Article storage facility

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9679795-B2
Application number	US-201414310233-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 20, 2014
Priority date	Jun 26, 2013
Publication date	Jun 13, 2017
Grant date	Jun 13, 2017

Abstract

An article storage facility is provided which is relatively simple in structure and in which it is easier to perform maintenance work of apparatus provided to each zone. A first switching valve is provided in each of a plurality of zone gas supply portions whereas a second switching valve is provided in each of a plurality of storage section gas supply portions. A plurality of relief passages is provided with each relief passage connected to the inactive gas supply passage on a downstream side, with respect to a gas supplying direction, of the position in which the first switching valve is provided and on an upstream side, with respect to the gas supplying direction, of the position in which the second switching valve is provided in the inactive gas supply passage. A zone relief switching valve is provided to each of the plurality of relief passages.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An article storage facility comprising:
a plurality of storage sections for storing containers;
an inactive gas supply passage for supplying inactive gas to each of the plurality of storage sections;
inject portions, each of which is configured to inject the inactive gas supplied to an associated one of the storage sections by the inactive gas supply passage into inside an associated one of the containers stored in the associated one of the storage sections;
wherein the plurality of storage sections are divided into a plurality of zones,
wherein the inactive gas supply passage includes a base gas supply portion, a plurality of zone gas supply portions each of which branches off from the base gas supply portion to associated one of the plurality of zones to supply the inactive gas which flows through the base gas supply portion to the associated one of the plurality of zones, a plurality of storage section gas supply portions each of which is branched off from each zone gas supply portion to respective ones of the storage sections and configured to supply the inactive gas which flows through a corresponding zone gas supply portion individually to associated one of the plurality of storage sections that belong to one of the plurality of zones that corresponds to the corresponding zone gas supply portion, and is configured to allow the inactive gas to be injected from associated one of the inject portions,
wherein the article storage facility further comprises:
a first switching valve provided in each of the plurality of zone gas supply portions, and which can be switched between an open state in which the inactive gas is allowed to flow through the first switching valve and a closed state in which the inactive gas is prevented from flowing through the first switching valve;
a second switching valve provided in either (a) each of the plurality of zone gas supply portions, on a downstream side, with respect to a gas supplying direction, of a position in which the first switching valve is provided, or (b) each of the plurality of storage section gas supply portions, wherein the second switching valve can be switched between an open state in which the inactive gas is allowed to flow through the second switching valve and a closed state in which the inactive gas is prevented from flowing through the second switching valve; and
a plurality of relief passages connected to respective ones of the plurality of zone gas supply portions for discharging inactive gas from the respective ones of the zone gas supply portions;
wherein each of the plurality of relief passages is connected to the inactive gas supply passage on the downstream side, with respect to the gas supplying direction, of a position in which the first switching valve is provided in the inactive gas supply passage and on the upstream side, with respect to the gas supplying direction, of a position in which the second switching valve is provided, and
wherein each of the plurality of relief passages is provided with a zone relief switching valve which can be switched between an open state in which inactive gas is allowed to flow through the zone relief switching valve, and a closed state in which inactive gas is prevented from flowing through the zone relief switching valve.

2. The article storage facility as defined in claim 1 ,
wherein walls are provided to enclose installation space in which the plurality of storage sections are installed,
wherein each zone relief switching valve is located outside the walls, and is a manually operated switching valve which can be switched between the open state and the closed state by manual operation.

3. The article storage facility as defined in claim 2 , wherein
a merged relief passage connected to each of the plurality of relief passages at a location on a downstream side, with respect to a gas discharge direction, of a position in which the zone relief switching valve is provided in each of the plurality of relief passages,
wherein a merged relief switching valve is provided in the merged relief passage wherein the merged relief switching valve can be switched by manual operation between an open state in which inactive gas is allowed to flow through the merged relief switching valve and a closed state in which inactive gas is prevented from flowing through the merged relief switching valve, and
wherein the merged relief switching valve is located outside the walls.

4. The article storage facility as defined in claim 1 , wherein
a base portion relief passage which is connected to the base gas supply portion is provided, and
wherein the base portion relief passage is provided with a base portion relief switching valve which can be switched between an open state in which inactive gas is allowed to flow through the base portion relief switching valve, and a closed state in which inactive gas is prevented from flowing through the base portion relief switching valve.

5. The article storage facility as defined in claim 1 , wherein the plurality of relief passages are directly connected to respective ones of the plurality of zone gas supply portions for discharging inactive gas from the respective ones of the zone gas supply portions.

6. The article storage facility as defined in claim 2 , wherein the plurality of relief passages are directly connected to respective ones of the plurality of zone gas supply portions for discharging inactive gas from the respective ones of the zone gas supply portions.

7. The article storage facility as defined in claim 3 , wherein the plurality of relief passages are directly connected to respective ones of the plurality of zone gas supply portions for discharging inactive gas from the respective ones of the zone gas supply portions.

8. The article storage facility as defined in claim 4 , wherein the plurality of relief passages are directly connected to respective ones of the plurality of zone gas supply portions for discharging inactive gas from the respective ones of the zone gas supply portions.

Assignees

• Daifuku Kk

Inventors

• Otsuka Hiroshi
• Kawamura Shinsuke
• Yoshimoto Tadahiro

Classifications

• H10P72/1926

  characterised by the presence of atmosphere modifying elements inside or attached to the closed carrier · CPC title

• H10P72/1924

  characterised by atmosphere control · CPC title

• H10P72/3404 Primary

  Storage means · CPC title

• Y10T137/6966

  Static constructional installations · CPC title

• B65G2201/0297

  Wafer cassette · CPC title