Floor-to-floor transport system and floor-to-floor transport method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11319153-B2
Application number	US-201816619134-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 7, 2018
Priority date	Jun 6, 2017
Publication date	May 3, 2022
Grant date	May 3, 2022

Abstract

A floor-to-floor transport system that transports an article between different floors by using an upward path and a downward path in a vertical transporter that revolves in one direction includes, on at least one floor: a loading transport line that transports to the vertical transporter an article to be transported to another floor; a first loading opening through which the article is loaded into the upward path in the vertical transporter; a second loading opening through which the article is loaded into the downward path in the vertical transporter; a transferor that selectively transfers to the first loading opening or the second loading opening an article transported by the loading transport line; and a controller that controls the transferor depending on a destination of the article.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A floor-to-floor transport system that transports an article between different floors by using an upward path and a downward path in a vertical transporter that revolves in one direction, the floor-to-floor transport system comprising, on at least one floor:
a loading transport line that transports to the vertical transporter an article to be transported to another floor;
a first loading opening through which the article is loaded into the upward path in the vertical transporter;
a second loading opening through which the article is loaded into the downward path in the vertical transporter;
a transferor that selectively transfers to the first loading opening or the second loading opening an article transported by the loading transport line; and
a controller that controls the transferor depending on a destination of the article.

2. The floor-to-floor transport system according to claim 1 , wherein the loading transport line includes:
a loading main line connected to one of the first loading opening and the second loading opening;
a first loading port that transfers to the transferor an article to be transported to another of the first loading opening and the second loading opening;
a second loading port on which an article transferred from the first loading port by the transferor is placed; and
a loading connection line that transports to the other of the first loading opening and the second loading opening an article from the second loading port.

3. The floor-to-floor transport system according to claim 2 , wherein
one or both of the first loading port and the second loading port are provided in plurality; and
the transferor is capable of moving between a plurality of the first loading ports or between a plurality of the second loading ports.

4. The floor-to-floor transport system according to claim 2 , wherein
one or both of the first loading port and the second loading port are provided in plurality; and
the transferor is provided for each of a plurality of the first loading ports or each of a plurality of the second loading ports.

5. The floor-to-floor transport system according to claim 1 , wherein the transferor is an overhead transport vehicle that moves along a rail installed on a ceiling or adjacent to a ceiling and includes a transferor capable of transferring an article.

6. A floor-to-floor transport system that transports an article between different floors by using an upward path and a downward path in a vertical transporter that revolves in one direction, the floor-to-floor transport system comprising, on at least one floor:
a discharge transport line that transports an article that has been transported from another floor and been unloaded from the vertical transporter;
a first unloading opening through which an article is unloaded from the downward path in the vertical transporter;
a second unloading opening through which an article is unloaded from the upward path in the vertical transporter;
a transferor that transfers to the discharge transport line the article unloaded through the first unloading opening or the second unloading opening; and
a controller that controls the transferor.

7. The floor-to-floor transport system according to claim 6 , wherein the discharge transport line includes:
a discharge main line connected to one of the first unloading opening and the second unloading opening;
a discharge connection line that transports an article that has been unloaded through the first unloading opening or the second unloading opening;
a first discharge port that transfers to the transferor an article that has been transported by the discharge connection line; and
a second discharge port on which an article transferred from the first discharge port by the transferor is placed, and that sends the article to the discharge transport line.

8. The floor-to-floor transport system according to claim 7 , wherein
one or both of the first discharge port and the second discharge port are provided in plurality; and
the transferor is capable of moving between a plurality of the first discharge ports or between a plurality of the second discharge ports.

9. The floor-to-floor transport system according to claim 7 , wherein
one or both of the first discharge port and the second discharge port are provided in plurality; and
the transferor is provided for each of a plurality of the first discharge ports or each of a plurality of the second discharge ports.

10. A floor-to-floor transport system that transports an article between different floors by using an upward path and a downward path in a vertical transporter that revolves in one direction, the floor-to-floor transport system comprising, on at least one floor:
a loading transport line that transports to the vertical transporter an article to be transported to another floor;
a first loading opening through which the article is loaded into the upward path in the vertical transporter;
a second loading opening through which the article is loaded into the downward path in the vertical transporter;
a discharge transport line that transports an article that has been transported from another floor and been unloaded from the vertical transporter;
a first unloading opening through which an article is unloaded from the downward path in the vertical transporter;
a second unloading opening through which an article is unloaded from the upward path in the vertical transporter;
a transferor that selectively transfers to the first loading opening or the second loading opening an article transported by the loading transport line and transfers to the discharge transport line an article unloaded through the first unloading opening or the second unloading opening; and
a controller that controls the transferor.

11. A floor-to-floor transport method to transport an article between different floors by using an upward path and a downward path in a vertical transporter that revolves in one direction, the floor-to-floor transport method comprising:
acquiring, on at least one floor, a transport destination of an article that has been transported; and
determining, when transporting the article to another floor, based on the acquired transport destination, whether to load the article into a first loading opening provided in the upward path in the vertical transporter or load the article into a second loading opening provided in the downward path in the vertical transporter.

Assignees

• Murata Machinery Ltd

Inventors

• Maeda Toshihiro

Classifications

• H10P72/3202

  Mechanical details, e.g. rollers or belts · CPC title

• H10P72/3222

  Loading to or unloading from a conveyor · CPC title

• H10P72/3216

  using a general scheme of a conveying path within a factory · CPC title

• H10P72/3208

  Changing the direction of the conveying path · CPC title

• H10P72/3218 Primary

  Conveying cassettes, containers or carriers · CPC title