Transport system and transport method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9263311-B2
Application number	US-201113283630-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 28, 2011
Priority date	Nov 4, 2010
Publication date	Feb 16, 2016
Grant date	Feb 16, 2016

Abstract

In a transport system, a local track is disposed so as to be below an overhead travelling vehicle track in parallel or substantially in parallel therewith, and furthermore above a loading port of a processing device from upstream of the loading port to downstream of the loading port. A local vehicle including a hoist travels along the local track. Below the local track, a first buffer is disposed upstream of the loading port of the processing device, and a second buffer is disposed downstream of the loading port of the processing device, and the overhead travelling vehicle and the local vehicle can both perform delivery and receipt of the article with the first buffer and the second buffer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A transport system to transport articles among a plurality of processing devices, the transport system comprising:
an overhead travelling vehicle track passing above loading ports of the plurality of processing devices;
an overhead travelling vehicle travelling in one direction along the overhead travelling vehicle track and including a hoist;
a local track disposed so as to be below and in parallel or substantially in parallel with the overhead travelling vehicle track and above a loading port of one of the processing devices from upstream of the loading port to downstream of the loading port along the one direction;
a local vehicle travelling along the local track and including a hoist that lifts and lowers one of the articles;
a first buffer disposed so as to be below the local track and upstream of the loading port of the one of the processing devices along the one direction, the overhead travelling vehicle and the local vehicle both configured to deliver and receive one of the articles with the first buffer; and
a second buffer disposed so as to be below the local track and downstream of the loading port of the one of the processing devices along the one direction, the overhead travelling vehicle and the local vehicle both configured to deliver and receive one of the articles with the second buffer; wherein
in a plan view of the transport system, the first and second buffers are arranged to not overlap the loading port of the one of the processing devices in a vertical direction;
in a side view of the transport system, the first and second buffers are only provided either in front of or behind the loading port in the one direction;
the first buffer includes a first sub-buffer and a second sub-buffer disposed in a first two-level stepped arrangement;
the second buffer includes a third sub-buffer and a fourth sub-buffer disposed in a second two-level stepped arrangement; and
the first and second two-level stepped arrangements each include an upper level and lower level.

2. The transport system according to claim 1 , wherein the first buffer and the second buffer are each configured such that only one of the articles may be placed thereon.

3. The transport system according to claim 2 , wherein the first buffer and the second buffer are each disposed at a height according to which the local vehicle supporting one of the articles may travel only above the first buffer without any of the articles and the second buffer without any of the articles, and the local vehicle not supporting any of the articles may travel the first buffer both with one of the articles and without any of the articles and the second buffer both with the one of the articles and without any of the articles.

4. The transport system according to claim 1 , wherein the upper level and the lower level of the first buffer and the second buffer are arranged such that one of the articles can be placed on each of the upper level and the lower level of each of the first buffer and the second buffer, the lower level is disposed on a side adjacent to the loading port of the one of the processing devices, the upper level is disposed on a side spaced from the loading port, and regardless of whether one of the articles has been placed on the lower level, the local vehicle may pass above the lower level when the local vehicle is supporting one of the articles and when the local vehicle is not supporting any of the articles, and the upper level is disposed at a height according to which the local vehicle supporting the article may travel only above the upper level without any of the articles, and the local vehicle not supporting any of the articles may travel above the upper level both with one of the articles and without any of the articles.

5. The transport system according to claim 1 , wherein the local track includes two parallel or substantially parallel rails with a gap in-between through which the articles can pass in the vertical direction.

6. The transport system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a controller arranged and programmed to control the overhead travelling vehicle and the local vehicle such that the overhead travelling vehicle delivers one of the articles to the first buffer and the second buffer and removes the one of the articles from the loading port of the one of the processing devices, and the local vehicle delivers the one of the articles from the first buffer and the second buffer to the loading port.

7. The transport system according to claim 1 , wherein the first buffer and the second buffer are supported by a horizontal frame disposed above the loading port of the one of the processing devices, and the frame is provided with a look-down sensor to detect an interfering object on the loading port side.

8. The transport system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a controller configured or programmed to control the overhead travelling vehicle and the local vehicle such that the overhead travelling vehicle drops off one of the articles at the first buffer or the second buffer, the local vehicle drops off the one of the articles from the first buffer or the second buffer at the loading port of the one of the processing devices, and the overhead traveling vehicle removes the one of the articles from the loading port.

9. The transport system according to claim 1 , wherein:
the lower level of each the first and second two-level stepped arrangements is arranged to be closer to the loading port of the one of the processing devices than the upper level of each the first and second two-level stepped arrangements; and
the upper and lower levels are configured to accommodate one of the articles placed on each of the upper and lower levels of each the first and second two-level stepped arrangements.

10. The transport system according to claim 1 , wherein a height difference between the first buffer and the local track in the vertical direction is the same or substantially the same as a height difference between the second buffer and the local track in the vertical direction.

11. A transport system for addition on to an existing overhead travelling vehicle system, the transport system comprising:
a local track that is disposed so as to be below an overhead travelling vehicle track and above a loading port of a processing device from upstream of the loading port to downstream of the loading port along one direction, and is disposed in parallel or substantially in parallel with the overhead travelling vehicle track;
a local vehicle that travels along the local track and includes a hoist that lifts and lowers articles;
a first buffer that is disposed so as to be below the local track and upstream of the loading port of the processing device along the one direction, an overhead travelling vehicle and the local vehicle both being arranged to perform delivery and receipt of one of the articles with the first buffer; and
a second buffer that is disposed so as to be below the local track and downstream of the loading port of the processing device along the one direction, the overhead travelling vehicle and the local vehicle both being arranged to perform delivery and receipt of one of the articles with the second buffer; wherein
in a plan view of the transport system, the first and second buffers are arranged to not overlap the loading port of the processing device in a vertical direction;
in a side view of the transport system, the first and second buffers are only provided either in front of or behind the loading port in the one direction;
the first buffer includes a first sub-buffer and a second sub-buffer disposed in a first two-level stepped arrangement;
the second buffer includes

Assignees

• Ota Tatsuji
• Fukushima Masazumi
• Ito Yasuhisa
• Murata Machinery Ltd

Inventors

• Ota Tatsuji
• Fukushima Masazumi
• Ito Yasuhisa

Classifications

• H10P72/3404

  Storage means · CPC title

• H10P72/3222

  Loading to or unloading from a conveyor · CPC title

• H10P72/3214

  by means of a cart or a vehicle · CPC title

• H10P72/3202

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

• H10P72/0606

  Position monitoring, e.g. misposition detection or presence detection · CPC title