Article delivery vehicle

Abstract

The present application provides an article transport vehicle. The article transport vehicle is provided with a shake suppression mechanism (5) that suppresses shaking in a target direction (X) of an article housed in a housing portion. The shake suppression mechanism (5) is provided with an abutting portion (50) and an abutting support portion (51) that is linked to the housing portion and supports the abutting portion (50). The abutting support portion (51) is provided with a second elastic support portion (512) that elastically supports the abutting portion (50) in the up-down direction with respect to the housing portion.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a goods transport vehicle for transporting goods. Background Technology

[0002] For example, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2006-298535 (Patent Document 1) discloses an article transport vehicle that holds articles by a pair of chucks and transports the held articles to various locations, wherein the pair of chucks are provided on a holding body that is raised and lowered by means of a lifting drive unit.

[0003] In the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1, an elastic body is provided in the holder that holds the article, and the article is supported by the elastic body, thereby suppressing the direct transmission of vibrations from the article conveyor to the article. In particular, this technology mitigates the transmission of vibrations in the vertical direction of the article.

[0004] Incidentally, in the article transport vehicle disclosed in Patent Document 1, it is impossible to suppress the swaying of the article held by the holding body in a direction orthogonal to the vertical direction (e.g., the direction of travel, hereinafter referred to as the "orthogonal direction"). Therefore, in order to minimize such swaying in the orthogonal direction, it is advisable to also provide a mechanism for supporting the article in the orthogonal direction. By providing such a mechanism, the swaying of the article can be minimized, and the article can be held stably. However, if the vertical movement of the article is restricted by supporting it in the orthogonal direction, the function of mitigating the transmission of vibrations in the vertical direction of the article by the elastic body provided by the holding body is hindered.

[0005] In view of the above actual situation, it is desirable to realize a material transport vehicle that can stably hold the material and can appropriately play the function of mitigating the transmission of vibrations in the vertical direction of the material.

[0006] The technology used to solve the above problems is as follows.

[0007] An article transport vehicle for transporting articles includes: a driving body that travels along a driving path; a holding body connected to the driving body that holds the articles in a suspended state; a receiving section connected to the driving body that receives the articles held by the holding body; and a sway suppression mechanism that suppresses swaying of the articles received in the receiving section in the target direction by setting a direction orthogonal to the vertical direction as the target direction; the holding body includes a main body, an article holding section that holds the articles, and a first elastic support section that elastically supports the article holding section relative to the main body in the vertical direction; the sway suppression mechanism includes an abutment section, an abutment support section connected to the receiving section and supporting the abutment section, and an abutment drive section that changes the position of the abutment section to an abutment position that abuts against the side of the articles received in the receiving section and a departure position that moves away from the side; the abutment support section includes a second elastic support section that elastically supports the abutment section relative to the receiving section in the vertical direction.

[0008] According to this structure, by abutting the abutting portion of the sway suppression mechanism against the side of the article held by the retainer, the swaying of the article in the object direction can be reduced to a minimum. Therefore, the article can be held stably. Furthermore, the abutting support portion of the supporting abutting portion includes a second elastic support portion that elastically supports the abutting portion relative to the receiving portion in the vertical direction. Therefore, when the article holding portion, which is elastically supported in the vertical direction by means of the first elastic support portion, moves elastically in the vertical direction—that is, when the article held by the article holding portion moves elastically in the vertical direction—the abutting portion abutting against the article can also move elastically in the vertical direction in tandem. Thus, the function of the first elastic support portion of the retainer in mitigating the transmission of vibrations in the vertical direction of the article can be appropriately utilized.

[0009] Further features and advantages of the technology disclosed herein should become more apparent from the following illustrative and non-limiting description of embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0010] Figure 1 This is the front view of the goods transport vehicle.

[0011] Figure 2 This is a top view of the main part, showing the contact part in the contact position.

[0012] Figure 3 This is a top view of the main part, showing the contact part in the departing position.

[0013] Figure 4 It is a sectional view of the retaining body.

[0014] Figure 5It is a diagram showing the fixed support state and the elastic support state of the article holding part.

[0015] Figure 6 This is a diagram showing the structure of the abutment support.

[0016] Figure 7 It is a diagram showing the positional relationship between the object and the contact part. Detailed Implementation

[0017] A transport vehicle is a device for transporting goods. Such a transport vehicle can be used, for example, in a semiconductor manufacturing plant. Examples of goods transported include FOUPs (Front Opening Unified Pods) for holding semiconductor wafers and marking plate cassettes for holding marking plates. Hereinafter, embodiments of the transport vehicle will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0018] like Figure 1 As shown, the item transport vehicle 100 includes: a traveling body 1 that travels along a traveling path 8; a holding body 2 that is connected to the traveling body 1 and holds the item 9 in a suspended state; and a receiving section 3 that is connected to the traveling body 1 and holds the item 9 held by the holding body 2.

[0019] In this embodiment, the travel path 8 is defined by a travel track 80 located near the roof. That is, in this embodiment, the goods transport vehicle 100 is configured as a so-called roof transport vehicle.

[0020] The vehicle body 1 includes a plurality of driving wheels 10 and a driving drive unit 10M that drives at least one of the driving wheels 10. The driving drive unit 10M includes a motor and a mechanism for rotating the driving wheels 10. By rotating the driving wheels 10 of the driving object through the driving drive unit 10M, a propulsive force in the driving direction L is applied to the vehicle body 1.

[0021] In this embodiment, the goods transport vehicle 100 includes a lifting device 4 for raising and lowering the holding body 2, configured to transfer the goods 9 between itself and a transfer object portion 7 located below the travel track 80. In this example, the lifting device 4 includes a lifting belt 40 connected to the holding body 2, and a lifting drive unit 4M for raising and lowering the holding body 2 by winding or unwinding the lifting belt 40. The lifting drive unit 4M includes a motor and a mechanism for winding or unwinding the lifting belt 40.

[0022] The lifting drive unit 4M causes the retaining body 2 to move up and down between the traveling position Pr and the transfer position Pt. The traveling position Pr is set above the transfer position Pt, where the retaining body 2 is housed in the receiving unit 3. The transfer position Pt is set below the traveling position Pr, where the retaining body 2 is positioned at a height corresponding to the transfer target part 7 described above.

[0023] The retainer 2 includes a main body 20 and an article retaining part 21 for holding articles 9. A lifting belt 40 is connected to the main body 20. The article retaining part 21 is provided on the main body 20.

[0024] like Figure 4 As shown, in this embodiment, the main body 20 includes a main frame 201 and a main body bottom 202 connected to the main frame 201. A space is formed inside the main body 20 by means of the main frame 201 and the main body bottom 202. Various devices are mounted inside the main body 20. In this example, the aforementioned article holding part 21 is mounted inside the main body 20.

[0025] like Figure 1 and Figure 4 As shown, in this embodiment, the article holding part 21 includes a pair of gripping claws 210 for holding the article 9 and a gripping drive part 210M for driving the pair of gripping claws 210. In this example, a hole 202a is provided at the bottom 202 of the main body. The pair of gripping claws 210 pass through the hole 202a in the vertical direction and protrude downward from the bottom 202 of the main body (main body part 20).

[0026] The gripping drive unit 210M is configured to change the posture of a pair of gripping claws 210 to a gripping posture for gripping the article 9 and a gripping release posture for releasing the grip on the article 9. In this example, the gripping drive unit 210M includes a motor and a mechanism for bringing the pair of gripping claws 210 closer together and separating them. The gripping drive unit 210M brings the pair of gripping claws 210 closer together to achieve a gripping posture, and moves the pair of gripping claws 210 apart to achieve a gripping release posture. Figure 1 solid lines and Figure 4 This indicates that the pair of gripping claws 210 are in a gripping posture. Furthermore, Figure 1 The dotted line indicates that a pair of gripping claws 210 are in a gripping release posture.

[0027] In this embodiment, the article 9 includes an article body portion 90 and a retaining portion 91 protruding upward from the upper part of the article body portion 90. The retaining portion 91 is formed in the shape of a flange. The article retaining portion 21 described above is configured to retain the article 9 by holding the retaining portion 91 of the article 9 with a pair of gripping claws 210.

[0028] The housing 3 houses the item 9 held by the retainer 2 positioned at the driving position Pr. In the illustrated example, the housing 3 houses the lifting drive unit 4M in addition to the retainer 2 and the item 9. Furthermore, the item 9 held by the retainer 2 positioned at the driving position Pr and housed in the housing 3 will be simply referred to as "housed item 9" below.

[0029] In this embodiment, the receiving section 3 includes a side cover 31 that covers the received item 9 from the side (horizontal direction) and an upper cover 32 that covers the received item 9 from above. In the illustrated example, a pair of side covers 31 and the upper cover 32 are connected to form the receiving section 3. The side covers 31 extend downward from both ends of the upper cover 32 in the direction along the travel path 8 (travel direction L). That is, in this example, each of the pair of side covers 31 covers the item 9 held by the holding body 2 from both sides in the travel direction L.

[0030] The object direction X is defined as a direction orthogonal to the vertical direction. The transport vehicle 100 is equipped with a sway suppression mechanism 5 to suppress swaying of the item 9 housed in the housing section 3 in the object direction X. In this embodiment, the object direction X is set to the direction along the travel path 8, which is equal to the travel direction L.

[0031] The sway suppression mechanism 5 includes an abutment portion 50 and an abutment support portion 51 connected to the receiving portion 3 and supporting the abutment portion 50. In this embodiment, the sway suppression mechanism 5 is disposed on each side of the holding body 2 in the object direction X. In other words, a pair of sway suppression mechanisms 5 are disposed on both sides of the receiving article 9 in the object direction X. In this example, the abutment support portion 51 is connected to each of the pair of side cover portions 31 of the receiving portion 3. Moreover, each of the pair of abutment support portions 51 individually supports the abutment portion 50. In addition, the pair of sway suppression mechanisms 5 have identical structures.

[0032] like Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the sway suppression mechanism 5 includes an abutment drive unit 50M, which changes the position of the abutment part 50 to an abutment position Pc that abuts against the side 90F of the article 9 housed in the housing part 3 (see reference). Figure 2 ) and the departure position Pd from the side 90F of item 9 (refer to Figure 3 The abutment drive unit 50M moves the abutment part 50 between the abutment position Pc and the departure position Pd by changing the position of the abutment part 50 in the object direction X. For example, the abutment drive unit 50M can change the position of the abutment part 50 in the object direction X by moving the abutment part 50 in a straight line along the object direction X, or by swinging the abutment part 50 around a predetermined axis. In addition, the side 90F of the article 9 is the surface facing the object direction X when the article 9 is held by the holding body 2, and in this example it is formed in the article body 90.

[0033] When in the abutting position Pc, the abutting part 50 abuts against the side 90F of the article 9 from the object direction X. In this example, the abutting part 50 of one of the pair of sway suppression mechanisms 5 abuts against the side 90F of the article 9 facing the object direction X, and the abutting part 50 of the other sway suppression mechanism 5 abuts against the side 90F of the article 9 facing the other object direction X. As a result, the article 9 can be pushed from both sides in the object direction X, suppressing the swaying of the article 9 in the object direction X.

[0034] In this embodiment, the abutting portion 50 is composed of an elastic member having a cylindrical outer peripheral surface 50F, which abuts against the side surface 90F of the article 9 by means of the outer peripheral surface 50F when in the abutting position Pc. As the elastic member constituting the abutting portion 50, rubber, elastic synthetic resin, etc., can be used, for example. By configuring the abutting portion 50 to abut against the side surface 90F of the article 9 by means of the cylindrical outer peripheral surface 50F, it is possible to abut against the article 9 with a curved surface, which easily suppresses damage to the article 9 and the generation of particles. More preferably, the abutting portion 50 is composed of a member that is less likely to generate particles.

[0035] In this embodiment, the abutment support 51 supports the abutment portion 50 rotatably about an axis along the vertical direction. Therefore, even if the article 9 wobbles in a direction orthogonal to the object direction X (width direction W) when viewed vertically, the abutment portion 50 rotates in sync with the movement of the article 9. Consequently, slippage between the article 9 and the abutment portion 50 can be minimized, and damage to the article 9 and the generation of particles caused by such slippage can be easily suppressed.

[0036] In this embodiment, the abutment support portion 51 includes an arm portion 510. The arm portion 510 is connected to the receiving portion 3 and supports the abutment portion 50. In this example, the arm portion 510 is connected to the receiving portion 3 at its base end and supports the abutment portion 50 at its front end. The base end end of the arm portion 510 is rotatably connected to the mounting member 33 provided in the side cover portion 31 about a first axis Ax1 in the vertical direction. The arm portion 510 is configured to rotate about the first axis Ax1 by means of the abutment drive portion 50M.

[0037] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the abutment support portion 51 includes a through portion 511 through which the abutment portion 50 passes in the vertical direction (see reference). Figure 6 Furthermore, the structure of the through section 511 will be described later.

[0038] like Figures 1-3As shown, in this embodiment, the article transport vehicle 100 includes: a drop restraint 6 disposed below the bottom 92 of the article 9 housed in the housing section 3, which restricts the drop of the article 9 housed in the housing section 3; and a restraint drive 6M that changes the posture of the drop restraint 6. Furthermore, the bottom 92 of the article 9 is formed at the lower end of the article body section 90.

[0039] In this embodiment, the drop restraint 6 and the restraint drive 6M are respectively disposed on both sides of the holding body 2 in the object direction X. In other words, two sets of drop restraints 6 and restraint drive 6M are disposed on both sides of the containing item 9 in the object direction X. In addition, the two sets of drop restraints 6 and restraint drive 6M have identical structures.

[0040] In this embodiment, the drop restraint 6 is connected to the receiving portion 3. Specifically, the drop restraint 6 is connected to the mounting member 33 (see reference 33) provided on the side cover portion 31. Figure 2 and Figure 3 (Connection). In this example, the drop restraint 6 is composed of a linkage mechanism, including a restraint member 60 and a first link 61 and a second link 62 connected to the restraint member 60.

[0041] The first link 61 is rotatably connected to the limiting member 60 about its vertical axis. The second link 62, at a portion in the width direction W away from the connection between the first link 61 and the limiting member 60, is rotatably connected to the limiting member 60 about its vertical axis. The portion of the first link 61 opposite to its connection with the limiting member 60 is rotatably connected to the mounting member 33 about a first vertical axis Ax1. The portion of the second link 62 opposite to its connection with the limiting member 60 is rotatably connected to the mounting member 33 about a second vertical axis Ax2.

[0042] like Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, when viewed from the vertical direction, the restraint drive unit 6M changes the posture of the falling restraint 6 to a protruding posture Ap that overlaps with the bottom 92 of the item 9 (see reference). Figure 2 ) and the retreat posture Ae, which retreats to a position that does not overlap with the bottom 92 of item 9 (see reference). Figure 3In the illustrated example, a restraint drive unit 6M is provided at the connection point where the first link 61 connects to the mounting member 33 (receiving part 3). The restraint drive unit 6M is configured to drive the first link 61 to rotate around a first axis Ax1. By rotating the first link 61 around the first axis Ax1, the restraint member 60 moves in the object direction X, and the second link 62 connected to the restraint member 60 rotates around a second axis Ax2. Thus, the restraint drive unit 6M can change the posture of the falling restraint 6 to a protruding posture Ap and a retreating posture Ae. In this example, each component constituting the falling restraint 6 is configured to rotate relative to each other about an axis along the vertical direction at the connection points between the components. Therefore, each component can move in the horizontal direction, and the range of motion of the falling restraint 6 can remain unchanged in the vertical direction.

[0043] In this embodiment, the drive source of the abutment drive unit 50M also serves as the drive source of the limiting body drive unit 6M. Specifically, the motor that serves as the drive source in the abutment drive unit 50M and the motor that serves as the drive source in the limiting body drive unit 6M are shared. Moreover, this shared drive source drives the arm 510 to rotate around the first axis Ax1 as the abutment drive unit 50M, and drives the first connecting rod 61 to rotate around the same first axis Ax1 as the limiting body drive unit 6M. With this structure, the structure of the abutment drive unit 50M and the limiting body drive unit 6M can be simplified, and the device can be miniaturized compared to the case where separate drive sources are provided.

[0044] Here, the transport vehicle 100 has the function of mitigating the transmission of vibrations in the vertical direction to the items 9. Specifically, as... Figure 4 As shown, the retainer 2 includes a first elastic support portion 22 that elastically supports the article holding portion 21 relative to the main body portion 20 in the vertical direction. Since the article holding portion 21 is elastically supported by this first elastic support portion 22, the transmission of vibrations in the vertical direction to the article 9 held by the article holding portion 21 can be mitigated. In this example, the retainer 2 includes multiple first elastic support portions 22. Furthermore, in Figure 4 The text indicates two first elastic support portions 22.

[0045] In this embodiment, the retainer 2 includes a movable support 23 that moves vertically and integrally with the article holding portion 21. The movable support 23 is disposed inside the main body 20 and freely movable vertically, and is connected to the article holding portion 21. Although not shown in the figures, the retainer 2 preferably includes a guide member that guides the movement of the movable support 23 relative to the main body 20. For example, a linear motion guide mechanism can be used to guide the movable support 23 to move linearly in the vertical direction.

[0046] In this embodiment, the first elastic support portion 22 includes a first elastic body 22E made of a helical spring, a first connecting portion 221 connecting one end of the movable support portion 23 to the first elastic body 22E, and a second connecting portion 222 connecting the main body portion 20 (the bottom of the main body 202 in the illustrated example) to the other end of the first elastic body 22E. For example, the first elastic body 22E is made of a compression helical spring and is configured to act in a direction that increases the vertical distance between the movable support portion 23 and the bottom of the main body 202.

[0047] like Figure 5 As shown, in this embodiment, the retainer 2 is provided with a support state changing device 24, which changes the support state of the article retaining part 21 to an elastic support state in which the article retaining part 21 is elastically supported relative to the main body 20 by means of the first elastic support part 22 and a fixed support state in which the article retaining part 21 is fixedly supported relative to the main body 20.

[0048] The support state changing device 24 fixes the gap between the first connecting portion 221 and the second connecting portion 222 and restricts the elastic deformation of the first elastic body 22E, thereby changing the support state of the article holding portion 21 to a fixed support state. In this embodiment, the support state changing device 24 includes a fixing portion 240 that fixes the gap between the first connecting portion 221 and the second connecting portion 222. The support state changing device 24 is configured to change the fixing portion 240 to a fixed state and a fixed release state, achieving the fixed support state in the fixed state and the elastic support state in the fixed release state.

[0049] In this embodiment, the fixing part 240 includes a swing body 240a, a swing support part 240b that supports the swing body 240a in a swingable manner, and a swing drive part 240M that swings the swing body 240a. The swing drive part 240M includes a drive source such as a motor.

[0050] In this embodiment, the swing support 240b supports the swing body 240a in a manner that allows it to swing about a swing axis Ax24 in the horizontal direction. Furthermore, the contact portion 240c provided on the swing body 240a contacts a contact surface 23F formed on the movable support 23 toward the bottom 202 of the main body, and while moving along the contact surface 23F, pushes and pulls the contact surface 23F in a direction relative to the bottom 202 of the main body. In this example, the contact portion 240c is made into a roller capable of rolling relative to the contact surface 23F of the movable support 23. The contact portion 240c, as a roller, has a structure that moves along the contact surface 23F by rolling on the contact surface 23F of the movable support 23.

[0051] Furthermore, the support state changing device 24 restricts the swing of the swinging body 240a by pushing the movable support 23 away from the bottom 202 of the main body through the contact portion 240c, thereby fixing the fixed portion 240 and fixing the distance between the first connecting portion 221 and the second connecting portion 222. Thus, the support state changing device 24 restricts the elastic deformation of the first elastic body 22E, making the support state of the article holding portion 21 a fixed support state. In addition, the restriction of the swing of the swinging body 240a can be achieved by locking the swing of the swinging body 240a with a stop or the like, by providing a braking mechanism in the swing support portion 240b, or by controlling the output of the drive source (motor) of the swing drive portion 240M.

[0052] The support state changing device 24, by setting the contact portion 240c to a state where it separates from the contact surface 23F of the movable support portion 23, makes the fixed portion 240 a fixed release state, allowing the distance between the first connecting portion 221 and the second connecting portion 222 to change. Thus, the support state changing device 24 allows the elastic deformation of the first elastic body 22E, making the support state of the article holding portion 21 an elastic support state. In the elastic support state, when the distance between the first connecting portion 221 and the second connecting portion 222 changes, the first elastic body 22E expands and contracts in response to the vertical movement of the movable support portion 23. This mitigates the transmission of vibrations in the vertical direction to the article 9 held by the article holding portion 21, which moves vertically and vertically integrally with the movable support portion 23.

[0053] Furthermore, in this article transport vehicle 100, the contact portion 50, which abuts against the side 90F of the article 9 held by the article holding portion 21 from the object direction X, can also move elastically in the vertical direction while abutting against the side 90F of the article 9. This will be explained in detail below.

[0054] like Figure 6 As shown, the abutment support 51 is equipped with abutment portion 50 relative to receiving portion 3 (see reference). Figure 1 The second elastic support portion 512 provides elastic support in the vertical direction. As described above, in this embodiment, the abutment support portion 51 includes an arm portion 510 and a through portion 511 provided at the front end of the arm portion 510 and extending through the abutment portion 50 in the vertical direction. In this example, the second elastic support portion 512 is disposed around the through portion 511. Specifically, a space portion 501 is formed inside the abutment portion 50, in which a portion of the through portion 511 is disposed, and the second elastic support portion 512 is disposed around the through portion 511 in the space portion 501. Because the second elastic support portion 512 is disposed inside the abutment portion 50 in this way, it is easy to miniaturize the sway suppression mechanism 5.

[0055] In this embodiment, the second elastic support portion 512 includes a second elastic body 512E. In this example, the second elastic body 512E is configured as a helical spring, and more specifically, as a compression helical spring.

[0056] In this embodiment, the second elastic support portion 512 includes a third connecting portion 512a that connects one end of the second elastic body 512E to the abutting support portion 51 (in this example, the through portion 511), and a fourth connecting portion 512b that connects the other end of the second elastic body 512E to the abutting portion 50. In this embodiment, the third connecting portion 512a is a flange-shaped portion integrally formed with the through portion 511 of the abutting support portion 51. In the illustrated example, the through portion 511 is constructed using a bolt that engages with the arm portion 510, and the head of the bolt becomes the fourth connecting portion 512b. The third connecting portion 512a does not move relative to the through portion 511. On the other hand, the fourth connecting portion 512b is connected to the abutting portion 50 while moving relative to the through portion 511 in the vertical direction. The third connecting portion 512a and the fourth connecting portion 512b are spaced apart from each other in the vertical direction, and a second elastic body 512E is provided between them. In this example, the second elastic body 512E, which is a helical spring, is sandwiched between the third connecting portion 512a and the fourth connecting portion 512b.

[0057] The third connecting portion 512a contacts the second elastic body 512E from below at one end. Furthermore, the fourth connecting portion 512b is disposed at the upper end of the space portion 501 of the abutment portion 50, contacting a portion of the space portion 501 from below and the other end of the second elastic body 512E from above. Moreover, the force of the second elastic body 512E pushes and locks the fourth connecting portion 512b against the abutment portion 50. With this structure, the fourth connecting portion 512b compresses the second elastic body 512E by being pushed upwards from the abutment portion 50; if the upward force from the abutment portion 50 weakens, the second elastic body 512E is extended by being pushed upwards. That is, the second elastic body 512E expands and contracts in response to the vertical movement of the abutment portion 50. Furthermore, the up-and-down movement of the abutment portion 50 is caused by the up-and-down vibration of the article 9 that abuts the abutment portion 50. Therefore, when the article 9 held by the article holding portion 21 moves elastically in the up-and-down direction, the second elastic support portion 512 also allows the abutment portion 50 that abuts the article 9 to move elastically in the up-and-down direction. Thus, the function of the first elastic support portion 22 of the holding body 2 in mitigating the transmission of vibrations to the article 9 in the up-and-down direction can be appropriately performed. In this embodiment, the "connection" of the third connecting portion 512a and the fourth connecting portion 512b refers to the state in which they are pushed and locked to the connecting object by the force of the second elastic body 512E. In addition, one or both of the third connecting portion 512a and the fourth connecting portion 512b can also be made into a structure in which the second elastic body 512E and the connecting object are integrally connected by welding, fitting, or the like.

[0058] In this embodiment, the spring constant of the second elastic body 512E is set to be lower than the spring constant of the first elastic body 22E. Therefore, compared to the article 9 and the article holding part 21, the abutment part 50 becomes a structure that is easier to move elastically in the vertical direction, and the elastic movement of the abutment part 50 relative to the vertical direction of the article 9 can be appropriately ensured. Thus, the function of the first elastic support part 22, which mitigates the transmission of vibrations to the article 9 in the vertical direction, can be avoided by the abutment part 50, and the function of the first elastic support part 22 can be performed more appropriately.

[0059] Next, the positional relationship between the contained item 9 and the contact part 50 of the contacting position Pc will be explained.

[0060] like Figure 7As shown, the vertical range in which the lower end 90Ed of the article 9 housed in the housing section 3 can move elastically via the first elastic support 22 is defined as the first elastic movement range R1, and the vertical range in which the upper end 50Eu of the contact portion 50 that abuts against the side 90F of the article 9 can move elastically via the second elastic support 512 is defined as the second elastic movement range R2. In this embodiment, the upper limit position Eu1 of the first elastic movement range R1 is set below the lower limit position Ed2 of the second elastic movement range R2. Furthermore, the lower limit position Ed1 of the first elastic movement range R1 is naturally set below the upper limit position Eu2 of the second elastic movement range R2. With this structure, the position of the lower end 90Ed of the article 9 is always lower than the position of the upper end 50Eu of the contact portion 50. Therefore, the item 9 will not ride on the abutment portion 50 due to the up-and-down movement of the contained item 9 caused by the first elastic support portion 22 and the up-and-down movement of the abutment portion 50 caused by the second elastic support portion 512. Thus, it is possible to prevent the item 9 from riding on the abutment portion 50 and the wobbling suppression mechanism 5 from no longer functioning properly.

[0061] [Other Implementation Methods]

[0062] Next, other implementations of the goods transport vehicle will be described.

[0063] (1) In the above embodiment, an example in which the object direction X is set to be along the direction of the travel path 8 and equal to the travel direction L has been described. However, it is not limited to such an example. For example, the object direction X may also be set to a direction orthogonal to the travel direction L when viewed in the vertical direction (width direction W). In this case, the abutment portion 50 is arranged relative to the contained item 9 in the width direction W, which is configured to suppress the swaying of the contained item 9 in the width direction W.

[0064] (2) In the above embodiment, an example of the abutting portion 50 being composed of an elastic member having a cylindrical outer peripheral surface 50F has been described. However, it is not limited to such an example; the abutting portion 50 may also have a spherical outer peripheral surface 50F or a polygonal cylindrical outer peripheral surface 50F. In addition, the abutting portion 50 may also be composed of a rigid member.

[0065] (3) In the above embodiment, an example was described in which the abutment support 51 supports the abutment 50 rotatably about an axis in the vertical direction. However, it is not limited to such an example, and the abutment support 51 may also support the abutment 50 without allowing it to rotate about an axis in the vertical direction.

[0066] (4) In the above embodiment, an example of the abutting support 51 being connected to the side cover 31 of the receiving part 3 has been described. However, it is not limited to such an example, and the abutting support 51 may also be connected to the upper cover 32 of the receiving part 3.

[0067] (5) In the above embodiment, an example in which a limiting body drive unit 6M is provided at the connection portion where the first link 61 connects to the mounting member 33 (receiving part 3). However, the limiting body drive unit 6M may also be provided at the connection portion where the second link 62 connects to the mounting member 33 (receiving part 3).

[0068] (6) In the above embodiments, an example in which the drop limiting body 6 is composed of a linkage mechanism has been described. However, it is not limited to such an example. For example, the drop limiting body 6 may also use a pressure cylinder or the like to make the limiting member 60 move linearly or swing.

[0069] (7) In the above embodiment, an example was described in which the drive source of the abutting drive unit 50M also serves as the drive source of the limiting body drive unit 6M. However, it is not limited to such an example, and the drive source of the abutting drive unit 50M and the drive source of the limiting body drive unit 6M may also be provided independently.

[0070] (8) In the above embodiment, an example of the article transport vehicle 100 having a drop limiter 6 has been described, but the article transport vehicle 100 may also not have such a drop limiter 6.

[0071] (9) In the above embodiments, an example has been described in which both the first elastic body 22E and the second elastic body 512E are made of a helical spring, and more specifically a compression helical spring. However, it is not limited to such an example, and at least one of the first elastic body 22E and the second elastic body 512E may be made of various springs such as tension helical springs, torsion helical springs or leaf springs, or other elastic bodies such as rubber or synthetic resin.

[0072] (10) In the above embodiment, an example in which the spring constant of the second elastic body 512E is set to be lower than the spring constant of the first elastic body 22E has been described. However, it is not limited to such an example. The spring constant of the second elastic body 512E may also be set to the same value as the spring constant of the first elastic body 22E, or it may be set to be higher than the spring constant of the first elastic body 22E.

[0073] (11) In the above embodiment, an example was described in which the contact portion 240c of the support state changing device 24 is configured as a roller that can roll relative to the contact surface 23F of the movable support portion 23. However, it is not limited to such an example. For example, a linear motion block may be provided in the portion corresponding to the contact portion 240c and a linear motion track may be provided in the movable support portion 23, so that the linear motion block moves on the linear motion track as the swing body 240a swings.

[0074] (12) In the above embodiment, an example of a support state changing device 24 that changes the support state of the article holding part 21 to an elastic support state and a fixed support state has been described. However, the support state changing device 24 may not be provided.

[0075] (13) In the above embodiment, an example was described in which the article transport vehicle 100 is configured to raise and lower the holding body 2 and to transfer the article 9 between it and the transfer object part 7 which is disposed below the travel track 80. However, it is not limited to such an example, and the article transport vehicle 100 may not have the function of raising and lowering the holding body 2. In this case, the transfer object part 7 may be disposed at the same height as the travel track 80 and horizontally away from the travel track 80, and the article transport vehicle 100 may be configured to transfer the article 9 between it and the transfer object part 7 by moving the holding body 2 horizontally.

[0076] (14) In the above embodiment, an example of the article transport vehicle 100 being configured as a so-called canopy transport vehicle was described. However, it is not limited to such an example. The article transport vehicle 100 can be configured as a transport vehicle that transports the article 9 in a suspended support state, or it can be configured as a transport vehicle that transports the article 9 near the ground.

[0077] (15) Furthermore, the structures disclosed in the above embodiments can be combined with structures disclosed in other embodiments, provided that no contradiction arises. Regarding other structures, the embodiments disclosed in this specification are merely illustrative in all respects. Therefore, various modifications can be appropriately made without departing from the spirit of this disclosure.

[0078] [Summary of the above embodiments]

[0079] The following is a description of the goods transport vehicle described above.

[0080] An article transport vehicle for transporting articles includes: a driving body that travels along a driving path; a holding body connected to the driving body that holds the articles in a suspended state; a receiving section connected to the driving body that receives the articles held by the holding body; and a sway suppression mechanism that suppresses swaying of the articles received in the receiving section in the target direction by setting a direction orthogonal to the vertical direction as the target direction; the holding body includes a main body, an article holding section that holds the articles, and a first elastic support section that elastically supports the article holding section relative to the main body in the vertical direction; the sway suppression mechanism includes an abutment section, an abutment support section connected to the receiving section and supporting the abutment section, and an abutment drive section that changes the position of the abutment section to an abutment position that abuts against the side of the articles received in the receiving section and a departure position that moves away from the side; the abutment support section includes a second elastic support section that elastically supports the abutment section relative to the receiving section in the vertical direction.

[0081] According to this structure, by abutting the abutting portion of the sway suppression mechanism against the side of the article held by the retainer, the swaying of the article in the object direction can be reduced to a minimum. Therefore, the article can be held stably. Furthermore, the abutting support portion of the supporting abutting portion includes a second elastic support portion that elastically supports the abutting portion relative to the receiving portion in the vertical direction. Therefore, when the article holding portion, which is elastically supported in the vertical direction by means of the first elastic support portion, moves elastically in the vertical direction—that is, when the article held by the article holding portion moves elastically in the vertical direction—the abutting portion abutting against the article can also move elastically in the vertical direction in tandem. Thus, the function of the first elastic support portion of the retainer in mitigating the transmission of vibrations in the vertical direction of the article can be appropriately utilized.

[0082] Here, preferably, the range in the vertical direction in which the lower end of the aforementioned article housed in the aforementioned housing portion can move elastically via the aforementioned first elastic support portion is defined as the first elastic movement range, and the range in the vertical direction in which the upper end of the aforementioned abutting portion that abuts against the aforementioned side of the aforementioned article can move elastically via the aforementioned second elastic support portion is defined as the second elastic movement range; the upper limit position of the aforementioned first elastic movement range is set below the lower limit position of the aforementioned second elastic movement range.

[0083] According to this structure, since the lower end of the article is always lower than the upper end of the abutment, it is possible to prevent the article from riding on the abutment and causing the shaking suppression mechanism to no longer function properly.

[0084] Furthermore, preferably, the first elastic support portion includes a first elastic body; the second elastic support portion includes a second elastic body; and the spring constant of the second elastic body is set to be lower than the spring constant of the first elastic body.

[0085] According to this structure, the abutment portion is more easily movable elastically in the vertical direction compared to the article and the article holding portion. Therefore, the elastic movement of the abutment portion relative to the vertical direction of the article can be appropriately ensured. As a result, the function of the first elastic support portion in mitigating the transmission of vibrations to the vertical direction of the article by the abutment portion can be avoided, and the function of the first elastic support portion can be more appropriately utilized.

[0086] Furthermore, preferably, the aforementioned abutting support portion has a through portion that extends through the aforementioned abutting portion in the aforementioned vertical direction; the aforementioned second elastic support portion is disposed around the aforementioned through portion.

[0087] According to this structure, since the second elastic support portion can be arranged inside the abutment portion, it is easy to miniaturize the sway suppression mechanism.

[0088] Furthermore, preferably, the aforementioned abutting portion is composed of an elastic member having a cylindrical outer peripheral surface, which abuts against the aforementioned side of the aforementioned article by means of the aforementioned outer peripheral surface when in the aforementioned abutting position; the aforementioned abutting support portion supports the aforementioned abutting portion to rotate freely about an axis along the aforementioned vertical direction.

[0089] According to this structure, the sliding between the article and the contact part can be minimized. Therefore, damage to the article and the generation of particles caused by such sliding are easily suppressed.

[0090] Furthermore, preferably, it includes: a drop restraint body disposed below the bottom of the aforementioned article housed in the aforementioned housing portion, which restricts the drop of the aforementioned article housed in the aforementioned housing portion; and a restraint body drive unit that, when viewed in the vertical direction along the aforementioned vertical direction, changes the posture of the aforementioned drop restraint body to a protruding posture that protrudes to a position overlapping with the aforementioned bottom and a retracting posture that retreats to a position that does not overlap with the aforementioned bottom; the drive source of the aforementioned abutment drive unit also serves as the drive source of the aforementioned restraint body drive unit.

[0091] According to this structure, the falling of an object can be restricted by the falling restraint. Furthermore, since the drive source of the abutment drive unit also serves as the drive source of the restraint drive unit, it is easy to simplify the structure of both drive units.

[0092] Furthermore, preferably, the aforementioned retainer includes a support state changing device, which changes the support state of the aforementioned article retaining part to an elastic support state in which the aforementioned article retaining part is elastically supported relative to the aforementioned main body part by means of the aforementioned first elastic support part, and to a fixed support state in which the aforementioned article retaining part is fixedly supported relative to the aforementioned main body part.

[0093] According to this structure, when it is desired to allow elastic movement of the article in the vertical direction, the support state of the article holding part can be changed to an elastic support state by means of the support state changing device. Furthermore, when it is desired to restrict the elastic movement of the article in the vertical direction, the support state of the article holding part can be changed to a fixed support state by means of the support state changing device. Therefore, according to this structure, the holding state of the article can be appropriately changed according to the article's transport conditions.

[0094] Furthermore, in the aforementioned structure of the retainer having a support state changing device, it is preferable that the retainer has a movable support portion that moves integrally with the article holding portion in the aforementioned vertical direction; the aforementioned first elastic support portion has a first elastic body made of a helical spring, a first connecting portion connecting the aforementioned movable support portion to one end of the aforementioned first elastic body, and a second connecting portion connecting the aforementioned main body portion to the other end of the aforementioned first elastic body; the aforementioned support state changing device fixes the interval between the aforementioned first connecting portion and the aforementioned second connecting portion and restricts the elastic deformation of the aforementioned first elastic body, so that the support state of the aforementioned article holding portion becomes the aforementioned fixed support state.

[0095] According to this structure, the support state of the article holding part can be changed to an elastic support state and a fixed support state with a relatively simple structure.

[0096] Industrial availability

[0097] The technology disclosed herein can be used in article transport vehicles for transporting articles.

[0098] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0099] 100: Goods transport vehicle

[0100] 1: Driving body

[0101] 2: Maintain body

[0102] 20: Main body

[0103] 21: Item Storage Department

[0104] 22: First elastic support section

[0105] 221: First Link

[0106] 222: Second connecting section

[0107] 22E: First elastic body

[0108] 23: Movable support part

[0109] 24: Support State Changing Device

[0110] 3: Containment Department

[0111] 5: Suppression mechanism

[0112] 50: Butt part

[0113] 50Eu: Upper end

[0114] 50F: Outer perimeter

[0115] 50M: Contact with drive unit

[0116] Pc: Contact position

[0117] Pd: Leave position

[0118] 51: Abutment support part

[0119] 511: Through Section

[0120] 512: Second elastic support section

[0121] 512E: Second Elastomer

[0122] 6: Falling restraint

[0123] 6M: Restricted body drive unit

[0124] Ae: Retreat posture

[0125] Ap: Emphasizing posture

[0126] 8: Driving route

[0127] 9: Items

[0128] 90Ed: Lower end

[0129] 90F: Side View

[0130] 92: Bottom

[0131] R1: First elastic movement range

[0132] Eu1: Upper limit position

[0133] R2: Second elastic movement range

[0134] Ed2: Lower limit position

[0135] X: Object direction.

Claims

1. A goods transport vehicle, characterized in that, have: The vehicle travels along the driving path; The retainer is connected to the aforementioned moving body and holds the aforementioned item in a suspended state; The containment section, connected to the aforementioned vehicle, contains the aforementioned items held by the aforementioned holding body; and The sway suppression mechanism sets a certain direction orthogonal to the vertical direction as the object direction, and suppresses the swaying of the aforementioned item housed in the aforementioned housing section in the aforementioned object direction. The aforementioned retainer includes a main body, an article retaining part for retaining the aforementioned article, and a first elastic support part that elastically supports the aforementioned article retaining part relative to the aforementioned main body in the aforementioned vertical direction. The aforementioned sway suppression mechanism includes an abutting part, an abutting support part connected to and supporting the aforementioned abutting part, and an abutting drive part that changes the position of the aforementioned abutting part to an abutting position that abuts against the side of the aforementioned article housed in the aforementioned housing part and a disengaging position that moves away from the aforementioned side. The aforementioned abutment support portion includes a second elastic support portion that elastically supports the aforementioned abutment portion relative to the aforementioned receiving portion in the aforementioned vertical direction. The range in the vertical direction in which the lower end of the aforementioned article housed in the aforementioned housing portion can move elastically by means of the aforementioned first elastic support portion is defined as the first elastic movement range, and the range in the vertical direction in which the upper end of the aforementioned abutting portion that abuts against the aforementioned side of the aforementioned article can move elastically by means of the aforementioned second elastic support portion is defined as the second elastic movement range. The upper limit of the aforementioned first elastic movement range is set below the lower limit of the aforementioned second elastic movement range.

2. The goods transport vehicle as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The aforementioned first elastic support portion includes a first elastic body; The aforementioned second elastic support portion includes a second elastic body; The spring constant of the second elastic body is set to be lower than that of the first elastic body.

3. The goods transport vehicle as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The aforementioned abutting support portion has a through portion through which the aforementioned abutting portion passes in the aforementioned vertical direction; The aforementioned second elastic support portion is disposed around the aforementioned through portion.

4. The goods transport vehicle as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The aforementioned contact portion is composed of an elastic member having a cylindrical outer peripheral surface, and in the aforementioned contact position, it contacts the aforementioned side surface of the aforementioned article by means of the aforementioned outer peripheral surface; The aforementioned abutment support portion supports the aforementioned abutment portion to rotate freely about an axis along the aforementioned vertical direction.

5. The goods transport vehicle as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, have: A drop restraint is positioned below the bottom of the aforementioned item contained in the aforementioned containment section, restricting the drop of the aforementioned item contained in the aforementioned containment section; and The limiting body drive unit, when viewed in the vertical direction along the aforementioned vertical direction, changes the posture of the aforementioned falling limiting body to a protruding posture that protrudes to a position overlapping with the aforementioned bottom and a retreating posture that retreats to a position that does not overlap with the aforementioned bottom; The aforementioned drive source of the contact drive unit also serves as the drive source of the aforementioned limit body drive unit.

6. The goods transport vehicle as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The aforementioned retainer includes a support state changing device, which changes the support state of the aforementioned article retaining part to an elastic support state in which the aforementioned article retaining part is elastically supported relative to the aforementioned main body part by means of the aforementioned first elastic support part, and to a fixed support state in which the aforementioned article retaining part is fixedly supported relative to the aforementioned main body part.

7. The goods transport vehicle as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The aforementioned retainer has a movable support portion that is integral with the aforementioned article retaining portion and moves in the aforementioned vertical direction; The aforementioned first elastic support portion includes a first elastic body made of a helical spring, a first connecting portion connecting the aforementioned movable support portion to one end of the aforementioned first elastic body, and a second connecting portion connecting the aforementioned main body portion to the other end of the aforementioned first elastic body. The aforementioned support state changing device fixes the interval between the aforementioned first connecting part and the aforementioned second connecting part and restricts the elastic deformation of the aforementioned first elastic body, thereby changing the support state of the aforementioned article holding part to the aforementioned fixed support state.

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