Storage system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11942347-B2
Application number	US-201917415762-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 14, 2019
Priority date	Dec 26, 2018
Publication date	Mar 26, 2024
Grant date	Mar 26, 2024

Abstract

A storage system includes an overhead stocker including an overhead crane track, shelving in which tiers of storages to accommodate articles therein are arranged vertically, and a crane to travel along the overhead crane track and transfer an article between the tiers of storages, an overhead transport vehicle system to perform receiving or delivering of an article from or to a predetermined transfer destination, and a transporter to vertically transport an article between the overhead stocker and the overhead transport vehicle system, the overhead transport vehicle system being provided below a lower end of the overhead stocker.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A storage system comprising:
an overhead stocker including an overhead crane track, shelving in which a plurality of tiers of storages to accommodate articles therein are arranged vertically, and a crane to travel along the overhead crane track and transfer an article between the plurality of tiers of storages;
an overhead transport vehicle system to perform receiving or delivering of an article from or to a predetermined transfer destination;
a transporter to vertically transport an article between the overhead stocker and the overhead transport vehicle system; and
a receiving/delivering port to receive or deliver an article between the overhead transport vehicle system and the transporter; wherein
the overhead transport vehicle system is provided below a lower end of the overhead stocker;
the transporter includes:
a transporter lift driver to raise or lower an article being held; and
a transporter lateral extender to move the transporter lift driver laterally between a position above the receiving/delivering port and a position above at least one of the plurality of tiers of storages;

the transporter is capable of receiving or delivering an article from or to the receiving/delivering port by raising or lowering the article via the transporter lift driver in a state in which the transporter lift driver is situated above the receiving/delivering port; and
the transporter is capable of receiving or delivering an article from or to the storage that is present below the transporter lift driver by raising or lowering the article via the transporter lift driver in a state in which the transporter lift driver is situated above at least one of the plurality of tiers of storages.

2. The storage system according to claim 1 , wherein a plurality of the receiving/delivering ports are provided.

3. The storage system according to claim 1 , wherein the overhead transport vehicle system includes:
an overhead track below the lower end of the overhead stocker; and
an overhead transport vehicle including a traveler to travel along the overhead track, a lift driver to raise or lower an article being held, and a lateral extender to move the lift driver laterally with respect to the traveler; wherein
the receiving/delivering port is provided on a lateral side of and below the overhead track; and
the overhead transport vehicle is capable of receiving or delivering an article from or to the predetermined transfer destination by raising or lowering the article via the lift driver, and is capable of receiving or delivering an article from or to the receiving/delivering port that is present below the lift driver having been moved by the lateral extender, by raising or lowering the article via the lift driver in the state where the lateral extender has moved the lift driver to above the receiving/delivering port.

4. The storage system according to claim 1 , wherein
the transporter includes a transporter traveler to travel on the overhead crane track; and
the receiving/delivering port is provided below the transporter.

5. The storage system according to claim 1 , wherein the receiving/delivering port and the predetermined transfer destination are not aligned as viewed in a plan view.

6. The storage system according to claim 1 , wherein a portion of the shelving and the predetermined transfer destination overlap with each other as viewed in a plan view.

7. The storage system according to claim 1 , wherein
the crane includes a crane traveler to travel on the overhead crane track and a transferer to transfer an article between the plurality of tiers of the storages; and
the transferer includes a mast that extends in a vertical direction while being suspended from the crane traveler, an elevation platform to ascend or descend along the mast, a driver to raise or lower the elevation platform, an extender/retractor capable of extending from and retracting to the elevation platform, in a direction perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to a traveling direction of the crane traveler, and a holder that is provided at a distal end of the extender/retractor to hold an article.

Assignees

• Murata Machinery Ltd

Inventors

• Wada Eiji
• Yuasa Yoshiki
• Irino Kosuke

Classifications

• H10P72/3404 Primary

  Storage means · CPC title

• H10P72/3222

  Loading to or unloading from a conveyor · CPC title

• H10P72/3218

  Conveying cassettes, containers or carriers · CPC title

• H10P72/3216

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

• H10P72/3221 Primary

  Overhead conveying · CPC title