DAIFUKU CO., LTD. Patent applications |
Patent application number | Title | Published |
20150357211 | TRANSPORT DEVICE - Provided is a transport device that can simultaneously transport a plurality of articles with a simple device configuration. The transport device includes a chucking device that holds a magazine. An overhead carriage that transports the magazine held by the chucking device includes article storage parts that each accommodate the magazine held by the chucking device. The article storage parts include rotary tables that receive, from the chucking device, the magazine held by the chucking device. The rotary tables having received the magazines from the chucking device move from the chucking device to the article storage parts. | 12-10-2015 |
20150336280 | TRANSPORT DEVICE - A transport device that allows transport containers varying in shape or size to be transported without changing a device configuration, and can prevent works in a transport container from popping out of the transport container with a simple device configuration. An overhead carriage includes a chucking device that holds a magazine accommodating works. The overhead carriage transports the magazine held by the chucking device. The chucking device includes a holding unit that holds the magazine and a sensor that detects the magazine held by the holding unit. The holding unit is controlled based on the detection of the sensor to hold the magazine so that the holding unit prevents works stored in the magazine from popping out. | 11-26-2015 |
20150336279 | TRANSPORT DEVICE - A transport device that can transport stacked articles to be transported without changing a device configuration and can correct and prevent a displacement of the stacked articles to be transported with a simple device configuration. A chucking device is provided to hold trays in a stacked state. The chucking device is provided with an overhead carriage for transporting the trays held by the chucking device. The chucking device includes a holding unit that holds the trays and sensors that detect the trays held by the holding unit. The holding unit is configured such that the holding operation of the holding unit on the trays is controlled based on detection of the sensors, and correct and prevent a displacement of the stacked trays. | 11-26-2015 |
20150303086 | METHOD FOR SUPPLYING INERT GAS TO STB IN SEMICONDUCTOR WAFER PRODUCTION SYSTEM AND SEMICONDUCTOR WAFER PRODUCTION SYSTEM USING THE SAME - The present invention relates to a method for supplying inert gas to an STB in a semiconductor wafer production system that includes a step of sensing that a FOUP is loading on the STB and generating a first input signal, and a step of opening a valve for inert gas and supplying nitrogen gas to the FOUP based on the first input signal, and to a semiconductor wafer production system using the method. | 10-22-2015 |
20150284011 | ARTICLE CONVEYING SYSTEM AND OVERHEAD CARRIER - This invention provides an overhead carrier for transporting an article on a ceiling of an article conveying system can travel on curves with various curvatures so as to increase the layout flexibility of traveling rails. Driving wheels that move an overhead carrier along traveling rails and non-driving wheels that are rotated separately from the driving wheels are provided on the right and left of the transport direction of the overhead carrier. In a linear section, the driving wheels on the right and left sides are supported by the traveling rails. In a curved section, the inner non-driving wheel is supported by the inner traveling rail while the outer driving wheel is supported by the outer traveling rail. | 10-08-2015 |
20150235884 | CEILING STORAGE DEVICE CAPABLE OF WAFER PURGING - The invention provides an apparatus for stocking and purging a wafer at a ceiling. The apparatus includes: a rail that is formed so as to be installed on a ceiling to guide a vehicle; a stock system that is formed so as to be installed on the ceiling and is formed so as to receive a container, which contains wafers, from the vehicle and stock the container; and a purge assembly that is installed so as to communicate with the container through the stock system and is formed so as to purge the wafers, which are contained in the container, with gas. | 08-20-2015 |
20140374214 | Traveling Type Immersion Treatment Apparatus - A traveling type immersion treatment apparatus for a vehicle body has a speed control device which controls the traveling speed of the conveying traveling body according to the angle of rotation of a rotary shaft that rotates the vehicle body. Between an upright position and a 90° rotation position the forward speed of the conveying traveling body is gradually decreased in relation to a reference conveying speed; then the forward speed of the conveying traveling body is gradually increased in relation to the reference conveying speed until the vehicle body reaches a 270° rotation position from the 90° rotation position; and then the forward speed of the conveying traveling body is gradually decreased in relation to the reference conveying speed until the vehicle body returns to the original upright position from the 270° rotation position. | 12-25-2014 |
20140353117 | CONTAINER CONVEYING CARRIAGE AND CONVEYING SYSTEM INCLUDING A CONTAINER CONVEYING CARRIAGE - A container conveying carriage includes a supporting section which supports a container, a container transfer device which transfers the container, and an item supply device which supplies an item stored in the container. The carriage can travel along a traveling path. Also, the container transfer device transfers the container between the supporting section and a container transfer point outside the carriage. Moreover, the item supply device takes out the item from the container and supplies the item to an item supply point outside the carriage. | 12-04-2014 |
20140332353 | CONVEYOR CHAIN - The purpose of the present invention is to provide a conveyor chain conveying a conveyance object such as a bucket while the conveyance object is mounted thereon, wherein the conveyance object can be conveyed to a predetermined position while both the conveyance object and the receiving member are not damaged by “biting” or “hooking” at upstream or downstream end in a conveying direction. An upstream tapered surface and a downstream tapered surface, which reduce the thickness of the receiving member gradually along the extended direction, are formed respectively at sides in the extended direction of a mounting surface of the receiving member. A locus of the mounting surface in a case in which the conveyor chain is meshed with and wound onto a sprocket is within a circle which is coaxial to the sprocket and whose tangent is a straight locus of the mounting surface in a case of conveying a bucket (conveyance object). | 11-13-2014 |
20140316633 | Vehicle Control System and Vehicle Control Method - A position measurement portion manages a measurement target area by dividing the area into a plurality of section areas, and also manages, or keeps track of, an intra-area interfering object number which is the number of interfering objects in a given section area, independently for each of the plurality of the section areas. The travel controller determines, independently for each of the plurality of section areas, if the section area is in a congested state in which the intra-area interfering object number is greater than a set upper limit number, and selects a congested area travel mode as the travel mode when the travel controller is about to cause the vehicle to travel in a section area that is determined to be in the congested state. | 10-23-2014 |
20140249667 | Processing Facility - A processing facility includes transport management means for managing a transport vehicle which transports a processing target object by traveling along a transporting route which extends along a plurality of processing devices and a storage device for storing the processing target objects. The transport managing means: monitors process advancement information which is transmitted from the processing device to the primary managing means; selects, as advance transport origin and before the transport command information is transmitted from the primary managing means, a processing device, among the plurality of processing devices, in which a process performed on the processing target object has been completed, or is nearly completed; and performs advance transport control in which the transport vehicle is caused to travel to the processing device selected as the advance transport origin in order to carry out the processing target object from the processing device. | 09-04-2014 |
20140112741 | Article Storage Facility and Article Transport Facility - An article storage facility includes a storage rack configured to store a semiconductor wafer and a reticle, and a storage and retrieval transport apparatus. The storage rack includes a first accommodation unit configured to store a wafer container for containing the semiconductor wafer, and a second accommodation unit configured to store a reticle container for containing the reticle. The storage and retrieval transport apparatus includes a holding unit configured to hold a top flange formed at an upper portion of the wafer container to support the wafer container in a hanging state. A flange portion configured to allow the storage and retrieval transport apparatus to hold the reticle container using the holding unit to support the reticle container in a hanging state is formed at an upper portion of the reticle container. | 04-24-2014 |
20140110192 | Article Storage Facility - An article storage facility includes an elevating scaffold capable of ascending/descending in a movement space across a withdrawal height that is set on an upper side and a plurality of working heights that are set in intermediate locations in the movement space in the vertical direction. A plurality of support bodies that support the elevating scaffold are provided in the vertical direction so as to respectively correspond to the plurality of working heights, and at least a support body other than the lowermost support body of the plurality of support bodies is configured to be movable to an acting position at which the support body protrudes toward the movement space so as to support the elevating scaffold and a withdrawal position at which the support body retracts toward the article storage shelf so as not to come into contact with the elevating scaffold moving up and down. | 04-24-2014 |
20140090954 | Ceiling Installation Type Article Transport Facility - Guide rails for an article transport vehicle are provided and include a pair of right and left rail portion which are spaced apart from each other in a rail lateral direction. The guide rails are diverged into a straight forward path, a left diverging path, and a right diverging path at a three-directional diverging portion of the travel paths. The pair of right and left rail portions provided along the straight forward path are spaced apart in the path longitudinal direction from the pair of right and left rail portions provided along the upstream-side travel path of the three-directional diverging portion. In addition, an auxiliary receiving mechanism is provided for receiving and supporting the article transport vehicle traveling between the pair of right and left rail portion of the upstream-side travel path and the pair of right and left rail portions of the straight forward path. | 04-03-2014 |
20140069775 | Article Transfer Device - An article transfer device with a simpler structure is provided which can transfer an article to a proper position. Operation of a first projecting and retracting motor is stopped when torque that is greater than or equal to a first preset value occurs in the first projecting and retracting motor when a first article holder is being projected toward a projected position by operation of the first projecting and retracting motor. And operation of a second projecting and retracting motor is stopped when torque that is greater than or equal to a first preset value occurs in the second projecting and retracting motor when a second article holder is being projected toward a projected position by operation of the second projecting and retracting motor. | 03-13-2014 |
20140034449 | Article Transport Facility - A ceiling transport carriage transfers an article at a first supporting position and receives the article from second supporting position in an article transfer section, in association with hoisting operations of a support unit. A ground transport device transports the article between the above two positions and a processing position where an article processing device effects a processing or operation on the article. The respective positions above are set in tandem in the article transfer section along a tandem direction along which the article processing device and the article transfer section are disposed in tandem. The ceiling transport carriage includes a movement operating mechanism for operating and moving a support unit along the tandem direction, to a position immediately above the first supporting position and to a position immediately above second supporting position. | 02-06-2014 |
20140018955 | PRODUCTION EFFICIENCY IMPROVING APPARATUS, PRODUCTION EFFICIENCY IMPROVING METHOD, AND COMPUTER PROGRAM - A production efficiency improving apparatus includes a first communicating means for communicating information with a plurality of processing apparatuses that process objects, and a second communicating means for communicating conveyance control information, with a conveyance system comprising conveyance apparatuses for conveying the objects between the plurality of processing apparatuses. A means for predicting, on the basis of information communicated by the first communicating means, the conveying timing at which the processing apparatus needs to send out processed objects, and the conveying timing at which the processing apparatus needs to bring in unprocessed objects. A generating means generates the control information such that the conveyance apparatus will arrive at the processing apparatus that is the destination of the communication of information at the predicted timing predicted by the means for predicting. | 01-16-2014 |
20140017040 | Article Storage Facility and Article Storage Method - An article storage facility includes a transport device for transporting containers to a plurality of storage sections, an inactive gas feed section which supplies inactive gas to the interior of the container stored in the storage section, and a controller for controlling operation of the device and operation of the flow rate adjusting device of the inactive gas feed section. The controller is configured to cause a state of the inactive gas feed section associated with the storage section to be both a storage feed state and an unfeeding state depending on if the carrier is stored or not stored be. The controller is also configured to store the transporting container in the storage section after changing the state of the inactive gas feed section associated with the storage section in which the container is to be stored to a pre-storage feed state from the unfeeding state. | 01-16-2014 |
20140014229 | Article Storage Facility and Article Storage Method - When a controller determines that the maximum simultaneous feed number is exceeded by a total target number which is the total number of inactive gas feeding section determined to be controlled to the first feed state at one time, of the inactive gas feeding sections determined to be controlled to the first feed state at one time, the controller controls some of them not more than the maximum simultaneous feed number to the first feed state and executes a start delaying process for the others in which process starting of the first control state is delayed by a set delay period. | 01-16-2014 |
20140014227 | Inactive Gas Introducing Facility and Inactive Gas Introducing Method - An inactive gas introducing facility includes an introducing device for introducing inactive gas to the inside of a container stored in a storage section of a storage shelf with discharging gas present inside the container to the inside of a storage space partitioned from the outside and a controller for controlling operation of the introducing device. In a normal stop mode, the controller controls the operation of the introducing device to stop feeding of inactive gas to the container in response to detection of an opened state of an inspection door. And, in a stop nullification mode, the controller controls the operation of the introducing device to continue feeding of inactive gas to the container even in response to detection of the opened state of the inspection door. | 01-16-2014 |
20140014225 | Article Storage Facility and Article Storage Method - An article storage facility includes a controller for controlling operations of flow rate adjusting devices of inactive gas feeding sections and a specified feeding section selecting section for selecting one or some or all of a plurality of inactive gas feeding sections as specified feeding sections. For the inactive gas feeding sections of the storage sections storing the transport containers therein, the controller causes the flow rate adjusting devices to be operated according to a container storage mode in which mode the inactive gas is fed to the transport container in a predetermined feed manner. For the specified feeding sections selected by the specified feeding section selecting section, the controller causes the flow rate adjusting devices to be operated according to a specified feeding section feed mode in which mode the inactive gas is fed through the discharge openings thereof in a specified feeding section feed manner. | 01-16-2014 |
20140003902 | Article Transport Facility | 01-02-2014 |
20140003894 | Article Storage System and Maintenance Method in Article Storage System | 01-02-2014 |
20140003893 | Article Storage Facility and Article Storage Method | 01-02-2014 |
20140000757 | Inactive Gas Introducing Facility and Inactive Gas Introducing Method | 01-02-2014 |
20130334896 | CONTACTLESS POWER FEED EQUIPMENT - At the start of power supply from a power supply device to an induction line, the oscillation frequency of an inverter of the power supply device is set at a predetermined frequency shifted from the resonance frequency of a resonant circuit. After a predetermined time, the frequency is changed from the predetermined frequency to the resonance frequency. Thus, at the start of power supply, only small power is obtained by the resonant circuits in all transport carriages from the induction line in a full-load condition. Thus, total power is suppressed within power that can be supplied by the power supply device, avoiding an overloaded condition of the power supply device. | 12-19-2013 |
20130334895 | SECONDARY-SIDE POWER RECEIVING CIRCUIT FOR CONTACTLESS POWER FEED EQUIPMENT - A PWM module is provided to output a driving pulse to a switching device in synchronization with a synchronizing pulse having a frequency twice the frequency of the high-frequency current of a primary-side induction line. The PWM module performs output voltage feedback control such that the output voltage of an output capacitor is set at a reference voltage. The module outputs, to the switching device, the driving pulse having a half width of the pulse width of a driving pulse that can be outputted, at the start of power supply to the primary-side induction line. Moreover, the module forcibly performs the output voltage feedback control if an output voltage of the output capacitor does not increase to the reference voltage within a reference time. | 12-19-2013 |
20130314719 | Substrate Detection Apparatus - A substrate detection apparatus has a simple structure and is easy to install. An inspection location is defined at an end of a moving range of a container as it is transported by a transport device. A range finder is provided which emits detection wave and receives the detection wave that is reflected from an object to detect the distance to the object, is located outwardly of the end of the moving range in the transporting direction, and is positioned such that the detection wave is emitted toward an opening of the container located at the inspection location and can advance through a substrate storing area in a direction that intersects with a direction parallel to the surface of the substrate. A presence determination portion is provided which determines that a substrate exists in the container if and when the detected value from the range finder falls within a predetermined range. | 11-28-2013 |
20130314531 | Substrate Storage Condition Inspecting Apparatus and Substrate Storage Facility Having Same - A substrate storage condition inspecting apparatus includes an illumination device, an imaging device, and a substrate storage condition determining unit. The illumination device includes, on the front side of an opening of a transport container located at an inspecting position, a first illumination portion and a second illumination portion that are spaced apart in the width direction of the opening. The substrate storage condition determining unit detects a pair of high-luminance portions on an inspection image captured by the imaging device, the pair of high-luminance portions being generated in locations circumferentially spaced apart in the peripheral edge portion of the semiconductor substrate by light applied by the first illumination portion and the second illumination portion, and determines whether or not the storage orientation of the semiconductor substrate is abnormal on the basis of the positional correspondence in the vertical direction for the pair of high-luminance portions. | 11-28-2013 |
20130313071 | Article Transport Facility - An article transport facility includes an article transport vehicle and a rotatable member transporting device. The article transport vehicle is configured to travel along a predetermined travel path by obtaining propelling force by drivingly rotating a propelling rotatable member with the propelling rotatable member in contact with a contact portion. The propelling rotatable member can be in contact with the rotatable member transporting device. And the rotatable member transporting device transports, in an advancing direction, the propelling rotatable member in contact with the rotatable member transporting device, and is provided in place of the contact portion in a specific section included in the predetermined travel path. The propelling rotatable member is configured to be able to be drivingly rotated while in contact with the rotatable member transporting device. | 11-28-2013 |
20130313070 | Article Transport Facility - A travel guide member which forms travel paths for an article transport vehicle is provided on a ceiling side. The travel guide member defines a plurality of travel paths along which the article transport vehicle travels in the same direction such that the travel paths are spaced apart from each other in a path lateral direction and defines a first diverging path and a second diverging path for connecting with each other a first travel path that is one of a pair of adjacent travel paths among the plurality of the travel paths and a second travel path that is the other of the pair of the adjacent travel paths. The first diverging path and the second diverging path are formed such that both extend in directions that are slanted with respect to the travel path in plan view and such that they intersect each other in plan view. | 11-28-2013 |
20130275045 | Article Transport Facility - Disclosed is an article transport facility in which interference between an article transport vehicle and an interfering object is prevented. A position detector is provided on the ground side for detecting the position of an interfering object, and an external managing device issues a deceleration command to the article transport vehicle if the distance from the article transport vehicle to the interfering object becomes less than or equal to a predetermined low speed distance, based on position information for the interfering object and travel position information for the article transport vehicle. A vehicle side travel controller changes a target travel speed from a normal travel speed to a reduced travel speed which is lower, or less, than the normal travel speed while the target travel speed is set to the normal travel speed, if the deceleration command is issued from the external managing device. | 10-17-2013 |
20130270063 | GOODS TRANSPORT FACILITY - A goods transport facility provided with a detected body installed on the ground side for providing stop control. A detected-body detector on a mobile assembly detects the presence of the detected body. The goods transport facility is switchable between a first and a second control status so that when a fire detector means detects that no goods are on fire, the first control status is maintained. Once the fire detector detects a fire, the status is switched to the second control status. In the first control status, a mobile assembly control provides travel control using an optical distance-measuring sensor to control the actuation of the mobile assembly. In the second control status, the actuation of the mobile assembly travels until detected by the detected-body detector for a goods storage section to which goods are to be transferred, and brought into alignment with the target travel position. | 10-17-2013 |
20130253669 | Facility Control System and Facility Control Method - A facility control system comprises a selection processing portion that selects, based on a manual operation and when an abnormal condition occurs in a second-layer computer that issues a task command to a first-layer program which issues an apparatus operating command to an apparatus controller, whether to cause a first-layer computer to execute a second-layer program that had been executed by the second-layer computer, and a substitute command output processing portion which outputs a substitute command in accordance with selection information selected by the selection processing portion. The first-layer computer executes the second-layer program that had been executed by the second-layer computer in which the abnormal condition occurred based on a substitute command outputted by the substitute command output processing portion. | 09-26-2013 |
20130253665 | Facility Control System and Facility Control Method - A facility control system comprises a selection processing portion that selects, based on a manual operation and when an abnormal condition occurs in a first-layer computer that executes a first-layer program which issues an apparatus operating command to an apparatus controller, whether to cause a second-layer computer to execute the first-layer program that had been executed by the first-layer computer, and a substitute command output processing portion which outputs a substitute command in accordance with selection information selected by the selection processing portion. The second-layer computer executes the first-layer program that had been executed by the first-layer computer in which the abnormal condition occurred based on a substitute command outputted by the substitute command output processing portion. | 09-26-2013 |
20130238117 | Article Processing Facility and Method of Operation Thereof - An article processing facility includes a transport control device which controls operation of at least one article transport device, management control device which transmits to the transport control device a transport command for transporting the article from a transport origin to a transport destination based on transport data with identifying information, and a display control which causes a display device to display transport-data-associated information. The management control device manages and stores attribute information of the article such that the attribute information is associated with identifying information which identifies the transport data. When the transport-data-associated information is selected with a selection device, the display control obtains the attribute information associated with the identifying information of the transport data that corresponds to the transport-data-associated information from the management control device and displays the attribute information on the display device. | 09-12-2013 |
20130226643 | OPERATION MANAGEMENT APPARATUS AND SORTING SYSTEM WITH OPERATION MANAGEMENT APPARATUS - An operation management apparatus is configured for managing a monotonous task requiring a worker to perform a prescribed action. The operation management apparatus includes a detector configured to detect an action of the worker in an area where the monotonous task is performed, a first storage unit configured to pre-register a correct action of the monotonous task to be performed by the worker, a first determination unit configured to determine whether the pre-registered correct action of the monotonous task matches an action by the worker detected by the detector; and an output unit configured to generate an output when the first determination unit determines that the pre-registered correct action of the monotonous task does not match the detected action. | 08-29-2013 |
20130213755 | Article Transport Facility - An article transport facility in which driving electric power can be supplied from an electricity supply line to an article transport vehicle so that it can travel through a crossing portion properly regardless of whether it is traveling along a first path or a second path. The switching device of the article transport facility is configured to switch a position change rail to a first position and a second position. The electricity supply line is supported by a first travel rail such that electric power can be supplied to the article transport vehicle traveling along the first travel rail and along the position change rail in the first position and is supported by the second travel rail such that electric power can be supplied to the article transport vehicle traveling along the second travel rail and along the position change rail in the second position. | 08-22-2013 |
20130207811 | Article Transfer System - An article transfer system that allows the operator to easily notice that abnormality occurs in an abnormality detecting sensor for detecting abnormality and perform remedial work is provided. The article transfer system is adapted to display information indicating that the abnormality occurs on a display device as abnormality occurrence information, receive input of a result of determination by the operator on whether or not the abnormality indicated by the abnormality occurrence information occurs, and display information indicating that the detecting information received from the abnormality detecting sensor is incorrect on the display device when the operator inputs the result of determination that the abnormality indicated by the abnormality occurrence information does not occur with the abnormality detecting sensor detecting the abnormality. | 08-15-2013 |
20130202392 | Article Transport Facility - An article transport facility includes a first transport conveyer for transporting an article between a first transfer position outside the article storage and a position inside the article storage, and a second transport conveyer for transporting an article between a second transfer position outside the article storage and a position inside the article storage. An article transport vehicle is configured to be capable of transferring an article to or from one of the first transfer position and the second transfer position by vertically moving a grip portion with the article transport vehicle stopped at a transfer stop position in a path defined by a travel rail and is configured to be capable of transferring an article to or from the other of the first transfer position and the second transfer position by slidingly moving the grip portion with the article transport vehicle stopped at the transfer stop position. | 08-08-2013 |
20130195588 | Article Transport Facility - Disclosed is an article transport facility in which reduction in the transport capacity can be prevented while simplifying the structure and making the facility less expensive. The facility includes, as travel paths, a first travel path and a second travel path which straddles the first travel path from one side to the other side in a lateral direction of the first travel path. In a straddling portion, which is a part of the second travel path that straddles the first travel path, the second travel path is provided at a different height from the first travel path in a vertical direction, and is configured such that travel of the article transport vehicle along the first travel path and travel of the article transport vehicle along the second travel path are mutually allowed. | 08-01-2013 |
20130142597 | Article Transport Facility - An intermediate transfer device is located upwardly of an article delivering and receiving portion and downwardly of a ceiling transport vehicle. A transfer device grip is provided such that the intermediate transfer device is in vertical alignment with the ceiling transport vehicle and the article delivering and receiving portion and is capable of traveling, while guided and supported by a guiding support, to and among a transfer position for the delivering and receiving portion, a transfer position for the intermediate rack, a transfer-time retracted position, and a temporary-storage-time retracted. The guiding support is configured to form a space through which the grip portion and an article can pass in the vertical direction when the ceiling transport vehicle transfers the article. | 06-06-2013 |
20130002037 | CONTACTLESS POWER-FEED EQUIPMENT - Contactless power-feed equipment includes: a power-supply device that outputs an AC constant current having a predetermined oscillation frequency to a main induction line; a primary coil provided on the main induction line connected to the power-supply device; a secondary coil that forms an insulating transformer with the primary coil and is connected in parallel with the sub induction line, a resonance capacitor that is connected in parallel with the secondary coil and constitutes a parallel resonant circuit with the sub induction line, and a switch provided between the secondary coil and the parallel resonant circuit. In the parallel resonant circuit, the sub induction line and the resonance capacitor have constants such that the parallel resonant circuit has a resonance frequency equal to the oscillation frequency of the power-supply device. | 01-03-2013 |
20120312634 | Article Storage Facility - A work platform on which a worker can ride includes a suspended portion supported above a floor surface, the suspended portion being movable by a movement rail provided upwardly of a movement path, and a platform portion provided in the form of a plate on which the worker can ride, the platform portion having a base end connected to a lower end portion of the suspended portion to be pivotable about an axis along the direction of lateral width of the movement path. With pivotal movements about the axis, the platform portion can selectively assume a riding posture wherein the platform portion extends along the movement path so that the worker riding on this platform portion can move along the longitudinal direction of the movement path and a folded posture wherein the platform portion is folded toward the suspended portion to extend along the vertical direction. | 12-13-2012 |
20120312327 | CLEANING DEVICE FOR CEILING TRANSPORT FACILITY AND OPERATION METHOD THEREOF - An object of the invention is to provide a cleaning device for a ceiling transport facility in which a plurality of locations to be cleaned can be cleaned appropriately while avoiding having insufficient suction power for the plurality of cleaning suction portions. | 12-13-2012 |
20120312188 | Article Transport Facility - An article transport facility in which electricity can be supplied properly from an electricity supply line to a power receiving portion even in a curved portion of a predetermined travel path without providing the power receiving portion to a connecting shaft. An article transport vehicle includes a travel portion having a guide wheel and a travel wheel that contacts the travel rail and is driven. The travel portion is connected to the vehicle main body by a connecting shaft. The power receiving portion is supported by the vehicle main body such that the power receiving portion can be moved in the lateral direction of the article transport vehicle. The article transport vehicle includes means for moving the power receiving portion outwardly of the curved portion of the article transport vehicle in association with the rotation of the connecting shaft when the travel portion rotates while traveling in the curved portion. | 12-13-2012 |
20120306626 | Article Storage Equipment and Method of Operating Same - Article storage equipment includes a passive-type RFID tag storing identification information of an article storage container and provided in a portion of an outer periphery of the article storage container overlapping above a plate-like member with the article storage container being placed on a storage unit, and control means configured to perform a reading-out operation process for controlling operation of conveying means when execution of an article confirmation process for allowing a RFID reader to read out the identification information of the RFID tag provided in the article storage container stored in the storage unit is instructed to extend an article supporting member to a projecting position at a fetching level, raise the article supporting member to a target reading-out level higher than the fetching level by a raised amount for reading, and then lower the article supporting member to the fetching level to be withdrawn to a retracted position. | 12-06-2012 |
20120305364 | Article Transport Facility - An inter-travel-paths transport device transports articles between a first article transfer location and a second article transfer location. It extends in a space upwardly of the article processing devices and connects the first and second article transfer locations. A first transport device transfers an article to or from an article transferring point by vertically moving its holding portion and of transferring an article to or from the first article transfer location by slidingly moving the holding portion at a position which overlaps with the first travel path portion. A second movement slide transport device vertically transfers an article to or from an article transferring point in the same manner with respect to the second travel path portion. | 12-06-2012 |
20120236141 | Automatic Conveying Equipment For Roll Body - In order to provide an automated roll transport vehicle with which the work required to install the vehicle in a production facility is simplified, a transport carriage includes a transport vehicle side support element that supports a roll upwardly of the transport carriage such that the roll can be transferred to a receiving device, moving operation means for moving a core a of the roll supported by the transport vehicle side support element with respect to the transport carriage, control means for controlling operation of the moving operation means to locate the core a in a proper position at which both ends of the core a can be supported by a pair of device side support elements with the transport carriage stopped at a transfer location. One or more imaging device or devices for capturing an image of the device side support element is provided. | 09-20-2012 |
20120201642 | Article Transfer Device and Stacker Crane Having Same - An article transfer device includes a placement support portion that is provided to a base platform and includes a pair of divided placement support portions for separately receiving and supporting both side portions, in the article lateral direction, of the bottom surface of an article, and a pair of clamp portions that can be projected and retracted along an article transfer direction with respect to the placement support portion and can be moved toward and away from each other by a clamp actuator between gripping positions and releasing positions that are spaced apart wider. The pair of divided placement support portions can be moved toward and away from each other within a movable range defined in the article lateral direction by a placement support portion actuator and to face each other in close proximity when located in approach limit positions of the movable range. | 08-09-2012 |
20120189411 | ARTICLE STORAGE FACILITY - An article storage facility with a storing shelf structured by lining up a plurality of article storage units in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction. A stacker crane travels along a traveling rail to transport articles to each article storage unit. The stacker crane has a traveling cart having a pair of vertical-movement guiding masts set upright on both ends of the traveling cart in the front-back width direction, and a vertical-movement platform movable vertically along the pair of vertical-movement guiding masts between the pair of vertical-movement guiding masts. An article transfer device is provided on the vertical-movement platform. The stacker crane has a work frame, having a width in the sideways direction of the traveling cart and the front-back width direction of the traveling cart between the pair of vertical-movement guiding masts structured so as to be freely attached and removed. | 07-26-2012 |
20120152693 | Transport Facility - A transport device is configured to transport different kinds of articles which have different lengths from the held portion or a position corresponding to the held portion to one end portion along the fore and aft direction. There are provided an article detection device for detecting an article, end detection device for detecting the one end portion, along the fore and aft direction, of the article detected by the article detecting device, and a determination device for determining the kind of the article based on detected information from the article detecting device and detected information from the end detection device. | 06-21-2012 |
20120118845 | Ceiling Transport Vehicle - A ceiling transport vehicle in which articles may be transferred precisely while allowing its travel portion to travel smoothly along a set travel path is provided. The ceiling transport vehicle has a pair of guiding bodies which guide the travel portion along a set travel path by contacting each of right and left lateral sides of a guide rail with a pair of contacting members that are supported by the travel portion such that the contacting members can be moved away from each other and moved toward each other in a lateral width direction. The ceiling transport vehicle also has a switching portion for moving each of the pair of contacting members away from each other and toward each other to switch between a holding state and a holding release state. | 05-17-2012 |
20120101667 | Article Transport Facility and Article Transporting Method - An article transport facility in which movable bodies can merge into a merging portion while preventing collisions between the movable bodies. A communication relay device is provided to each of the first merging path, the second merging path, and the post-merging path. Each communication relay device includes an antenna portion, a relay device main body that associates movable body information obtained by communicating with the movable body communication devices using the antenna portion with identification information which indicates which one of the paths the antenna portion that received the movable body information is provided to, and that is capable of communicating the information thus obtained to the managing means. The managing means determines in which path the movable body exists to manage operations of a plurality of movable bodies based on said body information and identification information which are received from said main body. | 04-26-2012 |
20120080396 | Article Transport Device - An article transport device having a housing space for housing an article retained by an article-retaining unit located in a raised position, is formed in a moving body of the article transport device, and an aperture for allowing the article-retaining unit to be raised and lowered between the raised position and a lowered position, is formed in the lower-end part of the housing space. The article transport device further comprising purified air ventilation means for ventilating purified air through an air purification filter, an opening/closing element capable of changing positions to an open position for opening the aperture and a closed position for blocking the aperture by pivoting around a lateral axis, and opening and closing control means for positioning the opening/closing element in the open position in a case in which the article-retaining unit is raised or lowered between the raised position and the lowered position. | 04-05-2012 |
20120076623 | ARTICLE TRANSPORT FACILITY - A transporting space of an article transport facility is divided into a first space and a second space by a wall having an opening. A first movable body that travels along a first travel rail in the first space and a second movable body that travels along a second travel rail in the second space are provided. A relay portion which can support an article without interfering with the shutter that can open and close the opening is provided in the first space. The first travel rail is arranged to extend adjacent a first space side transfer position for transferring articles between the first mobile body and the relay portion, and the second travel rail is arranged to extend adjacent a second space side transfer position for transferring articles between the second mobile body and the relay portion through the opening. | 03-29-2012 |
20120070255 | Article Storage Facility - An article storage facility includes a storage rack that includes a plurality of storage units that store articles; a first article transport that includes a first vertically movable body guided by a first vertical guide and a first transit body configured to move along a path defined along the storage rack, the first vertical guide being provided in the first article transport so as to be positioned on one side of a lateral direction of the path; and a second article transport that includes a second vertically movable body guided by a second vertical guide and a second transit body configured to move along the path, the second vertical guide being provided in the second article transport so as to be positioned on the other lateral side of the path. The first transit body and the second transit body are configured so as to be able to pass each other. | 03-22-2012 |
20120067704 | Transport Device - A transport device includes a traveling holding member which can travel while holding a storage container, and a move out prevention mechanism which prevents substrates from moving out of an opening of the storage container. The move out prevention mechanism is configured to include a contacting member which can be moved between a contact position at which the contacting member is in contact with side faces of the substrates, and a spaced apart position at which the contacting member is spaced apart from the side faces of the substrates. The contact position is set such that the contacting member is located between an opening side end portion and a central portion of the substrates in a direction along which the substrates are inserted and removed. | 03-22-2012 |
20120045302 | Container Storage Facility - The present invention provides a container storage facility in which inert gas can be supplied to a container in a container storage section that can be moved between the storage position and the transfer position while preventing deterioration of the gas supply line and generation of dust to the extent possible. The container storage section of the container storage facility in accordance with the present invention includes a container support provided to be movable with respect to the fixed frame member between a storage position and a transfer position for transferring the container to and from a transporting device. The gas supply line of gas supply system for supplying the inactive gas to the container supported by the container support of the storage position includes a fixed side portion and a moving side portion which can be moved in unison with the container support. And there is provided a connecting member for connecting the fixed side portion and the moving side portion to each other as the container support is moved from the transfer position to the storage position, and for releasing the connection between the fixed side portion and the moving side portion to allow the moving side portion to move away from the fixed side portion as the container support is moved from the storage position to the transfer position. | 02-23-2012 |
20120031731 | ARTICLE SORTING EQUIPMENT - Article sorting equipment of the present invention comprises: a rotation drive device; endless chains rotated on a conveyance route by the rotation drive device; a plurality of slats on which the article is placed and conveyed; and shoes attached to the slats. In the present invention, detected plates are attached to the slats, and a detection device for detecting the detected plates is provided. Based on timing of detecting the detected plates, positions of the slats are obtained. | 02-09-2012 |
20120006765 | MOVING SHELF EQUIPMENT - A movable rack system able to carry out a widthwise shift control of a movable rack without using a sheet rail member to be detected. The system is so configured, that magnets are placed at stop positions of the movable rack on the floor surface as members to be detected, while the movable rack is equipped with magnetic sensors to detect the magnets. When the movable rack stops traveling, the magnetic sensors detect the magnets and compares the detected magnetic intensity to the magnetic intensity detected at the previous stop. If the change exceeds a pre-determined value, namely the widthwise shift exceeding a pre-determined value is detected, a travel route of the movable rack to eliminate the widthwise shift is determined. In the next travel of the movable rack the rotation speeds of the respective driving motors are controlled so that the movable rack follows the travel route. | 01-12-2012 |
20120006649 | ARTICLE SORTING DEVICE - In an article sorting device including a plurality of slats (article support bodies) overlaying between a pair of endless chains (endless rotation bodies) arranged along a main conveyance route, slats having a longitudinal direction at a right angle to the main conveyance route, and shoes (article lateral pressing bodies) fitted onto the slats slidably in the longitudinal direction of the slats, and guided by a branch guide member provided in a fixed direction relative to the main conveyance route, sliding sections for each of the shoes slidably in contact with each of the slats are positioned in the vicinity of both left and right ends in a sectional view relative to the longitudinal direction of the slats, and the sliding sections are positioned in the vicinity of a lower end in the sectional view. | 01-12-2012 |
20120006261 | Traveling Type Dipping Apparatus - A traveling type dipping apparatus in a painting system of a vehicle body of an automobile, usable as mechanism to rotate and dip the vehicle body having been supported on a conveying traveling body horizontally in a forward facing direction in a treatment liquid while conveying the vehicle body. | 01-12-2012 |
20120006260 | Dipping Apparatus - A dipping apparatus for dipping the workpiece W in a treatment bath. The workpiece is transferred while fixed on a conveying traveling body | 01-12-2012 |
20110315488 | Vertically Moving Device - A vertically moving device includes a spool mechanism for spooling at least two wires that are fed out to form loops and a vertically movable platform suspended by looped portions of the at least two wires fed out from the spool mechanism. The vertically movable platform includes at least four wire-guiding rotating bodies over which the looped portions of the wires are run. And a looped portion of one of the wires is run over at least two of the wire-guiding rotating bodies, and a looped portion of the other of the wires is run over at least two other of the wire-guiding rotating bodies | 12-29-2011 |
20110315479 | Article Storage Facility - A vertically movable work platform is suspended and supported by a plurality of suspension wires fed out from one or more of winding rotating bodies which is rotated such that the vertically movable work platform is vertically moved by the rotation of the one or more of winding rotating bodies. A support for receiving and supporting the lowering vertically movable work platform at a work height, and a stopper for preventing the rotation of the winding rotating body in a direction which tends to lower the vertically movable work platform when the vertically movable work platform reaches the work height are provided. | 12-29-2011 |
20110276175 | Article Storage Facility and Method of Operation Therefor - Disclosed is an article storage facility which can be downsized by minimizing the width of the travel path for a pair of stacker cranes, in which its configuration is simplified as much as possible, and in which its throughput can be efficiently improved. The control device is configured to perform a mutual avoidance vertical movement process in which a pair of vertically movable bodies are raised or lowered by a vertical movement operation for avoiding interference, which is different from the vertical movement operation in the article transporting operation to raise and lower the pair of vertically movable bodies, to the vertical positions for passing each other which are spaced apart in the vertical movement direction by a distance greater than or equal to the required separating distance which is defined as a separating distance which allows the pair of stacker cranes to pass each other without interfering. | 11-10-2011 |
20110262004 | Learning Device and Learning Method for Article Transport Facility - A learning control device performs a positioning process, a first image capturing process, and a first deviation amount calculating process in which a reference position deviation amount in the horizontal direction between the imaging reference position and a detection mark is derived based on image information captured in the first image capturing process to derive a position adjustment amount from the derived reference position deviation amount, and the learning control device further includes a positioning correcting process in which the position adjustment device is operated to adjust a position of the second learn assist member based on the derived movement adjustment amount when the reference position deviation amount derived in the first deviation amount calculating process falls outside a set tolerance range. A second image capturing process, and a second deviation amount calculating process may be further provided. | 10-27-2011 |
20110247921 | Article Transporting Device - The object is to provide an article transporting device in which dust generation can be prevented and in which it is hard for the operator at the operator's transfer location to be injured. The device comprises a reciprocating movable body configured to move in a forward and backward directions on a travel path extending between an operator's transfer location P and a non-operator's transfer location Q, a cover body | 10-13-2011 |
20110158776 | Article Storage Facility - An article storage facility is provided, which can reduce required space for installation in the rack fore and aft direction while preventing the configuration to become more complex. An article storage rack | 06-30-2011 |
20110132692 | APPARATUS FOR TRANSFERRING VEHICLES ONTO CONVEYOR - An apparatus for transferring vehicles onto a conveyer comprises: a front wheel supporting means ( | 06-09-2011 |
20110056900 | Article Transport Facility - Articles are stored while preventing disruption of the flow of clean air from an upper region to a lower region to alleviate degradation of clean air with an article supported by an article support. The article support ( | 03-10-2011 |
20100322752 | Article Transporting Apparatus - An article transporting apparatus includes a traveling carriage adapted to run along a travel rail, a pair of front and rear lift guide masts mounted on the traveling carriage to be spaced apart from each other and connected to each other at upper ends thereof by an upper frame, a lift adapted to vertically move along the pair of front and rear lift guide masts, and an article transfer device provided in the lift, wherein one of the pair of front and rear lift guide masts includes a plurality of posts mounted upright to be spaced apart from each other and a plurality of diagonal members for connecting the adjacent posts to each other, the one of the pair of front and rear lift guide masts having a horizontal section area greater than that of the other of the pair of front and rear lift guide masts. | 12-23-2010 |
20100242784 | Switching Facility for Crossed Paths - A path switching facility for crossed paths comprises: at least one article transport vehicle configured to travel along a first path and a second path that crosses the first path; a guide rail for guiding a guided roller of the article transport vehicle; a travel rail for guiding and supporting travel wheels of the article transport vehicle; a rotatable guide rail and a rotatable travel rail both located in a crossing area; a push operating portion provided to the article transport vehicle to push one of the rotatable guide rail and the rotatable travel rail; and, an operatively connecting device for coupling a rotation of the rotatable guide rail with a rotation of the rotatable travel rail. | 09-30-2010 |
20100242783 | Article Transport Facility - The article transport facility includes a plurality of article transport vehicles which can travel on a travel path defined by rails installed in the ceiling. The travel path includes a loop-shaped primary path, and secondary paths each arranged to extend along and by at least one article transport location, a first connecting path that connects the primary path and the secondary path, and a second connecting path, provided independently from the first connecting path, with one end portion connected to the secondary path located on one side of the primary path, and the other end portion connected to the secondary path located on the other side of the primary path. | 09-30-2010 |
20100218697 | CARRIAGE-TYPE CONVEYANCE DEVICE - The present invention makes it easy to lay-out a carriage traveling path crossing an aisle for a vehicle, etc., in a conveyance device using a carriage which has an object support base movable vertically controlled by cam rails on the floor side, and is characterized in that an automatic lock means for locking an object support base | 09-02-2010 |
20100106287 | Article Storage Facility and Operation Method Thereof - An article storage facility having an article storage shelf including a plurality of storage sections arranged in a vertical direction and parallel to a width direction of the shelf a stacker crane for conveying an article between the storage sections and an article carrying-in/carrying-out portion, and a controller for controlling the operation of the stacker crane, wherein the stacker crane includes an article transfer device movable relative to a lift in the width direction of the shelf between a first position adjacent to a first support column and a second position adjacent to a second support column. | 04-29-2010 |
20100080449 | Learning Method for Article Storage Facility - A learning method is disclosed for an article storage facility having an article storage rack including article storage units arranged in a rack lateral width direction and a vertical direction, a vertically movable lift, and a horizontal travel carriage associated with the vertically movable lift. A frontal view camera is positioned with respect to the article transfer device such as to capture an image of a detected member provided for each of the storage units from a rack fore-and-aft direction. An angular view camera is positioned with respect to the article transfer device such as to be displaced relative to the frontal view camera in the rack lateral width direction or the vertical direction and such as to capture an image of a detected member from a direction at an angle relative to the rack fore-and-aft direction. And vertical direction correction information, rack lateral width correction information and extending and retracting distance correction information are derived based from image information. | 04-01-2010 |
20090188774 | Article Transporting Apparatus and Method of Operating the Apparatus - An article transporting apparatus, according to one preferred embodiment, includes:
| 07-30-2009 |
20090028675 | Article Storage Facility - An article storage facility comprising a storage rack that includes a plurality of storage units that store articles; a first article transport that includes a first vertically movable body guided by a first vertical guide and a first transit body configured to move along a path defined along the storage rack, the first vertical guide being provided in said first article transport so as to be positioned on one side of a lateral direction of the path; and a second article transport that includes a second vertically movable body guided by a second vertical guide and a second transit body configured to move along the path, the second vertical guide being provided in the second article transport so as to be positioned on the other lateral side of the path. The first transit body and said second transit body are configured so as to be able to pass each other. | 01-29-2009 |
20090016864 | Article Storage Facility - The article storage facility comprises an article transporter configured to move along a path via an article transfer location with respect to an article storage rack; an article loader for bringing articles into and taking articles out of the article storage rack, provided to the article storage rack so as to project and retract between a protruding position for article receipt that projects to an outside of the article storage rack, and a retracted position for retracting toward the article storage rack; and a protrusion and retraction operating device provided to the article transporter, for causing the article loader to protrude and retract between the protruding position and the retracted position when the article transporter is at the article transfer location. | 01-15-2009 |
20080221728 | Article Processing Facility and Its Control Method - An article processing facility includes an article carrier movable along a track and having an article gripper, and a pair of article racks for temporarily supporting articles. Each of the article racks is configured to be shiftable between an extended position and a retracted position. When an article for loading gripped by the article gripper is to be delivered to an article loading and unloading station but an article for unloading is present at the article loading and unloading station, the article for loading is stored temporarily on one of the article racks, and thereafter the article for unloading at the article loading and unloading station is temporarily stored on the other article rack. | 09-11-2008 |
20080219825 | Article Transport Facility - An article transport facility includes an article carrier movable along a track, and an article rack arranged along the track. Each article rack has a fixed frame, and a movable frame supported to be movable relative to said fixed frame between an extended position projecting toward the track and a retracted position retracted away from the track. A movable guide shiftably supports and guides the movable frame to be movable relative thereto in a shifting direction. A fixed guide is mounted on the fixed frame for supporting and guiding the movable guide to be movable in the shifting direction. | 09-11-2008 |
20080217268 | Frame system for an article storage apparatus - A frame system for an article storage apparatus which defines an article storage space therein, includes a first upper frame extending horizontally, a first lower frame extending horizontally, and at least one first connecting frame extending vertically and interconnecting the first upper frame and the first lower frame. The first upper frame has receiving bores formed therein through which elongate supports extend vertically when the elongate supports are attached to said first lower frame to suspend the first lower frame. | 09-11-2008 |