TWI466809B - Transport system - Google Patents

Description

Transport system

The present invention relates to a transport vehicle system, and more particularly to a transport vehicle system including a transport vehicle that travels along a track between a plurality of processing devices.

Previously, it has been known to have a plurality of platforms including a predetermined route, a plurality of platforms installed on the route, and a plurality of transport vehicles that transport the articles along the route. In the transport vehicle system, loading between the platform and the transport vehicle (loading items from the platform to the transport vehicle) or unloading (moving items from the transport vehicle to the platform).

As an example of a transport vehicle system, an overhead transport system used in a transport system of a semiconductor factory is known. The overhead transport system consists of a rail that is placed on the ceiling and an overhead transport that can travel along the track. The overhead transport vehicle mainly includes a traveling portion that is engaged with a track, a holding portion that can hold a front opening of a semiconductor wafer (FOUP), and a moving mechanism for moving the holding portion up and down.

Further, in recent years, the overhead transport vehicle includes a lateral movement mechanism that laterally moves the load. Since the transport vehicle system is temporarily stored for lateral movement, it can be temporarily and conveniently stored and used in comparison with the previous storage (for example, refer to Patent Document 1).

[Previous Technical Literature]

[Patent Literature]

[Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2005-206371

In the above-described transport vehicle system, temporary storage is used on the side of the route, but there is a case where the transport efficiency of the entire transport vehicle system cannot be sufficiently improved depending on the conditions.

An object of the present invention is to improve the efficiency of transporting articles in a transport vehicle system.

The transport vehicle system of the present invention is for transporting articles between a plurality of processing devices; it includes a track, a transport vehicle, and a mounting table. The track includes a plurality of loops adjacent to a plurality of processing devices. The transport vehicle transports the articles by running in one-way traffic on a plurality of loops. The mounting table includes a first mounting table and a second mounting table which are disposed on the inner side of the loop and are disposed adjacent to both side portions of the loop, and are arranged in a row in the longitudinal direction of the loop. Each of the first stage and the second stage includes a first opening that is open to one side of the both side portions of the loop, and a second opening that opens toward the opposite side of the both side portions of the loop.

In this system, the mounting table includes a first opening and a second opening that are respectively opened in the loop toward the rails on both sides. Therefore, when the article is temporarily placed, it is possible to select the vicinity of the destination processing device and include The mounting table of the opening in which the processing device is opened is placed. As a result of the above, the conveying efficiency of the articles can be improved.

The first stage and the second stage may be arranged in a straight line in the loop.

In this system, the width of the loop can be set to a minimum.

The transport vehicle system may also include an automated warehouse that is coupled to a plurality of loops to transfer items between a plurality of loops.

In this system, items can be kept in an automated warehouse between a plurality of loops. Thus, for example, it is not necessary to place items that deviate from the production schedule on the mounting table. In addition, the automatic warehouse has the loop function when the path is abnormal.

The track can also be placed on the lower side and on the lower side.

In this system, since the track does not protrude further above the bottom surface, the track is difficult to be obstructed when the operator moves over the track.

The transport vehicle system may further include a protective cover that covers the rail and is disposed in parallel with the bottom surface.

In this system, the bottom surface can be made flat by the protective cover, so there is no flaw in the track when the operating vehicle moves over the track.

The processing device may also include a first processing device and a second processing device configured to move the article directly. The plurality of loops may include an inlet side loop and an exit side loop that are respectively disposed at an inlet of the first processing device and an outlet of the second processing device.

In this system, the article is moved from the transport vehicle located on the entrance side loop to the first processing device, and directly moved to the second processing device. Finally, the item moves from the second processing device to the transport vehicle located on the exit side loop. By connecting the plurality of processing devices to each other in this way, the number of transports of the entire transport vehicle system can be reduced.

The plurality of loops may also include a plurality of first loops arranged in parallel and a second loop arranged to connect the first ends of the plurality of first loops. A loop may not be provided on the second end side of the plurality of first loops.

In this system, since a loop for connecting the second end portions of the plurality of first loops is not provided, it is easy to carry the device between the plurality of first loops or to easily multiply the first ones. Move the device between the loops.

The plurality of loops may include a plurality of first loops arranged in parallel, a second loop arranged to connect the first ends of the plurality of first loops, and a plurality of first loops arranged to connect The third loop between the second ends of the road. The track constituting the third loop may be disposed on the lower side and on the lower side.

In this system, since the track constituting the third loop does not protrude further toward the bottom surface, when the operator moves over the track, the track is hard to be obstructed.

The transport vehicle system may further include a protective cover that covers the track that constitutes the third loop and is disposed in parallel with the bottom surface.

In this system, since the bottom surface is flat by the protective cover, the device can be easily carried between the plurality of first loops or the device can be carried out from among the plurality of first loops.

In the transport vehicle system of the present invention, since the mounting table includes the first opening portion and the second opening portion which are respectively opened to the both side portions of the loop in the loop, the conveyance efficiency of the article can be improved.

(1) Transportation system

The transport vehicle system 1 of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 1 . Fig. 1 is a schematic plan view showing a transport vehicle system according to an embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the transport vehicle system 1 is used in a liquid crystal manufacturing factory that manufactures large liquid crystals. In the liquid crystal manufacturing plant, a plurality of processing apparatuses 2 and inspection apparatuses 4 are disposed.

The transport vehicle system 1 is a system for transporting articles (for example, cassettes containing a plurality of substrates) between a plurality of processing apparatuses 2, and includes a rail 3, a transport vehicle 5, an automatic warehouse 7, and a plurality of buffers 9. In the transport vehicle system 1, the track 3 includes a plurality of loops (surrounding roads), and the transport vehicle 5 can travel in one direction on each loop.

The track 3 includes first to fourth loops 11, 13, 15, and 17. Since the first to third loops 11, 13, and 15 extend in a long direction in one direction, they include linear portions on both sides and curves at both ends. The first to third loops 11, 13, and 15 extend in parallel with each other in parallel. The fourth loop 17 is disposed to extend between the one ends of the first to third loops 11, 13, and 15. In this embodiment, the rails are not provided on the side opposite to the fourth loop 17 in the first to third loops 11, 13, and 15. Therefore, it is possible to easily carry the device between the first to fourth loops 11, 13, 15, and 17, or to easily carry out the device from between.

In the first loop 11, the first small loop 11a, the second small loop 11b, and the third small loop 11c are realized by providing a plurality of first shortcut connecting portions 19. In the second loop 13, the fourth small loop 13a, the fifth small loop 13b, and the sixth small loop 13c are realized by providing a plurality of second shortcut connecting portions 21. In the third loop 15, the seventh small loop 15a, the eighth small loop 15b, and the ninth small loop 15c are realized by providing a plurality of third shortcut connecting portions 23.

The fourth loop 17 is configured to realize the tenth small loop 17a and the eleventh small loop 17b by providing the fourth shortcut connecting portion 25. The tenth small loop 17a is connected to the first loop 11 and the second loop 13 by a plurality of connecting portions 27. The eleventh small loop 17b is connected to the third loop 15 by the connecting portion 28.

A plurality of processing apparatuses 2 are arranged side by side on the outer sides of the first to fourth loops 11, 13, 15, and 17. Since the configuration and type of the processing device 2 are conventional, detailed descriptions thereof are omitted here.

As one of the plurality of processing devices 2, a continuous processing device 29 that is continuously disposed between the respective loops is provided. The continuous processing device 29 is disposed between the first loop 11 and the second loop 13 and between the second loop 13 and the third loop 15. The continuous processing device 29 includes a first processing device 29a and a second processing device 29b that are connected to each other so that the articles can be directly moved. For example, the first processing device 29a is an etching device, and the second processing device 29b is a peeling device. Therefore, the article can be processed from the transport vehicle 5 located in the first loop 11 to the entrance platform 36 of the first processing device 29a, and then processed into the second processing device 29b for processing, and finally carried out to the second ring. The transport platform 5 of the exit platform 38 of the road 13. As described above, since the transport rail is not provided between the plurality of processing apparatuses 2, the number of transport steps of the entire transport vehicle system 1 can be reduced.

The automatic warehouse 7 is disposed between the first loop 11 and the second loop 13. The automated warehouse 7 contains a plurality of scaffolding and cranes on which items can be placed. Since the configuration of the automatic warehouse 7 is conventional, the description is omitted here. The automatic warehouse 7 extends in a direction extending in the direction in which the first loop 11 and the second loop 13 extend, and includes a first platform 31 extending toward the first loop 11 side and a second platform extending toward the second loop 13 side. Platform 33. Thereby, the automatic warehouse 7 can carry in and out articles between the transport vehicle 5 that travels on the first loop 11 or the second loop 13.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, a plurality of inspection apparatuses 4 are disposed around the automatic warehouse 7 in a form of being connected to the automatic warehouse 7. However, the location of the inspection device is not particularly limited.

The plurality of buffers 9 are mounting stations that function as temporary placement points when the articles are transported between the processing devices 2. The plurality of buffers 9 are arranged in the first to fourth loops 11 to 17, and more specifically in the small loops. The buffer zone 9 is formed long along the longitudinal direction of the loop, and includes a plurality of housing portions provided with openings as will be described later. Four buffers 9 are disposed in the first to ninth small loops 11a, 11b, 11c, 13a, 13b, 13c, 15a, 15b, and 15c, respectively. Six buffers 9 are arranged in the 10th small loop 17a. In the eleventh small loop 17b, four buffers 9 are arranged in a line and linearly.

The arrangement and structure of the first buffer 9A and the second buffer 9B will be described in detail with reference to Fig. 4 . Figure 4 is a partial enlarged view of Figure 1. The first buffer 9A and the second buffer 9B are alternately arranged in each small loop. The first buffer region 9A and the second buffer region 9B have the same basic structure, but the orientation of the opening portion is reversed. As shown in FIG. 4, in the first small loop 11a, the first buffer area 9A includes three first unit buffers 85. The first unit buffer 85 includes a first opening 85a that faces the adjacent track, specifically, the straight portion toward the first small loop 11a. The second buffer 9B includes three second unit buffers 86. The second unit buffer 86 includes a second opening 86a that faces the adjacent track, specifically, the straight portion that faces the other side of the first small loop 11a. As described above, the first opening 85a of the first buffer zone 9A and the second opening 86a of the second buffer zone 9B are oriented opposite to each other in the first small loop 11a. As a result, the first buffer 9A can be accessed from the first side of the first small loop 11a, and can be accessed from the second side of the first small loop 11a with respect to the second buffer 9B. . In this way, a buffer that can be accessed from either side of the small loop can be secured in a small loop, so that the transfer between the transport vehicle 5 and the buffer 9 can be performed in a short time.

According to the above configuration, the buffer area 9 is present in the loop adjacent to each of the processing apparatuses 2, and in particular, the buffer area 9 including the opening portions respectively opening toward the both side portions of the loop. Therefore, when an article is transported between two processing apparatuses 2, it is usually possible to carry out the transport by two commands. Specifically, by the first command, the transport vehicle 5 can carry out the articles from the processing device 2 at the departure place and transport them to the buffer zone 9 near the destination processing device 2. By the second command, the transport vehicle 5 transports the articles from the buffer zone 9 to the processing device 2 of the destination. As described above, the conveyance of the article can be terminated by moving the transport vehicle 52 times, and the amount of conveyance processing of the articles in the transport vehicle system 1 is improved.

The layout of the stop position will be described as a modification of the transport vehicle system 1 with reference to Fig. 5 . Fig. 5 is a partial schematic plan view showing a transport vehicle system in a modified example of a rail.

In Fig. 5, a part of the processing apparatus 2 is removed, and a bypass line 89 extending from the seventh small loop 15a is disposed at this portion. Both ends of the bypass line 89 are connected to the seventh small loop 15a, and the intermediate portion thereof has a linear shape of a predetermined length and is parallel to the straight portion of the seventh small loop 15a. A plurality of transport vehicles 5 can be parked on the bypass line 89. Further, the arrangement position and shape of the bypass line 89 are not limited to this embodiment. Moreover, the number of parking spaces of the bypass line 89 may also be one.

The transport vehicle 5 that needs to be detected or maintained will enter the bypass line 89 and stop at the straight line. In this state, the operator detects or maintains the transport vehicle 5. As described above, the operation of the transport vehicle 5 transported between the processing apparatuses 2 can be stopped without being stopped by the detection or maintenance operation. That is, the downtime of the transport vehicle system 1 can be reduced or eliminated.

(2) Transport truck

The structure of the transport vehicle 5 will be described with reference to Figs. 2 and 3 . Fig. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a transport vehicle system according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 is a schematic plan view of the transport vehicle. In FIG. 2, the direction orthogonal to the paper surface is the conveyance direction of the conveyance vehicle 5, and the left-right direction of the paper surface is the conveyance direction of an article. In FIG. 3, the upper and lower directions of the paper surface are the transport directions of the transport vehicle 5, and the left and right direction of the paper surface is the transport direction of the articles.

In Fig. 2, the bottom surface 32 and the ceiling surface 34 are shown, and the transport vehicle 5, the buffer zone 9, and the platform 2a of the processing apparatus 2 are further shown. The height of the upper surface of the platform 5a of the transport vehicle 5, the buffer zone 9, and the processing apparatus 2 is substantially the same, and both are close to the ceiling surface 34.

The transport vehicle 5 is a transport means for transporting an object such as a glass substrate or a cassette between the platforms of the processing device 2. The transport vehicle 5 includes a main body 35, a traveling portion 37, a roller conveyor 39, a push-pull transfer device 41, and a micro-environment mechanism 43.

The body 35 has a substantially box shape.

The traveling portion 37 includes wheels 45 disposed on the left and right sides of the main body 35, a travel motor 131 (FIG. 7) connected to the wheels 45, and an encoder 139 (FIG. 7) provided in the travel motor 131. As shown in FIG. 2, the rail 47 for driving the wheel 45 is disposed in the recess 32a formed in the bottom surface 32, and is disposed below the bottom surface 32.

Further, as shown in FIG. 14, the protective cover 70 can be placed on the rail 47 of the portion where the transport vehicle 5 does not travel. The protective cover 70 covers the rail 47 and is disposed in parallel with the bottom surface 32. The bottom surface 32 can be flattened by the protective cover 70, so there is no possibility of damage to the track 47 when the operator moves over the track 47.

The roller conveyor 39 is rollably disposed on the upper surface of the body 35, which constitutes a support surface of the transport vehicle 5. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the rollers 39a of the roller conveyor 39 are arranged at right angles to the traveling direction, whereby the articles can be easily moved in the left-right direction. Further, the roller conveyor 39 is included in a pair of roller rows in the traveling direction. The rollers 39a of the roller conveyor 39 are free rollers (rollers that cannot be independently driven), and the roller rows constitute only the guide members of the articles. Therefore, the resistance at the time of transferring the articles can be alleviated, and thus it is suitable for the case where the weighted articles are transferred. In this way, the support surface of the transport vehicle 5 is a roller conveyor 39 composed of a roll that can be rolled freely, so that generation of abrasion powder can be suppressed when the article is transferred.

The push-pull transfer device 41 is an advance/retract device that pushes and moves the articles on the roller row of the roller conveyor 39. The push-pull transfer device 41 includes an arm mechanism 51 that is expandable and contractible in the left-right direction, a hook member 53 that is provided to the arm mechanism 51, and a push-pull drive mechanism 133 (FIG. 7) that moves the arm mechanism 51 up and down. In the state shown in FIG. 2, the push-pull transfer device 41 is disposed below the roller conveyor 39. Furthermore, the push-pull transfer device 41 does not need to support the load of the article, and thus the configuration is simple. Therefore, the weight of the transport vehicle 5 can be reduced.

The hook member 53 includes a first portion 53a extending from the uppermost arm of the arm mechanism 51 and extending to both sides in the left-right direction, and a second portion 53b extending upward from the end of the first portion 53b. The distance between the second portions 53b in the left-right direction is slightly longer than the length in the left-right direction of the article.

The micro environment mechanism 43 includes a housing 55, a pair of shutters 57, and an FFU (Fan Filter Unit) 59. The micro-environment mechanism 43 is a mechanism for improving the cleanliness of the surrounding environment of the articles in the transport vehicle 5. The frame 55 is disposed on the upper portion and the front and rear of the body 35 to shield a predetermined space. Openings are formed on the left and right sides of the frame 55, and a pair of baffles 57 are provided in the opening. The shutter 57 can be opened and closed by the shutter drive motor 135 (FIG. 7). In the state shown in FIG. 2, the pair of baffles 57 shield the space inside the casing 55 from the outside. The FFU 59 is a device for supplying clean air into the casing 55, and is driven by the FFU drive motor 137 (Fig. 7).

(3) Buffer

The structure of the buffer 9 (corresponding to the first unit buffer 85 and the second unit buffer 86 of Fig. 4) will be described with reference to Fig. 2 .

The buffer zone 9 is disposed, for example, on the inner side of the first small loop 11a and on both side portions. The buffer zone 9 includes a mounting table 61, a roller conveyor 63, and a micro-environment mechanism 65.

The mounting table 61 has a substantially box shape. The roller conveyor 63 is rollably disposed on the upper surface of the mounting table 61, which constitutes the mounting surface of the buffer zone 9. The height of the roller conveyor 63 is the same as that of the roller conveyor 39 of the transport vehicle 5. The rollers of the roller conveyor 63 are arranged at right angles to the traveling direction, whereby the articles are easily moved in the left-right direction. Further, the roller conveyor 63 includes a pair of roller rows spaced apart in the traveling direction. The rolls of the roller conveyor 63 are all free rolls. In this way, the loading surface of the buffer zone 9 is a roller conveyor 63 composed of a roll that can be rolled freely, so that generation of abrasion powder can be suppressed when the article is transferred.

The microenvironment mechanism 65 includes a cover 67 and an FFU 69. The microenvironment mechanism 65 is a mechanism for increasing the cleanliness of the environment within the cover 67, that is, the surrounding area, in the buffer zone 9. The cover 67 is provided on the upper portion of the mounting table 61 to shield a predetermined space. An opening 67a (corresponding to the first opening 85a and the second opening 86a of FIG. 4) is formed on the rail side of the cover 67. In this embodiment, the cover is disposed only above the article, but the cover may be disposed only above and to the left and right of the article, or may be disposed above, to the left and right, and to the inner surface of the article. In this embodiment, although the shutter is not provided in the opening, a baffle may be provided as needed. The FFU 69 is a device for supplying clean air to the inside of the casing 55 to improve the cleanliness of the surrounding articles. The FFU 69 is driven by the FFU drive motor 137 (Fig. 7).

(4) Platform

The platform 2a of the processing device 2 will be described with reference to Fig. 2 . The platform 2a includes a mounting table 71 and a roller conveyor 73.

The mounting table 71 has a substantially box shape. The roller conveyor 73 is rollably disposed on the upper surface of the mounting table 71. The rollers of the roller conveyor 73 are arranged in a direction at right angles to the traveling direction, whereby the articles are easily moved in the left-right direction. Further, the roller conveyor 73 is included in a pair of roller rows in the traveling direction. The rolls of the roller conveyor 73 are all free rolls.

(5) Control composition

The control system 120 of the transport vehicle system 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 6 . Fig. 6 is a block diagram showing a control system of the transport vehicle system.

The control system 120 includes a manufacturing controller 121, a logistics controller 123, an automated warehouse controller 125, and a transport vehicle controller 127.

The logistics controller 123 is a controller above the automatic warehouse controller 125 and the transport vehicle controller 127. The transport vehicle controller 127 has a distribution function of managing a plurality of transport vehicles 5 and allocating the transport commands. Further, the "transport command" includes instructions related to driving, and instructions related to the loading position and the unloading position.

Manufacturing controller 121 can communicate with processing device 2. The processing device 2 transmits the transport request (loading request, unloading request) of the processed article to the manufacturing controller 121.

The manufacturing controller 121 transmits the transfer request from the processing device 2 to the logistics controller 123, and the logistics controller 123 transmits the report to the manufacturing controller 121.

When receiving the transfer request from the manufacturing controller 121, the logistic controller 123 transmits the inbound or outbound command to the automatic warehouse controller 125 at a predetermined timing in the case where the automatic warehouse 7 performs the inbound or outbound storage. Moreover, the automated warehouse controller 125 sends the inbound or outbound instructions to the automated warehouse 7 accordingly. When the flow controller 123 receives the transfer request from the manufacturing controller 121, the flow controller 123 converts the transfer request to the transfer command, and performs a transfer command assigning operation to the transport vehicle 5.

The transport vehicle controller 127 continuously communicates with each transport vehicle 5 in order to create a transport command, and obtains location information based on the location data transmitted from each transport vehicle 5.

The transport in-vehicle controller 129 of the transport vehicle 5 will be described with reference to Fig. 7 . Fig. 7 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a controller in a transport vehicle.

The in-vehicle controller 129 is a computer that executes programs by a central processing unit (CPU), a random access memory (RAM), a read only memory (ROM), and the like. . A road map is stored in the memory of the in-vehicle controller 129. The transport vehicle 5 continues to travel while comparing the coordinates of the road map and the internal coordinates of the unit (the coordinates obtained by the encoder 139 (described below)).

A travel motor 131, a push-pull drive mechanism 133, a shutter drive motor 135, an FFU drive motor 137, and an encoder 139 are connected to the transport in-vehicle controller 129.

(6) Movement of the transport system

The operation of the transport vehicle system 1 will be described with reference to Figs. 2 and 8 to 13 . 8 to 13 are partial cross-sectional views of a transport vehicle system according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the state of FIG. 2, the transport vehicle 5 is stopped between the buffer zone 9 and the platform 2a of the processing apparatus 2 in a state in which the article C1 is placed. The item C2 is placed on the platform 2a. From this state, the transport vehicle 5 lowers the article C1 to the buffer zone 9, and secondly loads the article C2 from the platform 2a. Hereinafter, this operation will be described in detail.

In the state of Fig. 2, in the transport vehicle 5, the shutter driving motor 135 is driven, thereby opening the shutter 57 on the buffer side 9. Further, the elevating mechanism (not shown) of the push-pull drive mechanism 133 is driven to raise the arm mechanism 51. As a result, the second portion 53b of the hook member 53 is disposed on both sides in the left-right direction of the article C1. The state in which the arm mechanism 51 is raised is as shown in FIG.

In the state shown in Fig. 8, the slide mechanism (not shown) of the push-pull drive mechanism 133 is driven in the transport vehicle 5, and the arm mechanism 51 is slid toward the buffer area 9. Thereby, the article C1 is pushed to the second portion 53b of the hook member 53, and is transported from the transport vehicle 5 into the buffer zone 9. Specifically, the article C1 is slidably moved on the roller conveyor 39 and the roller conveyor 63. The state after the movement of the article C1 is as shown in FIG.

In the state of Fig. 9, in the transport vehicle 5, the elevating mechanism (not shown) of the push-pull drive mechanism 133 is driven to lower the arm mechanism 51. As a result, the second portion 53b of the hook member 53 is disposed further below the left and right sides of the article C1. Next, the slide mechanism (not shown) of the push-pull drive mechanism 133 is driven to slide the arm mechanism 51 toward the transport vehicle 5 side. Thereby, the arm mechanism 51 returns to the inside of the transport vehicle 5. Finally, the shutter drive motor 135 is driven to close the shutter 57 on the buffer side 9. The state after the shutter 57 is closed is shown in FIG.

As described above, the transport vehicle 5 is stopped on the side of the buffer zone 9, and the article is moved between the main body 35 and the buffer zone 9 by the push-pull transfer device 41. When the force is applied to the article from the push-pull transfer device 41, the article moves on the roller conveyor 39 and the roller conveyor 63. In this way, the weight can be transferred by a simple configuration.

In the state of Fig. 10, in the transport vehicle 5, the shutter 57 on the stage 2a side can be opened by driving the shutter drive motor 135. Further, the slide mechanism (not shown) of the push-pull drive mechanism 133 is driven to slide the arm mechanism 51 toward the buffer area 9. The state after sliding of the arm mechanism 51 is as shown in FIG.

In the state shown in Fig. 11, the lift mechanism (not shown) of the push-pull drive mechanism 133 is driven in the transport vehicle 5, and the arm mechanism 51 is raised. As a result, the second portion 53b of the hook member 53 is disposed on both sides in the left-right direction of the article C2. The state in which the arm mechanism 51 is raised is as shown in FIG.

In the state shown in Fig. 12, the slide mechanism of the push-pull drive mechanism 133 is driven to slide the arm mechanism 51 toward the transport vehicle 5 side. Thereby, the arm mechanism 51 can be returned to the inside of the transport vehicle 5. Further, the article C2 is pushed to the second portion 53b of the hook member 53, and is transported from the platform 2a to the inside of the transport vehicle 5. Specifically, the article C2 is slidably moved on the roller conveyor 73 and the roller conveyor 39. Further, the elevating mechanism (not shown) of the push-pull drive mechanism 133 is driven to lower the arm mechanism 51. As a result, the second portion 53b of the hook member 53 is disposed further below the left and right sides of the article C2. Finally, the shutter drive motor 135 is driven to close the shutter 57 on the side of the platform 2a. The state after the shutter 57 is closed is shown in FIG.

By the above processing, a series of transfer actions can be ended.

(7) Other embodiments

The embodiment of the present invention has been described above, but the present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above, and various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In particular, the plurality of embodiments and modifications described in the present specification may be arbitrarily combined as needed.

(A) In the above embodiment, the first buffer area 9A and the second buffer area 9B each including a plurality of openings facing different sides are alternately provided one at a time, but the present invention is not limited thereto. An embodiment.

The buffer may have any configuration as long as it includes the first opening and the second opening that are open to the both sides of the loop in the loop. For example, a buffer can be continuously configured. Further, a buffer buffer including only one opening portion can also be used. That is, the shape of the buffer zone and the number of consecutive buffers are not particularly limited.

According to the above configuration, the buffer includes the first opening and the second opening that are open to the both sides of the loop in the loop. Therefore, when the article is carried into the buffer zone 9, a buffer located near the destination processing device 2 and including the opening that is open toward the processing device 2 can be selected. The above results will improve the efficiency of the article.

(B) In the loop, the plurality of buffers 9 may not be arranged in a straight line. However, in order to make the width of the loop not extremely excessive, it is preferable to arrange a plurality of buffers 9 in a row. Furthermore, when the buffer zone 9 is arranged in a straight line, the width of the loop can be minimized.

(C) In the transport vehicle system shown in Fig. 15, the track 3 is the same as the structure of the above-described embodiment, and the first to third loops 11, 13, and 15 are opposite to the fourth loop 17 5 loop 77.

The fifth loop 77 realizes the twelfth small loop 77a and the thirteenth small loop 77b by providing the fifth shortcut connecting portion 79. The 12th small loop 77a is connected to the first loop 11 and the second loop 13 by a plurality of connecting portions 81. The 13th small loop 77b is connected to the third loop 15 by the connecting portion 83.

The rails of the first to fifth loops 11, 13, 15, 17, and 77 are housed in the recess 32a of the bottom surface 32 as described in the above embodiment. In this embodiment, for example, a protective cover is attached to the track of the fifth loop 77 in advance. Since the bottom surface 32 is flat by arranging the protective cover, the apparatus can be easily carried between the first to fourth loops 11, 13, 15, and 17, or the apparatus can be easily carried out from between. Moreover, it is even more difficult for the operator to damage the track when moving over the fifth loop 77. Further, for example, in an emergency, the protective cover can be removed and the transport vehicle 5 can be driven on the fifth loop 77.

In this embodiment, a buffer is not provided in the fifth loop 77. However, a buffer can also be configured as needed.

(D) Another embodiment for improving the article housing capability of the buffer zone will be described with reference to Figs. 16 to 19 . Fig. 16 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a transport vehicle system according to still another embodiment of the present invention. Figure 17 is a schematic plan view of the mounting table. Figure 18 is a partial side view of the mounting table. Figure 19 is a partial cross-sectional view of the transport vehicle system.

As shown in FIGS. 16 and 17, the buffer zone 91 includes a roller conveyor 93 and a support mechanism 95.

The roller conveyor 93 is the same as that of the above embodiment, but a predetermined gap is secured between the rollers 93a. The roller conveyor 93 further includes a support portion 93b that supports the roller 93a, a support post 93c, and a support rod 93d. The support portion 93b is a portion that directly supports the roller 93a and extends in the direction in which the rollers 93a are arranged. The support portion 93b rotatably supports the end portion of the roller 93a on the side opposite to the other roller row. The pillar 93c maintains the support portion 93b at a predetermined height. The support rod 93d extends obliquely from the support post 93c to rotatably support the end portion of the roller 93a opposite to the other roller row. That is, the pillars are not provided on the opposite side of the roller 93a from the other roller rows.

The support mechanism 95 is a mechanism for moving the articles on the roller conveyor 93 to the upper side of the roller conveyor 93, and includes a support member 97 and a drive mechanism 99. The support member 97 is a member capable of supporting a pair of articles by a pair of roller conveyors 93 in the up and down direction, as shown in FIG. 17, which includes a bottom frame 101 and a plurality of thinner supports extending from the bottom frame 101. Part 103. Each of the bottom frames 101 is disposed on the outer side in the front-rear direction of each of the roller conveyors 93, and extends in the direction in which the rollers 93a of the roller conveyor 93 are arranged. As shown in FIGS. 16 and 17, a plurality of support portions 103 extend between the rollers 93a of the roller conveyor 93. The upper surface of the support portion 103 is a flat surface which is disposed on the upper surface of the roller 93a and is located below. The drive mechanism 99 is a mechanism for driving the support member 97, and includes a support 105, a lift motor (not shown), and a chain (not shown). The pillars 105 are provided at four corners and extend in the vertical direction, for example, and support both ends of the bottom frame 101 of the support member 97 so as to be movable up and down as shown in FIG. The lift motor (not shown) can move the support member 97 up and down via a chain (not shown).

In this embodiment, the stay 105 is extended relatively high, and as a result, the ceiling portion of the cover 67 of the buffer zone 91 is also increased, and the portion of the ceiling surface 34 corresponding to the buffer zone 91 is also increased.

In the transport vehicle system, after the article is placed on the roller conveyor 93, the lift motor (not shown) winds up the chain (not shown), thereby raising the support member 97. In this manner, the plurality of support portions 103 move upward between the rollers 93a of the roller conveyor 93. Thereby, as shown in FIG. 18, the support portion 103 of the support member 97 pulls the article C, whereby the article C can be separated from the roller 93a of the roller conveyor 93. Finally, as shown in FIG. 19, the article C is supported by the plurality of support portions 103 at the highest position in the buffer area 91. In this state, the space in which the next article can be carried can be secured on the roller conveyor 93. In this way, two items can be carried into the buffer zone 91. That is, the capacity of the contents of the buffer zone 91 will increase.

Further, the shape of the supporting member for pulling the article is not limited to the above embodiment. The support member can also be, for example, a ladder shape.

(E) The roller conveyor 39 of the main body 35 and the roller conveyor 63 of the buffer zone 9 may be the same as when the article C is transferred. That is, the height can be changed on either or both sides, and the heights of the two faces of the transporting vehicle 5 during traveling or stopping can be different.

(industrial availability)

The present invention is widely applicable to a transport vehicle system for transporting articles between a plurality of processing devices.

1. . . Transport system

2. . . Processing device

2a. . . platform

3. . . track

4. . . Inspection device

5. . . Transport car

7. . . Automatic warehouse

9. . . Buffer

9A. . . 1st buffer

9B. . . 2nd buffer

11. . . First loop (first loop)

11a. . . First small loop

11b. . . Second small loop

11c. . . Third small loop (inlet side loop)

13. . . Second loop (2nd loop)

13a. . . 4th small loop

13b. . . Fifth small loop

13c. . . 6th small loop (exit side loop)

15. . . Third loop (first loop)

15a. . . 7th small loop

15b. . . 8th small loop

15c. . . 9th small loop

17. . . 4th loop (2nd loop)

17a. . . 10th small loop

17b. . . 11th small loop

19. . . The first shortcut connection part

twenty one. . . The second shortcut link

twenty three. . . The third shortcut link

25. . . The fourth shortcut link

27. . . Linkage

28. . . Linkage

29. . . Continuous processing device

29a. . . First processing device

29b. . . Second processing device

31. . . First platform

32. . . Bottom

32a. . . Concave

33. . . Second platform

34. . . Ceiling surface

35. . . Ontology

36. . . Entrance platform

37. . . Driving department

38. . . Export platform

39. . . Roller conveyor

39a. . . Roll

41. . . Push-pull transfer device

43. . . Microenvironment agency

45. . . wheel

47. . . track

51. . . Arm mechanism

53. . . Hook member

53a. . . part 1

53b. . . part 2

55. . . framework

57. . . Baffle

59. . . FFU

61. . . Mounting table

63. . . Roller conveyor

65. . . Microenvironment agency

67. . . cover

67a. . . Opening

69. . . FFU

70. . . protection cap

71. . . Mounting table

73. . . Roller conveyor

77. . . 5th loop (3rd loop)

77a. . . 12th small loop

77b. . . 13th small loop

79. . . The fifth shortcut link

81. . . Linkage

83. . . Linkage

85. . . First stage

85a. . . First opening

86. . . Second stage

86a. . . Second opening

89. . . Bypass line

91. . . Buffer

93. . . Roller conveyor

93a. . . Roll

93b. . . Support department

93c. . . pillar

93d‧‧‧Support bar

95‧‧‧Support institutions

97‧‧‧Support components

99‧‧‧ drive mechanism

101‧‧‧ bottom frame

103‧‧‧Support Department

105‧‧‧ pillar

120‧‧‧Control system

121‧‧‧Manufacture controller

123‧‧‧Logistics controller

125‧‧‧Automatic Warehouse Controller

127‧‧‧Transporter controller

129‧‧‧Transporting in-vehicle controller

131‧‧‧Travel motor

133‧‧‧Push-pull drive mechanism

135‧‧‧Baffle drive motor

137‧‧‧FFU drive motor

139‧‧‧Encoder

C, C1, C2‧‧‧ items

Fig. 1 is a schematic plan view showing a transport vehicle system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a transport vehicle system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 3 is a schematic plan view of the transport vehicle.

Figure 4 is a partial enlarged view of Figure 1.

Fig. 5 is a partial schematic plan view showing a transport vehicle system in a modified example of a rail.

Fig. 6 is a block diagram showing a control system of the transport vehicle system.

Fig. 7 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a controller in a transport vehicle.

Fig. 8 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a transport vehicle system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 9 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a transport vehicle system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 10 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a transport vehicle system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 11 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a transport vehicle system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 12 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a transport vehicle system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 13 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a transport vehicle system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 14 is a partial cross-sectional view showing the transport vehicle system in a state in which a protective cover is placed on a rail.

Fig. 15 is a schematic plan view showing a transport vehicle system according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 16 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a transport vehicle system according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 17 is a schematic plan view of the mounting table.

Figure 18 is a partial side view of the mounting table.

Figure 19 is a partial cross-sectional view of the transport vehicle system.

2. . . Processing device

5. . . Transport car

9. . . Buffer

9A. . . 1st buffer

9B. . . 2nd buffer

11. . . First loop (first loop)

11a. . . First small loop

85. . . First stage

85a. . . First opening

86. . . Second stage

86a. . . Second opening

Claims (9)

A transport vehicle system for transporting articles between a plurality of processing devices; comprising: a track having a plurality of loops adjacent to the plurality of processing devices; and a transport vehicle, The plurality of loops travel in a one-way traveling manner to transport the articles; and the mounting table is disposed on the inner side of the loop and adjacent to both sides of the loop, and is arranged in a row in the longitudinal direction of the loop. The first mounting table and the second mounting table are disposed, and the first mounting table and the second mounting table each have only a first opening that opens toward one side of the both side portions of the loop, and faces the loop The second opening portion on the opposite side of the two side portions is open. The transport vehicle system of claim 1, wherein the first mounting table and the second mounting table are arranged linearly in the loop. The transport vehicle system of claim 1, wherein the utility model further comprises an automatic warehouse connected to the plurality of loops for transferring the movement of the articles between the plurality of loops. The transport vehicle system of claim 1, wherein the rail system is disposed further below the bottom surface. For example, the transport vehicle system of claim 4, wherein A protective cover that covers the track and is disposed in parallel with the bottom surface. The transport vehicle system of claim 1, wherein the processing device includes a first processing device and a second processing device configured to move the article directly, wherein the plurality of loops are respectively disposed in the first 1 an inlet side loop and an outlet side loop of the inlet of the processing device and the outlet of the second processing device. The transport vehicle system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of loops include a plurality of first loops arranged in parallel and a first end portion connected to the plurality of first loops In the second loop, no loop is provided on the second end side of the plurality of first loops. The transport vehicle system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of loops include a plurality of first loops arranged in parallel, and are arranged to connect the first end of the plurality of first loops The second loop and the third loop disposed between the second ends of the plurality of first loops are arranged such that the rails constituting the third loop are disposed further below the bottom surface. The transport vehicle system of claim 8, further comprising a protective cover that is disposed in parallel with the bottom surface to cover a track constituting the third loop.