TWM673470U - Vehicle handling system and aerial storage station - Google Patents

Abstract

This invention discloses a vehicle transport system and an aerial temporary storage station. The vehicle transport system includes a vehicle, an aerial temporary storage station, and a transport vehicle that can move relative to the aerial temporary storage station. The aerial temporary storage station includes a frame and at least one storage compartment arranged in the frame. The frame includes a rail for mounting on the ceiling, a plurality of connecting rods mounted on the rail at one end, and a station body connected to the other ends of the plurality of connecting rods. At least one of the storage compartments includes a base for placing the vehicle and a plurality of anti-vibration pads. The plurality of anti-vibration pads are spaced apart from each other and connected between the base and the station body. The vehicle can be placed on the base or taken out from the base by the transport vehicle.

Description

Vehicle handling system and aerial storage station

This invention relates to a transport system, and more particularly to a vehicle transport system and an aerial temporary storage station.

Existing ceiling-mounted aerial storage stations face space and height limitations within the factory, as well as increased seismic requirements driven by increasing product precision. Consequently, these stations require continuous improvement in their seismic performance.

Therefore, the author of this invention believes that the above defects can be improved, and proposes a design that is reasonable and effective in improving the above defects.

The present invention provides a carrier transport system and an aerial temporary storage station, which can effectively improve the defects that may occur in existing aerial temporary storage stations.

The present invention discloses a carrier transport system comprising: a carrier for placing multiple objects therein; an aerial temporary storage station comprising: a frame comprising: a rail for mounting on a ceiling; a plurality of connecting rods, one end of which is mounted on the rail; and a station body connected to the other ends of the plurality of connecting rods so as to be suspended from the rail; wherein a temporary storage space is formed inside the station body; and At least one storage compartment is disposed within the temporary storage space, and at least one of the storage compartments includes: a base for placing the carrier; a plurality of anti-vibration pads spaced apart and connected between the base and the station body; and a transport vehicle capable of moving relative to the aerial temporary storage station; wherein the carrier can be placed on the base or removed from the base via the transport vehicle.

This inventive embodiment also discloses an aerial temporary storage station, which includes: a frame including: a rail for mounting on a ceiling; multiple connecting rods, one end of which is mounted on the rail; and a station body connected to the other ends of the multiple connecting rods to be suspended from the rail; wherein a temporary storage space is formed on the inner side of the station body; and at least one storage compartment is disposed within the temporary storage space, and at least one of the storage compartments includes: a base for placing a vehicle; and multiple anti-vibration pads arranged at intervals and connected between the base and the station body.

In summary, the carrier handling system and aerial temporary storage station disclosed in the present invention can be equipped with multiple anti-vibration pads on the station body through the base, thereby enhancing the anti-vibration function (such as high-frequency anti-vibration function), thereby effectively improving the overall product yield.

To further understand the features and technical content of this work, please refer to the following detailed description and illustrations of this work. However, such description and illustrations are only used to illustrate this work and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this work.

The following is a specific and concrete example to illustrate the implementation of the "vehicle handling system and aerial temporary storage station" disclosed in this creation. Technical personnel in this field can understand the advantages and effects of this creation from the content disclosed in this manual. This creation can be implemented or applied through other different specific embodiments. The details in this manual can also be modified and changed based on different viewpoints and applications without deviating from the concept of this creation. In addition, the drawings of this creation are only simple schematic illustrations and are not depicted in actual size. Please note in advance. The following implementation method will further explain the relevant technical content of this creation in detail, but the disclosed content is not used to limit the scope of protection of this creation.

It should be understood that while terms such as "first," "second," and "third" may be used herein to describe various elements or features, these elements or features should not be limited by these terms. These terms are primarily used to distinguish one element from another, or one feature from another. Furthermore, the term "or" used herein may include any one or more combinations of the associated listed items, as appropriate.

Please refer to Figures 1 to 9, which illustrate one embodiment of this invention. This embodiment discloses a carrier transport system 100 suitable for use in a low-rise overhead transport vehicle (Mini OHT) configuration and in cleanroom environments with a cleanroom cleanliness level of Class 100 or lower. Specifically, the carrier transport system 100 can be used in factories where the ceiling 200 is less than 3 meters (e.g., 2 to 3 meters) from the floor 300, but this invention is not limited to this. For example, in other embodiments not shown in this invention, the carrier transport system 100 can also be used in other configurations or environments with other cleanliness requirements based on actual needs.

As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the carrier transport system 100 in this embodiment includes a carrier 2, an aerial storage station 1 for temporarily storing the carrier 2, and a transport vehicle 3 capable of moving relative to the aerial storage station 1. While the carrier transport system 100 is described below using a single carrier 2, this invention is not limited to this. For example, in other embodiments not shown in this invention, the aerial storage station 1 can be used alone (e.g., for sales) or in conjunction with other components, depending on actual needs. Alternatively, the carrier transport system 100 can include multiple carriers 2.

In this embodiment, the carrier 2 is described as an electrostatic carrier, and the carrier 2 is used to place multiple objects (such as wafers) spaced apart from each other. To facilitate understanding of this embodiment, the carrier 2 will be described below in one of the feasible forms (such as a magazine-type carrier), but the present invention is not limited thereto.

The carrier 2 includes a frame 21, a clamping portion 22 connected to the top of the frame 21, and two stoppers 23 mounted on the frame 21. The frame 21 is generally rectangular and has two openings 211 and a storage space 212 located between the two openings 211.

Specifically, the two stoppers 23 are positioned corresponding to the two openings 211, and are movably mounted at the two ends of the frame 21. This allows each object to be received within the storage space 212 when either stopper 23 is pulled away from the corresponding opening 211. Furthermore, each object within the storage space is retained by the two stoppers 23 to prevent it from falling out of the frame 21 through either opening 211.

Furthermore, the clamping portion 22 is used to be clamped and fixed by the transport vehicle 3, so that the carrier 2 can be placed in the aerial storage station 1 by the transport vehicle 3. Furthermore, a plurality of positioning portions 213 are provided at the bottom of the frame 21, so that the frame 21 can be positioned in the aerial storage station 1.

As shown in Figures 4 to 7 , the aerial storage station 1 includes a frame 11, at least one storage compartment 12 disposed on the frame 11, at least one reflector 13 mounted on the frame 11, and a first fence post 14 and a second fence post 15 mounted on opposite sides of the frame 11, respectively. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, in other embodiments not shown in the present invention, the reflector 13, the first fence post 14, and/or the second fence post 15 may be omitted or replaced with other components according to actual needs. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the number of at least one storage cell 12 is equal to the number of at least one reflective element 13 , and the position of at least one storage cell 12 corresponds to the position of at least one reflective element 13 . Furthermore, the number of at least one storage cell 12 is described as a plurality in the following description, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

In this embodiment, the frame 11 includes a rail 111 for mounting on the ceiling 200, a plurality of connecting rods 112 mounted on one end of the rail 111, a station body 113 connected to the other ends of the connecting rods 112, and a seismic isolation mechanism 114 connected to the rail 111 and the station body 113, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the seismic isolation mechanism 114 can be selected based on actual needs (e.g., earthquake protection requirements).

More specifically, the track 111 is mounted on the ceiling 200 at a distance D within 3 meters from the ground 300 (along a height direction H). In this embodiment, the track 111 includes two spaced-apart crossbeams 1111. The two crossbeams 1111 are fixed to the ceiling 200 and are parallel to an arrangement direction L perpendicular to the height direction H. One end of each of the connecting rods 112 is mounted on the two crossbeams 1111.

In which, two connecting rods 112 are provided at both ends of each crossbeam 1111 for movably mounting along the configuration direction L, and each connecting rod 112 is parallel to the height direction H. The two connecting rods 112 mounted on any crossbeam 1111 face the two connecting rods 112 mounted on the other crossbeam 1111 along a width direction W perpendicular to the configuration direction L and the height direction H.

The station body 113 is connected to a plurality of connecting rods 112 to be suspended from the rail 111. The station body 113 defines a first side S1 and a second side S2 along the width direction W. In this embodiment, the station body 113 is generally U-shaped, with its two ends mounted on the plurality of connecting rods 112, so that the station body 113 can be adjusted in the height direction H, the configuration direction L, and the width direction W via the plurality of connecting rods 112.

Furthermore, a temporary storage space 1131 is formed on the inner side of the station body 113, and the shockproof mechanism 114 is located above the temporary storage space 1131. It should be noted that the shockproof mechanism 114 in this embodiment can be used to reduce or buffer low-frequency vibrations, and its specific structure can be adjusted and varied according to actual needs. For ease of understanding, the following content will be described based on one feasible embodiment of the shockproof mechanism 114, but the present invention is not limited to this.

In this embodiment, the anti-vibration mechanism 114 includes two adjacent diagonal rods 1141, each of which is elongated and elastically deformable. The two diagonal rods 1141 have substantially the same structure and are parallel and aligned along the width direction W.

Specifically, one end of each of the two diagonal support rods 1141 is connected to the station body 113 (e.g., one of the ends of the station body 113), while the other ends of each of the two diagonal support rods 1141 are connected to the two crossbeams 1111. Furthermore, each diagonal support rod 1141 and the connected crossbeam 1111 may be arranged at an angle σ between 25 and 30 degrees (e.g., FIG. 5 ) to provide improved low-frequency vibration isolation, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

It should be noted that, in this embodiment, the two diagonal support rods 1141 are respectively located within the two projection spaces formed by the orthographic projections of the two cross beams 1111 extending along the height direction H toward the station body 113. Furthermore, in other embodiments not shown in this invention, the two diagonal support rods 1141 may not be parallel to each other, and the other ends of the two diagonal support rods 1141 may be connected to form a V-shaped structure.

Multiple storage cells 12 are disposed within the temporary storage space 1131 and are arranged in a row (along the configuration direction L) with spacing therebetween. In other words, the multiple storage cells 12 are located below the track 111 along the height direction H. It should be noted that, in this embodiment, the multiple storage cells 12 employ a substantially identical structure. For ease of explanation, the following description will only describe the structure of one storage cell 12. However, this invention is not limited to this. For example, in other embodiments not shown in this invention, the structures of the multiple storage cells 12 may also differ slightly based on actual needs.

In this embodiment, the storage compartment 12 includes a base 121 and a plurality of anti-vibration pads 122 connected between the base 121 and the station body 113. The base 121 is generally plate-shaped and has a plurality of electrostatically conductive positioning structures 1211, such as polyoxymethylene (POM) structures. Furthermore, the base 121 is used to accommodate the carrier 2, so that the multiple positioning portions 213 of the carrier 2 can be positioned respectively on the multiple electrostatically conductive positioning structures 1211 of the base 121, thereby effectively preventing any object within the carrier 2 from experiencing electrostatic breakdown and resulting in defective products.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, each anti-vibration pad 122 is illustrated as a rubber pad, and multiple anti-vibration pads 122 are spaced apart and can be placed at multiple corners of the base 121, but this invention is not limited to this. Accordingly, the base 121 can be installed on the station body 113 through multiple anti-vibration pads 122, thereby enhancing anti-vibration performance (such as high-frequency anti-vibration performance), thereby effectively improving the overall product yield.

As shown in Figures 1, 8, and 9, the carrier 2 can be placed on or removed from the base 121 (at the first side S1) by the transport vehicle 3. Furthermore, a plurality of reflectors 13 are mounted on the station body 113 and located outside the second side S2 of the station body 113. The reflectors 13 are located adjacent to the storage compartments 12, allowing the transport vehicle 3 to accurately determine whether a carrier 2 is placed in the corresponding storage compartment 12 from the first side S1 based on the reflection of each reflector 13.

Furthermore, to prevent the carrier 2 from falling from the station body 113 due to significant shaking (e.g., earthquakes), the aerial storage station 1 is mounted on the station body 113 using the first fence pole 14 and the second fence pole 15. Specifically, as shown in Figures 6 to 8, the first fence pole 14 is located outside the first side S1 of the station body 113, and the top edge of the first fence pole 14 is higher than the base 121 but lower than any of the reflective elements 13. This prevents the carrier 2 from falling while also preventing interference with the operation of the transport vehicle 3. Furthermore, the second fence rod 15 is located outside the second side S2 of the station body 113, and the top edge of the first fence rod 14 is higher than any of the reflective elements 13, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[Technical Effects of the Present Inventive Embodiment]

In summary, the carrier handling system and aerial temporary storage station disclosed in the present invention can be equipped with multiple anti-vibration pads on the station body through the base, thereby enhancing the anti-vibration function (such as high-frequency anti-vibration function), thereby effectively improving the overall product yield.

Furthermore, the vehicle handling system and aerial storage station disclosed in this inventive embodiment can further include the aforementioned anti-vibration mechanism at specific locations to effectively reduce or buffer low-frequency vibrations. Furthermore, the aerial storage station can also be equipped with the first and second fence rails installed within the station body to effectively prevent the vehicles from falling from the station body due to significant shaking (e.g., earthquakes).

The above-disclosed contents are merely preferred feasible embodiments of this invention and do not limit the patent scope of this invention. Therefore, any equivalent technical changes made using the description and diagrams of this invention are included in the patent scope of this invention.

100: Vehicle Handling System 1: Aerial Storage Station 11: Frame 111: Track 1111: Crossbeam 112: Connecting Rod 113: Station Body 1131: Storage Space 114: Anti-vibration Mechanism 1141: Diagonal Support Rod 12: Storage Grid 121: Base 1211: Anti-static Positioning Structure 122: Anti-vibration Pad 13: Reflector 14 : First fence pole 15: Second fence pole 2: Carrier 21: Frame 211: Opening 212: Storage space 213: Positioning portion 22: Clamping portion 23: Stopper 3: Transport vehicle 200: Ceiling 300: Ground H: Height direction L: Arrangement direction W: Width direction D: Distance S1: First side S2: Second side σ: Arrangement angle

FIG1 is a schematic three-dimensional diagram of a carrier transport system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG2 is an exploded schematic diagram of the vehicle and storage compartment in FIG1 .

FIG3 is a schematic three-dimensional diagram of the vehicle in FIG1 from another perspective.

FIG4 is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the aerial temporary storage station in FIG1.

FIG5 is a schematic diagram of the aerial temporary storage station of FIG4 installed on the ceiling.

FIG6 is a side view schematic diagram of FIG4.

FIG7 is a schematic top view of FIG4 .

FIG8 is a schematic diagram of the subsequent actions of FIG1.

FIG9 is a schematic diagram of the subsequent actions of FIG8.

100: Vehicle handling system

1: Air Storage Station

11: Framework

111: Track

1111: Beam

112: Connecting rod

113: Site Main Body

1131: Temporary storage space

114: Shockproof mechanism

1141: Slanted support pole

12: Storage Cell

121: Seat

1211: Anti-static Positioning Structure

13: Reflective element

14: First fence post

15: Second fence post

2: Vehicles

3: Transporter

H: Height direction

L: Configuration direction

W: Width direction

S1: First side

S2: Second side

Claims (20)

A carrier transport system includes: a carrier for placing multiple objects therein; an aerial temporary storage station, comprising: a frame, comprising: a rail for mounting on a ceiling; a plurality of connecting rods, one end of which is mounted on the rail; and a station body connected to the other ends of the plurality of connecting rods to be suspended from the rail; wherein a temporary storage space is formed on the inner side of the station body; and at least one Storage compartments are disposed within the temporary storage space, and at least one of the storage compartments includes: a base for receiving the carrier; a plurality of anti-vibration pads spaced apart and connected between the base and the station body; and a transport vehicle capable of moving relative to the aerial temporary storage station; wherein the carrier can be placed on or removed from the base via the transport vehicle. A carrier transport system as described in claim 1, wherein the base has multiple electrostatically conductive positioning structures, and the carrier includes: a frame having two openings and a storage space located between the two openings; wherein multiple positioning parts are provided at the bottom of the frame; a clamping part connected to the top of the frame for clamping and fixing the transport vehicle; and two stoppers installed on the frame, and the positions of the two stoppers respectively correspond to the two openings; wherein, when the carrier is placed on the base, the multiple positioning parts of the frame are respectively positioned at the multiple electrostatically conductive positioning structures of the base. The carrier transport system of claim 1, wherein the frame includes a shock-proof mechanism connected to the rail and the station body, and the shock-proof mechanism is located above the temporary space. A vehicle transport system as described in claim 3, wherein the track includes two cross beams spaced apart from each other, and one end of a plurality of the connecting rods is respectively mounted on the two cross beams; wherein the shock-proof mechanism includes two diagonal support rods arranged adjacent to each other, and each of the diagonal support rods is elastically deformable, one end of the two diagonal support rods is connected to the station body, and the other end of the two diagonal support rods is respectively connected to the two cross beams. The carrier transport system of claim 4, wherein each of the diagonal support rods and the connected crossbeam has a configuration angle between 25 degrees and 30 degrees. The carrier transport system of claim 1, wherein the number of at least one of the storage cells is multiple, and the multiple storage cells are arranged in a row with intervals between them. A carrier transport system as described in claim 1, wherein the station body defines a first side and a second side, and the carrier can be placed on the base body or removed from the base body at the first side by the transport vehicle; wherein the aerial temporary storage station includes at least one reflective member mounted on the station body, and at least one of the reflective members is located outside the second side of the station body and corresponds to the position of at least one of the storage cells. A carrier handling system as described in claim 7, wherein the aerial temporary storage station includes a first fence pole mounted on the station body, and the first fence pole is located outside the first side of the station body, and the top edge of the first fence pole is higher than the base but lower than at least one of the reflective members. A carrier handling system as described in claim 8, wherein the aerial temporary storage station includes a second fence pole mounted on the station body, and the second fence pole is located outside the second side of the station body, and the top edge of the first fence pole is higher than at least one of the reflective members. The vehicle transport system of claim 1, wherein the rail of the aerial storage station is mounted on the ceiling within 3 meters from the ground, and the vehicle is an electrostatically conductive vehicle. An aerial temporary storage station comprises: a frame including a rail for mounting on a ceiling; a plurality of connecting rods, one end of which is mounted on the rail; and a station body connected to the other ends of the plurality of connecting rods so as to be suspended from the rail. A temporary storage space is formed inside the station body; and at least one storage compartment is disposed within the temporary storage space, and at least one of the storage compartments includes a base for accommodating a vehicle; and a plurality of anti-vibration pads spaced apart and connected between the base and the station body. The aerial temporary storage station as described in claim 11, wherein the frame includes a shock-proof mechanism connected to the rail and the station body, and the shock-proof mechanism is located above the temporary storage space. An aerial temporary storage station as described in claim 12, wherein the track includes two cross beams spaced apart from each other, and one end of a plurality of the connecting rods is respectively mounted on the two cross beams; wherein the shock-proof mechanism includes two diagonal support rods arranged adjacent to each other, and each of the diagonal support rods is elastically deformable, one end of the two diagonal support rods is connected to the station body, and the other end of the two diagonal support rods is respectively connected to the two cross beams. The aerial temporary storage station as described in claim 13, wherein each of the diagonal support rods and the connected crossbeam has a configuration angle between 25 degrees and 30 degrees. The aerial temporary storage station as described in claim 11, wherein the number of at least one of the storage cells is multiple, and the multiple storage cells are arranged in a row with intervals between each other. An aerial temporary storage station as described in claim 11, wherein the station body defines a first side and a second side, and the vehicle can be placed on the base or removed from the base through the first side; wherein the aerial temporary storage station includes at least one reflective member mounted on the station body, and at least one of the reflective members is located outside the second side of the station body and corresponds to the position of at least one of the storage cells. An aerial temporary storage station as described in claim 16, wherein the aerial temporary storage station includes a first fence pole mounted on the station body, and the first fence pole is located outside the first side of the station body, and the top edge of the first fence pole is higher than the base but lower than at least one of the reflective members. An aerial temporary storage station as described in claim 17, wherein the aerial temporary storage station includes a second fence pole mounted on the station body, and the second fence pole is located outside the second side of the station body, and the top edge of the first fence pole is higher than at least one of the reflective members. An aerial temporary storage station as described in claim 11, wherein the base has a plurality of electrostatically conductive positioning structures for positioning the vehicle. The aerial storage station of claim 11, wherein the rail of the aerial storage station is mounted on the ceiling within 3 meters from the ground.