JP2000181542A - Stopping method for carrier in automatic conveyance system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a stop/redrive assigning system for carriers in an automatic conveyance system that can suppress useless power consumption and dusting in the case of no conveying instruction and that can be redriven within the shortest time when there is a redriving instruction. SOLUTION: In the system for automatically conveying an object to be conveyed from any arbitrary conveyance source to any arbitrary conveyance destination with plural carriers 2 to be circulated on a loop-shaped track 1 in the same direction, when stopping a carrier 2 at the time point when the conveying instruction is out, the carrier 2 is stopped by selecting any one of (1) to learn the conveying instruction and to stop the carrier 2 at the conveyance source in the order from most conveyance patterns, (2) to stop the carrier 2 at the conveyance source from conveyance schedule information and (3) to stop the carrier 2 while changing a stop position corresponding to a time zone when generating the conveyance patterns having regularity corresponding to the time zone.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method for stopping a transport vehicle in an automatic transport system, and more particularly, to a method for selectively stopping and re-driving an automatic transport vehicle operated in a factory according to the presence or absence of a transport instruction. To reduce power consumption and dust generation,
The present invention relates to a method for stopping a transport vehicle in an automatic transport system that operates efficiently.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in semiconductors, other manufacturing factories, assembly factories, and the like, a plurality of transport vehicles circling in the same direction on a track arranged in a loop form are used to transport a vehicle from a transport source to a destination. An automatic transport system that automatically transports objects is used. In this transport system, all transport vehicles arranged on the track are moved and moved in the same direction even if there is no transport instruction, and only the transport vehicle that has received the transport instruction moves the transported object at the designated station. Operation method of loading and transporting,
When there is no transfer instruction, either of the operation methods of stopping at the place where the user has moved last is adopted.

[0003]

Among these, the above-mentioned method consumes electric power in the traveling of the transport vehicles because all the transport vehicles continue to travel along the track even without a transport instruction. In addition, there is a problem that dust is generated according to the traveling of the transport vehicle, and the inside of the clean room is contaminated.

In the above-mentioned method, wasteful power consumption and dust generation can be suppressed as compared with the method of always moving, but the transport vehicle is transported empty between the transfer positions of the transported object at the time of re-driving. It is necessary to move, and there is a problem that wasteful movement increases, and at this time, wasteful power consumption and dust generation occur.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems of the transporting vehicle operating system in the conventional automatic transport system, and in the case where there is no transport instruction, wasteful power consumption and dust generation are suppressed. It is an object of the present invention to provide a method of stopping a transport vehicle in an automatic transport system that enables re-driving in a vehicle.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, a method for stopping a transport vehicle in an automatic transport system according to the present invention is a method for stopping an arbitrary transport source by a plurality of transport vehicles circling in the same direction on a loop-shaped track. In the system for automatically transporting the transported object from the transport destination to the arbitrary destination, when the transport instruction stops, the transport vehicle is stopped. (1) The transport instruction is learned, and the transport vehicle is sent to the transport source in descending order of the transport pattern. Stop. (2) Stop the transport vehicle from the transport schedule information to the transport source. (3) When a transport pattern having regularity occurs depending on the time zone, the stop position is changed depending on the time zone, and the transport vehicle is stopped. And stopping the transport vehicle.

According to the method for stopping a transport vehicle in this automatic transport system, the stop position of the transport vehicle can be optimized and the transport vehicle stopped when there is no longer a transport instruction, thereby suppressing wasteful power consumption and dust generation. However, if there is a re-drive instruction, it is possible to re-drive within the shortest time and restart the conveyance.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of a method for stopping a transport vehicle in an automatic transport system according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows an example of a track to which the method for stopping a transport vehicle in the automatic transport system of the present invention is applied.

A track 1, which is arranged in a loop so as to connect a plurality of stations A, B, C, and D, is connected to a plurality of carriers 2 traveling on the track 1 by a station. A, B, C, and D are configured so as to be able to perform transfer for unloading of the transferred object. The shape of the track, the number of stations A, B, C, and D and their arrangement positions are not limited to those shown in the figure, but can be freely set.

A plurality of transport vehicles 2 are arranged on the loop track 1 so as to be able to travel along the track, and each transport vehicle 2 has an automatic traveling device, an automatic transfer device, a traveling position detecting device, A device such as a communication device required for automatic transfer and transfer is incorporated, and is configured to be automatically controlled by receiving a command from the transfer vehicle control device 3.

The transport control unit 3 and the automatic transport vehicle 2 are arranged so that a transport instruction / completion instruction can be given to the transport vehicle 2 traveling on the track 1 by the transport vehicle control device 3. A communication function for transmitting and receiving each instruction is provided.

The carrier control device 3 controls the operation of the carrier 2 and waits for a predetermined time when there is no transfer instruction, or stops the carrier without waiting time. In this case, when the transport vehicle control device 3 stops the transport vehicle 2, (1) the transport instruction is learned, and the transport vehicle is stopped at the transport source in descending order of the transport pattern. (2) Stop the transport vehicle from the transport schedule information to the transport source. (3) When a transport pattern having regularity occurs depending on the time zone, the stop position is changed depending on the time zone, and the transport vehicle is stopped. In consideration of various factors such as the above, the transport vehicle control device optimizes the stop position of the transport vehicle and stops the transport vehicle so that automatic transport can be restarted safely and in the shortest time.

[0014]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, a specific example of the method of the present invention will be described for a case where five carriers 2 travel on a loop-shaped track 1 shown in FIG.

Stations A, B, C, and D, which are transfer points for transferring an object to be transferred, are arranged at four locations along the loop-shaped track 1 on which the carrier 2 cannot pass. A transport system is configured such that five transport vehicles 2 go around. In this transport system, when the transport vehicle control device 3 receives a transport instruction from a host control device, the transport vehicle control device 3 instructs each transport vehicle 2 to transport according to the transport instruction. After stopping and loading the conveyed articles, the apparatus is configured to travel again, stop at the station position of the transfer destination, and perform unloading.

In this case, it is assumed that the following prerequisites are provided as information relating to the transport instruction. (1) Transfer schedule information is not available. (2) There is no transport pattern depending on the time zone.

Here, it is assumed that the transport vehicle control device 3 learns the transport instruction and determines the stop position.

[Case where Conveyance Destinations are Concentrated and Carriage Sources are Dispersed] As shown in FIG. 1, when the conveyance destination is concentrated on the station A, as shown in FIG. The transport vehicles 2 are arranged evenly at stations other than the station A, and the transport vehicles 2 that cannot be stopped at the stations are stopped evenly before each station.

[When the transfer instruction is generated irregularly regardless of the time and the transfer source / destination] When the transfer instruction is generated randomly regardless of the transfer source and the transfer time, the transfer vehicle control device 3 As shown in FIG. 3, the transport vehicle 2 is arranged at each of the stations A, B, C, and D and stopped.

[0020]

According to the method for stopping a transport vehicle in the automatic transport system of the present invention, when there is no transport instruction,
The transport vehicle can be stopped by optimizing the stop position of the transport vehicle, suppressing wasteful power consumption and dust generation, and restarting transport by re-driving within the shortest time when there is a re-drive instruction. , And can be transported in an efficient and clean environment.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a method for stopping a transport vehicle in an automatic transport system according to the present invention, and is an explanatory diagram in a case where a transport destination is concentrated on a station A.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory view showing a state in which the transport vehicle is stopped so as to be arranged evenly at a location other than a station A;

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a state where the carrier is arranged at each of stations A, B, C and D and stopped.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 1 track 2 carrier 3 carrier controller A to D station (transfer point)

Claims (1)

[Claims] In a system for automatically transporting an object to be transported from an arbitrary transport source to an arbitrary destination by a plurality of transport vehicles circling in the same direction on a loop-shaped track, the transport vehicle is stopped when the transport instruction is lost. (1) The transport instruction is learned, and the transport vehicle is stopped at the transport source in descending order of the transport pattern. (2) Stop the transport vehicle from the transport schedule information to the transport source. (3) When a transport pattern having regularity occurs depending on the time zone, the stop position is changed depending on the time zone, and the transport vehicle is stopped. And stopping the transport vehicle by selecting any one of the following.