Transport vehicle and transport facility

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11338997-B2
Application number	US-201816644000-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 31, 2018
Priority date	Sep 6, 2017
Publication date	May 24, 2022
Grant date	May 24, 2022

Abstract

A transport vehicle (2) is provided with: a support region (22) where a container (W) is supported; a container transfer apparatus (24) that inserts/takes a container (W) into/out of a container shelf; a recognition apparatus (27) that recognizes at least one of an article stored in a container (W) in a first state in which the container (W) is supported in the support region (22) and an article stored in a container (W) in a second state in which the container (W) is supported by the container transfer apparatus (24); and an article transfer apparatus (26) that transfers an article recognized by the recognition apparatus (27) between a container (W) in the first state and a container (W) in the second state.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A transport vehicle that travels along a container shelf provided with a plurality of levels of shelf portions arranged in a vertical direction and configured to support containers, thereby transporting the containers, the transport vehicle comprising:
a support region where a container is supported;
a container transfer apparatus that inserts/takes a container into/out of the container shelf;
a recognition apparatus that recognizes at least one of an article stored in a container in a first state in which the container is supported in the support region and an article stored in a container in a second state in which the container is supported by the container transfer apparatus; and
an article transfer apparatus that transfers an article recognized by the recognition apparatus between a container in the first state and a container in the second state,
wherein the container transfer apparatus comprises a support body that supports a container and a transfer unit that transfers the container,
wherein the recognition apparatus comprises at least one image capturer, and
wherein the article transfer apparatus comprises a pedestal and at least one arm rotatably mounted to the pedestal.

2. The transport vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the recognition apparatus recognizes an article being stored in a container in the first state, and
wherein the article transfer apparatus transfers the article recognized by the recognition apparatus from the container in the first state to a container in the second state.

3. The transport vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the recognition apparatus recognizes an article being stored in a container in the second state, and
wherein the article transfer apparatus transfers the article recognized by the recognition apparatus from the container in the second state to a container in the first state.

4. The transport vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the container transfer apparatus is configured to move a container while holding an outer face of the container, and
wherein the article transfer apparatus is configured to remove an article stored in a container from an opening portion of the container while holding the article.

5. The transport vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein:
the containers are configured to be stackable in the vertical direction,
the support region is configured to be capable of supporting a plurality of the containers in a stacked state,
the container that is positioned uppermost in the container group stacked in the support region being a container in the first state.

6. The transport vehicle according to claim 5 , wherein
the transfer unit transfers the container between the shelf portion and the support body, and transfers the container between the support body and the support region.

7. The transport vehicle according to claim 6 , further comprising:
a lift that lifts a container at any height among the container group stacked in the support region with respect to a container lower than the container at that any height, and
wherein the lift and the container transfer apparatus are configured to cooperate to perform a rearrangement function of changing the order of the containers in the container group stacked in the support region.

8. The transport vehicle according to claim 6 , wherein the container transfer apparatus includes the support body such that the support body can be raised/lowered, and is configured to, in a state in which the support body has been raised/lowered to a transfer height that corresponds to a transfer target shelf portion, insert/take a container into/out of that shelf portion, and
wherein the transfer height that corresponds to a lowermost shelf portion is set to a height where a container is supported by the support body, at a position lower than a container disposed lowest in the support region.

9. A transport facility, comprising:
a plurality of container shelves;
a plurality of transport vehicles, the plurality of transport vehicles each comprising:
a support region where a container is supported;
a container transfer apparatus that inserts/takes a container into/out of the container shelves;
a recognition apparatus that recognizes at least one of an article stored in a container in a first state in which the container is supported in the support region and an article stored in a container in a second state in which the container is supported by the container transfer apparatus; and
an article transfer apparatus that transfers an article recognized by the recognition apparatus between a container in the first state and a container in the second state; and

a controller that sets a travel route of the plurality of transport vehicles,
wherein a passageway of the transport vehicles formed between two of the container shelves adjacent in a shelf depth direction serves as an inter-shelf passageway, and the plurality of container shelves are arranged such that a plurality of the inter-shelf passageways are formed,
wherein the controller sets a travel route of each of the transport vehicles such that a travel direction of the transport vehicles in each of the inter-shelf passageways is one direction,
wherein the container transfer apparatus comprises a support body that supports a container and a transfer unit that transfers the container,
wherein the recognition apparatus comprises at least one image capturer, and
wherein the article transfer apparatus comprises a pedestal and at least one arm rotatably mounted to the pedestal.

Assignees

• Daifuku Kk

Inventors

• Ueda Yuichi
• Iwata Masashige
• Emoto Akira

Classifications

• B65G1/0492 Primary

  with cars adapted to travel in storage aisles · CPC title

• B25J9/0018

  Bases fixed on ceiling, i.e. upside down manipulators · CPC title

• B65G1/1375

  the orders being assembled on a commissioning stacker-crane or truck · CPC title

• B65G2201/0235

  Containers · CPC title

• B65G1/137

  with arrangements or automatic control means for selecting which articles are to be removed · CPC title