JP2012001344A - Treatment facility - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To allow plant layout to be performed easily and allow a treatment facility to be modified simply after its construction, the treatment facility having a plurality of treatment rooms wherein treated materials are obtained by treating materials-to-be-treated.SOLUTION: Treatment floors 1 wherein a plurality of treatment rooms 21 are arranged in a planar manner, and distribution floors 2 provided below the treatment floors 1 and allowing conveyance containers C storing materials-to-be-treated or treated materials therein to be conveyed, are provided, and delivery openings 22 which receive and deliver the conveyance containers C between the treatment floors 1 and the distribution floors 2 are provided on floor surfaces 11 of the treatment rooms, and by moving up and down the conveyance container C via the delivery opening 22 by a conveyance device 5 of the distribution floor 2, the conveyance container C is received and delivered between the distribution floor 2 and the treatment rooms 21. Further, during the reception and delivery, a swing stopping mechanism 90 suppresses swinging of a lift arm 52.

Description

  The present invention relates to a processing facility provided with a plurality of process chambers for processing an object to be processed.

  For example, in a factory that manufactures solid preparations such as pharmaceuticals, for example, weighing, granulation, sieving, and forming into tablets for powder raw materials to be processed and intermediate products obtained from the powder raw materials (Tablet), a plurality of process chambers for processing such as inspection and packaging are provided, and the object to be processed is transported in a state of being accommodated in a transport container such as a container, For example, processing is performed by an operator. In these process chambers, a processing apparatus for performing each processing is provided, and the height position where the transfer container is installed in the processing apparatus is, for example, about several meters higher than the floor of the process chamber. May be set.

  In such a factory, the transfer device that transfers the transfer container to the process chamber is called, for example, a stacker crane that can run on a horizontally laid rail and hold the transfer container up and down. Container transport mechanisms are known. When using this stacker crane, as shown in FIG. 38, for example, process chambers 102 are arranged on both sides of a transfer chamber 101 where the stacker crane 100 travels, and the process chambers on both sides of the transfer chamber 101 are arranged by the stacker crane 100. The transport container is transported to 102 via the transport port 105. On the side opposite to the transfer chamber 101 on the side surface of the process chamber 102, worker passages 103 for workers to enter and exit the process chamber 102 are arranged, respectively. The inside of the use passage 103 is kept in a clean atmosphere in order to prevent contamination.

  Further, for example, a machine room 107 for installing, for example, a processing apparatus member or a distribution board is provided on the surface opposite to the process chamber 102 at a side position of the worker passage 103. The chamber 107 is disposed, for example, such that one end side or a side surface faces the outer wall of the factory. Further, in this factory, for example, ducts that are air passages for the intake and exhaust of the atmosphere in each process chamber 102, for example, and a visitor passage (for which a visitor who visits each process chamber 102 visits) Therefore, the process chamber 102, the worker passage 103, the transfer chamber 101, the machine room 107, the duct, and the visitor passage are arranged in a predetermined layout in the factory. Furthermore, an uninterior (unused) area (room) 104 may be provided in the factory in place of the process room 102, and this uninterior area 104 is increased in production after the factory is constructed, for example. For example, interior work, remodeling work such as forming the transfer port 105 and carrying in the processing apparatus are performed and used as the process chamber 102.

  By using this stacker crane 100, the operator's flow (worker passage 103) and the object (transport container) flow (transport chamber 101) can be separated as described above. The worker and the stacker crane 100 can move safely without any risk of collision with the worker, and the operator is not likely to interfere with the transfer container or the object to be processed in the transfer container. Further, since the stacker crane 100 can move the transport container up and down, the transport container can be directly delivered to the height level at which the transport container is held by the processing apparatus. Therefore, each process chamber 102 does not require an elevating device for elevating and lowering the transfer container.

  However, when a modification is made after the factory is constructed, for example, when a modification work for the above-mentioned non-interior area or a work for replacing the treatment apparatus in the process chamber 102 is carried out, the treatment apparatus is adjacent to the outer wall of the factory. From the machine room 107, for example, the wall surface of the worker passage 103 between the machine room 107 and the process chamber 102 is torn down and loaded. At this time, since the inside of the worker passage 103 is maintained in a clean atmosphere as described above, for example, the construction area 106 is formed in the worker passage 103 so that the inner atmosphere of the worker passage 103 is not contaminated. However, it is troublesome to perform the construction to divide the construction area 106, and when the worker passage 103 is blocked by the construction area 106, the construction area 106 The operator will not be able to come and go through.

  Further, when the transfer port 105 is formed in the non-interior area 104, since the transfer chamber 101 is maintained in a clean atmosphere, for example, the transfer chamber 101 needs to be partitioned. The movement of 100 may be hindered. Therefore, it is necessary to previously form the transfer port 105 in the non-interior area 104, but the height position of the transfer port 105 differs depending on the type of processing apparatus provided in the process chamber 102 (non-interior area 104). Therefore, if the transfer port 105 is formed in advance, the types of process chambers 102 that can be added may be reduced.

  Furthermore, by providing the stacker crane 100, the transfer chamber 101 is arranged so as to divide the factory into two, so that a duct cannot be set via the transfer chamber 101. Further, for example, it is difficult to arrange the visitor passage so that the inside of each process chamber 102 can be observed. Therefore, when the stacker crane 100 is used, it takes time for the layout of the factory, and the modification work after the factory is constructed becomes difficult. Further, when the stacker crane 100 breaks down, the transfer to the process chambers 102 on both sides of the transfer chamber 101 is stopped until the stacker crane 100 is repaired or replaced.

On the other hand, as a transport device that transports a transport container, for example, an automatic transport device that moves horizontally, for example, called AGV (Auto Guided Vehicle), is known, but the above-mentioned problems cannot be solved.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-228561 describes a granular material charging system for charging powder into the device 40, but the above problem is not studied at all. Patent Document 2 describes a substrate processing apparatus in which a processing area and a transfer area are stacked one above the other. However, the above-described problem is not described.

JP2007-30914A JP-A-9-275127

  The present invention has been made under such circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a plurality of process chambers for processing a processed object to obtain the processed object, and to transfer the processed object or the processed object to a transport container. An object of the present invention is to provide a processing facility that can be easily accommodated to modification of a process chamber or equipment in a processing facility that is housed in a container and transported to a process chamber.

The treatment facility of the present invention is
In a processing facility in which a plurality of process chambers for processing a workpiece to obtain a workpiece are provided, and the workpiece or the workpiece is stored in a transport container and transported to the process chamber.
A first floor on which a plurality of process chambers are arranged in a plane;
A second floor provided below the first floor for transporting the transport container;
A transfer port formed on each floor surface of the plurality of process chambers, for transferring the transfer container between the first floor and the second floor;
A traveling vehicle main body that moves horizontally on the second floor, and is provided on the traveling vehicle main body, and can be vertically expanded and contracted, in order to deliver a conveyed product to the process chamber via the delivery port. A lifting vehicle, and a transfer vehicle provided on the lifting arm so as to be horizontally movable, and holding and transporting a transported object horizontally.
When the transfer mechanism transfers a conveyed product at a position above the transfer port, a portion located at the transfer port in the lifting arm, or a steadying mechanism provided at the transfer port,
The anti-sway mechanism includes a support member that is extendable in the lateral direction and has a support member that extends to come into contact with the inner peripheral wall of the transfer port or the elevating arm to suppress the oscillation of the elevating arm. To do.

  Further, the steadying mechanism includes an expansion / contraction mechanism for expanding / contracting the support member, a detection unit for detecting that the tip of the support member has contacted the inner peripheral wall of the transfer port or the lifting arm, and a contact by the detection unit And a control unit that controls to stop the extension of the support member when the detection is detected. Moreover, the front-end | tip part of the said support member may be comprised by the elastic member.

  In the present invention, a plurality of process chambers for obtaining a processed product by processing the processed material are provided, and a plurality of processes are performed in a processing facility for storing the processed material or the processed product in a transport container and transporting the processed product to the process chamber. A second floor (distribution floor) for transporting the transport container is provided below the first floor (processing floor) where the chambers are arranged in a plane. A delivery port that opens downward is provided on the floor surface of the first floor, and a transport container is delivered to the process chamber via the delivery port by a transport vehicle that travels on the second floor. Accordingly, since the processing floor and the distribution floor are partitioned vertically, the degree of freedom in layout of the processing chambers and other areas of the processing floor, such as worker passages and machine rooms, is increased.

  Moreover, since the delivery port which delivers a conveyance container between conveyance vehicles has the large freedom degree of the installation position of the process chamber in the plane direction (XY direction), it is advantageous. For example, even in the case where a transfer port is formed in advance in anticipation of future expansion of process chambers, it is possible to select a position that can flexibly cope with the expansion, and as a result, expansion of process chambers becomes easy. And unlike the conventional system which used the stacker crane as the main transfer device, since the worker passage and the machine room can be arranged on both sides of the process chamber, respectively, when modifying or maintaining the process chamber, This is convenient because it is possible to directly carry in / out equipment and the like between the machine room and the process room. Furthermore, when the transfer arm is extended and the transfer mechanism is used to transfer the conveyed product to and from the process chamber side, the swing arm can suppress the swing of the lift arm so that stable transfer operation is performed. be able to. Moreover, since the reaction force from the wall can be received by the steadying mechanism, it is possible to place a load further in the horizontal direction.

It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the principal part of the production factory of this invention roughly. It is a perspective view which shows an example of the production factory of this invention. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows said factory. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows said factory. It is a top view which shows said factory. It is a perspective view which shows an example of the conveyance vehicle in this embodiment. It is a top view which shows an example of the conveyance vehicle in this embodiment. It is a front view which shows an example of the conveyance vehicle in this embodiment. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view explaining the steadying mechanism in this invention. It is a top view which shows said factory. It is a perspective view which shows an example of the conveyance container in which a to-be-processed object is accommodated in said factory. It is a perspective view which shows an example of the delivery member to which said conveyance container is delivered. It is a perspective view which shows the stacker crane used in said factory. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows an example of the process chamber in said factory. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows an example of an effect | action of said factory. It is a top view which shows an example of an effect | action of said factory. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows an example of an effect | action of said factory. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows an example of an effect | action of said factory. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows an example of an effect | action of said factory. It is a top view which shows an example of an effect | action of said factory. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows an example of an effect | action of said factory. It is a top view which shows an example of an effect | action of said factory. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows an example of an effect | action of said factory. It is a top view which shows an example of an effect | action of said factory. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows an example of an effect | action of said factory. It is a top view which shows an example of an effect | action of said factory. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the other example of said factory. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the other example of said factory. It is a top view which shows the other example of said factory. It is a top view which shows the other example of said factory. It is a top view which shows the other example of said factory. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the other example of said factory. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the other example of said factory. It is a top view which shows the other example of said factory. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the other example of said factory. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of said factory for showing an example of other embodiment in a steadying prevention mechanism. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of said factory for showing an example of other embodiment in a steadying prevention mechanism. It is a top view which shows an example of the conventional factory.

  The treatment facility of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 14 by taking, for example, a pharmaceutical manufacturing factory that manufactures a solid preparation of a pharmaceutical product that is a processed material from raw material powder that is a processed material. First, the main part of this factory will be schematically described with reference to FIG. 1. In this factory, the raw material powder that is the object to be processed, the intermediate product obtained from this raw material powder, and the processed object that is the product On the other hand, the process chamber 21 for performing storage, weighing, filling of the raw material powder into the transfer container C, which will be described later, granulation, sieving, molding into tablets (tablet), coating, inspection, packaging and the like is flat. A plurality of processing floors 1 forming a first floor, and a second floor which is provided below the processing floor 1 and transports a processing container or a processing container C in which processing objects are stored. A hierarchical structure 3 including a certain distribution floor 2 is arranged. A delivery port 22 is formed on the floor surface 11 of the process chamber 21, and when the transfer container C is transferred between the processing floor 1 and the distribution floor 2, the transfer is performed by the transfer vehicle 5 as will be described later. It will be conveyed through the mouth 22. The “inspection” and “packaging” are also included in the term “processing” in this specification.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, for example, an AGF (Auto Guided) configured to be movable in a horizontal direction along a conveyance path 6 such as a magnetic tape attached to the floor 11 is provided on the physical distribution floor 2. A plurality of transport vehicles 5 such as forklifts are provided. The transport vehicle 5 includes a wheel 5a that is a traveling vehicle body and a fork 5b that is a delivery mechanism that holds the transport container C up and down. ing. Further, a detection unit (not shown) that detects the conveyance path 6 is provided on the lower surface of the conveyance vehicle 5 so as to be movable along the conveyance path 6. For example, as shown in FIG. 11, the transport container C is a substantially box-shaped container that is reduced in diameter toward the lower side, and is configured such that the reduced diameter portion is supported from both the left and right sides by the fork 5b. As described later, the fork 5b is configured to retract downward when the transport vehicle 5 moves horizontally, and to extend upward when the transport container C is transferred to and from the process chamber 21.

  As the conveyance path 6, for example, a main line (circular orbit) 6 a that connects the lower positions of the plurality of transfer ports 22 in an elliptical shape and a plurality of branch paths 6 b that branch from the main line 6 a are arranged. Further, the branch path 6b is replaced with, for example, a retreat branch path 8a in which an operator retreats the transport vehicle 5 when the transport vehicle 5 breaks down or undergoes maintenance, and a transport vehicle 5 withdrawn in the retreat branch path 8a. The standby branch path 8b on which the spare transport vehicle 5 that transports the vehicle stands by and the transfer branch path 8c that is disposed so that the transport vehicle 5 can travel in a position facing a transfer member 15 described later are configured. . The plurality of transport vehicles 5 do not interfere (collision) with each other when the transport container C is delivered to the process chamber 21 according to a predetermined transport program in accordance with an instruction from a control unit 10 described later provided in the factory. For example, it moves along the main line 6a in the clockwise direction, and when it breaks down, undergoes maintenance, or delivers the transfer container C to / from the stacker crane 12 described later, it follows this branch path 6b (8a-8c). Configured to move.

  In FIG. 5, 9 is a marker such as a magnet or a magnetic bar attached to a stop position of the transport vehicle 5 on the floor surface 11, for example, a position below the transfer port 22, and the transport vehicle 5 is a sensor (not shown) provided on the lower surface. For example, the magnetic field from the marker 9 is detected. The control part 10 stops the conveyance vehicle 5 by the detection of this magnetic field. On the other hand, since the control unit 10 counts the pulses of the encoder connected to the other one for traveling of the transport vehicle 5, the position of the marker 9 can also be recognized, and the position where the transport vehicle 5 travels and which position It is possible to know whether or not the vehicle has stopped, and to stop at the target position. For traveling of the transport vehicle 5, the magnetic lines of the magnet lines arranged along the transport path 6 are detected by sensors provided on the left and right of the transport vehicle 5, and the handle is operated so that the magnetic fields of both are the same. Thus, the transport vehicle 5 travels along the transport path 6. In addition, on the floor surface of the distribution floor 2, for example, a reversing conveyance path (not shown) that branches from the main line 6 a and extends in a circular shape is provided so that the conveyance vehicle 5 can be reversed 180 ° at a position below the transfer port 22. It may be done. The transport vehicle 5 may be, for example, a forklift that is manually operated (maneuvered) by an operator. For reinforcing the factory, a plurality of pillars connecting the floor surface 11 and the ceiling surface are provided in the distribution floor 2 at positions that do not interfere with the operation of the transport vehicle 5.

  Here, the structure of the transport vehicle 5 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. The transport vehicle 5 is horizontally movable on the distribution floor 2 by the traveling vehicle main body 50. On the upper portion of the traveling vehicle main body 50, a fixed arm 51, which is two support columns, is vertically spaced apart in the left-right direction (X direction in FIG. 6). A plate-like elevating arm 52 is provided so as to be movable up and down while both sides are guided by these two fixed arms 51 and 51. The elevating arm 52 is provided with a horizontally elevating body 53 extending in the X direction so as to be raised and lowered. The elevating body 53 is configured such that horizontally elevating bodies 53a and 53b are overlapped in two directions in the Y direction, and extend in the X direction sequentially to increase the extension stroke. A support arm 54 extends in the Y direction with respect to the elevating body 53, and a fork member 56 that is rotatable around the Z axis (around the vertical axis) by the rotation shaft 55 is provided at the distal end side of the support arm 54. Is provided. Therefore, the fork member 56 can rotate around the vertical axis and can move in the X direction via the support arm 54. The elevating body 53 moves up and down along the elevating arm 52, so that the fork member 56 also moves up and down. Further, when the elevating arm 52 moves up and down along the fixed arm 51, the height position of the fork member 56 with respect to the physical distribution floor 2 can be further extended. Further, a further raising / lowering arm that can be raised and lowered with respect to the raising / lowering arm 52 may be provided to have the same structure as the two-stage structure of the raising / lowering body 53. In that case, a further raising stroke can be obtained.

  On the other hand, an anti-sway mechanism 90 is provided on the side of the lift arm 52 on the side where the fork member 56 extends, as shown in FIGS. The steadying mechanism 90 includes a telescopic mechanism 96, a support member 92, an elastic member 93, a detection unit 94, and a steadying control unit 97. The expansion / contraction mechanism 96 is provided on the side of the elevating arm 52 so that the support member 92 can be expanded and contracted, and the distal end of the support member 92 is formed of an elastic member 93 made of rubber, for example. A detecting portion 94 that is a pressure sensor is provided at the distal end portion of the elastic member 93. When the elastic member 93 comes into contact with an inner peripheral wall of a delivery port 22 to be described later, the steadying control portion provided on the traveling vehicle main body 50 side. The extension operation is stopped by 97. The set height position of the steady stop mechanism 90 is set such that the fork member 56 is positioned above the transfer port 22 and is transferred to or from the process chamber 21 side transfer mechanism or the process chamber 21 side. Is set to a height position opposite to the inner peripheral wall of the transfer port 22 when the transfer is performed.

  In FIG. 6, the transport vehicle 5 is configured such that the fork member 56 extends in a direction orthogonal to the traveling direction of the transport vehicle 5, but FIGS. 1, 4, 15, 17, and 18. 21, FIG. 28, FIG. 32, FIG. 33 and FIG. 35, in order to facilitate understanding of the drawings, the extension direction of the fork member 56 and the extension direction of the support member 92 of the steady stop mechanism 90 and the traveling vehicle. The relationship with the orientation of the main body 50 is described differently from FIG. Therefore, in the case of the delivery shown in these drawings, when the transport vehicle 5 shown in FIG. 6 is used, the fork member 56 and the support member 92 extend in a direction perpendicular to the paper surface.

  Further, in this example, as shown in FIGS. 2 to 4 described above, the hierarchical structure 3 including the processing floor 1 and the distribution floor 2 is laminated in a plurality of layers, for example, two layers, A lifting device such as a vertical lifter or an elevator for transporting the transport container C between the floors 2 and 2, in this example, a stacker crane 12 is provided. The stacker crane 12 is disposed in an elevating chamber 13 provided over a plurality of distribution floors 2 at a position adjacent to an end of a factory, for example, a tableting chamber 25 described later. On the wall surface between the elevator chamber 13 and the distribution floor 2, as shown in FIG. 3, transfer ports 14 and 14 for delivering the transfer container C between the elevator chamber 13 and the distribution floor 2 are respectively provided. A delivery member 15 for delivering the transport container C between the stacker crane 12 and the transport vehicle 5 is provided at a position that is open and faces the transport port 14 on the physical distribution floor 2. As shown in FIG. 12, the delivery member 15 is composed of, for example, two U-shaped members 15a and 15a that are spaced apart from each other in the transport direction of the transport container C (the advancing and retreating direction of a transport table 45 described later). . In addition, in FIG. 2, drawing of the stacker crane 12 and the conveyance port 14 is abbreviate | omitted. In FIG. 4, the stacker crane 12 is drawn for convenience.

  As shown in FIG. 5, rails 41 arranged horizontally along the outer wall of the factory are provided on the floor surface in the elevator chamber 13. As shown in FIG. 9, the stacker crane 12 includes two column portions 42 and 42 that are spaced apart from each other and extend in the vertical direction, and base portions 43 and 43 that support the column portions 42 and 42 from above and below. Yes. In FIG. 9, reference numerals 44 and 46 denote lifts and wheels, respectively, which are configured so that the stacker crane 12 travels on the rail 41 and can move the transport container C up and down along the pillar portions 42 and 42. On the lift 44, a transfer table 45 for placing the transfer container C is installed. The transfer table 45 is formed to be narrower than the distance between the U-shaped members 15a and 15a. The horizontal structure 3 (distribution floor 2) is configured to be movable forward and backward in the horizontal direction.

  When the transport container C is transported from the stacker crane 12 to the distribution floor 2, for example, the transport container C is placed on the transport table 45, and the U-shaped member 15a is placed via the transport port 14 described above. The transfer table 45 is extended from the stacker crane 12 to a position above 15a, and then the lift 44 is lowered so that the transfer table 45 passes between the U-shaped members 15a and 15a downward. The transfer container C is placed on the surface. Further, when the transport container C is received from the distribution floor 2, the stacker crane 12 operates in the reverse order. When the transport vehicle 5 described above receives the transport container C from the delivery member 15, the transport vehicle 5 moves to a position facing the delivery member 15, and for example, from the lower side of the transport container C or the transport container C. The fork 5b is lifted slightly from below the upper end position of the reduced diameter portion to lift the transport container C. When the transfer container C is delivered from the transfer vehicle 5 to the delivery member 15, the transfer vehicle 5 operates in the reverse order of the transfer operation. The stacker crane 12 may be a lifting device such as a luggage elevator, a vertical lifter, or a vertical conveyor.

  Next, the processing floor 1 will be described in detail. On the processing floor 1, as shown in FIGS. 2, 4, and 10, a plurality of process chambers 21 are arranged in a line in the front-rear direction (Y direction in FIG. 2). A plurality of rows, for example, two rows are arranged so as to be spaced apart from each other in parallel in the left-right direction (X direction in FIG. 2). In each process chamber 21, a processing device 27 for performing the above-described processing is provided. A delivery port 22 for delivering the transfer container C is formed on the floor surface 11 of the process chamber 21 (the floor surface 11 between the processing floor 1 and the distribution floor 2). In the processing floor 1, the ceiling from the floor surface 11 of the processing floor 1 is located at a position spaced from the outer edge of each transfer port 22 toward the inner region of the processing floor 1 as shown in FIG. A partition wall 22 a for partitioning the atmosphere of the processing floor 1 and the atmosphere of the distribution floor 2 is provided around the transfer port 22 so as to extend toward the surface. The partition wall 22a is formed with an opening 22c that is opened and closed by an opening / closing door 22b. This open / close door 22b is for partitioning these areas so that the air flow hardly flows between areas on both sides of the open / close door 22b (the area above the transfer port 22 and the atmosphere in the process chamber 21). is there. Therefore, the open / close door 22b is connected to the other from one side of these regions according to the pressure difference formed between the regions on both sides through the gap formed between the open / close door 22b and the opening 22c. It is configured so that the atmosphere flows little by little to the side. The same applies to the door 48a and the loading / unloading port 24 described later. The delivery port 22 is in a state where the lower side of the partition wall 22a is opened over the entire surface.

  The opening 22c is provided on the side surface on the processing atmosphere side described above, and is opened and closed by an instruction from the control unit 10 described later or by an operator when the transfer container 5 is delivered by the transfer vehicle 5. The Further, when the transport container C is temporarily stored in the process chamber 21, for example, as shown in FIG. 10, a door is provided on the wall surface between the storage region (storage region 48) and the partition wall 22a. Openable / closable opening 48b is formed by 48a. The partition wall 22a may also serve as the inner wall surface of the process chamber 21, as shown in FIG.

  Here, as shown in FIG. 10, the above-described delivery port 22 may be provided individually for each process chamber 21, or a plurality of, for example, two processes in which one delivery port 22 is adjacent to each other. In some cases, the rooms 21 and 21 are shared. For example, the process chamber 21 in which the transfer port 22 is formed is referred to as a first process chamber 21a, and the process chamber 21 that is adjacent to the first process chamber 21a and in which the transfer port 22 is not formed is referred to as a second process chamber 21b. The transfer port 22 of the first process chamber 21a is disposed in proximity to the second process chamber 21b. A loading / unloading port 24 for delivering the transfer container C is formed on the wall surface between the first process chamber 21a and the second process chamber 21b. The loading / unloading port 24 is configured to be opened and closed by an opening / closing mechanism 24a such as a door, and the transfer container C has a delivery port 22 and a first process chamber 21a with respect to the second process chamber 21b. And it is conveyed by the conveyance vehicle 5 through the loading / unloading port 24. Accordingly, the processing apparatus 27 already described is disposed in the first process chamber 21a in the vicinity of the transfer port 22, and in the second process chamber 21b in the position in the vicinity of the loading / unloading port 24.

  Further, for example, the process chamber 21 for performing the tableting process, that is, the tableting chamber 25 shown in FIG. 14 is divided into two upper and lower layers by a partition 26, an input area 25a and a processing area 25b. In the tableting chamber 25, the above-described delivery port 22 is provided so as to penetrate the floor surface 11 (the floor surface of the processing area 25b) and the partition 26 between the distribution floor 2 and the processing floor 1 vertically. Each is formed. That is, dedicated transfer ports 22 and 22 are formed in the input area 25a and the processing area 25b, respectively. In this example, these two transfer ports 22 and 22 are overlapped when viewed in a plane. I can say that. In the input area 25a and the processing area 25b, the partition walls 22a described above are respectively provided at positions separated from the outer edges of the transfer ports 22 and 22 toward the input area 25a and the processing area 25b. The transport ports 22c are each opened and closed by an open / close door 22b.

  The processing area 25b is provided with a processing device (tablet press) 27 for performing a tableting process on an object to be processed. An opening 26a is provided in the partition 26 at a position above the processing device 27. Is formed. In the charging area 25a, one end side of a tubular charging path 27a for supplying a workpiece from the charging area 25a through the opening 26a to the processing apparatus 27 below is opened. In the input area 25a, a transfer unit 28 is provided for transferring the transfer container C between an upper position of the processing device 27 and a position close to the open / close door 22b.

  The delivery unit 28 is, for example, two sets of conveyors arranged so as to be separated from each other along the conveyance direction of the conveyance container C to the input area 25 a, and delivers the conveyance container C to and from the conveyance vehicle 5. The transport container C is configured to be transported horizontally between the delivery position and the position above the processing device 27. Further, in the processing area 25b, a transport container C for storing the processed material that has been subjected to the tableting process in the processing device 27 is placed at a side position of the processing device 27. In FIG. 14, 27 b is a transport member for taking out the processed product for which the tableting process has been completed in the processing device 27 and storing it in the transport container C placed in the processing area 25 b. In FIG. 10, the tableting chamber 25 is shown in a simplified manner. Further, the mechanism for moving the transport container C up and down in the transport vehicle 5 is shown in a simplified manner in FIG.

  In addition, as the process chamber 21, for example, as shown as an unused area 31 in FIG. 10, there may be a region (room) in which no interior is given on the inner wall surface or the floor surface. This unused area 31 is an area that is used as the process room 21 when, for example, it is desired to increase the process room 21 in order to increase the production of pharmaceuticals after the factory is constructed, and is therefore used when the factory is constructed. There is no area. In this unused area 31, the delivery port 22 is not formed, and the delivery port 22 of the adjacent process chamber 21 is shared. Further, as described above, since the height position (the height position of the loading / unloading port 24) where the transfer container C is installed differs depending on the type of the processing device 27, the loading / unloading port 24 is formed in this unused area 31. However, when the process chamber 21 is added, the loading / unloading port 24 is formed by construction according to the type of the processing device 27 provided in the process chamber 21 (unused area 31). Further, when the process chamber 21 is added, an interior work and a work for carrying in a processing device 27 (to be described later) are carried out along with the work for the carry-in / out port 24. A loading / unloading port 24 that is opened and closed airtight by a door or the like may be formed in advance.

  On the left side and the right side of the row of the process chambers 21, the machine room 61 and a work for an operator working in the process chamber 21 to enter and exit the process chamber 21. A person passage 62 is provided along the row of the process chambers 21. In this example, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, machine rooms 61 and 61 are arranged on both sides of the processing floor 1 along the outer wall of the factory, and are sandwiched between two process chambers 21 and 21. In addition, worker passages 62 and 62 are provided (inside). A door (not shown) for carrying in / out the processing device 27 described above is formed on a wall surface (outer wall) facing the outside of the factory in the machine room 61. The ceiling surface of the worker passage 62 may be lower than the ceiling surface of the process chamber 21 by a predetermined height.

  The machine room 61 is an area for installing, for example, mechanical equipment 61a such as a dust collector, an air conditioner, or a switchboard in the process chamber 21. Alternatively, the level of cleanliness is set to be lower than that of the worker passage 62 and the like. On the wall surface between the process chamber 21 and the machine chamber 61, an opening (not shown) for routing the wiring and piping connecting the processing device 27 and the mechanical equipment 61a is formed. Further, as will be described later, this machine room 61 is a door (not shown) formed on the outer wall of the factory (side surface of the machine room 61) when the processing device 27 is exchanged between the outside of the factory and the process room 21, for example. This is a region for transporting the processing device 27 from the machine chamber 61 through the machine room 61. As an example of replacing (replacement) the processing apparatus 27 in this way, for example, when switching the old processing apparatus 27 in the process chamber 21 to a new processing apparatus 27, or when the type of processing in the process chamber 21 is changed. and so on.

  At this time, the processing device 27 may not be replaced, and the size of the processing device 27 varies depending on the type of processing. Therefore, when the processing apparatus 27 is carried in and out between the machine room 61 and the process chamber 21, an opening is formed each time on the wall surface between the machine room 61 and the process room 21, for example, by performing construction. Will be. Note that an opening may be formed in advance on this wall surface and closed with a door or the like when the processing device 27 is not transported. Moreover, this machine room 61 should just be arrange | positioned so that the side surface in any one of three side surfaces other than the wall surface which faces the process chamber 21 may contact | connect the outer wall of a factory. In FIG. 10, only one of the above-described mechanical equipment 61a is schematically drawn.

  The processing floor 1 is provided with processing stations 7 including the process chamber 21, the machine room 61, and the worker passage 62 in parallel in a plurality of rows, for example, in two rows. On the side opposite to the process chamber 21 on the side surface 62, a visitor observes the inside of the process chamber 21 through a window (not shown) formed on the side wall of the worker passage 62 and the side wall of the process chamber 21, for example. A visitor passage 63 is disposed along the worker passage 62 (process chamber 21). The ceiling surface of the visitor passage 63 is set to the same height level as the ceiling surface of the worker passage 62. In this example, the worker passages 62, the process chamber 21 and the machine room 61 on both the left and right sides are arranged symmetrically via the visitor passage 63. Therefore, in this case, the left and right two passages are arranged. In the processing station 7, the visitor passage 63 is also used. 4 and 10, reference numeral 29 denotes a door through which an operator enters and exits the process chamber 21 from the worker passage 62. Further, the worker passage 62, the distribution floor 2 and the process chamber 21 are maintained in a clean atmosphere in order to suppress contamination.

  Above the worker passage 62 and the visitor passage 63, for example, the ceiling surface is at a level similar to the ceiling surface of the process chamber 21 so as to be adjacent to the upper side of the side surface of the process chamber 21. An air passage (duct) 35 disposed in the front and rear is provided, and the air passage 35 is formed long along the process chambers 21 arranged in the front-rear direction. The air passage 35 is an area for exhausting the atmosphere of the process chamber 21 to the outside of the factory, or sucking clean air from the outside of the factory, for example, from each process chamber 21 to the outside of the factory. An extending air supply path and exhaust path (not shown) are routed.

  As shown in FIG. 5, this factory includes a control unit 10 that controls the stacker crane 12, the transport vehicle 5, and the transport operation of the stacker crane 12. The control unit 10 includes a CPU, a memory, and a program storage unit. For each part of the factory (the transport vehicle 5 and the stacker crane 12) so that the processed object can be obtained by processing the processed object. And a control signal is output. The program stored in the program storage unit is installed in the control unit 10 from a storage medium (not shown) such as a hard disk, a compact disk, a magnetic optical disk, or a memory card.

  Next, the operation of this factory will be described with reference to FIGS. First, for example, a transport container C having a weight of about 500 kg is received by the transport vehicle 5 from a warehouse (not shown) provided on the same level as the distribution floor 2. And as shown to Fig.15 (a), the conveyance vehicle 5 moves toward the process chamber 21 in which a process with respect to the to-be-processed object in this conveyance container C is performed. That is, as shown in FIG. 16, the transport vehicle 5 moves, for example, clockwise along the transport path 6 (main line 6a) while detecting the trajectory in the transport path 6 described above. Next, the transport vehicle 5 stops when it detects the marker 9 provided at a position below the delivery port 22 of the process chamber 21 and performs a predetermined delivery operation. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 15B, the transport vehicle 5 raises the fork member 56 to a height position slightly higher than the height position where the transport container C is installed in the processing device 27, The transfer container C is carried into the process chamber 21 through the transfer port 22. Thereafter, the support member 92 of the steadying mechanism 90 is extended, and when the tip of the elastic member 93 comes into contact with the inner peripheral wall of the transfer port 22, the detection unit 94 outputs a contact detection signal. Stop. Then, as shown in FIG. 15C, after the fork member 56 is moved in the horizontal direction by, for example, sliding the elevating body 53 in the left-right direction so that the transport container C is positioned above the processing device 27, for example. Then, the fork member 56 is lowered to deliver the transfer container C to the processing device 27, for example. The transfer container C may be transferred to a transfer stage in the process chamber 21. If the fork member 56 extends while holding the transport container C, a large moment is applied to the elevating arm 52, but the support member 92 extends from the elevating arm 52 toward the fork member 56 and the inner peripheral surface of the transfer port 22. Therefore, the action of the elevating arm 52 trying to swing toward the fork member 56 is suppressed.

  Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 17 (a), the fork member 56 is horizontally moved toward the lifting arm 52 side and retracted, and the fork 5b is retracted into the distribution floor 2 as shown in FIG. 17 (b). The transport vehicle 5 moves, for example, clockwise along the transport path 6 in order to perform the next transport. Then, the operator enters the process chamber 21 from the worker passage 62 and adjusts the atmosphere in the process chamber 21 or the processing apparatus 27 through the ventilation path 35 to set up the processing apparatus 27. It uses and processes to the to-be-processed object in the conveyance container C. After that, the processed material processed in the process chamber 21 is stored in, for example, the transport container C and is transported to the distribution floor 2 by the transport vehicle 5 in the reverse order of the transport order. become. The transport container C is transported, for example, clockwise along the transport path 6 to a warehouse (not shown) or a process chamber 21 for performing the next processing by the transport vehicle 5.

  At this time, if the previous process is not completed in the process chamber 21 in which the next process is performed, for example, as shown in FIG. The transport vehicle 5 moves along the road and reverses, for example, 180 °, and the transport vehicle 5 places another transport container C at a position in the process chamber 21 that does not interfere with the processing device 27 and the operator, and performs another transport. When the previous processing is completed in the process chamber 21 after that, the transfer container C placed at the position where it does not interfere is installed in the processing device 27 by, for example, an operator or by the transfer vehicle 5. Will be.

  Further, for example, in the process chamber 21b sharing the transfer port 22, as shown in FIG. 18A, the fork 5b of the transport vehicle 5 is moved upward from the transfer port 22 of the process chamber 21a adjacent to the process chamber 21b. Next, as shown in FIG. 4B, the transfer container C is loaded into the process chamber 21b via the loading / unloading port 24 and placed on the processing device 27 in the process chamber 21b. Become.

  And when the process chamber 21 which performs the next process is arrange | positioned in the hierarchical structure 3 of the upper layer side of this distribution floor 2, for example, as shown to Fig.19 (a) and FIG. It moves toward the delivery member 15 along the delivery branch path 8 c, and the transfer container C is placed on the delivery member 15. The stacker crane 12 moves the transport table 45 to a position facing the transfer member 15, and extends the transfer table 45 to the lower side of the placement surface on the transfer member 15, so that the lower side of the transport container C Then, the transfer table 45 is raised to receive the transfer container C. Then, the transport table 45 is contracted to store the transport container C on the lift 44, and the transport container C is raised to a position facing the delivery member 15 of the distribution floor 2 in the upper hierarchical structure 3. Next, as shown in FIG. 19B, the stacker crane 12 receives the transport vehicle 5 to the transport vehicle 5 through the transfer member 15 in the reverse order to the order in which the transport container C is received from the transfer member 15. hand over. In this way, the transport container C is transported from the lower distribution floor 2 (conveyance vehicle 5) to the upper distribution floor 2, and the subsequent processing is sequentially performed. Further, when the transport container C is transported from the upper distribution floor 2 to the lower distribution floor 2, the transport container C is similarly delivered by the transport vehicle 5 and the stacker crane 12. The stacker crane 12 may be a lifting device such as a luggage elevator, a vertical lifter, or a vertical conveyor.

  When the transfer container C is transferred to the input area 25a of the process chamber 21 (tablet chamber 25) where the tableting process described above is performed, as shown in FIG. 22 and the delivery port 22 of the input area 25a, the transport vehicle 5 raises the transport container C to the same height position as the input area 25a and places it on the transfer section 28. The transfer container C is transferred from the transfer position to the upper position of the processing device 27 by the transfer unit 28. Further, as shown in FIG. 5B, for example, another transport vehicle 5 raises an empty transport container C for storing the processed material from the delivery port 22 to the tableting chamber 25 side. The transport container C is carried into the processing area 25b through the transport port 22c. Then, the operator goes up the stairs (not shown) provided in the tableting chamber 25, and connects the opening end of the input path 27a to the input port (not shown) provided on the lower surface of the transfer container C in the input area 25a. Then, an object to be processed is put into the processing device 27 from the transfer container C. The object to be processed is subjected to a tableting process in the processing device 27, and is stored as a processed object in the transfer container C in the processing area 25b by the transfer member 27b.

When the tableting process is performed for a predetermined time, the transport container 5 carries the transport container C storing the processed material out of the tableting chamber 25 (processing area 25b). Further, for example, the empty transport container C is again carried into the processing area 25b by another transport vehicle 5, and the tableting process is continued. Then, for example, the transport container 5 is carried into and out of the processing area 25b by the transport vehicle 5 until the objects to be processed in the transport container C in the input area 25a run out or decrease. Thereafter, when the transport container C in the input area 25a becomes empty or the number of objects to be processed decreases, the transport container 5 unloads the transport container C.
For example, the operations of the processing device 27 and the operator in the process chamber 21 are observed (inspected) by, for example, a visitor passing through the visitor passage 63. Then, for example, by sequentially performing a plurality of processes on the object to be processed in the process chambers 21 at a plurality of levels, a pharmaceutical product as a final product is manufactured.

  Next, a case where the processing device 27 in the process chamber 21 is replaced (replaced) will be described. First, as shown in FIGS. 22 (a) and 23 (a), dust or the like generated in the process chamber 21 due to construction works from the process chamber 21 to the distribution floor 2, the worker passage 62, or another process chamber 21. The delivery port 22 or the loading / unloading port 24 is sealed by, for example, a plate-shaped covering member 65 and the door 29 is closed in an airtight manner. Next, as shown in FIG. 22B, construction is performed to tear down the wall surface between the machine chamber 61 and the process chamber 21. Although dust and the like are generated by this construction, since the process chamber 21 is closed, the dust exits from the process chamber 21 to the distribution floor 2, the worker passage 62 or the process chamber 21 adjacent to the process chamber 21. I won't go.

  Then, as shown in FIGS. 22 (c) and 23 (b), the processing device 27 is carried out from the process chamber 21 to the outside of the factory via the machine chamber 61, and for example, a new processing device 27 is placed in the process chamber 21. Carry in. At this time, in the case where the machine room 61 is arranged at a level of two or more floors as described above, the processing device 27 is transported from the outside of the factory, for example, using a crane. Thereafter, the cleaning in the process chamber 21 and the wall surface between the process chamber 21 and the machine chamber 61 are formed (repaired), the covering member 65 is removed, and the process is resumed as described above. Become. 22 and 23, only one process chamber 21 is drawn.

  Further, when the process chamber 21 is newly installed in the unused area 31 described above, the unused area 31 and the delivery port 22 are provided as shown in FIGS. 24 (a) and 25 (a). In the shared (adjacent) process chamber 21, the transfer port 22 is similarly closed by the covering member 65, and as shown in FIGS. 24B and 25B, the unused area 31 and the process chamber 21 The wall surface between them is demolished by construction to form the loading / unloading port 24. The height position of the loading / unloading port 24 is set according to the processing device 27 installed in the unused area 31, for example. Then, for example, by performing interior work on the unused area 31 or by performing work for demolishing the wall surface between the machine room 61 and newly loading the processing device 27 as described above. A new process chamber 21 is provided for the unused area 31. In this case as well, when construction is being performed, dust and the like from the unused area 31 and the process room 21 sharing the unused area 31 and the delivery port 22, the distribution floor 2, the worker passage 62 or another process room. I will not go to 21. Similarly, after cleaning or repairing the wall surface between the machine room 61, the unused area 31 is used as the process chamber 21.

  For example, when the transport vehicle 5 breaks down or undergoes maintenance, as shown in FIG. 26, for example, the operator retracts the transport vehicle 5 to the retreat branch path 8a and waits on the spare branch path 8b. The transport vehicle 5 is moved to the main line 6a, and the transport vehicle 5 is replaced with the transport vehicle 5 retracted to the retreat branch path 8a.

  According to the above-described embodiment, the processing floor 1 in which a plurality of process chambers 21 are arranged in a plane and the distribution floor 2 that is provided below the processing floor 1 and transports the transfer container C are provided. In addition, a transfer port 22 for transferring the transfer container C between the processing floor 1 and the distribution floor 2 is provided on the floor surface of the process chamber 21, and the transfer container 5 is transferred by the transfer vehicle 5 on the distribution floor 2 via the transfer port 22. By raising and lowering C, the transfer container C is delivered between the distribution floor 2 and the process chamber 21. Thus, in the present invention, in contrast to the conventional concept of transporting the transport container C from the side to the process chamber 21, transport is performed on the logistics floor 2 and the processing floor 1 on the floor. A new concept of delivering the container C is adopted. Therefore, since it is not necessary to provide a transport path for transporting the transport container C on the processing floor 1, a physical distribution floor 2 that is a flow line of an object and a worker passage 62 that is a flow line of a person are arranged separately. However, the degree of freedom in the layout of the process chamber 21, the machine room 61, the worker passage 62, and the visitor passage 63, which are each part of the processing floor 1, is increased. For this reason, the process chamber 21 and the machine chamber 61 can be adjacent to each other. Usually, since the machine room 61 faces the outer wall of the factory, when the processing device 27 in the process room 21 is replaced after the factory is constructed, the outside of the factory and the process room 21 are connected via the machine room 61. Since the equipment such as the processing device 27 can be transported between them, for example, the processing in the process chamber 21 is stopped without performing the construction for closing the worker passage 62 and without affecting other process chambers 21. Just work can be done. As a result, the processing device 27 can be easily and quickly replaced, and there is an advantage that it is easy to design a factory because it is not necessary to adopt a layout that assumes construction work, for example, by separately routing the worker passage 62. In addition, the installation area of the factory can be reduced.

Furthermore, since the transfer container C is transferred from the lower level to the upper level by the transfer vehicle 5, since the transfer port 22 can be shared between the adjacent process chambers 21, 21, the number of transfer ports 22 can be reduced. In addition, even when the process chamber 21 is added to the unused area 31, the construction can be performed only by stopping the processing of the process chamber 21 sharing the unused area 31 and the transfer port 22. It can easily handle increased production of pharmaceuticals. Further, when the process chamber 21 is added to the unused area 31, the height position of the loading / unloading port 24 can be set in accordance with the processing device 27 installed in the unused area 31 (process chamber 21). The unused area 31 can correspond to various process chambers 21.
Therefore, even if new technologies such as a new manufacturing method for pharmaceuticals or a processing device 27 are developed after the factory is constructed, these new technologies can be easily introduced into the plant, and can easily cope with an increase in production. So you can get a factory with a high degree of freedom.

  In addition, since the distribution floor 2 and the worker passage 62 are provided separately, the collision between the transport vehicle 5 and the worker can be prevented, and the transport container C, the object to be processed or the processing by the worker can be prevented. Interference with objects can be prevented. Furthermore, since the transport vehicle 5 is moved horizontally and moved up and down, each process chamber 21 does not require a lifting device, and a factory can be constructed at low cost. Furthermore, since the visitor passage 63 can be provided at a side position of the process chamber 21, for example, the operation of the processing device 27 can be observed (inspected) more reliably than when provided, for example, above the process chamber 21. Can do.

  Furthermore, since the transport container C is transported by the transport vehicle 5 on the horizontal physical distribution floor 2, for example, the physical distribution floor 2 is compared with the case where the transport chamber is provided in the height direction along the process chamber 21 of a plurality of levels. For example, an operator can easily clean the inside. In addition, since a plurality of transport vehicles 5 are provided on the distribution floor 2, even when one of the transport vehicles breaks down or maintenance is performed, for example, other transport vehicles 5 can take over the transport handled by the transport vehicle 5. it can.

  Further, when it is necessary to transport the transport container C between the upper and lower distribution floors 2 and 2, the transport container C can be moved up and down by the stacker crane 12, so that the hierarchical structure 3 can be stacked, The installation area can be reduced. At this time, the lifting / lowering chamber 13 of the stacker crane 12 can be freely installed so as to face the logistics floor 2 of a plurality of levels, that is, to face the outer wall of the factory, so that it does not interfere with the layout in the factory.

  Furthermore, when the transfer arm C of the transport vehicle 5 is extended and the transfer container C is transferred to and from the process chamber 21 side by the transfer mechanism, the swinging mechanism 52 can suppress the swing of the lift arm 52. , Stable delivery operation can be performed.

  As described above, the transport vehicle 5 is configured to hold the transport container C from the side in the reduced diameter portion, while the stacker crane 12 is configured to hold the transport container C from the lower side. The transfer container C may be directly transferred between the transport vehicle 5 and the stacker crane 12 without providing the transfer member 15 described above. The transport vehicle 5 may have a mechanism for moving the fork 5b back and forth on the transport vehicle 5, or the direction of the fork 5b (transport container C) can be adjusted on the transport vehicle 5. good.

  Further, as described above, the transport vehicle 5 does not hold the transport container C from the lower surface side but holds the reduced diameter portion from both sides, so that the transport container C is directly attached to the floor surface 11 of the distribution floor 2. I can deliver it. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 27A, for example, a transport container C that has been processed, a transport container C that is temporarily stored in the middle of processing, or an empty transport container C is transported to a transport vehicle 5 on the distribution floor 2. It may be placed at a position where it does not interfere with the operation. Thus, by using the distribution floor 2 as a warehouse (mounting area), the transport container C can be stored at low cost without providing a separate space for the warehouse. Further, as shown in FIG. 27 (b), a shelf 71 may be provided on the distribution floor 2, and the shelf 71 may be used as a warehouse.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 28, in the distribution floor 2 below the delivery port 22, an area in which the transport vehicle 5 moves (advances and retreats) in the circumferential direction when the transport container C is delivered via the delivery port 22. You may provide the partition room 72 which connects the ceiling surface of the said distribution floor 2 and the floor surface 11 so that it may surround. In this case, the inner area of the compartment 72 forms an airlock chamber for suppressing contamination, and the atmosphere between the distribution floor 2 and the process chamber 21 is partitioned. In FIG. 28, reference numeral 73 denotes an opening / closing door such as a door that is opened and closed when the transport vehicle 5 enters and exits the compartment chamber 72, and is closed when the transport vehicle 5 does not enter and exit the compartment chamber 72. At this time, for example, an opening / closing member that opens and closes the transfer port 22 may be provided in the process chamber 21, and the process chamber 21 may be closed except when the transfer container C is transferred, for example.

  Further, an air lock chamber may be provided in the process chamber 21. In this case, in the process chamber 21, as shown in FIG. 29, the transport container C is placed by the transport vehicle 5 through the transfer port 22, and the conveyor 81 horizontally transports the transport container C. And a conveyor 82 for receiving the transfer container C conveyed into the process chamber 21 by the conveyor 81, and a partition wall 83 provided with a door (not shown) is disposed between the conveyors 81 and 82. . When the transport container C is placed on the conveyor 81 via the transfer port 22 by the transport vehicle 5, the door (not shown) of the partition wall 83 is opened and transported to the conveyor 82, and then the partition wall 83 is closed. Will be. Also in this case, an opening / closing member may be provided at the delivery port 22.

  In the above example, the example in which the transfer port 22 is shared between two adjacent process chambers 21a and 21b has been described. However, as shown in FIG. 30, the process chamber in the center of the three adjacent process chambers 21 is used. The transfer port 22 may be formed in 21a, and this transfer port 22 may be shared by the process chambers 21b and 21c adjacent to the process chamber 21a. At this time, for example, when the delivery port 22 and the loading / unloading port 24 of the process chamber 21c (21b) are separated from each other, a conveyor 91 may be provided between the delivery port 22 and the loading / unloading port 24. In FIG. 30, the partition wall 22a is omitted. The same applies to FIG. 31 below.

Further, as shown in FIG. 31 (a), two delivery ports 22 and 22 are formed in the process chamber 21a so as to be close to the loading / unloading ports 24 and 24 of the process chambers 21b and 21c without providing the conveyor 91, respectively. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 5B, the transfer port 22 may be formed largely so as to be close to the loading / unloading ports 24 and 24 of the process chambers 21b and 21c. In this case, for example, when the processing device 27 is transported between the process chamber 21a and the machine chamber 61 via the upper region of the transfer port 22, for example, a transport path (not shown) made of, for example, metal so as to close the transfer port 22 is used. And the processing device 27 is transported on this transport path.
In the above example, an example in which the unused area 31 is remodeled into the process chamber 21 has been described. However, for example, when a warehouse (not shown) arranged in place of the process chamber 21 in this factory is remodeled into the process chamber 21. Construction will be carried out in the same way.

  Further, in the above-described example, when the transfer container C is transferred to the tableting chamber 25, the transfer port 22 for transferring the transfer container C to the input area 25a and the transfer container to the processing area 25b. Although the delivery port 22 for delivering C is provided at the same position in a plan view, these delivery ports 22 and 22 may be provided at different positions as shown in FIG. That is, two delivery ports 22 and 22 may be formed in a plane in the tableting chamber 25, and paths for delivering the transfer container C to the input area 25a and the processing area 25b may be provided independently and exclusively. good. Accordingly, the partition 26 is disposed above the transfer port 22 for transferring the transfer container C to the processing area 25b. In this case, the conveyance vehicles 5 that access the respective input areas 25a and the processing areas 25b may be shared, or may be provided separately. The traveling distribution floor 2 may be partitioned. Also in this example, the shelf 71 and the airlock chamber 50 may be provided on the distribution floor 2. In FIG. 33, the two delivery ports 22 and 22 are spaced apart from each other on the left and right, but the delivery ports 22 and 22 are formed at a transport vehicle that accesses the delivery ports 22 and 22. For example, they may be provided side by side and close to each other so as not to interfere with each other.

  Furthermore, the stacker crane 12 is provided to transfer the transfer container C between the upper and lower distribution floors 2, 2. However, when the transfer container C is not transferred between the distribution floors 2, 2, the stacker crane 12 is provided. Need not be provided. Further, although the hierarchical structure 3 is laminated over a plurality of layers, for example, two layers, it may be a single layer as shown in FIG.

  In addition, as described above, by providing the processing floor 1 and the distribution floor 2, the degree of freedom in the layout of each area of the factory is large. However, for a factory with a layout different from the above-described example, FIG. 34 and FIG. Will be described with reference to FIG. In this factory, an operator passage 95 is provided along the process chamber 21 in place of the machine room 61 described above, and a side surface between the worker passage 95 and each process chamber 21 is provided. Are provided with doors 29 for workers. In order to prevent contamination of workers entering and leaving the process chamber 21 via, for example, clothes, the worker passage 95 includes a passage for workers entering each process chamber 21 and a passage for workers leaving the chamber. It is provided to make it separate. Accordingly, one of the worker passages 62 and 95 is a passage for a worker who enters each process chamber 21, and the other of the worker passages 62 and 95 is a worker who leaves the process chamber 21. Is a passage for.

  Even when the two worker passages 62 and 95 are arranged so as to be adjacent to the process chamber 21 as described above, the transfer container C can be carried into the process chamber 21 from the distribution floor 2. The chamber 21 does not require a lifting device such as a lifter for lifting and lowering the transport container C. Therefore, since the processing floor 1 and the distribution floor 2 are partitioned vertically, the layout of the processing floor 1 and the shelves 71 can be freely set while suppressing an increase in construction costs.

  In each of the above-described examples, the process chambers 21 are arranged in a line in the front-rear direction. However, since the transfer container C is delivered from the lower side by the transport vehicle 5, the process chambers 21 are arranged laterally from one process chamber 21. When the side is viewed, a layout in which separate process chambers 21 are arranged on all four surrounding surfaces can be adopted. Specifically, an area in which the process chamber 21 is disposed on the processing floor 1 may be divided into three areas in the vertical and horizontal directions using wall surfaces, and the areas may be used as the process chambers 21. In this case, for example, each process chamber 21 is provided with a transfer port 22 on the floor surface 11. That is, by providing the physical distribution floor 2 below the processing floor 1 in which the process chamber 21 is arranged, it is not necessary to provide a transport track for transporting the transport container C on the processing floor 1. Compared with the case where the transport container C is transported by relying solely on the crane 100, the degree of freedom of the layout of the processing floor 1 can be made extremely high.

  Here, although the process chambers 21a and 21b sharing the transfer port 22 are arranged in the processing floor 1, the transfer port 22 may be formed for any of the process chambers 21. In that case, the unused area 31 may be shared with the adjacent process chamber 21 and the delivery port 22, or the delivery port 22 may be formed in the unused area 31 in advance. Further, when the transfer port 22 is shared between the adjacent process chambers 21a and 21b, the transfer port 22 in the process chamber 21a may be formed long along the wall surface between these process chambers 21a and 21b. By forming the transfer port 22 in this way, the degree of freedom increases not only in the height position but also in the lateral direction with respect to the position where the loading / unloading port 24 is formed.

  In the above example, the present invention has been described by taking a pharmaceutical factory that manufactures a solid preparation as an example. For example, in addition to such a solid preparation, a processing facility provided with a plurality of process chambers 21 for processing an object to be processed For example, the present invention may be applied to factories that manufacture foods and chemicals.

  In the above example, the steady rest mechanism 90 supports the lifting arm 52 by extending the support member 92 only in the transfer direction of the transport container C (the extending direction of the fork member 56), but as shown in FIG. In addition, an anti-sway mechanism 90 may be provided in the opposite direction. In this case, the support member 92 of the steady stop mechanism 90 extends in a direction opposite to the extending direction of the fork member 56 and comes into contact with the inner peripheral surface of the transfer port 22. By doing so, it is possible to suppress the swinging of the elevating arm 52 due to the inertial force of the fork member 56 and the transport container C when the fork member 56 is retracted when the transport container C is delivered and received.

  Furthermore, in the above example, the steadying mechanism 90 is provided on the transport vehicle 5 side, but may be provided on the delivery port 22 side, for example, the inner peripheral surface of the delivery port 22 as shown in FIG. In this case, the support member 92 of the steadying mechanism 90 extends and comes into contact with the lifting arm 52 of the transport vehicle 5. In the above, the operation in which the support member 92 of the steady stop mechanism 90 contacts the inner peripheral surface of the transfer port 22 or the lifting arm 52 may be a state in which a pressing force is applied in the extending direction of the support member 92. It may be in a state where the pressing force does not act or hardly acts.

  In the above example, a pressure sensor is used as the detection unit 94 in the steadying mechanism 90. However, the detection unit 94 uses a proximity sensor so that the tip of the support member 92 contacts the inner peripheral wall of the transfer port 22. You may make it contact.

C Transport container 1 Processing floor 2 Distribution floor 3 Hierarchical structure 5 Transport vehicle 12 Stacker crane 14 Transport port 21 Process chamber 22 Delivery port 27 Processing device 31 Unused area 35 Ventilation path 61 Machine chambers 62 and 95
Passage for worker 63 Passage for visitor 50 Traveling vehicle main body 51 Fixed arm 52 Lifting arm 53 Lifting body 54 Support arm 55 Rotating shaft 56 Fork member 90 Stabilizing mechanism 96 Telescopic mechanism 92 Supporting member 93 Elastic member 94 Detection unit 97 Stabilization Control unit

Claims (3)

In a processing facility in which a plurality of process chambers for processing a workpiece to obtain a workpiece are provided, and the workpiece or the workpiece is stored in a transport container and transported to the process chamber.
A first floor on which a plurality of process chambers are arranged in a plane;
A second floor provided below the first floor for transporting the transport container;
A transfer port formed on each floor surface of the plurality of process chambers, for transferring the transfer container between the first floor and the second floor;
A traveling vehicle main body that moves horizontally on the second floor, and is provided on the traveling vehicle main body, and can be vertically expanded and contracted, in order to deliver a conveyed product to the process chamber via the delivery port. A lifting vehicle, and a transfer vehicle provided on the lifting arm so as to be horizontally movable, and holding and transporting a transported object horizontally.
When the transfer mechanism transfers a conveyed product at a position above the transfer port, a portion located at the transfer port in the lifting arm, or a steadying mechanism provided at the transfer port,
The anti-sway mechanism includes a support member that is extendable in the lateral direction and has a support member that extends to come into contact with the inner peripheral wall of the transfer port or the elevating arm to suppress the oscillation of the elevating arm. Processing equipment to do.   The steadying mechanism includes an expansion / contraction mechanism for expanding / contracting the support member, a detection unit for detecting that the tip of the support member has contacted the inner peripheral wall or the lifting arm of the transfer port, and contact detected by the detection unit. The processing equipment according to claim 1, further comprising a control unit that controls to stop the extension of the support member when the support member is extended.   The processing equipment according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a tip portion of the support member is formed of an elastic member.

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