TWI841772B - Positional relationship detection system - Google Patents

Abstract

The positional relationship between the article holding part of the article transport vehicle and the transfer location is detected with a simpler structure. A plurality of detected points for detecting the distance from the detection reference point in the sensor unit are set in the detected unit that is the detection object of the sensor unit. The detected unit is three-dimensionally formed with a plurality of detected surfaces, and the plurality of detected surfaces can detect at least two of the plane relative position, inclination and rotation angle as a value corresponding to the distance from the detection reference point. The plane relative position represents the relative position of the article holding part relative to the transfer location in a first direction along the reference plane and in a second direction along the reference plane and orthogonal to the first direction. The inclination is the inclination of the article holding part relative to the reference plane. The rotation angle is the rotation angle of the article holding part around a reference axis orthogonal to the reference plane.

Description

Position relationship detection system

The present invention relates to a position relationship detection system, which detects the position relationship of an article holding portion of a transfer device relative to a transfer location in an article transfer device having an article transfer vehicle for transferring articles between a transfer starting point and a transfer destination, wherein the transfer device transfers articles between the transfer starting point and the transfer location of the transfer destination.

In an article transporting device that automatically transports articles by an article transporting vehicle, it is preferable to transfer articles between the article transporting vehicle and the location of the object to be transported with high accuracy. Specifically, in order to hold and transport the article with good accuracy at the starting point of the article transport and to place the article at a predetermined location of the article transporting destination with good accuracy, it is preferable to adjust the stop position of the article transporting vehicle or the position or posture of the article holding part that holds the article with good accuracy. In the Gazette of Japanese Patent No. 6146537, a technique for performing such adjustment (teaching) is disclosed. In the following, the symbols in parentheses in the prior art are the symbols of the referenced documents.

A teaching unit (20) is mounted on the article transport vehicle, and a target unit (30) is provided at a loading port corresponding to a transport object location. The teaching unit (20) is equipped with a plurality of distance sensors ( _23X1 , _23Y1 , _23Y2 , _23Z1 , _23Z2 , _23Z3 ). The plurality of distance sensors set the directions along the X, Y, and Z axes in the XYZ axis three-dimensional orthogonal coordinate system as detection directions. The target unit (30) is provided with target plates (32, 33, 34), which are detection objects of each distance sensor that sets the directions along the X, Y, and Z axes as detection directions. The teaching unit (20) obtains a first direction parallel to the walking direction of the article transport vehicle, a second direction parallel to the reference plane and orthogonal to the first direction, a rotation direction within a plane parallel to the reference plane, and a slope of the reference plane based on the detection results of these target plates (32, 33, 34) performed by a plurality of distance sensors.

Invention Problems to be Solved

According to the above, the position of the article holding part of the article transport vehicle can be detected with good accuracy by using the teaching unit and the target unit equipped with the distance sensor. However, in order to ensure the detection accuracy, a plurality of distance sensors must be installed on the teaching unit with good accuracy. In addition, since a plurality of distance sensors are used in order to detect a plurality of different directions respectively, there is a problem that the cost of the teaching unit is likely to be high.

In view of the above background, it is desirable to provide a technology that can appropriately detect the positional relationship between the article holding portion of an article transport vehicle and the transfer location with a simpler structure. Means for solving the problem

As one aspect, in view of the above-mentioned position relationship detection system, it is a position relationship detection system for detecting position relationship in an article transporting device having an article transporting vehicle, the article transporting vehicle having a transfer device for transferring articles between a transport starting point and a transfer location of a transport destination, and the article is transported between the aforementioned transport starting point and the aforementioned transport destination, the aforementioned position relationship is a position relationship of an article holding portion possessed by the aforementioned transfer device relative to the aforementioned transfer location, the aforementioned position relationship detection system comprises: a first unit, held by the aforementioned article holding portion; and a second unit, disposed at the aforementioned transfer location, one of the aforementioned first unit and the aforementioned second unit is a sensor unit, and the other is a detected unit that is a detection object of the aforementioned sensor unit, and the aforementioned sensor unit is a unit that detects the position of an article in the sensor unit. The distance from the detection reference point to a plurality of detection points set in the aforementioned detection unit, the aforementioned detection unit is three-dimensionally formed with a plurality of detection surfaces, the aforementioned plurality of detection surfaces can detect at least two of the plane relative position, inclination and rotation angle as the value corresponding to the distance calculated from the aforementioned detection reference point, the aforementioned plane relative position represents the relative position of the aforementioned article holding portion relative to the aforementioned transfer location in a first direction along the reference plane and in a second direction along the aforementioned reference plane and orthogonal to the aforementioned first direction, the aforementioned reference plane is set to be opposite to the aforementioned sensor unit at the aforementioned transfer location, the aforementioned inclination is the inclination of the aforementioned article holding portion relative to the aforementioned reference plane, and the aforementioned rotation angle is the rotation angle of the aforementioned article holding portion around a reference axis orthogonal to the aforementioned reference plane.

According to this structure, the distance from the detection reference point to a plurality of detected points can be detected by one sensor unit. Since it is not necessary to install a plurality of sensors, it is not necessary to consider the installation accuracy of the plurality of sensors, and the detection accuracy can be ensured with a simple structure. In addition, a plurality of detected surfaces are provided in the three-dimensionally formed detected unit, and the detected surfaces can detect at least two of the plane relative position, inclination, and rotation angle as values corresponding to the distance calculated from the detection reference point. Therefore, at least two of the plane relative position, inclination, and rotation angle that indicate the positional relationship of the article holding portion relative to the transfer location can be detected by one sensor unit. Thus, according to this configuration, it is possible to provide a technology for appropriately detecting the positional relationship between the article holding portion of the article transport vehicle and the transfer location with a simpler configuration.

Further features and advantages of the positional relationship detection system will become apparent from the following description of the embodiments described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

The form used to implement the invention

The following is an explanation of an implementation form of the position relationship detection system with reference to the drawings. FIG1 schematically shows an example of the configuration of an article transport device 200 using the position relationship detection system 100 (see FIG5, etc.). In this implementation form, the article transport device 200 having an article transport vehicle 20 is used as an example for explanation. The article transport vehicle 20 transports an article W in one direction (travel direction Y) along a travel path LT between a plurality of semiconductor processing devices (processing devices 202) that perform various processes such as thin film formation, photolithography, and etching on semiconductor substrates (see FIG2, etc.). In the present embodiment, the travel path LT is formed by a travel rail RL (see FIGS. 2 and 4 ) provided on the ceiling side and supported by a support bracket 205 (see FIG. 4 ), and the article transport vehicle 20 is a ceiling transport vehicle suspended and supported on the travel rail RL.

As shown in FIG1 , at least two areas (a first area E1 and a second area E2) with different properties are provided in the article transporting equipment 200. In the first area E1, a relatively large annular main path Lp and a relatively small annular sub-path Ls are formed. The first area E1 has the above-mentioned processing device 202, and is an area where the article W is transported between each processing device 202 (a loading platform 203 described later) by the article transport vehicle 20. The second area E2 is provided in an area different from the first area E1, and is an area where the article transport vehicle 20 is adjusted using the positional relationship detection system 100 described later. In the second area E2, an adjustment loading platform 204 having a detected unit 4 described later is provided on the floor surface. In addition, the height from the floor surface to the mounting surface of the adjustment stage 204 and the mounting stage 203 provided in the processing device 202 is the same, and the adjustment of each mounting stage 203 is performed using the adjustment stage 204.

In the present embodiment, the article W is a container called a FOUP (Front Opening Unified Pod) and contains a plurality of semiconductor substrates. FIG. 2 is a side view (viewed from a direction perpendicular to the travel direction Y) of the article transport vehicle 20 showing the state in which the article W is held by the article holding portion 24. As shown in FIG. 2, the article W has a flange portion 16 and a receiving portion 15. In front of the receiving portion 15 (e.g., on the side of the travel direction Y), a plug-in port 12 (see FIG. 9) is formed for allowing the semiconductor substrate to enter and exit. This plug-in port 12 can be closed by a removable cover 14 (see FIG. 9). Inside the receiving portion 15, a plurality of slits 13 are formed for holding each of the plurality of semiconductor substrates (substrates) (see FIG. 9).

The processing device 202 performs various processing as described above on the substrate (semiconductor substrate) contained in the container (article W). In order to transport the container (article W) between the processing devices 202, a loading platform 203 is provided on the floor of each processing device 202 in a state of being adjacent to each processing device 202. These loading platforms 203 are the transport target locations (transportation starting point and transportation destination) of the article W of the article transport vehicle 20. The article transport vehicle 20 is equipped with a transfer device 28, and the transfer device 28 transfers the article W between the transfer location of the transport starting point and the transport destination and the article transport vehicle 20. The article transport vehicle 20 transfers the article W from the loading platform 203 at the transport starting point to the article transport vehicle 20 by the transfer device 28, and travels on the travel path LT, and transfers the article W from the article transport vehicle 20 to the loading platform 203 at the transport destination by the transfer device 28, thereby transporting the article W between the transport starting point and the transport destination.

The block diagram of FIG3 schematically shows the system configuration of the article transporting device 200 and the article transporting vehicle 20. FIG4 shows the relationship between the loading platform 203 on which the article W is loaded and the article transporting vehicle 20. As shown in FIG2 and FIG4, the article transporting vehicle 20 has a traveling portion 22 that travels along a traveling path LT, and a main body 23 having an article holding portion 24, and the article holding portion 24 is suspended and supported by the traveling portion 22 so as to be located below the traveling track RL and hold the article W.

The traveling section 22 includes a traveling wheel 22a that rolls on a traveling rail RL provided along a traveling path LT, and a traveling motor 22m that rotates the traveling wheel 22a. The main body 23 includes an article holding section 24, a lifting section 25, a sliding section 26, a rotating section 27, and a cover 23c. The article holding section 24, the lifting section 25, the sliding section 26, and the rotating section 27 constitute a transfer device 28. The transfer device 28 is a mechanism that transfers the article W between the transfer location in the loading platform 203 at the starting point and the destination of the transfer and the article transport vehicle 20, and transports the article W while the article holding section 24 holds the article W. As shown in FIG. 2 , the flange 16 of the article W is provided at the upper end of the article W (above the storage section 15), and is supported by the article holding section 24. The article transport vehicle 20 transports the article W in a state where the flange portion 16 is suspended and supported by the article holding portion 24 .

The lifting part 25 is a driving part that causes the article holding part 24 to move up and down relative to the traveling part 22. The sliding part 26 is a driving part that causes the article holding part 24 to slide relative to the traveling part 22 along the lateral direction X (along the horizontal plane, perpendicular to the traveling direction Y). The rotating part 27 is a driving part that causes the article holding part 24 to rotate around the longitudinal axis Z (the axis in the vertical direction) relative to the traveling part 22. As shown in FIG. 2, the cover body 23c is a component that covers the upper side and the front and rear sides of the path of the article W when the article holding part 24 supporting the article W is raised to the raised reference position. The so-called raised reference position is a position predetermined in advance as the position in the up-down direction (vertical direction) where the article holding portion 24 is located when the article transport vehicle 20 is moved along the travel rail RL while supporting the article W.

The structure of the article transport vehicle 20 will be described below with reference to FIG. 3 schematically showing the system structure of the article transport device 200 and the article transport vehicle 20. The article holding portion 24 is provided with a pair of gripping claws 24a and a gripping motor 24m (see FIG. 3). As shown in FIG. 2, each of the pair of gripping claws 24a is formed in an L-shape when viewed from the side (viewed in the X direction) so that the flange 16 of the article W is supported from below by the lower end of each gripping claw 24a. The pair of gripping claws 24a are moved toward and away from each other in the horizontal direction by the driving force of the gripping motor 24m. The article holding portion 24 is configured to be switchable between a supporting state and a support release state, so that a pair of gripping claws 24a are brought into the supporting state by approaching each other and are brought into the support release state by moving away from each other.

As shown in FIG2 , the article holding part 24 for suspending and supporting the article W is supported so as to be able to be raised and lowered relative to the traveling part 22 by the lifting part 25 which constitutes the transfer device 28 similarly to the article holding part 24. The lifting part 25 is provided with a winding body 25a, a winding belt 25b and a lifting motor 25m (see FIG3 ). The winding body 25a is supported by a rotating body 27a described later. The winding belt 25b is wound around the winding body 25a and is connected and supported at the front end thereof. The lifting motor 25m provides power for rotating the winding body 25a. The winding body 25a is rotated in the forward direction by the lifting motor 25m to wind up the winding belt 25b, and the lifting motor 25m is rotated in the reverse direction to feed out the winding belt 25b. In this way, the article holding part 24 and the article W supported by the article holding part 24 are lifted and moved. In addition, the lifting part 25 is also equipped with an encoder (not shown) that measures the feeding amount of the winding body 25a by the number of pulses. The motion control part 21 (refer to FIG. 3) controls the lifting height of the article holding part 24 according to the number of pulses.

The sliding part 26, which is similarly constituted as the main body 23, is provided with a relay part 26a and a sliding motor 26m (see FIG. 3 ). The relay part 26a is supported by the traveling part 22 so as to be able to slide relative to the traveling part 22 in the lateral direction X. The sliding motor 26m provides a power for sliding the relay part 26a in the lateral direction X. The sliding part 26 slides the relay part 26a in the lateral direction X by driving the sliding motor 26m, thereby moving the article holding part 24 and the lifting part 25 in the lateral direction X.

The rotating part 27, which is similarly configured as the transfer device 28, is provided with a rotating body 27a and a rotating motor 27m (see FIG. 3 ). The rotating body 27a is supported relative to the intermediate part 26a so as to be rotatable around a longitudinal axis Z in a vertical direction (up and down direction). The rotating motor 27m provides a driving force for rotating the rotating body 27a around the longitudinal axis. The rotating part 27 rotates the rotating body 27a by driving the rotating motor 27m, thereby rotating the article holding part 24 and the lifting part 25 around the longitudinal axis Z.

As shown in FIG3 , the article transport vehicle 20 is provided with a profile storage unit 29. The profile storage unit 29 is composed of a storage medium such as a memory, and stores profile information including information on a position or a motion for transferring the article W on each loading platform 203. The profile information includes information on a stop target position for stopping the article transport vehicle 20 in the travel path LT in order to transport and transfer the article W on each loading platform 203 and information on a transfer reference motion. The transfer reference motion includes, for example, a rotational motion that specifies the amount of rotation of the article holding portion 24 around the longitudinal axis Z relative to the traveling portion 22; a sliding motion that specifies the amount of movement of the article holding portion 24 in the transverse direction X relative to the traveling portion 22; and a descending motion that specifies the motion of the article holding portion 24 in the up-down direction relative to the traveling portion 22. The transfer reference motion sets the posture of the article holding portion 24 when the traveling portion 22 travels on the traveling rail RL as a reference. For example, the position of the article holding portion 24 around the longitudinal axis when the traveling portion 22 travels on the traveling rail RL is set as a rotational reference position, the position of the article holding portion 24 in the transverse direction X when the traveling portion 22 travels is set as a sliding reference position, and the position of the article holding portion 24 in the up-down direction when the traveling portion 22 travels is set as a lifting setting position.

When the article transport vehicle 20 is introduced into the article transport equipment 200, appropriate profile information is set. However, if the error becomes larger due to long-term changes or wear of the article transport vehicle 20, it may become impossible to properly transfer articles such as article W. For example, the stop target position may deviate from the ideal position due to wear of the traveling wheel 22a. In addition, due to long-term degradation or wear of the lifting part 25 (lifting motor 25m or take-up belt 25b), the deviation between the transfer reference motion and the ideal motion may gradually increase. Therefore, for example, regular inspections are performed at set times, and adjustments are performed during the inspections. In addition, when the transfer error increases, there is a situation where adjustments are made at appropriate times for each article transport vehicle 20. The details will be described later. The position relationship detection system 100 is a system that detects the position relationship between the article holding unit 24 and the transfer location after the article holding unit 24 is actuated based on the transfer reference motion. The transfer reference motion is set or updated based on the detected position relationship.

The conveying equipment control device H is a system controller that is the core of the article conveying equipment 200. The conveying equipment control device H is a higher-level controller for the article conveying vehicle 20, controls the movement of the article conveying vehicle 20 in the first area E1, and performs conveying control for conveying articles W. In addition, the conveying equipment control device H also controls the movement of the article conveying vehicle 20 in the second area E2, and performs adjustment control for adjusting the article conveying vehicle 20. In addition, although the common conveying equipment control device H is used as the core to perform conveying control and adjustment control, it is also possible to perform them by different control devices.

As shown in FIG3 , the article transport vehicle 20 and the transport equipment control device H communicate wirelessly through, for example, a wireless LAN. Furthermore, the article transport vehicle 20 and the sensor unit 3 of the position relationship detection system 100 communicate wirelessly through, for example, short-range wireless communication or wireless LAN, or through wired communication such as cables. The actuation control unit 21 is composed of a microcomputer, etc., and in the transport control, the article transport vehicle 20 is actuated by autonomous control according to the instructions from the transport equipment control device H. Furthermore, in the adjustment control, the article transport vehicle 20 is adjusted (setting or updating of profile information) in cooperation with the position relationship detection system 100.

The following description is also made with reference to FIGS. 5 to 12. The position relationship detection system 100 includes: a first unit 1 held in an article holding portion 24; and a second unit 2 set at a transfer location. One of the first unit 1 and the second unit 2 is a sensor unit 3, and the other is a detected unit 4 that is a detection object of the sensor unit 3. In this embodiment, the first unit 1 is the sensor unit 3, and the second unit 2 is the detected unit 4.

The sensor unit 3 can detect the distance K between the detection reference point Q in the sensor unit 3 and a plurality of positions of the detected object (here, the detected unit 4). That is, the sensor unit 3 detects the distance K between the detection reference point Q and a plurality of detected points R set in the detected unit 4. Here, the sensor unit 3 sets the distance K as the distance to be detected, and the aforementioned distance K is the distance in the direction orthogonal to the detection reference plane QP set in the sensor unit 3. Therefore, the detection reference point Q is set on the detection reference plane QP corresponding to each detected point R. Of course, it is also possible to detect the distance from a detection reference point Q to each detected point R, and use the principle of triangulation to detect the form of the distance K.

A reference plane P0 is provided on the detected unit 4 in a manner facing the sensor unit 3. In the present embodiment, the detected unit 4 is placed on the adjusting stage 204 in a state where the reference plane P0 is parallel to the horizontal plane. The detected unit 4 is placed at a reference position with the first direction D1 and the second direction D2 set as references, the first direction D1 being along the reference plane P0, and the second direction D2 being along the reference plane P0 and being orthogonal to the first direction D1. That is, the detected unit 4 is placed at the reference position in a reference posture relative to the adjusting stage 204. Here, when the positional relationship between the article holding portion 24 and the adjusting stage 204 is adjusted to a predetermined positional relationship, the relative position and relative posture of the sensor unit 3 and the detected unit 4 are in a reference positional relationship.

As shown in FIG5 , the sensor unit 3 includes: a sensor body 30 including an image sensor 31 and a laser 32, an amplifier unit 34 for amplifying the output signal from the sensor body 30, a programmable logic controller 36 (PLC: Programmable Logic Controller), and a display 35. The sensor unit 3 can photograph the detection object (here, the detected unit 4) by means of the image sensor 31. The photographed image is displayed on the display 35. The operator adjusts the positional relationship between the article holding portion 24 and the adjustment stage 204 to a predetermined positional relationship (reference positional relationship), and sets the detected point R on the photographed image (detected unit 4) displayed on the display 35 when the sensor unit 3 and the detected unit 4 are in the reference positional relationship. For example, as shown in the plan view of FIG7 and the side view of FIG8, the detection points R are set for the detection units 4 on the photographic image. That is, the laser 32 is set to measure the distance K to these detection points R. The programmable controller 36 sends the measured distance K to the detection point R to the transport equipment control device H.

As shown in the three-dimensional diagram of Figure 6, the detected unit 4 has a plurality of detected surfaces 40, and the aforementioned plurality of detected surfaces 40 are capable of being detected by the sensor unit 3 of at least two of the following as the value corresponding to the distance K calculated from the detection reference point Q: the plane relative position showing the relative position of the article holding portion 24 relative to the transfer location (refer to Figure 11), the inclination ψ of the article holding portion 24 relative to the reference plane P0 set at the transfer location (refer to Figure 12), and the rotation angle θ of the article holding portion 24 around the reference axis C orthogonal to the reference plane P0. In addition, the plane relative position represents the relative position of the article holding portion 24 relative to the transfer location in the first direction D1 and the second direction D2. The aforementioned reference plane P0 is set to be opposite to the sensor unit 3 at the transfer location, the aforementioned first direction D1 is the direction along the reference plane P0, and the aforementioned second direction D2 is the direction along the reference plane P0 and orthogonal to the first direction D1.

As shown in FIG. 6 and FIG. 8 , the detected surface 40 for detecting the relative position of the plane in the first direction D1 is an inclined plane (first inclined plane 41), and the inclined plane is configured so that the distance K from the detection reference point Q increases at a certain ratio as it faces the side toward the first direction D1. In addition, the detected surface 40 for detecting the relative position of the plane in the second direction D2 is an inclined plane (second inclined plane 42), and the inclined plane is configured so that the distance from the detection reference point Q increases at a certain ratio as it faces the side toward the second direction D2.

The detection surface 40 for detecting the inclination is set at at least three locations. These three detection surfaces 40 (51, 52, 53) are arranged so that the distance from the detection reference point Q becomes the same when there is no inclination, and are parallel to the reference surface P0 (non-inclined plane 50). When distinguishing each of the three non-inclined planes 50, they are called the first non-inclined plane 51, the second non-inclined plane 52, and the third non-inclined plane 53. The first non-inclined plane 51 and the second non-inclined plane 52 are arranged along the second direction D2, and the second non-inclined plane 52 and the third non-inclined plane 53 are arranged along the first direction D1.

The detected surface 40 for detecting the rotation angle θ around the reference axis C is a spiral surface 43, and the spiral surface 43 is arranged so that the distance from the detection reference point Q increases at a certain ratio as it rotates toward one side around the reference axis C.

In addition, the width of the detection surface 40 in each direction along the reference plane P0 is set to be larger than the maximum value of the theoretical deviation between the transfer point and the article holding portion 24. Specifically, the first inclined plane 41 is set so that at least the width in the direction (second direction D2) along the reference plane P0 and perpendicular to the first direction D1 becomes larger than the maximum value of the theoretical deviation between the transfer point and the article holding portion 24 in the second direction D2. In addition, of course, the width (length) of the first inclined plane 41 in the first direction D1 is larger than the maximum value of the theoretical deviation between the transfer point and the article holding portion 24 in the first direction D1. Similarly, the second inclined plane 42 is set so that the width in the direction (first direction D1) at least along the reference plane P0 and perpendicular to the second direction D2 becomes larger than the maximum value of the theoretical deviation in the first direction D1 between the transfer point and the article holding portion 24. In addition, of course, the width (length) of the second inclined plane 42 in the second direction D2 is larger than the maximum value of the theoretical deviation in the second direction D2 between the transfer point and the article holding portion 24.

Furthermore, the spiral surface 43 is designed so that the width in the direction orthogonal to the rotation direction D3 becomes larger than the maximum value of the theoretical deviation between the transfer point and the article holding portion 24 in the direction along the reference plane P0. Since the rotation direction D3 can be made to correspond to the circumference of a circle with the reference axis C as the center, the direction orthogonal to the rotation direction D3 is equivalent to the direction of the tangent to the circumference, that is, the radial direction of the circle with the reference axis C as the center. Therefore, the spiral surface 43 is designed so that the width in the radial direction of the circle with the reference axis C as the center becomes larger than the maximum value of the theoretical deviation between the transfer point and the article holding portion 24 in the radial direction. Furthermore, the non-inclined plane 50 is set so that the width in the first direction D1 and the second direction D2 becomes larger than the maximum value of the theoretical deviation in the first direction D1 and the second direction D2.

However, when adjusting the control, it is better to perform it under the same conditions as the transport control. As mentioned above, in the present embodiment, since the object W to be transported is a storage container (FOUP) for accommodating a plurality of substrates (semiconductor substrates), it is ideal to provide a sensor unit 3 in the FOUP. As shown in FIG9 , the FOUP as a storage container has: a plurality of slits 13 for holding each of the plurality of substrates; an insertion port 12 for allowing the substrate to enter and exit the slit 13; and a cover 14 for closing the insertion port 12. The sensor unit 3 is supported by a supporting substrate 71 having the same thickness as the substrate, and is provided in the FOUP by the supporting substrate 71 being supported by the slit 13.

The sensor body 30, which is the core of the sensor unit 3, is suspended and supported by the support base plate 71 through the bracket 72. Since the detection direction of the sensor body 30 is downward (toward the bottom of the FOUP), a through hole 17 is formed at the bottom of the FOUP. The sensor unit 3 faces the detected unit 4 through the through hole 17, and detects the distance K between the sensor unit 3 and each detected point R of the detected unit 4. In addition, the distance K can be detected in a state where a part of the bottom of the FOUP or the entire lower part is in contact with the upper surface of the adjustment stage 204. Therefore, the through hole 17 is set to a size that allows the entire sensor unit 3 to be accommodated inside the through hole 17 even if the positional relationship between the article holding portion 24 and the adjustment mounting table 204 deviates from the ideal positional relationship to a maximum error range.

As shown in FIG9 , an amplifier unit 34 is also suspended and supported on the support substrate 71. Although not shown in the figure, a power unit such as a battery or a DC-DC converter, or a communication unit, a programmable controller 36, etc., are also mounted on the upper surface of the support substrate 71, or are suspended and supported on the lower surface. In addition, in the FOUP, a window portion 18 is formed on the opposite side of the plug-in port 12. The display 35 is suspended and supported by the support substrate 71 so that the operator can visually identify it from the outside of the FOUP through the window portion 18. In addition, the window portion 18 is configured to be removable. By removing the window portion 18, the operator can operate the touch panel of the display 35 and can set the detected point R on the photographic image as described above, for example. The aforementioned photographic image is a photographic image of the detected unit 4 taken in a reference position relationship.

As shown in FIG9 and FIG10, a protrusion 73 is formed on the support substrate 71, which protrudes toward the plug port 12, that is, the direction of the cover 14. In addition, in the cover 14, when the plug port 12 is closed, a recess 14a is formed at a position opposite to the protrusion 73. The support substrate 71 supporting the sensor unit 3 is supported by the slit 13 of the FOUP, and the protrusion 73 is limited by the recess 14a, thereby positioning the support substrate 71 along the slit 13. That is, the sensor unit 3 is supported by the slit 13 and positioned along the slit 13 by the cover 14.

The correspondence between the detected distance K and the relative position relationship is described below with reference to FIG. 11 and FIG. 12. As described below, the plane relative position, the slope ψ, and the rotation angle θ showing the relative position relationship can be obtained based on the distance K. The calculation based on the distance K can also be performed by, for example, the amplifier unit 34 of the sensor unit 3 or a controller not shown, or by a controller different from the sensor unit 3, such as the conveyor control device H.

When the relative position of the article holding portion 24 and the detected unit 4 deviates from the reference position relationship in the direction along the reference plane P0, the relative position of the article holding portion 24 and the sensor unit 3 also deviates from the reference position relationship. The inclined plane of FIG11 represents the first inclined plane 41, the second inclined plane 42, and the spiral surface 43. For example, when the relative position deviates in the first direction D1 relative to the reference position relationship, the detected point on the first inclined plane 41 calculated from the detection reference point Q becomes a point R' deviated from the set detected point R. Similarly, when the relative position deviates in the second direction D2 relative to the reference position relationship, the detected point on the second inclined plane 42 measured from the detection reference point Q becomes a point R' deviated from the set detected point R. Furthermore, when the relative position rotates around the reference axis C relative to the reference position relationship, the detected point on the spiral surface 43 measured from the detection reference point Q becomes a point R' deviated from the set detected point R.

When such a deviation occurs, the distance K between the first inclined plane 41, the second inclined plane 42, the spiral surface 43 and the detection reference point Q becomes a value including the error ΔK. If the deviation amount to the first direction D1 is set to d, and the inclination angle of the first inclined plane 41 relative to the reference plane P0 is set to S, the relationship between the error ΔK and the deviation amount d can be expressed as "tanS = ΔK/d" by the tangent of the trigonometric function. Therefore, the deviation amount d to the first direction D1 can be calculated based on the inclination angle S of the first inclined plane 41 relative to the reference plane P0. Similarly, the deviation d in the second direction D2 can also be calculated based on the tilt angle S of the second tilt plane 42 relative to the reference plane P0. In this way, the relative position of the planes can be obtained by obtaining the relative positions in the first direction D1 and the second direction D2. In addition, the tilt angle S can be the same in the first tilt plane 41 and the second tilt plane 42, or different.

Furthermore, the deviation d on the spiral surface 43 is equivalent to the length along the circumference of a circle, which is a circle whose radius is r, and the line segment connecting the reference axis C and the detected point R is set on a plane parallel to the reference plane P0. This deviation d can be expressed as "d = 2rπ・(θ/2π) = rθ" (π: pi) using the displacement (rotation angle θ) in the rotation direction D3. The deviation d can be calculated based on the error ΔK and the tilt angle S of the spiral surface 43 in the same way as the first direction D1 and the second direction D2. In addition, the displacement (rotation angle θ) in the rotation direction D3 can be calculated based on the radius r and the deviation d on the circumference.

As described above, the three non-inclined planes 50 for detecting the inclination are arranged so that the distances K from the detection reference point Q are the same when there is no inclination. However, as shown in FIG12 , when the positional relationship between the article holding portion 24 and the reference plane P0 generates an inclination ψ, an error ΔH is generated in one or both of the distances K from the detection reference point Q to the first non-inclined plane 51 and the distance K from the detection reference point Q to the second non-inclined plane 52, and the distance K from the detection reference point Q to the second non-inclined plane 52 and the distance K from the detection reference point Q to the third non-inclined plane 53. The error ΔH (ΔH1) on the first non-inclined plane 51 and the second non-inclined plane 52 arranged along the second direction D2 can be approximated to the length on the circumference of a circle, the circle being a circle with a distance L (first distance L1) as a radius, the distance L being the distance between the detected point R on the first non-inclined plane 51 and the detected point R on the second non-inclined plane 52 in the direction along the reference plane P0. Furthermore, the relationship between the slope ψ (ψ1) relative to the reference plane P0, the error ΔH (ΔH1), and the distance L (first distance L1) can be expressed as "tan ψ1 = L1/ΔH1". Therefore, the slope ψ (ψ1) relative to the reference plane P0 in the second direction D2 can be calculated based on the error ΔH (ΔH1).

Similarly, the error ΔH (ΔH2) on the second non-inclined plane 52 and the third non-inclined plane 53 arranged along the first direction D1 can be approximated to the length on the circumference of a circle whose radius r is a distance L (second distance L2) that is the distance along the reference plane P0 between the detected point R on the second non-inclined plane 52 and the detected point R on the third non-inclined plane 53. Furthermore, the relationship among the inclination ψ (ψ2) relative to the reference plane P0, the error ΔH (ΔH2), and the distance L (second distance L2) can be expressed as "tanψ2=L2/ΔH2". Therefore, the slope ψ (ψ2) in the second direction D2 relative to the reference plane P0 can be calculated based on the error ΔH (ΔH2). Furthermore, the slope ψ of the article holding portion 24 relative to the reference plane P0 can be calculated based on the slope ψ1 in the second direction D2 and the slope ψ2 in the first direction D1.

However, when the relative position of the plane (the relative position in the first direction D1 and the second direction D2) deviates from the reference position relationship, even if the rotation angle is consistent with the reference position relationship, there is still a possibility that an error ΔK will occur in the distance K relative to the spiral surface 43. Conversely, when the rotation angle θ deviates from the reference position relationship, there is a possibility that an error ΔK will occur in the distance K relative to the first inclined plane 41 and the second inclined plane 42. The same can be said for the relationship with the slope ψ. Therefore, as described above, when calculating the relative position of the plane, the rotation angle θ, and the slope ψ, it is better to consider the detection result of the distance K relative to each detected surface 40.

[Other implementation forms] Other implementation forms are described below. In addition, the configurations of each implementation form described below are not limited to the configurations that can be applied in a separate manner, and can also be applied in combination with the configurations of other implementation forms as long as there is no contradiction.

(1) In the above description, the sensor unit 3 is provided with a display 35 for displaying a photographic image, and the operator sets the detected point R on the photographic image (detected unit 4) displayed on the display 35. However, as shown in FIG. 13 , a computer 37 such as a personal computer or a tablet computer may be connected to the amplifier unit 34 without the display 35, and the detected point R may be set on the screen of the computer 37. The connection between the amplifier unit 34 and the computer 37 is not limited to a wired connection using a cable or the like, and may be a wireless connection using short-distance wireless communication or the like.

(2) In the above, the following form is exemplified: the first unit 1 held by the article holding portion 24 is the sensor unit 3, and the second unit 2 set at the transfer location is the detected unit 4. However, the first unit 1 held by the article holding portion 24 may be the detected unit 4, and the second unit 2 set at the transfer location may be the sensor unit 3. For example, the sensor unit 3 may be set on the adjustment mounting table 204, and the detected unit 4 may be set in the FOUP held by the article holding portion 24.

(3) In the above, the sensor unit 3 is exemplified as being disposed in a form of a FOUP as an article W. However, in a case where the article W is not a FOUP but a mask box for accommodating a reduced mask, the mask box can also be used to constitute the positional relationship detection system 100. In addition, generally speaking, a mask box is thinner than a FOUP, and it may be difficult to accommodate the sensor unit 3 in the form illustrated above. Therefore, in a case where the article W to be transported by the article transporting equipment 200 is a mask box, it is ideal that the first unit 1 held by the article holding portion 24 is the detected unit 4, and the second unit 2 disposed at the transfer location is the sensor unit 3. Of course, even in a case where the article W is a mask box, the first unit 1 can be the sensor unit 3, and the second unit 2 can be the detected unit 4.

(4) In the above description, although the configuration in which three items of the relative position of the plane, the slope ψ, and the rotation angle θ are obtained as the positional relationship of the article holding portion 24 relative to the transfer point is described as an example, it is also possible to use a configuration in which only any two of the three items are obtained. In this case, the detection unit 4 is configured not to have any of the first inclined plane 41 and the second inclined plane 42, the three non-inclined planes 50, and the spiral surface 43.

(5) In the above description, the following configuration is used as an example: the support substrate 71 supporting the sensor unit 3 is supported by the slit 13 of the FOUP and is positioned in the direction of the slit 13 by the recess 14a of the cover 14. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the sensor unit 3 may be supported and positioned relative to the article holding portion 24 by other methods.

(6) In the above description, a ceiling transport vehicle is exemplified as the article transport vehicle 20, but the article transport vehicle 20 may be a ground transport vehicle or a forklift crane that travels on rails laid on the floor.

[Overview of Implementation] The following is a brief description of the overview of the positional relationship detection system described above.

As one aspect, a position relationship detection system is a position relationship detection system for detecting a position relationship in an article transporting device having an article transporting vehicle, wherein the article transporting vehicle has a transfer device for transferring articles between a transport starting point and a transfer point of a transport destination, and the articles are transported between the transport starting point and the transport destination, wherein the position relationship is a position relationship of an article holding portion of the transfer device relative to the transfer point, and the position relationship detection system comprises: a first unit held by the article holding portion; and a second unit disposed at the transfer point, wherein one of the first unit and the second unit is a sensor unit, and the other is a detected unit which is a detection object of the sensor unit, and wherein the sensor unit detects a detection reference from the sensor unit. The distance between the point and a plurality of detected points set in the aforementioned detected unit, the aforementioned detected unit is three-dimensionally formed with a plurality of detected surfaces, the aforementioned plurality of detected surfaces can detect at least two of the plane relative position, inclination and rotation angle as the value corresponding to the distance calculated from the aforementioned detection reference point, the aforementioned plane relative position represents the relative position of the aforementioned article holding portion relative to the aforementioned transfer location in a first direction along the reference plane and in a second direction along the reference plane and orthogonal to the aforementioned first direction, the aforementioned reference plane is set to be opposite to the aforementioned sensor unit at the aforementioned transfer location, the aforementioned inclination is the inclination of the aforementioned article holding portion relative to the aforementioned reference plane, and the aforementioned rotation angle is the rotation angle of the aforementioned article holding portion around a reference axis orthogonal to the aforementioned reference plane.

According to this configuration, the distance from the detection reference point to a plurality of detected points can be detected by one sensor unit. Since it is not necessary to install a plurality of sensors, it is not necessary to consider the mounting accuracy of the plurality of sensors, and the detection accuracy can be ensured with a simple configuration. In addition, in the three-dimensionally formed detected unit, there are a plurality of detected surfaces, and the detected surfaces can detect at least two of the plane relative position, inclination, and rotation angle as values corresponding to the distance calculated from the detection reference point. Therefore, at least two of the plane relative position, inclination, and rotation angle that indicate the positional relationship of the article holding portion relative to the transfer location can be detected by one sensor unit. Thus, according to this configuration, it is possible to provide a technology for appropriately detecting the positional relationship between the article holding portion of the article transport vehicle and the transfer location with a simpler configuration.

Here, it is ideal that the detected surface for detecting the relative position of the plane in the first direction is an inclined plane, and the inclined plane is configured so that the distance from the detection reference point increases at a certain ratio along the side toward the first direction, and the detected surface for detecting the relative position of the plane in the second direction is an inclined plane, and the inclined plane is configured so that the distance from the detection reference point increases at a certain ratio along the side toward the second direction.

According to this configuration, when the relative position of the article holding portion and the transfer point deviates from the predetermined position in the first direction, the distance calculated from the detection reference point becomes a value different from the normal case. The deviation in the first direction can be obtained based on the difference between the detected distance calculated from the detection reference point and the predetermined distance and the inclination angle of the inclined surface. Similarly, the deviation in the second direction can be obtained based on the difference between the detected distance calculated from the detection reference point and the predetermined distance and the inclination angle of the inclined surface.

Furthermore, it is more ideal that the detected surface for detecting the aforementioned slope is a surface parallel to the aforementioned reference surface, is set at at least 3 locations, and is configured so that the distance from the aforementioned detection reference point becomes the same when there is no aforementioned slope.

According to this configuration, when a slope is generated, the distance from the detection reference point to at least one detected surface becomes a value different from the distance from the detection reference point to the other detected surfaces. Therefore, the degree (angle) of the slope can be obtained based on the difference of the distance and the distance along the reference surface of the two detected surfaces that have generated the difference. Since the slope in two different directions can be obtained by setting the detection surface at more than three locations, the slope of the article holding portion relative to the reference surface can be obtained with better accuracy.

Furthermore, it is more desirable that the detected surface for detecting the rotation angle is a spiral surface, and the spiral surface is configured such that the distance from the detection reference point increases at a certain ratio as the spiral surface rotates toward one side around the reference axis.

According to this configuration, when the relative position of the article holding part and the transfer point deviates from the predetermined position in the direction of rotation around the reference axis, the distance calculated from the detection reference point becomes a value different from the normal case. The deviation in the rotation direction can be obtained based on the difference between the detected distance calculated from the detection reference point and the predetermined distance and the inclination angle of the spiral surface. In addition, the rotation angle of the article holding part can be obtained based on the deviation and the rotation distance when rotating around the reference axis once, for example.

Furthermore, it is more desirable that the width of the detection surface in each direction along the reference plane is larger than the maximum value of the theoretical deviation between the transfer point and the article holding portion.

When the deviation between the transfer location and the article holding part becomes so large that the detected point deviates from the detected surface, it becomes impossible to detect the relative position or posture of the transfer location and the article holding part. When the width of the detected surface is larger than the maximum value of the theoretical deviation between the transfer location and the article holding part, the possibility of the detected point deviating from the detected surface can be reduced, and the positional relationship between the transfer location and the article holding part can be detected with better accuracy.

Furthermore, it is more ideal that the aforementioned article is a storage container for accommodating a plurality of substrates, and the aforementioned storage container comprises: a plurality of slits for holding each of the plurality of aforementioned substrates; an insertion port for allowing the aforementioned substrates to enter and exit the slit; and a cover for closing the aforementioned insertion port, and the aforementioned sensor unit is supported by the aforementioned slit and positioned along the direction of the aforementioned slit by the aforementioned cover.

The positional relationship between the article holding portion and the transfer location can be detected with better accuracy by using a unit for checking the shape or weight of the article to be transported that actually corresponds to the article transporting equipment. Therefore, when the article to be transported is a storage container, it is ideal to use the storage container to constitute the checking unit. For example, when the first unit held by the article holding portion is a sensor unit, the sensor unit is held by a slit of the holding substrate, and the sensor unit is positioned by a cover that closes the insertion and extraction port of the storage container, as shown in the present configuration. Therefore, the sensor unit can be appropriately set in the storage container of the transported object, and a positional relationship detection system that can detect the positional relationship between the article holding portion and the transfer location with better accuracy can be constructed.

1: Unit 1 2: Unit 2 3: Sensor unit 4: Detected unit 12: Plug-in port 13: Slit 14: Cover 14a: Recess 15: Accommodation 16: Flange 17: Through hole 18: Window 20: Cargo transport vehicle 21: Actuation control unit 22: Travel unit 22a: Travel wheel 22m: Travel motor 23: Main body 23c: Cover 24: Cargo holding unit 24a: Gripping claw 24m: Gripping motor 25: Lifting unit 25a: Winding body 25b: Winding Take the tape 25m: Lifting motor 26: Sliding part 26a: Intermediate part 26m: Sliding motor 27: Rotating part 27a: Rotating body 27m: Rotating motor 28: Transfer device 29: Profile storage part 30: Sensor body 31: Image sensor 32: Laser 34: Amplifier unit 35: Display 36: Programmable controller 37: Computer 40: Detected surface 41: First inclined plane (inclined plane) 42: Second inclined plane (inclined plane) 43: Spiral surface 50 : Non-inclined plane (a plane parallel to the reference plane and used to detect the inclination of the detected surface) 51: 1st non-inclined plane (non-inclined plane) 52: 2nd non-inclined plane (non-inclined plane) 53: 3rd non-inclined plane (non-inclined plane) 71: Support substrate 72: Bracket 73: Protrusion 100: Position relationship detection system 200: Article conveying equipment 202: Processing device 203: Loading table 204: Loading table for adjustment 205: Support bracket C: Reference axis d: Deviation D1: 1st direction D2 : 2nd direction D3: Rotation direction E1: 1st area E2: 2nd area H: Transport equipment control device K: Distance L: Distance L1: 1st distance L2: 2nd distance LT: Travel path Lp: Main path Ls: Sub-path P0: Reference plane Q: Detection reference point QP: Detection reference plane R: Detected point R’: Point RL: Travel track S: Tilt angle W: Object X: Horizontal Y: Travel direction Z: Longitudinal axis θ: Rotation angle ψ,ψ1,ψ2: Slope ΔH,ΔK: Error

FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing the configuration of an article transport device. FIG. 2 is a side view of an article transport vehicle. FIG. 3 is a block diagram schematically showing the system configuration of the article transport device and the article transport vehicle. FIG. 4 is a side view of an article transport vehicle and a loading platform. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an example of a sensor unit. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing an example of a detected unit. FIG. 7 is a plan view showing an example of a detected point set in a detected unit. FIG. 8 is a side view showing an example of a detected point set in a detected unit. FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing an example of a sensor unit set in a container and an example of a detected unit set in a loading platform. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a container in which a sensor unit is set. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a positional deviation caused by the distance between the detection reference point and the detected point. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of an article holding portion being tilted relative to the reference plane. FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing another example of a sensor unit.

2: Unit 2

4: Detected unit

40: Detected surface

41: The first inclined plane (inclined plane)

42: The second inclined plane (inclined plane)

43: Spiral surface

50: Non-inclined plane (a surface used to detect the slope and parallel to the reference surface)

51: The first non-inclined plane (non-inclined plane)

52: The second non-inclined plane (non-inclined plane)

53: The third non-inclined plane (non-inclined plane)

C: Datum axis

D1: Direction 1

D2: Direction 2

D3: Rotation direction

P0: Base plane

R: Detected point

Claims (10)

A position relationship detection system is a position relationship detection system for detecting position relationship in an article transporting device having an article transporting vehicle, wherein the article transporting vehicle has a transfer device for transferring articles between a transporting starting point and a transfer location of a transporting destination, and the article is transported between the transporting starting point and the transporting destination, and the position relationship is a position relationship of an article holding portion of the transfer device relative to the transfer location, and the position relationship detection system is characterized by having the following: a first unit, which holds an article at a front The article holding portion; and a second unit, which is arranged at the aforementioned transfer location, wherein one of the aforementioned first unit and the aforementioned second unit is a sensor unit, and the other is a detected unit having the detection object of the aforementioned sensor unit, the aforementioned sensor unit detects the distance from the detection reference point in the sensor unit to a plurality of detected points set in the aforementioned detected unit, and the aforementioned detected unit is three-dimensionally formed with a plurality of detected surfaces, and the aforementioned plurality of detected surfaces can detect the relative position, inclination and rotation of the plane At least two of the angles are used as values corresponding to the distance from the detection reference point, the plane relative position represents the relative position of the article holding portion relative to the transfer location in a first direction along the reference plane and in a second direction along the reference plane and orthogonal to the first direction, the reference plane is set to face the sensor unit at the transfer location, the slope is the slope of the article holding portion relative to the reference plane, and the rotation angle is a rotation angle around the reference plane orthogonal to the reference plane. The rotation angle of the aforementioned article holding part of the reference axis, the aforementioned detected surface for detecting the relative position of the aforementioned plane in the aforementioned first direction is an inclined plane, and the aforementioned inclined plane is configured so that the distance from the aforementioned detection reference point increases at a certain ratio as it moves toward the side of the aforementioned first direction, and the aforementioned detected surface for detecting the relative position of the aforementioned plane in the aforementioned second direction is an inclined plane, and the aforementioned inclined plane is configured so that the distance from the aforementioned detection reference point increases at a certain ratio as it moves toward the side of the aforementioned second direction. As in claim 1, the positional relationship detection system, wherein the detected surface for detecting the aforementioned slope is a surface parallel to the aforementioned reference surface, and is set at at least 3 locations, and is configured so that the distance from the aforementioned detection reference point becomes the same when there is no aforementioned slope. As in claim 1, the position relationship detection system, wherein the detected surface for detecting the rotation angle is a spiral surface, and the spiral surface is configured such that as it rotates toward one side around the reference axis, the distance from the detection reference point increases at a certain ratio. As in claim 2, the position relationship detection system, wherein the detected surface for detecting the rotation angle is a spiral surface, and the spiral surface is configured such that as it rotates toward one side around the reference axis, the distance from the detection reference point increases at a certain ratio. A position relationship detection system is a position relationship detection system for detecting a position relationship in an article transporting device having an article transporting vehicle, wherein the article transporting vehicle has a transfer device for transferring articles between a transporting starting point and a transfer location of a transporting destination, and the article is transported between the transporting starting point and the transporting destination, the position relationship is a position relationship of an article holding portion of the transfer device relative to the transfer location, and the position relationship detection system detects a position relationship of an article holding portion of the transfer device relative to the transfer location. The system is characterized in that it comprises the following: a first unit held in the aforementioned article holding portion; and a second unit set at the aforementioned transfer location, wherein one of the aforementioned first unit and the aforementioned second unit is a sensor unit, and the other is a detected unit having the detection object of the aforementioned sensor unit, wherein the aforementioned sensor unit detects the distance from the detection reference point in the sensor unit to a plurality of detected points set in the aforementioned detected unit, and the aforementioned detected unit is The device is three-dimensionally formed with a plurality of detected surfaces, wherein the plurality of detected surfaces can detect at least two of the plane relative position, the slope and the rotation angle as a value corresponding to the distance calculated from the detection reference point, wherein the plane relative position represents the relative position of the article holding portion relative to the transfer point in a first direction along the reference surface and in a second direction along the reference surface and orthogonal to the first direction, wherein the reference surface is set The aforementioned transfer point is set to face the aforementioned sensor unit, the aforementioned slope is the slope of the aforementioned article holding part relative to the aforementioned reference plane, the aforementioned rotation angle is the rotation angle of the aforementioned article holding part around the reference axis orthogonal to the aforementioned reference plane, the aforementioned detected surface for detecting the aforementioned slope is a surface parallel to the aforementioned reference plane, and is set at at least 3 locations, and is configured so that the distance from the aforementioned detection reference point becomes the same when there is no aforementioned slope. As in claim 5, the position relationship detection system, wherein the detected surface for detecting the rotation angle is a spiral surface, and the spiral surface is configured such that as it rotates toward one side around the reference axis, the distance from the detection reference point increases at a certain ratio. A position relationship detection system is a position relationship detection system for detecting a position relationship in an article transporting device having an article transporting vehicle, wherein the article transporting vehicle has a transfer device for transferring articles between a transporting starting point and a transfer location of a transporting destination, and the article is transported between the transporting starting point and the transporting destination, the position relationship is a position relationship of an article holding portion of the transfer device relative to the transfer location, and the position relationship detection system is a position relationship of an article holding portion of the transfer device relative to the transfer location. The detection system is characterized in that it has the following: a first unit, which is held in the aforementioned article holding portion; and a second unit, which is set at the aforementioned transfer location, wherein one of the aforementioned first unit and the aforementioned second unit is a sensor unit, and the other is a detected unit that is a detection object of the aforementioned sensor unit, and the aforementioned sensor unit detects the distance between the detection reference point in the sensor unit and a plurality of detected points set in the aforementioned detected unit, and the aforementioned detected unit The element is three-dimensionally formed with a plurality of detected surfaces, and the plurality of detected surfaces can detect at least two of the plane relative position, inclination and rotation angle as a value corresponding to the distance calculated from the detection reference point. The plane relative position represents the relative position of the aforementioned article holding part relative to the aforementioned transfer location in a first direction along the reference surface and a second direction along the reference surface and orthogonal to the aforementioned first direction. The aforementioned reference The surface is set to face the sensor unit at the transfer point, the slope is the slope of the article holding part relative to the reference surface, the rotation angle is the rotation angle of the article holding part around the reference axis orthogonal to the reference surface, and the detected surface for detecting the rotation angle is a spiral surface, and the spiral surface is configured so that the distance from the detection reference point increases at a certain ratio as it rotates to one side around the reference axis. A position relationship detection system is a position relationship detection system for detecting a position relationship in an article transporting device having an article transporting vehicle, wherein the article transporting vehicle has a transfer device for transferring articles between a transporting starting point and a transfer location of a transporting destination, and the article is transported between the transporting starting point and the transporting destination, the position relationship is a position relationship of an article holding portion of the transfer device relative to the transfer location, and the position relationship is a position relationship of an article holding portion of the transfer device relative to the transfer location. The feature of the detection system is that it has the following: a first unit held in the aforementioned article holding portion; and a second unit set at the aforementioned transfer location, one of the aforementioned first unit and the aforementioned second unit is a sensor unit, and the other is a detected unit having the aforementioned sensor unit as a detection object, and the aforementioned sensor unit detects the distance from the detection reference point in the sensor unit to a plurality of detected points set in the aforementioned detected unit, The aforementioned detected unit is three-dimensionally formed with a plurality of detected surfaces. The aforementioned plurality of detected surfaces can detect at least two of the plane relative position, slope and rotation angle as the value corresponding to the distance calculated from the aforementioned detection reference point. The aforementioned plane relative position represents the relative position of the aforementioned article holding part relative to the aforementioned transfer location in the first direction along the reference surface and the second direction along the aforementioned reference surface and orthogonal to the aforementioned first direction. The aforementioned reference surface is set to face the aforementioned sensor unit at the aforementioned transfer location. The aforementioned slope is the slope of the aforementioned article holding part relative to the aforementioned reference surface. The aforementioned rotation angle is the rotation angle of the aforementioned article holding part around the reference axis orthogonal to the aforementioned reference surface. The width of the aforementioned detected surface in each direction along the aforementioned reference surface is greater than the maximum value of the theoretical deviation between the aforementioned transfer location and the aforementioned article holding part. A positional relationship detection system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the aforementioned object is a storage container for accommodating a plurality of substrates, and the aforementioned storage container has: a plurality of slits for holding each of the plurality of aforementioned substrates; an insertion port for allowing the aforementioned substrate to enter and exit the slit; and a cover for closing the insertion port, and the aforementioned sensor unit is supported by the aforementioned slit, and is positioned along the direction of the aforementioned slit by the aforementioned cover. A position relationship detection system is a position relationship detection system for detecting position relationship in an article transporting device having an article transporting vehicle, wherein the article transporting vehicle has a transfer device for transferring articles between a transporting starting point and a transfer location of a transporting destination, and the article is transported between the transporting starting point and the transporting destination, and the position relationship is a position relationship of an article holding portion of the transfer device relative to the transfer location, and the position relationship detection system is characterized by having the following: The first unit is held in the article holding portion; and the second unit is set at the transfer location. One of the first unit and the second unit is a sensor unit, and the other is a detected unit having a detection object of the sensor unit. The sensor unit detects the distance from the detection reference point in the sensor unit to a plurality of detected points set in the detected unit. The detected unit is three-dimensionally formed with a plurality of detected surfaces. The surface can detect at least two of the plane relative position, inclination and rotation angle as a value corresponding to the distance calculated from the aforementioned detection reference point, the aforementioned plane relative position represents the relative position of the aforementioned article holding part relative to the aforementioned transfer location in a first direction along the reference plane and a second direction along the reference plane and orthogonal to the aforementioned first direction, the aforementioned reference plane is set to face the aforementioned sensor unit at the aforementioned transfer location, and the aforementioned inclination is the relative position of the aforementioned article holding part relative to the aforementioned transfer location. The slope of the aforementioned reference plane, the aforementioned rotation angle is the rotation angle of the aforementioned article holding portion around a reference axis orthogonal to the aforementioned reference plane, the aforementioned article is a storage container for accommodating a plurality of substrates, the aforementioned storage container comprises: a plurality of slits for holding each of the plurality of aforementioned substrates; an insertion port for allowing the aforementioned substrates to enter and exit the slit; and a cover for closing the insertion port, the aforementioned sensor unit is supported by the aforementioned slit, and is positioned along the direction of the aforementioned slit by the aforementioned cover.