JP2005231868A - Article conveying device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To make an article posture at a carry-out place or a position with respect to a conveying carriage to be in a state suitable for conveyance with a simple structure. <P>SOLUTION: The conveying carriage 11 is provided with an article placement base 12 turnable around a turning shaft X, and an article stacking region S on the article placement base 12 and the turning shaft X are made eccentric. A position of the article stacked in the article stacking region S in a carry-in place 8 is varied with respect to the conveying carriage 11 by turning of the article placement base 12, and the article can be carried out in the carry-out place 9. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an article transport apparatus provided with a transport carriage capable of traveling along a set movement path across a carry-in place where an article is carried in and a carry-out place where the article is carried out.

  In such an article conveyance device, conventionally, there has been an apparatus configured to run a conveyance carriage along a set movement path and convey an article carried into a carry-in location to a carry-out location (for example, Patent Documents). 1).

JP 2000-142911 A

  An article mounting table is provided on the conveyance carriage of the article conveyance apparatus so as to be rotatable around the pivot axis, and an unmanned conveyance vehicle that travels in a direction orthogonal to the set movement path is provided on the side where the loading position of the article conveyance apparatus is located. A stacker crane that travels along the set movement path is provided on the lateral side of the transfer device to form an article storage facility using the above-described conventional article transfer device, and the article is moved along the set transfer path by the automatic guided vehicle. From the direction to the carry-in location, change the orientation of the article carried by turning around the pivot axis of the article mounting table to a direction that is easy to carry out, and transfer to the carry-out location to the carry-out location by the article transport device to the carry-in location. It is conceivable that the article transferred to the place is transported in the direction orthogonal to the set movement path from the carry-out place by the stacker crane.

However, in the article storage facility as described above, when the article conveying device is provided on both sides of the stacker crane, a pair of automatic guided vehicles can be stopped at each of the side where the loading position of the pair of article conveying devices is located. It is necessary to separate the carry-in locations in the article transport device from each other in the lateral width direction, and because of the length of the fork of the stacker crane, the carry-out locations in the pair of article transport devices are mutually connected so that the articles at the carry-out location can be carried out. Since it is necessary to make it adjoin in the width direction, a carrying-in location and a carrying-out location may be shifted in the horizontal width direction perpendicular to the set movement path.
Therefore, it is conceivable that the transport carriage can be moved in the lateral width direction so that the transport carriage can be moved between the loading position and the unloading position shifted in the lateral width direction, but the transport carriage can be configured to be movable in the lateral width direction. This complicates the structure of the article conveying apparatus.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described actual situation, and an object of the present invention is to provide an article transport apparatus capable of bringing the orientation of the article at the carry-out location and the position relative to the carriage to a state suitable for carry-out with a simple structure. Is to provide

The article conveying apparatus of the present invention is an article conveying apparatus provided with a conveying carriage capable of traveling along a set movement path over a carry-in place where an article is carried in and a carry-out place where the article is carried out,
In the first characteristic configuration, the article carriage is provided on the transport carriage so as to be pivotable around a pivot axis, and the article placement range of the article carriage and the pivot axis are eccentric. The article placed in the article placement range at the carry-in location can be carried out at the carry-out location by changing the position relative to the transport carriage by turning the article placement table. Features.

  That is, since the article mounting table provided in the transport carriage is provided in a state where the article mounting range of the article mounting table and the pivot axis are eccentric, the article placing table is swung around the pivot axis. The direction of the article can be changed to a direction suitable for unloading, and the article mounting table is swung around the pivot axis so as to change the direction of the article to a direction suitable for unloading as described above. The article placed in the article placement range can turn around the turning axis to change the position relative to the transport carriage. Therefore, simply by providing the transport carriage around the pivot axis, the direction of the article placed on the article placement table and the position of the article relative to the delivery carriage can be changed to a state suitable for unloading. Thus, it has become possible to provide an article transport apparatus that can make the posture of the article at the unloading location and the position relative to the transport carriage suitable for unloading with a simple structure.

  The second characteristic configuration is a state in which the article mounting table is in a state in which the article mounting range is biased in the lateral width direction of the transport carriage and the turning axis is positioned on the center side in the lateral width direction of the transport carriage. It is provided in the said conveyance trolley, The point which changes the position of the said article mounting range in the width direction of the said conveyance trolley by turning of the said article pedestal is characterized by the above-mentioned.

  That is, the article mounting table is provided in the transport carriage in a state where the article mounting range is biased in the lateral width direction of the transport carriage, and the article mounting base is positioned around the center of the transport carriage in the lateral width direction. , The position of the article placement range can be changed in the lateral width direction of the transport carriage. Therefore, the position in the width direction of the article placement range at the carry-in location can be changed to a position where the article can be easily carried in, and the position in the width direction of the article placement range at the carry-out location can be changed to a position where the article can be easily carried out. Therefore, it is possible to easily carry in the work of carrying in or carrying out the goods.

  The third characteristic configuration is characterized in that the article mounting table is configured such that the entire surface or substantially the entire surface thereof is within the article mounting range.

  That is, by using the entire or substantially entire surface of the article mounting table as the article mounting table, the article mounting table may be large enough to have an article mounting range, and is unlikely to be an obstacle when the transport carriage is running or turning. A small article mounting table can be configured.

  According to a fourth feature configuration, the article has a square shape in plan view, and an article support frame including a receiving portion that receives the four corners of the article is provided at each of the carry-in place and the carry-out place, An article placement table is provided in the transport carriage so as to be movable up and down, and the article placement table is raised at the carry-in place to place the article in a floating state from the article support frame, and at the carry-out place, the article The article mounting table is lowered, and the article can be wholesaled on the article support frame.

  In other words, each of the unloading location and the unloading location is provided with an article support frame having a receiving portion for receiving the four corners of the article so that it can be unloaded and unloaded with a fork or the like. Since the article can be carried into the carry-in place before traveling, and the carriage can be moved toward the carry-in place before the article is carried out from the carry-out place, the article can be moved from the carry-in place. Transfer to the carry-out location can be performed smoothly.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, an embodiment in which an article conveying device according to the present invention is applied to an article storage facility for a clean room will be described with reference to the drawings.
As shown in FIG. 1, the article storage facility has a small amount of dust for storing a cassette (corresponding to an article) A that has a rectangular shape in plan view and is configured to store a plurality of semiconductor wafers therein. It is installed in a clean indoor space, and is disposed in a dust-proof case 17 that forms an installation space in an outside air shielding state.

  In the article storage facility, a pair of storage shelves 1 each having a plurality of storage units for mounting and holding the cassette A are arranged as a pair, and each storage shelf 1 has a storage unit, although not shown in the figure. A plurality are arranged side by side in the vertical and horizontal directions. A stacker crane 2 is movably provided along the rail 3 between the storage shelves 1 facing each other, and a pair of article conveying devices 6 is provided on the entrance side of the storage shelf 1. The stacker crane 2 is provided with a lift 4 that can be moved up and down, and a fork-type transfer device 5 that extends and contracts in a direction perpendicular to the rail 3 is provided on the lift.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the article transporting device 6 has an unloading / unloading location (loading in / out) where the cassette A is loaded / unloaded through the loading / unloading port K in the automatic guided vehicle 7 traveling along the guide line 7 a. (Corresponding to the location and the carry-out location) 8 and the crane-side carry-in / out location (equivalent to the carry-in location and the carry-out location) 9 where the cassette A is carried in and out by the stacker crane 2 can be transported along the set movement path. A carriage 11 is provided.
That is, the article conveying device 6 is configured to convey the cassette A to the crane side loading / unloading location 9 when the cassette A is loaded into the conveying vehicle side loading / unloading location 8 through the loading / unloading port K in the automatic guided vehicle 7. Has been. The cassette A transported to the crane side loading / unloading location 9 is transported by the stacker crane 2 and stored in the storage shelf 1. Further, when the cassette A stored in the storage shelf 1 is loaded into the crane side loading / unloading location 9 by the stacker crane 2, the cassette A is transported to the transport vehicle side loading / unloading location 8. . The cassette A conveyed to the conveyance vehicle side loading / unloading location 8 is unloaded by the automatic guided vehicle 7 through the loading / unloading port K.
The loading / unloading port K is opened when the cassette A is loaded or unloaded through the loading / unloading port K in the automatic guided vehicle 7, but is closed by the opening / closing door D when loading or unloading is not performed. Yes.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the base frame 13 is provided with a pair of left and right guide frame portions 13a along the set movement path of the transport carriage 11, and the transport carriage 11 extends along the set movement path in the guide frame portion 13a. It is supported to run freely. A pinion gear 14 provided on the transport carriage 11 and driven by the electric motor 16 is engaged with a rack 15 provided on the lower surface of the guide frame portion 13a. Accordingly, when the pinion gear 14 is driven and rotated by the electric motor 16, the conveyance carriage 11 is guided by the guide frame portion 13a and travels along the set movement path, so that the conveyance vehicle side loading / unloading point 8 and the crane side loading are performed. It is configured to travel and move over the entry point 9.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the carriage 11 has an article placement table 12 whose upper surface is configured to be an article placement range S in which the cassette A is placed and supported so as to be rotatable around the pivot axis X. And it is provided so that it can be raised and lowered. More specifically, a cylinder device 18 that is vertically expandable and contractible is supported on the center side in the width direction of the transport carriage 11 so as to be rotatable around a vertical axis, and an upper end of a rod portion of the cylinder device 18 is supported. The article mounting table 12 is supported on the surface. Accordingly, the article mounting table 12 is rotated around the turning axis X by rotating the cylinder device 18 by a rotation operation means (not shown), and the article mounting table 12 is moved up and down by extending and contracting the cylinder device 18. ing.
Since the cylinder device 18 is positioned on the center side in the width direction of the transport carriage 11, the pivot axis X of the article mounting table 12 is positioned on the center side in the width direction of the transport carriage 11. The article mounting table 12 is supported by the cylinder device 18 so that the center Y of the article mounting range S is shifted in the lateral width direction. Therefore, the article placement table 12 is provided in the conveyance carriage 11 in a state of being biased in the width direction of the conveyance carriage 11, and the article placement table 11, that is, the article placement range S is conveyed by turning the article placement table 12. 11 is configured to change its position in the lateral width direction.

  Accordingly, when the article mounting table 12 in a state of being biased in the lateral width direction of the transport carriage 11 is turned 90 ° around the turning axis X, the article carrying stage 12 is moved with respect to the turning axis X in the width direction of the transport carriage 11. It is comprised so that it may become a state which is not biased to. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 4C, the article mounting table 12 is shifted from the state in which the article mounting table 12 is biased toward the stacker crane 2 in the lateral width direction of the transport carriage 11 with respect to the pivot axis X. Is turned 90 ° counterclockwise, as shown in FIG. 4 (a), the article transport table 12 can be kept in a state that does not deviate in the lateral width direction of the transport cart 11 with respect to the pivot axis X. It is configured.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, an article support frame 20 is provided at each of the transport vehicle side loading / unloading location 8 and the crane side loading / unloading location 9, and the article support frame 20 is erected on the base frame 13. The four frame portions 22 and the plate-shaped receiving portions 21 that receive the four corner portions of the cassette A at the tops of the respective frame portions 22 are configured. A projection 21a corresponding to the corner of the cassette A is formed on the upper surface of the receiving portion 21, and the positional deviation of the cassette A is regulated by the projection 21a coming into contact with the side surface of the cassette A. Yes.

Next, the case where the article transport device 6 transports the cassette A from the transport vehicle side loading / unloading location 8 to the crane side loading / unloading location 9 will be described. In the state where the automatic guided vehicle 7 is loaded in the state of being supported by the article support frame 20 of the conveyance vehicle side loading / unloading location 8, the article is loaded at the conveyance vehicle side loading / unloading location 8 as shown in FIG. The carriage 12 is raised and the cassette A is placed and supported in a floating state from the article support frame 20, and the carriage 11 is moved from the carriage side loading / unloading point 8 to the crane side loading / unloading point 9 as shown in FIG. As shown, the cassette A is transported to the crane-side loading / unloading location 9 by lowering the article mounting table 12 at the crane-side loading / unloading location 9 and unloading the cassette A onto the article support frame 20. The cassette A conveyed onto the article support frame 20 is carried out by the stacker crane 2 and stored in the storage shelf 1.
Then, as shown in FIG. 4, the article mounting table 12 is turned 90 ° around the turning axis X by the clockwise rotation operation of the cylinder device 18, so that the longitudinal direction is along the traveling direction of the transport carriage 11. The posture of the cassette A is changed to a posture intersecting with the traveling direction from the first to the traveling direction, and the position of the cassette A is changed to the stacker crane 2 side in the lateral width direction of the transport carriage 11 and away from the carry-in / out entrance K in the traveling direction. The position is changed. In other words, the posture of the cassette A is adjusted to the fork insertion direction of the stacker crane 2 by turning the article mounting table 12 during the traveling from the conveyance side loading / unloading point 8 of the conveyance vehicle 11 to the crane side loading / unloading point 9. The position of the cassette A can be changed so as to approach the stacker crane 2 while changing the posture.

The case where the article transport device 6 transports the cassette A from the crane side loading / unloading location 9 to the transport vehicle side loading / unloading location 8 will be described. The stacker crane 2 moves the article A to the article support frame 20 at the crane side loading / unloading location 9. In the state of being carried in the supported state, as shown in FIG. 5 (b), the article mounting table 12 is raised at the crane side loading / unloading location 9 to place the cassette A in a floating state from the article support frame 20. Then, the transport carriage 11 is caused to travel from the crane-side loading / unloading location 9 to the transporting vehicle-side loading / unloading location 8, and the article mounting table 12 is lowered at the transporting vehicle-side loading / unloading location 8 as shown in FIG. By unloading the cassette A onto the article support frame 20, the cassette A is transported to the transport vehicle side loading / unloading location 9. The cassette A transported onto the article support frame 20 is unloaded through the loading / unloading port K in the automatic guided vehicle 7.
Then, as shown in FIG. 4, the longitudinal direction of the article mounting table 12 is orthogonal to the traveling direction of the transport carriage 11 by rotating the article mounting table 12 about the rotation axis X by the counterclockwise rotation operation of the cylinder device 18. The posture of the cassette A is changed from the posture to the posture along the running direction, and the position of the cassette A is changed to the side away from the stacker crane 2 in the lateral width direction of the transport carriage 11, and the loading / unloading port K side in the running direction. Is repositioned. That is, by turning the article mounting table 12 counterclockwise in the course of traveling from the crane side loading / unloading location 9 to the conveyance vehicle loading / unloading location 8 of the transport carriage 11, the posture of the cassette A is changed to the fork of the automatic guided vehicle 7. The position of the cassette A can be changed so as to approach the automatic guided vehicle 7 while changing the posture so as to match the insertion direction.

[Another embodiment]
(1) In the above embodiment, the cassette A is carried in and out by the automatic guided vehicle 7 in the direction along the traveling direction of the transport carriage 11, and is carried in and out by the stacker crane 2 in the direction perpendicular to the traveling direction of the transport carriage 11. However, as shown in FIG. 6, both loading and unloading by the automatic guided vehicle 7 and loading and unloading by the stacker crane 2 may be performed in a direction orthogonal to the traveling direction of the transport carriage 11. Moreover, you may comprise so that both the carrying in / out by the automatic guided vehicle 7 and the carrying in / out by the stacker crane 2 may be performed in the direction along the traveling direction of the conveying cart 11.

(2) In each of the above embodiments, the entire upper surface of the article mounting table 12 is set to the article mounting range S, and the swivel axis is set so that the article mounting table 12 is biased in the lateral width direction of the transport carriage 11. Although it is provided in a state of being decentered in the lateral width direction from the core X, the article placement range S is set by being biased to one side in the lateral width direction of the upper surface of the article placement table 12, and the article placement table 12 is moved from the pivot axis X. You may provide in the state which does not decenter.

(3) In each of the above embodiments, the cassette A transported to the unloading location is unloaded, but the wafer stored in the cassette A transported to the unloading location is taken out and unloaded to the wafer. After the post-processing, the wafer may be returned to the cassette A at the unloading location.

(4) In each of the above embodiments, the pair of article transport devices 6 is provided on the entrance side of the storage shelf 1, but the article transport device 6 is provided only on one side of the entrance side of the storage shelf 1, or A plurality of article conveying devices 6 are provided on one side of the travel path of the stacker crane 2 or the cassette A is moved from the article conveying device 6 and the article storage facility used for storing the cassette A in the article storage facility. The layout of the article storage facility can be changed as appropriate, for example, by separately providing the carry-out article transport device 6 used when taking out the product. In addition to the cassette A, the article may be a pallet or a container.

Top view of the goods storage facility Top view of the article transport device Side view of article transport device Plane action diagram of article conveyor Side action diagram of article transport device The top view of the article conveyance apparatus in another embodiment (1)

Explanation of symbols

8, 9 Carrying-in place 8, 9 Carrying-out place 11 Transport cart 12 Article placing table 20 Article supporting frame 21 Receiving part A Article S Article placing range X Rotating axis

Claims (4)

An article transport apparatus provided with a transport carriage capable of traveling along a set movement path over a carry-in place where an article is carried in and a carry-out place where the article is carried out,
In the transport carriage, an article mounting table is provided so as to be rotatable around a pivot axis, and the article placement range in the article placement table and the pivot axis are eccentric, and the loading location The article carrying apparatus configured to be able to carry out the article placed in the article placing range in the carry-out location by changing the position of the article placing table relative to the carrying carriage by turning the article placing table.   The article mounting table is provided in the transport carriage in a state where the article placement range is biased in the lateral width direction of the transport carriage and the pivot axis is located on the center side in the lateral width direction of the transport carriage. The article transporting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the article placement range is configured to change a position of the article placement range in a lateral direction of the transport carriage by turning of the article placement table.   The article carrying apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the article placing table is configured such that the entire surface or substantially the entire surface of the article placing table is used as the article placing range. The article is a quadrangular shape in plan view, and an article support frame provided with receiving portions for receiving the four corners of the article is provided at each of the carry-in place and the carry-out place,
The article mounting table is provided on the transfer carriage so as to be movable up and down, and the article mounting table is raised at the carry-in location to place the article in a floating state from the article support frame, and at the carry-out location. The article conveying apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the article placing table is configured to be lowered so that the article can be wholesaled on the article support frame.

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