so the overhead crane 1D is safer and extremely easy to use.

(85) First, the internal structure of the remote casing 51 and the winder 29 will be described through reference to FIG. 14. As shown in FIG. 14, with Embodiment 5, a microprocessor 27 is also built into the remote casing 51, and this microprocessor 27 is similar to the microprocessor 20 in that it is equipped with a CPU (central processing unit), ROM, RAM, or other such memory apparatus, and an input/output (I/O) apparatus. Further, a piezoelectric gyro 25 and a geomagnetism sensor 26 are built into the remote casing 51, and the bearing in which the remote casing 51 is flfacing is detected by the piezoelectric gyro 25 from the rotation of the remote casing 51.

(86) Also, a reset button 55 is provided in addition to a manipulation switch 52, an up switch 53A, and a down switch 53B. This reset button 55 is pressed when detection of the bearing by the piezoelectric gyro 25 has become skewed, allowing the bearing of true north as measured accurately by the geomagnetism sensor 26 to be reset to the reference direction of the piezoelectric gyro 25 (the direction of a bearing of zero degrees).

(87) Electrical signals from the piezoelectric gyro 25, the geomagnetism sensor 26, the manipulation switch 52, the up switch 53A, the down switch 53B, and the reset button 55 are inputted to the microprocessor 27, and computations are performed according to a program stored in the memory apparatus of the microprocessor 27, after which the result is sent as a control signal to the transmitter 30, and a radio wave is transmitted from the transmitter 30.

(88) Meanwhile, the microprocessor 20 is built into the interior of the winder 29 just as in FIG. 4, an electrical signal is inputted from the receiver 31 that receives the radio wave transmitted from the transmitter 30, and computations are performed according to a program stored in the memory apparatus of the microprocessor 20, after which a control signal is sent as an electrical signal to the inverter or (contactor) 21 and the contactor 22, drive current corresponding to the control signal is supplied from the inverter or (contactor) 21 to the X axis motor 23 and the Y axis motor 13, and drive current is supplied from the contactor 22 to the Z axis motor 16.

(89) Next, control of the movement direction of the hook 7 (moving body) in Embodiment 5 will be described through reference to FIGS. 13A and 14. In FIG. 13A, let us assume that the remote casing 51 is supported substantially horizontally. As shown in FIG. 13A, when the distal end of the remote casing 51 is facing to the west by an angle of degrees with respect to the zero degree direction (true north direction) of the piezoelectric gyro 25, and the upper part of the cross key 52 (manipulation switch) is pressed, the piezoelectric gyro 25 detects that the orientation is to the west by an angle of degrees with respect to the true north direction, and this data signal is sent to the microprocessor 27.

(90) The microprocessor 27 thereupon determines that the remote casing 51 is facing to the west by an angle of degrees with respect to the true north direction, and that the upper part of the cross key 52 has been pressed, and a control signal is sent to the transmitter 30 so as to move the hook 7 to the west by an angle of degrees with respect to the true north direction. The control signal received by the receiver 31 upon receipt of the control signal transmitted as a wireless radio signal from the transmitter 30 is sent as an electrical signal by the microprocessor 20 to the inverter 21, and the necessary or desired drive current is supplied from the inverter 21 to the X axis motor 23 and the Y axis motor 13 so as to move the winder 29 to the west by an angle of degrees with respect to the true north direction.

(91) In FIG. 13A, when the right part 52A of the cross key 52 (manipulation switch) is pressed, the microprocessor 27 determines that the remote casing 51 is facing to the west by an angle of degrees with respect to the true north direction, and that the right part 52A of the cross key 52 has been pressed, and a control signal is sent to the transmitter 30 so as to move the hook 7 to the west by an angle of (90) degrees with respect to the true north direction, that is, to the east by an angle of (90) degrees. The inverter 21 is controlled by the microprocessor 20 that has received the control signal, and necessary or desired drive current is supplied to the X axis motor 23 and the Y axis motor 13 so as to move the hook 7 to the east by an angle of (90) degrees with respect to the true north direction.

(92) In FIG. 13A, it is assumed that the remote casing 51 is supported substantially horizontally, but even if the remote casing 51 is tilted in the forward and backward direction or the left and right direction, the piezoelectric gyro 25 will detect which direction the remote casing 51 is facing in the horizontal plane, and movement of the hook 7 (the moving body) will be controlled in a similar fashion. However, if the remote casing 51 is tilted by more than about 90 degrees in the forward and backward direction or the left and right direction, the bearing cannot be corrected by the piezoelectric gyro 25, so the hook 7 (the moving body) will not move when the cross key 52 is pressed.

(93) Therefore, an operator operating the overhead crane 1D pertaining to Embodiment 5 moves the hook 7 of the winder 29 to directly above the load by pressing any of the upper, lower, left, and right parts of the cross key 52 on the manipulation remote 50 at some place away from the hook 7 of the winder 29 and the load sitting on the floor, and aiming the remote casing 51 in the appropriate direction. Then, as shown in FIG. 13B, the down switch 53B provided to the left side face of the remote casing 51 is pressed, the Z axis motor 16 is driven, and the hook 7 is lowered until it reaches the load.

(94) Then, the operator moves over to the load and attaches the hook 7 to the load, moves back to a position away from the load, and presses the up switch 53A provided to the left side face of the remote casing 51 as shown in FIG. 13B, which drives the Z axis motor 16 and raises the hook 7 until the load is hanging high enough that its movement in the horizontal direction will not be impeded. The operator then moves the hook 7 of the winder 29 to directly above the load by pressing any of the upper, lower, left, and right parts of the cross key 52 on the manipulation remote 50 and aiming the remote casing 51 in the appropriate direction. Once the hook 7 of the winder 29 moves to directly above the load, the cross key 52 of the manipulation remote 50 is released to stop the hook 7 of the winder 29, and the down switch 53B is pressed to drive the Z axis motor 16 and lower the hook 7 and the load to the specific place.

(95) Thus, with the overhead crane 1D pertaining to Embodiment 5, to move the hook 7 of the winder 29 using wireless radio waves, the operator can operate the overhead crane 1D from anywhere in the building in which the overhead crane 1D is installed, so there is no need for him to look at his hands, and he can operate the crane while watching the movement of the load, so even a novice can manipulate the overhead crane 1D easily, safely, reliably, and quickly.

(96) With the piezoelectric gyro 25 here, detection of the bearing often becomes skewed over time, so if the operator determines that detection of the bearing has become skewed, he can press the reset button 55 provided to the left side face of the remote casing 51 as shown in FIG. 13B, and reset the bearing of true north as measured accurately by the geomagnetism sensor 26 to the reference direction of the piezoelectric gyro 25 (the direction of a bearing of zero degrees).

(97) With the overhead crane 1D pertaining to Embodiment 5, a situation was described in which the geomagnetism sensor 26 was used to compensate for skewing of bearing detection, but if the compass directions are accurately known in the building in which the overhead crane 1D is installed, then the geomagnetism sensor 26 is not required and the operator can press the reset button 55 in a state in which the remote casing 51 of the manipulation remote 50 is facing true north, allowing the accurate true north bearing to be reset to the reference direction of the piezoelectric gyro 25 (the direction of a bearing of zero degrees).

(98) Also, in Embodiment 5, a situation was described in which the movement direction of the hook 7 (the moving body) varies according to the orientation of the remote casing 51 as long as the part 52A and so forth of the cross key 52 (manipulation switch) are held down, but the part 52A and so forth of the cross key 52 may instead be a type that can be pressed in two stages, and may be a type with which the parts stay down when pressed firmly, so that the movement direction of the hook 7 of the winder 29 does not vary thereafter even if the orientation of the remote casing 51 is changed.

(99) Further, in Embodiment 5, a situation was described in which a radio wave communication apparatus was used as the method for wireless communication, but light can be used instead of radio waves. Light, unlike radio waves, has the disadvantage that the transmission of a signal will be blocked if there is an obstacle between the transmitter (light emitting apparatus) and the receiver (light receiving apparatus), but an advantage is that an optical communication apparatus is far less expensive than a radio wave communication apparatus. Therefore, the operating system of an overhead crane featuring wireless communication can be constructed inexpensively.

(100) Also, since the overhead crane 1D serving as the three-dimensional movement apparatus pertaining to Embodiment 5 is operated wirelessly, the manipulation remote 50 can have its own power supply, if the power supply for the manipulation remote 50 is a rechargeable battery, the charger may be fixed within the building so that when the manipulation remote 50 is placed in the charger, the orientation of the remote casing 51 will be parallel (or perpendicular) to the travel rails 2A and 2B of the overhead crane 1D.

(101) Consequently, when the main power supply to the overhead crane 1D is shut off when the work is finished, interrupted, etc., placing the manipulation remote 50 in the charger results in a state in which the remote casing 51 is facing a specific home direction, and resetting can be performed by turning on the main power switch provided to the manipulation remote 50, or the main power switch provided somewhere else, and driving the X axis motor 23, the Y axis motor 13, and the Z axis motor 16 so that the hook 7 is moved to a specific home position. Reliable resetting can be accomplished even when the main power switch to the overhead crane 1D is repeatedly turned off and off.

(102) In the embodiments discussed above, only an overhead crane was described as an example of the three-dimensional movement apparatus pertaining to the presently disclosed subject matter, but the three-dimensional movement apparatus is not limited to an overhead crane. By contrast, the presently disclosed subject matter can be used in a wide range of applications, such as mobile harbor cranes, vehicle-mounted cranes, jib cranes, and various other crane apparatus, as well as aerial work platforms (including self-propelled aerial work platforms), radio-controlled airplanes and helicopters, and so on.

(103) Also, in the above embodiments, only an example of disposing the motor drive control circuit in the winder was described, but the motor drive control circuit is not limited to being disposed in a winder, and may be disposed in the casing near the winder.

(104) In working the presently disclosed subject matter, the configuration, shape, quantity, material, size, connection relationship, and so forth of the three-dimensional movement apparatus and other portions are not limited to what was discussed in the above embodiments, and other modes can be employed as needed.

Embodiment 6

(105) The three-dimensional movement apparatus pertaining to Embodiment 6 of the presently disclosed subject matter will be described. This Embodiment 6 is the same as Embodiment 1 above, except that the block diagram indicating the control mechanism in the overhead crane serving as the three-dimensional movement apparatus is different. Therefore, only this block diagram will be described, through reference to FIG. 15, and the rest of the description will be omitted.

(106) FIG. 15 is a block diagram showing the control mechanism in the overhead crane serving as the three-dimensional movement apparatus pertaining to Embodiment 6. FIGS. 1, 2, 3A, and 3B are an oblique view of the overall configuration of the overhead crane serving as the three-dimensional movement apparatus pertaining to Embodiment 6, a diagram of the structure of the winder serving as the lifting device of the overhead crane, and oblique views of the overhead crane manipulation remote and the remote casing portion in a modification thereof, respectively. Since these have already been described in Embodiment 1, only FIG. 15 will be described here.

(107) In FIG. 15, 9 is a manipulation remote, 10 is a remote casing, 11 is a manipulation switch, 11A is an up switch, 11B is a down switch, 13 is a Y axis motor, 16 is a Z axis motor, 18 is a motor drive control circuit, 19 is a rotary encoder, 20 is a microprocessor, 21A is an inverter, and 23 is an X axis motor. The rotary encoder 19 can be replaced by a gyro mechanism. The inverter 21 is actually a combination of three inverters for controlling the drive of the X axis motor 23, the Y axis motor 13, and the Z axis motor 16.

(108) The output signals from the manipulation switch 11, the up switch 11A, the down switch 11B, and the rotary encoder 19 are inputted to the microprocessor 20. These signals are supplied to the microprocessor 20 through a signal transmission cable 8 serving as the slender member or disposed in the slender member.

(109) A control signal for controlling the inverter 21 is produced by the microprocessor 20 on the basis of these input signals. This control signal comes in three types, corresponding to the manipulation of the inverter 21 for controlling the drive or rotational speed of the X axis motor 23, the Y axis motor 13, and the Z axis motor 16, respectively. The inverter 21 controls the frequency and voltage of the AC power supplies of the X axis motor 23, the Y axis motor 13, and the Z axis motor 16 on the basis of these three kinds of control signal. This controls the rotation of each of the motors. As a result, with the overhead crane 1, pressing the manipulation switch 11 moves the hook 7 of the winder 5 in the direction of the remote casing 10.

(110) Accordingly, the operator moves the hook 7 of the winder 5 in the direction of the remote casing 10 by pressing the manipulation switch 11, so he does not need to look at his hands, and may adjust the orientation of the remote casing 10 while watching the movement direction of the load, which means that he can move the load to the desired location without taking his eyes off the load hanging from the hook 7 of the winder 5.

(111) Therefore, even a novice can operate the overhead crane 1 quickly, safely, and reliably, and since there are only three switches on the remote casing 10 (the manipulation switch 11, the up switch 11A, and the down switch 11B), even if the remote casing 10 should become soiled through use in a painting facility or the like, there will be no risk of pressing the wrong switch. Since there is no need to look at his hands, the operator can operate the crane while watching the movement of the load hanging from the hook 7 of the winder 5, and even a novice can operate the overhead crane 1 easily, safely, reliably, and quickly.

Embodiment 7

(112) The three-dimensional movement apparatus pertaining to Embodiment 7 will be described. Just as was Embodiment 6, Embodiment 7 is the same as Embodiment 1 above, except that the block diagram indicating the control mechanism in the overhead crane serving as the three-dimensional movement apparatus is different. Therefore, only this block diagram will be described, through reference to FIG. 16, and the rest of the description will be omitted.

(113) FIG. 16 is a block diagram showing the control mechanism in the overhead crane serving as the three-dimensional movement apparatus pertaining to Embodiment 7. FIGS. 1, 2, 3A, and 3B are an oblique view of the overall configuration of the overhead crane serving as the three-dimensional movement apparatus pertaining to Embodiment 6, a diagram of the structure of the winder serving as the lifting device of the overhead crane, and oblique views of the overhead crane manipulation remote and the remote casing portion in a modification thereof, respectively. Since these have already been described in Embodiment 1, only FIG. 16 will be described here.

(114) In FIG. 16, 9 is a manipulation remote, 10 is a remote casing, 11 is a manipulation switch, 11A is an up switch, 11B is a down switch, 13 is a Y axis motor, 16 is a Z axis motor, 18 is a motor drive control circuit, 19 is a rotary encoder, 20 is a microprocessor, 21 and 22A are each an inverter (or contactor), and 23 is an X axis motor. The rotary encoder 19 can be replaced by a gyro mechanism. The inverter 21 is actually a combination of two inverters for controlling the drive of the X axis motor 23 and the Y axis motor 13.

(115) The output signals from the manipulation switch 11, the up switch 11A, the down switch 11B, and the rotary encoder 19 are inputted to the microprocessor 20. These signals are supplied to the microprocessor 20 through a signal transmission cable 8 serving as the slender member or disposed in the slender member. A control signal for controlling the inverter 21 and the inverter 22A is produced by the microprocessor 20 on the basis of these input signals.

(116) This control signal comes in three types, corresponding to the manipulation of the inverter 21 and the inverter 22A for controlling the drive or rotational speed of the X axis motor 23, the Y axis motor 13, and the Z axis motor 16, respectively. These three kinds of control signal are supplied to the inverter 21 and the inverter 22A through the signal transmission cable 8 serving as the slender member or disposed in the slender member.

(117) The inverters 21 and 22A control the frequency and voltage of the AC power supplies of the X axis motor 23, the Y axis motor 13, and the Z axis motor 16 on the basis of these control signals. This controls the rotation of each of the motors. As a result, with the overhead crane 1, pressing the manipulation switch 11 moves the hook 7 of the winder 5 in the direction of the remote casing 10.

(118) A control signal for controlling the inverter 21 and the inverter 22A is produced by the microprocessor 20 on the basis of these input signals. This control signal comes in three types, corresponding to the manipulation of the inverter 21 for controlling the drive or rotational speed of the X axis motor 23, the Y axis motor 13, and the Z axis motor 16, respectively. The inverters 21 and 22A control the frequency and voltage of the AC power supplies of the X axis motor 23, the Y axis motor 13, and the Z axis motor 16 on the basis of these three kinds of control signals. This controls the rotation of each of the motors. As a result, with the overhead crane 1, pressing the manipulation switch 11 moves the hook 7 of the winder 5 in the direction of the remote casing 10.

(119) Accordingly, the operator moves the hook 7 of the winder 5 in the direction of the remote casing 10 by pressing the manipulation switch 11, so he does not need to look at his hands, and may adjust the orientation of the remote casing 10 while watching the movement direction of the load, which means that he can move the load to the desired location without taking his eyes off the load hanging from the hook 7 of the winder 5. Therefore, even a novice can operate the overhead crane 1 quickly, safely, and reliably, and since there can be only three switches on the remote casing 10 (the manipulation switch 11, the up switch 11A, and the down switch 11B), even if the remote casing 10 should become soiled through use in a painting facility or the like, there will be no risk of pressing the wrong switch. Since there is no need to look at his hands, the operator can operate the crane while watching the movement of the load hanging from the hook 7 of the winder 5, and even a novice can operate the overhead crane 1 easily, safely, reliably, and quickly.

(120) In the block diagram of the control mechanism shown in FIGS. 14 and 15, the microprocessor 20 constitutes part of a drive control apparatus (and particularly a motor drive control circuit), but in the block diagram shown in FIG. 16, the microprocessor 20 constitutes part of the manipulation remote 9. Specifically, with the control mechanism shown in FIG. 16, the microprocessor 20, which is part of the drive control apparatus and the manipulation remote, is disposed at one end of the slender member 8, and the inverters or (contactors) 21 and 22A, which make up the rest of the drive control apparatus, as well as the X axis motor 23, the Y axis motor 13, and the Z axis motor 16 (the movement mechanism) are incorporated at the other end of the slender member 8, and constituted integrally. This configuration makes the manipulation remote 9 multi-functional, and has the secondary benefit that most of the adjustment and maintenance required or desired for controlling the movement of the moving body can be handled by adjusting and maintaining the apparatus or device disposed at one end of the slender member.

Embodiment 8

(121) Next, the overhead crane 1 serving as the three-dimensional movement apparatus pertaining to Embodiment 8 of the presently disclosed subject matter will be described.

(122) FIG. 17A is a simplified front view of the overhead crane pertaining to this embodiment. Those components that are the same as in the embodiment in FIG. 1 are numbered the same and will not be described again, and only the difference will be discussed below.

(123) In this embodiment, a communication cable extending from the winder 5 to the remote casing 10 will sag under its own weight if it is itself flexible or if the slender member that serve as its case is flexible, and the bent portion can block the field of vision of the operator or get in the way of the load. In view of this, in this embodiment the slender member is made just stiff enough that it can support the main part of the communication cable while still affording freedom of movement to the remote casing 10.

(124) In the drawings, a communication cable (slender member) that will bend but does not twist hangs down from the winder 5 to near the floor, and the remote casing 10 is connected to the lower end of this slender member.

(125) A cargo N serving as the load is fixed via a support means 7-1 to the support cable 6 hanging down from the winder 5.

(126) As the above-mentioned slender member, the communication cable can be formed from the same material as in the other embodiments, but a characteristic feature of this embodiment is that the slender member comprises at least two rod-like members and a connecting member that bendably connects these rod-like members.

(127) More specifically, the slender member can be one in which the communication cable is passed through the inside of the slender member as with a flexible metal electrical wire tube or a vinyl-covered flexible metal electrical wire tube, but need not have a tubular structure, and may be a rod-like member whose cross sectional shape is circular, elliptical, or oval.

(128) In this embodiment, as shown in the drawings, the slender member comprises four rod-like members B1, B2, B3, and B4 are disposed in series, and these are connected by connecting members 65, 66, and 67.

(129) The connecting members can all have the same structure, so just the connecting member 67 will be described. This connecting member 67 is typically a universal joint. Specifically, a universal joint consists of two U-shaped yokes each of which is connected to the end of a shaft, and these yokes are rotatably connected to their respective shafts using revolute (turning) pair.

(130) Consequently, the remote casing 10 is able to rotate around the axis indicated by the arrow, with respect to an imaginary center axis C extending in the lengthwise direction of the slender member B4, and as indicated by the dotted lines, is able to bend at a specific angle with respect to the axis C.

(131) Accordingly, since a signal production means for producing a signal related to the rotational direction or rotational amount of the remote casing 10 is formed inside the remote casing 10 as mentioned above, this signal is used for control, allowing the cargo N (load) to be moved according to the rotational direction or rotational amount of the remote casing 10.

(132) As to the direction in which the cargo N is conveyed, which is determined according to the rotational direction or rotational amount of the remote casing 10, it is possible, for example, to provide some equipment near the ceiling of the room in which the overhead crane 1 is installed so that the direction will be displayed, using an LED (light emitting diode) or other suitable light emitting means, before the cargo N is actually conveyed.

(133) FIGS. 17A and 17B are diagrams illustrating the layout of the communication cable extending from the winder 5 to the remote casing 10.

(134) As shown in FIG. 17A, a communication cable L is disposed substantially parallel to the slender members B2 and B3, and the parallel portions are fixed to the corresponding slender members by adhesive bonding or some other such means. The communication cable L is not fixed at the place corresponding to the connecting member 66 that links B2 and B3, and instead is looped around this place to afford freedom of movement of the connecting member 66.

(135) Furthermore, although the communication cable L can be somewhat longer than the slender member, it should not be so long that the communication cable L sags in portions.

(136) In the example shown in FIG. 17C, the communication cable L is make considerably longer than the slender members B2 and B3, and is partially fixed to parts of the slender members B2 and B3 at places away from the connecting member 66. An advantage to doing it this way is that the communication cable L can be attached to and removed from the slender members B2 and B3 more easily.

Embodiment 9

(137) FIGS. 18 and 19 illustrate an embodiment related to the specific configuration of the manipulation remote 9.

(138) FIG. 18 is a vertical cross section showing the simplified configuration of the manipulation remote 9, FIG. 19 is a cross section along the A-A line in FIG. 18, and FIG. 20 is a vertically cut away end view showing the details of the manipulation remote 9 in FIG. 18.

(139) In these drawings, the manipulation remote 9 has a main shaft 71 that is an object that passes vertically through the interior of the remote casing 10, and the remote casing 10 is constituted so as to be able to rotate relatively as indicated by the arrow C around the axis of the main shaft 71.

(140) The main shaft 71 either is formed integrally with the slender member 8-1 discussed in reference to FIG. 17, etc., or with the lower end of the rod-like member B4 located at the bottom of the plurality of rod-like members that constitute this slender member, or is linked or connected so as to extend in the lengthwise direction of the rod-like member B4.

(141) In this embodiment, the remote casing 10 rotates around the main shaft 71 via ball bearings 72, 72 as shown in FIG. 20, for example. An encoder 73 is fixed to the main shaft 71 and disposed near the lower end of the main shaft 71, and the rotational shaft of the encoder 73 is linked to or integrated with the remote casing 10.

(142) A plurality of disks are disposed at regular intervals in the lengthwise direction of the main shaft 71. In this embodiment there are three disks, and signal generation means are disposed at regular intervals around the periphery of the disks 81, 82, and 83.

(143) In this embodiment, the signal generation means comprises, for example, a plurality of optical sensors consisting of (or comprising) paired light receiving elements. Instead of being an optical sensor, the signal generation means can be a magnetic sensor, a proximity sensor, or another such non-contact sensor. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 19, four of the optical sensors are provided (numbered 91, 92, 93, and 94) to each of the disks 81, 82, and 83.

(144) Push buttons 74, 75, and 76 are disposed in a row as switching means (or switching apparatus), at regular intervals in the vertical direction, and corresponding to the various disks, on one face of the remote casing 10 (this one face shall be called the front).

(145) Although not depicted in FIG. 18, as shown in FIG. 20, these push buttons are also provided on the rear face as indicated by the numbers 77, 78, and 79.

(146) Each push button has a baffle that is integrated with the button and is located inside the remote casing 10, as a member that works in synchronization with the button. Since the push buttons can all have the same structure, just the push button 76 will be described as an example. As shown in FIG. 20, the push button 76 sticking out from the remote casing 10 is biased outward by a coil spring or other such biasing means, and is configured as a two-stage push button, for example. That is, when pressed lightly, the push button 76 does not stay down and returns by biasing force, but when pressed firmly, it stays pressed down, and returns when pressed firmly again. Inside the remote casing 10, a baffle 86 that is integral with the push button 76 moves in and out in synchronization with the movement of the push button 76.

(147) FIG. 21 will now be described.

(148) As shown in this drawing, the baffle 86 that works in synchronization with the push button 76 has at its inner end a curved face with an arc that is greater than the periphery of the disk 83, and when the push button is pressed, the baffle 86 is inserted into the optical path of the light emitting elements of the optical sensors provided at 90 degree intervals on the disk 83. The structure is the same for a baffle 89 that is provided opposite the baffle 86 and provided integrally with the push button 79 in FIG. 20.

(149) Accordingly, when the push button 79 is pressed, the baffle 86 is inserted into the optical path of the light emitting elements of the optical sensors provided at 90 degree intervals on the disk 83, and when this push button returns under biasing force, the baffle 86 comes out of the optical path of the optical sensors.

(150) Consequently, when the push button 79 is pressed, light from the light emitting elements on the face of the baffle 86 that is opposite the optical sensors is reflected, and when the reflected light of the optical sensors is incident on the light receiving elements, it is subjected to opto-electrical conversion and detected as an electrical signal.

(151) Specifically, as shown in FIG. 21, in the state in FIG. 21C, if the orientation of the remote casing 10 is zero degrees, then rotation of the remote casing 10 is detected by 45 degrees in FIG. 21A and by 22.5 degrees in FIG. 21B.

(152) FIGS. 22 and 23 show the relationship between the pressing of the push button and the direction command Explanation is provided accordingly in reference to FIG. 20.

(153) In plan view, the left side of the cuboid remote casing 10 that is longer in one direction is the forward direction, while the right side is the backward direction. In FIG. 22A, when the push button 76 is pressed in a state in which the remote casing 10 is positioned horizontally in the drawing, the baffle 86 moves in the direction of the arrow a, and the optical sensor 92 is switched, which results in indication of movement in the forward direction A.

(154) Conversely, in FIG. 22B, when the push button 79 is pressed, the baffle 89 moves in the direction of the arrow b, and the optical sensor 94 is switched, which results in indication of movement in the backward direction B.

(155) In contrast, in FIG. 23A, when the push button 76 is pressed in a state in which the remote casing 10 is tilted by about 45 degrees from the horizontal in the drawing, the baffle 86 moves in the direction of the arrow a, and the optical sensors 92 and 93 are switched at the same time, which results in indication of movement diagonally in the forward direction A. In FIG. 23B, when the push button 79 is pressed, the baffle 89 moves in the direction of the arrow b, and the optical sensors 91 and 94 are switched at the same time, which results in indication of movement diagonally in the backward direction B.

(156) Thus, with this embodiment, the direction in which the casing is facing is detected from the relationship to the rotational detection position of the encoder 73, and this is used in combination with the angle information of the encoder 73 to detect whether the push button on the front side has been pressed, or the push button on the rear side has been pressed, and to determine whether the command will be for forward or backward movement.

(157) Furthermore, because in this embodiment the electrical parts, and particularly the circuits and power supply means, are disposed along the main shaft 71 via the slender member, the remote casing 10 can rotate free of restriction and without being affected by signal wires or the like.

(158) Also, angle information can be detected by the encoder 73 from the orientation of the remote casing 10, regardless of whether or not the push buttons have been moved forward or backward, so as described above, the direction in which the crane is traveling can be easily ascertained before the travel begins, according to the orientation of the remote casing 10, by looking at a display means provided inside the facility.

(159) Furthermore, with this embodiment optical sensors are provided on disks that rotate along with the main shaft 71, but the optical sensors may be provided on the side where the baffle moves back and forth integrally with the push button, and a switching means that is moved in and out of the optical path of the optical sensors may be provided on the main shaft 71 side.

(160) FIG. 24 is a block diagram of the control mechanism in an overhead crane serving as a three-dimensional movement apparatus pertaining to an embodiment when the above-mentioned optical sensors are incorporated into the manipulation remote. Basically, the structure is the same as that shown in FIG. 4, but a part of it is shown in greater detail. Therefore, the following description will focus on the characteristic features, and redundant description of the structure in FIG. 4 will be omitted.

(161) Angle information from the encoder 73 and switch information from a manipulation switch 11-1 of the optical sensor are sent through a signal transmission driver/receiver 111 to an input interface 102, and inputted via the input interface 102 to the microprocessor 20.

(162) The signal from a limit switch 101 (not shown), which is disposed at the end, etc., of the travel rails 2A and 2B, etc., in FIG. 1, for example, is inputted to the input interface 102, and if the movement is about to exceed the travel range, this signal is inputted through the input interface 102 to the microprocessor 20 to stop the travel.

(163) The microprocessor 20 computes command information that is necessary or desired for the movement mechanism 62 so as to match the command corresponding to the angle information from the encoder 73 via the signal transmission driver/receiver 111 and the switch information from the manipulation switch 11-1 of the optical sensor, this is converted to command voltage by a D/A (digital/analog) converter 105, and this is imparted to inverter speed controllers 109 and 110 for the X and Y axes. The inverter speed controllers 109 and 110 drive the X axis motor 23 and the Y axis motor 13.

(164) The microprocessor 20 also issues a command to a winder driver 108 and drives the Z axis motor 16. Further, the microprocessor 20 controls the inverter 73 via an inverter power supply controller 107. The microprocessor 20 can display the crane travel direction based on the angle information from the encoder 73 and the switch information from the manipulation switch 11-1 of the optical sensor on a display serving as the display means 106 installed in the facility, so that everyone in and/or around the facility, etc., can see the travel direction.

(165) FIG. 25 is a flowchart of an example of the manipulation of an overhead crane serving as the three-dimensional movement apparatus in FIG. 24.

(166) When the power is turned on, the system is actuated (ST1), a system diagnostic sequence is executed by the microprocessor 20, and it is determined whether or not the system is normal (ST2). If a positive result is obtained here, the microprocessor 20 turns on the power to the encoder 73 via the inverter power supply controller 107 (ST3), and determines whether or not the encoder 73 is normal (ST4).

(167) If a positive result is obtained here, it is displayed that the system can operate normally (ST5), and the current position and state of the encoder 73 is confirmed from its angle information (ST6).

(168) The encoder here may be an ordinary rotary encoder, but can also be an absolute encoder. That is, while an ordinary rotary encoder can measure the rotational direction and angle of the remote casing 10, an absolute encoder can measure the absolute direction in which the remote casing is actually facing.

(169) Accordingly, in certain applications, there is no need for constant output of the absolute angle from the time when the power is turned on, and to perform a home point return manipulation, and the absolute angle output will remain correct as long as the encoder main body does not end up being rotated. Consequently, computation for finding the direction of the remote casing from the output signal of the encoder is easier.

(170) In this state, if any of the push buttons is pressed on the movement manipulation apparatus 60 (the manipulation remote), the microprocessor 20 computes the crane travel direction and issues the required or desired commands as discussed above (ST8).

(171) FIG. 26 will be described on the basis of the angle sent out by the encoder 73.

(172) This drawing illustrates how a speed command is sent to the inverter speed controllers 109 and 110 for the X and Y axes.

(173) In this embodiment, the encoder 73 usually can control the motor output from a stopped state up to the highest speed, in proportion to the voltage, over a voltage range of minus 10 V (volts) to 10 V (this is reversed on the negative side).

(174) Looking from the zero degrees direction in the drawing, for the crane to travel clockwise by 250 degrees, the following voltages are inputted to the inverter speed controllers 109 and 110 of the X and Y axes, allowing travel in the direction of the arrow A in the drawing.
X axis speed=minus cos 20 degrees10 (V)=minus 9.4 (V)
Y axis speed=minus sin 20 degrees10 (V)=minus 3.4 (V)

(175) When the push button is then switched off (ST9), the voltage inputted to the inverter speed controllers 109 and 110 of the X and Y axes is also shut off, and the travel stops (ST10).

(176) An inverter was used as the motor drive control circuit in this embodiment.

(177) However, an inverter is a motor driver for controlling the speed, torque, and braking of an AC induction motor commonly used in cranes, but it is also possible to use a servo driver for driving a servo motor, a stepping motor driver for driving a stepping motor, or the like, and the combination of motor and driver can be varied as dictated by the usage mode.

(178) In this case, if a servo motor and a servo driver is used for each axis, for example, the microprocessor will be able to ascertain numerical values for all the positions of a parallelepiped (imaginary range) within the crane manipulation range constituted by the X, Y, and Z axes.

(179) Consequently, when the work entails repeated back and forth movement between two points, position information for those two points, or more, can be individually stored in the microprocessor, the necessary or desired points can be called up just before the operator performs a manipulation command, and the system can easily move the crane to the specified point by sending out a manipulation command. Also, it is possible to construct a system in which multipoint registration is used to specify a registered point as a passage point, and the crane is operated while following a predetermined path.

(180) The scope of the presently disclosed subject matter is not limited to or by the embodiments given above. The various embodiments given above may be combined with one another, or some may be omitted and the rest combined, and furthermore other technological elements not described may be combined.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(181) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the overall configuration of an overhead crane, which is an example of a three-dimensional movement apparatus pertaining to Embodiment 1 made in accordance with principles of the presently disclosed subject matter;

(182) FIG. 2 is a front view of a winder serving as the lifting device of the overhead crane of FIG. 1;

(183) FIG. 3A is a perspective view of a remote casing portion of a manipulation remote in the three-dimensional movement apparatus of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3B is a perspective view of the remote casing portion of a manipulation remote in a three-dimensional movement apparatus pertaining to a modification of Embodiment 1 of the presently disclosed subject matter;

(184) FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a control mechanism used in the three-dimensional movement apparatus of FIG. 1;

(185) FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the overall configuration of an overhead crane, which is an example of a three-dimensional movement apparatus pertaining to Embodiment 2 made in accordance with principles of the presently disclosed subject matter;

(186) FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a manipulation remote used in the three-dimensional movement apparatus according to Embodiment 2 as shown in FIG. 5;

(187) FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the overall configuration of an overhead crane, which is an example of a three-dimensional movement apparatus according to Embodiment 3 of the presently disclosed subject matter;

(188) FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a manipulation remote used in the three-dimensional movement apparatus according to Embodiment 3 as shown in FIG. 5;

(189) FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a manipulation remote in accordance with a modification of the three-dimensional movement apparatus of Embodiment 3 as shown in FIG. 5;

(190) FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the overall configuration of an overhead crane, which is an example of a three-dimensional movement apparatus according to Embodiment 4 of the presently disclosed subject matter;

(191) FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a manipulation remote used in the three-dimensional movement apparatus according to Embodiment 4 shown in FIG. 10;

(192) FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the overall configuration of an overhead crane, which is an example of a three-dimensional movement apparatus according to Embodiment 5 of the presently disclosed subject matter;

(193) FIG. 13A is a front view of the overall configuration of a remote casing of a manipulation remote in the three-dimensional movement apparatus according to Embodiment 5 of the presently disclosed subject matter, and FIG. 13B is a left side view of the same;

(194) FIG. 14 is a block diagram illustrating the control of the manipulation remote in the three-dimensional movement apparatus according to Embodiment 5 of the presently disclosed subject matter;

(195) FIG. 15 is a block diagram showing the control mechanism in the overhead crane serving as the three-dimensional movement apparatus according to Embodiment 6;

(196) FIG. 16 is a block diagram showing the control mechanism in the overhead crane serving as the three-dimensional movement apparatus according to Embodiment 7;

(197) FIGS. 17A-C are a simplified front view of the overhead crane serving as a three-dimensional movement apparatus according to Embodiment 8, and close up operational views of rod-like members and connecting members, respectively;

(198) FIG. 18 is a vertical cross section showing a simplified configuration of a manipulation remote used in an overhead crane serving as the three-dimensional movement apparatus according to Embodiment 9;

(199) FIG. 19 is a cross section taken along line A-A in FIG. 18;

(200) FIG. 20 is a vertically cut away end view of the manipulation remote of FIG. 18;

(201) FIGS. 21A-C include cross sections taken along line B-B in FIG. 20 in various operational states;

(202) FIGS. 22A and 22B are diagrams illustrating the relationship between the pressing of the push button of the manipulation remote in FIG. 18 and the direction command;

(203) FIGS. 23A and 23B are diagrams illustrating the relationship between the pressing of the push button of the manipulation remote in FIG. 18 and the direction command;

(204) FIG. 24 is a block diagram of a control mechanism in an overhead crane serving as a three-dimensional movement apparatus according to an embodiment when optical sensors are incorporated into a manipulation remote;

(205) FIG. 25 is a flowchart showing an example of the manipulation of an overhead crane serving as the three-dimensional movement apparatus in FIG. 24; and

(206) FIG. 26 is a diagram illustrating the computation of the driven voltage specified by the inverter in the manipulation of an overhead crane serving as the three-dimensional movement apparatus in FIG. 24.