Article conveying facility

Abstract

The present invention addresses the problem of providing an article transport facility capable of improving the transport efficiency of articles between a plurality of layers. This article transport facility (1) is provided with a transport vehicle (2), a first-layer rail (3), a second-layer rail (4), and an inter-layer transport device (5). The interlayer conveying device (5) is provided with a first lifting rail (51), a second lifting rail (52), and a lifting mechanism. The first layer rail (3) is provided with a first rail part (31) connected with the first lifting rail (51) located at the first stop position (P1), and a second rail part (32) connected with the second lifting rail (52) located at the first stop position (P1). The second layer rail (4) is provided with a third rail part (43) connected with the first lifting rail (51) located at the second stop position (P2), and a fourth rail part (44) connected with the second lifting rail (52) located at the second stop position (P2).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to an article conveying device. Background Art

[0002] In a building having multiple floors, an article conveying device capable of conveying articles between floors is used. An example of such an article conveying device is disclosed in Patent Publication No. 6-171888 (Patent Document 1). The article conveying device (material conveying device) of Patent Document 1 includes a plurality of conveying vehicles (traveling trolleys 8) and an inter-floor conveying device (a horizontal hoisting device 5 + a lifting rail 7) that conveys the conveying vehicles in an up-and-down direction across the first floor (1st floor) and the second floor (3rd floor). Prior art literature Patent Literature

[0003] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 6-171888 Summary of the invention Problem that the invention aims to solve

[0004] In the article transport facility of Patent Document 1, since the transport vehicles are transported one by one between floors, there is a problem that the transport efficiency of the transport vehicles between floors is poor.

[0005] Therefore, it is desirable to realize an article conveying device that can improve the efficiency of conveying articles between multiple layers. Technical means of solving problems

[0006] The article conveying device of the present invention comprises: A plurality of transport vehicles that transport items within a building having multiple floors; A first layer of tracks, which are arranged in one of the multiple layers, namely the first layer, for the transport vehicle to travel; A second layer of tracks, which is arranged in one of the multiple layers and is different from the first layer, for the transport vehicle to travel; an inter-layer conveying device, which conveys the conveying vehicle in an up-down direction across the first layer and the second layer, The inter-layer conveying device comprises: a first lifting rail for the conveying vehicle to travel, a second lifting rail arranged in parallel with the first lifting rail and for the conveying vehicle to travel, and a lifting mechanism for moving the first lifting rail and the second lifting rail in the up-down direction while maintaining the positional relationship between the first lifting rail and the second lifting rail. The lifting mechanism is configured to stop the first lifting rail and the second lifting rail at a predetermined first stop position on the first floor and a predetermined second stop position on the second floor. The directions along the first track and the second track are respectively taken as the driving direction, one side of the driving direction is taken as the first side of the driving direction, and the other side of the driving direction is taken as the second side of the driving direction, The first layer track includes a first track portion connected to the first lifting track located at the first stop position from a first side of the traveling direction, and a second track portion connected to the second lifting track located at the first stop position from a first side of the traveling direction. The second layer track includes a third track portion connected to the first lifting track located at the second stop position from the first side of the traveling direction or the second side of the traveling direction, and a fourth track portion connected to the second lifting track located at the second stop position from the first side of the traveling direction or the second side of the traveling direction.

[0007] According to this structure, two or more transport vehicles can be transported from one layer to another layer at the same time. Therefore, compared with the structure in which the transport vehicles are transported one by one between layers, the transport efficiency of the transport vehicles between layers can be improved. Therefore, it is possible to provide an article transport device that realizes the improvement of the efficiency of article transport between multiple layers.

[0008] Additional features and advantages of the technology of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description of exemplary and non-limiting embodiments described with reference to the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] Figure 1 It is a three-dimensional diagram of the goods conveying equipment Figure 2 This is the front view of the lower track and the transport vehicle. Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the interlayer conveying device and its surroundings. Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram showing an example of an article being transported by a transport vehicle. Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram showing an example of an article being transported by a transport vehicle. Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram showing an example of an article being transported by a transport vehicle. Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram showing an example of an article being transported by a transport vehicle. Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram showing an example of an article being transported by a transport vehicle. Fig. 9 This is a schematic diagram showing an example of an article being transported by a transport vehicle. Fig.10 This is a schematic diagram showing an example of an article being transported by a transport vehicle. Fig.11 This is a schematic diagram showing an example of an article being transported by a transport vehicle. Fig.12 This is a flowchart of processing of a transport vehicle passing through the periphery of the inter-layer transport device. Fig.13 It is a schematic diagram of another type of interlayer conveying device and its surroundings. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0010] Embodiments of the article transport device will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0011] like Figure 1 As shown, the article transport facility 1 is capable of transporting articles B between floors in a multi-story building having at least a lower floor L and an upper floor U. The article transport facility 1 includes: a plurality of transport vehicles 2, a lower track 3 arranged on the lower floor L, an upper track 4 arranged on the upper floor U, an inter-floor transport device 5, and a control system 7. In addition, the article transport facility 1 includes a processing device 6 (see Figure 3 ).

[0012] The transport vehicle 2 travels on the lower rail 3 and the upper rail 4. In the following description, the direction in which the transport vehicle 2 travels, that is, the direction along the lower rail 3 and the upper rail 4, is referred to as the "travel direction F" (refer to Figure 3 ). In addition, one side of the traveling direction F is referred to as a “traveling direction first side F1”, and the other side of the traveling direction F, that is, the opposite side thereof, is referred to as a “traveling direction second side F2”.

[0013] In the present embodiment, the transport vehicle 2 travels toward the second side F2 of the travel direction in the lower rail 3 and the upper rail 4. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the first side F1 of the travel direction is the rear side (upstream side) of the transport vehicle 2 in the travel direction, and the second side F2 of the travel direction is the front side (downstream side) of the transport vehicle 2 in the travel direction.

[0014] The transport vehicle 2 transports articles B inside a building having multiple floors (in this example, a lower floor L and an upper floor U). The transport vehicle 2 travels on a lower track 3 arranged on the lower floor L and an upper track 4 arranged on the upper floor U. In this embodiment, the lower track 3 and the upper track 4 are respectively arranged in a manner of forming a travel path R. In this embodiment, the travel path R includes a main transport path Rm formed in a ring shape, and a plurality of sub-transport paths Rs each formed in a ring shape and branched from the main transport path Rm and merged with the main transport path Rm again.

[0015] In addition, there are various articles as articles B handled by article transport equipment 1 and transported by transport vehicle 2. For example, when article transport equipment 1 is used in a semiconductor manufacturing plant, a wafer storage container (so-called FOUP: Front Opening Unified Pod) for storing wafers, a reticle storage container (so-called reticle pod) for storing reticles, etc. can be used as articles B. In this case, transport vehicle 2 transports articles B such as wafer storage containers or reticle storage containers along travel path R between each process.

[0016] In this embodiment, an unmanned transport vehicle that travels near the ceiling 9 on each floor is used as the transport vehicle 2. Figure 2 As shown, the transport vehicle 2 of this embodiment includes a travel unit 21 and a transfer unit 22. The travel unit 21 travels on a lower layer upper rail 3A or a lower layer lower rail 3B provided near the ceiling 9 on the lower layer L. The transfer unit 22 is suspended from the travel unit 21, holds the article B while the travel unit 21 is traveling, and transfers the article B between a supply unit of the article B and a processing device when the travel unit 21 is stopped.

[0017] In the present embodiment, the lower upper rail 3A is provided at a position directly below the ceiling 9. The lower upper rail 3A is provided along the travel path R. The lower upper rail 3A is a rail on which the travel portion 21 of the transport vehicle 2 travels, and a pair of lower upper rails 3A are provided separately on the left and right. The lower upper rail 3A is directly suspended from the ceiling 9 by a support frame.

[0018] The lower rail 3B of the lower layer is arranged near the ceiling 9 and is lower than the lower upper rail 3A in the vertical direction Z. The upper rail 4 is arranged only along a part of the travel path R (in this case, the main transport path Rm). The lower rail 3B of the lower layer becomes the rail on which the travel part 21 of the transport vehicle 2 travels, and a pair of rails are arranged separately on the left and right. The lower rail 3B of the lower layer is suspended and supported by a support frame on a support wall 9A, and the support wall 9A is arranged along a horizontal plane on the lower side than the transfer part 22 of the transport vehicle 2 traveling on the lower upper rail 3A.

[0019] Although not shown in the figure, the upper rail 4 disposed on the upper layer U also has the same configuration. The upper rail 4 includes an upper-layer upper rail 4A and an upper-layer lower rail 4B.

[0020] The upper rail 4A is provided at a position directly below the ceiling of the upper layer U. The upper rail 4A is provided along the travel path R. The upper rail 4A is provided as a pair of rails for the travel portion 21 of the transport vehicle 2 to travel. The upper rail 4A is directly suspended from the ceiling by a support frame.

[0021] The upper layer lower rail 4B is arranged near the ceiling of the upper layer U and is lower than the upper layer upper rail 4A in the vertical direction Z. The upper layer lower rail 4B is arranged only along a portion of the travel path R (in this example, the main transport path Rm). The upper layer lower rail 4B becomes a rail on which the travel portion 21 of the transport vehicle 2 travels, and a pair of upper layer lower rails 4B are arranged separately on the left and right. The upper layer lower rail 4B is suspended and supported by a support frame from a support wall, and the support wall is arranged along a horizontal plane at a lower side than the transfer portion 22 of the transport vehicle 2 traveling on the upper layer upper rail 4A.

[0022] The lower track 3 is arranged in the lower layer L which is one of the multiple layers. Figure 3 As shown, the lower rail 3 includes a lower upper rail 3A and a lower lower rail 3B disposed below the lower upper rail 3A in the vertical direction Z. The lower upper rail 3A is provided over the entire travel path R. The lower lower rail 3B is provided only near the inter-floor conveyor 5 .

[0023] The lower layer upper rail 3A includes a lower layer upstream side upper rail portion 31 disposed on a first side F1 in the travel direction relative to the interlayer conveying device 5, and a lower layer downstream side upper rail portion 33 disposed on a second side F2 in the travel direction relative to the interlayer conveying device 5. In the present embodiment, the lower layer upstream side upper rail portion 31 is equivalent to the "first rail portion", and the lower layer downstream side upper rail portion 33 can be referred to as the "seventh rail portion".

[0024] In addition, the lower layer lower track 3B has a lower layer upstream side lower track portion 32 arranged on the first side F1 of the travel direction relative to the interlayer conveying device 5, and a lower layer downstream side lower track portion 34 arranged on the second side F2 of the travel direction relative to the interlayer conveying device 5. In the present embodiment, the lower layer upstream side lower track portion 32 is equivalent to the "second track portion", and the lower layer downstream side lower track portion 34 can be called the "eighth track portion".

[0025] The lower upstream side lower rail portion 32 branches off from the lower upstream side upper rail portion 31 at the first side F1 in the travel direction relative to the inter-layer conveying device 5. In the present embodiment, the lower upstream side lower rail portion 32 branches off from the lower upstream side upper rail portion 31 via a lower upstream side lifting device 35 provided on the first side F1 in the travel direction relative to the inter-layer conveying device 5. The lower upstream side lifting device 35 has a lifting rail 36 and a lifting mechanism (not shown) that moves the lifting rail 36 across the lower upstream side lower rail portion 32 and the lower upstream side upper rail portion 31 in the up-down direction Z. In addition, the lifting mechanism may adopt various methods such as a hydraulic drive mechanism or a motor drive mechanism (the same below).

[0026] The lower downstream side lower rail portion 34 merges with the lower downstream side upper rail portion 33 at the second side F2 in the travel direction relative to the inter-layer conveying device 5. In the present embodiment, the lower downstream side lower rail portion 34 merges with the lower downstream side upper rail portion 33 via a lower downstream side lifting device 37 provided on the second side F2 in the travel direction relative to the inter-layer conveying device 5. The lower downstream side lifting device 37 has a lifting rail 38 and a lifting mechanism (not shown) that moves the lifting rail 38 in the up-down direction Z across the lower downstream side lower rail portion 34 and the lower downstream side upper rail portion 33.

[0027] In the present embodiment, a waiting section W is set on the lower upstream lower rail section 32 and the lower downstream lower rail section 34 constituting the lower lower rail 3B. The waiting section W is a section for the transport vehicle 2 to stop and wait, for example, before being transported by the inter-layer transport device 5 or before another transport vehicle 2 having priority passes. In the present embodiment, a waiting section W is also set on the lower upstream upper rail section 31 and the lower downstream upper rail section 33 constituting the lower upper rail 3A.

[0028] The upper rail 4 is arranged in an upper layer U which is one of the layers and different from the lower layer L. The upper rail 4 is arranged on the upper layer U which is located higher than the lower layer L. Figure 3 As shown, the upper rail 4 includes an upper rail 4A and an upper lower rail 4B disposed below the upper rail 4A in the vertical direction Z. The upper rail 4A is disposed over the entire travel path R. The upper lower rail 4B is disposed only near the inter-floor conveyor 5 .

[0029] The upper rail 4A has an upper upstream rail portion 41 disposed on a first side F1 in the travel direction relative to the inter-layer conveying device 5, and an upper downstream rail portion 43 disposed on a second side F2 in the travel direction relative to the inter-layer conveying device 5. In the present embodiment, the upper upstream rail portion 41 is equivalent to the "fifth rail portion", and the upper downstream rail portion 43 is equivalent to the "third rail portion".

[0030] In addition, the upper lower rail 4B has an upper upstream lower rail portion 42 arranged on the first side F1 of the travel direction relative to the inter-layer conveying device 5, and an upper downstream lower rail portion 44 arranged on the second side F2 of the travel direction relative to the inter-layer conveying device 5. In the present embodiment, the upper upstream lower rail portion 42 is equivalent to the "sixth rail portion", and the upper downstream lower rail portion 44 is equivalent to the "fourth rail portion".

[0031] The upper upstream side lower rail portion 42 branches off from the upper upstream side upper rail portion 41 at the first side F1 in the travel direction relative to the inter-layer conveying device 5. In the present embodiment, the upper upstream side lower rail portion 42 branches off from the upper upstream side upper rail portion 41 via the upper upstream side lifting device 45 provided on the first side F1 in the travel direction relative to the inter-layer conveying device 5. The upper upstream side lifting device 45 has a lifting rail 46 and a lifting mechanism (not shown) that moves the lifting rail 46 in the up-down direction Z across the upper upstream side lower rail portion 42 and the upper upstream side upper rail portion 41.

[0032] The upper downstream side lower rail portion 44 merges with the upper downstream side upper rail portion 43 at the second side F2 in the travel direction relative to the inter-layer conveying device 5. In the present embodiment, the upper downstream side lower rail portion 44 merges with the upper downstream side upper rail portion 43 via an upper downstream side lifting device 47 provided on the second side F2 in the travel direction relative to the inter-layer conveying device 5. The upper downstream side lifting device 47 has a lifting rail 48 and a lifting mechanism (not shown) that moves the lifting rail 48 in the up-down direction Z across the upper downstream side lower rail portion 44 and the upper downstream side upper rail portion 43.

[0033] In the present embodiment, the upper upstream lower rail portion 42 and the upper downstream lower rail portion 44 constituting the upper lower rail 4B are provided with a waiting section W. In addition, in the present embodiment, the upper upstream upper rail portion 41 and the upper downstream upper rail portion 43 constituting the upper upper rail 4A are also provided with a waiting section W.

[0034] like Figure 1 As shown, the inter-layer conveying device 5 is arranged across the lower layer L and the upper layer U. The inter-layer conveying device 5 conveys the conveying vehicle 2 across the lower layer L and the upper layer U in the up-down direction Z. Figure 3 As shown, the inter-layer conveying device 5 includes an upper lifting rail 51 on which the conveying vehicle 2 travels, a lower lifting rail 52 on which the conveying vehicle 2 travels, and a lifting mechanism (not shown) that moves the upper lifting rail 51 and the lower lifting rail 52 in the vertical direction Z.

[0035] The upper lifting rail 51 and the lower lifting rail 52 are arranged in parallel. In the present embodiment, the upper lifting rail 51 and the lower lifting rail 52 are arranged in parallel in the up-down direction Z. The upper lifting rail 51 and the lower lifting rail 52 are arranged to overlap at least partially when viewed in the up-down direction. In the present embodiment, the upper lifting rail 51 and the lower lifting rail 52 are arranged in the up-down direction Z within the same travel direction F, and completely overlap when viewed in the up-down direction. In the present embodiment, the lengths of the upper lifting rail 51 and the lower lifting rail 52 are set to be the lengths that allow one transport vehicle 2 to enter respectively.

[0036] The lifting mechanism moves the upper lifting rail 51 and the lower lifting rail 52 in the vertical direction Z while maintaining their positional relationship. The lifting mechanism moves the upper lifting rail 51 and the lower lifting rail 52 together and simultaneously. The interval in the vertical direction Z between the upper lifting rail 51 and the lower lifting rail 52 is equal to the interval in the vertical direction Z between the lower layer upper rail 3A and the lower layer lower rail 3B, and is also equal to the interval in the vertical direction Z between the upper layer upper rail 4A and the upper layer lower rail 4B.

[0037] like Figure 3 As shown, the lifting mechanism is configured to enable the upper lifting rail 51 and the lower lifting rail 52 to stop at a predetermined lower stop position P1 of the lower layer L and a predetermined upper stop position P2 of the upper layer U. The lower stop position P1 and the upper stop position P2 are representative positions of the upper lifting rail 51 and the lower lifting rail 52. In addition, the lifting mechanism can adopt various methods such as a hydraulic drive mechanism or a motor drive mechanism.

[0038] When the upper lifting rail 51 and the lower lifting rail 52 are stopped at the lower stop position P1, the upper lifting rail 51 is connected to the upper rail portion 31 on the upper upstream side of the lower layer from the second side F2 in the traveling direction, and is connected to the upper rail portion 33 on the lower downstream side of the lower layer from the first side F1 in the traveling direction. In addition, the lower lifting rail 52 is connected to the lower rail portion 32 on the upper upstream side of the lower layer from the second side F2 in the traveling direction, and is connected to the lower rail portion 34 on the lower downstream side of the lower layer from the first side F1 in the traveling direction.

[0039] In addition, when the upper lifting rail 51 and the lower lifting rail 52 are stopped at the upper stop position P2, the upper lifting rail 51 is connected to the upper upstream upper rail portion 41 from the second side F2 in the traveling direction, and is connected to the upper downstream upper rail portion 43 from the first side F1 in the traveling direction. In addition, the lower lifting rail 52 is connected to the upper upstream lower rail portion 42 from the second side F2 in the traveling direction, and is connected to the upper downstream lower rail portion 44 from the first side F1 in the traveling direction.

[0040] In the present embodiment, the lower stop position P1 corresponds to the “first stop position”, and the upper stop position P2 corresponds to the “second stop position”.

[0041] In the present embodiment, a processing device 6 for processing the transport vehicle 2 stopped in the waiting section W is arranged in the waiting section W of the lower upstream side lower track portion 32, the lower downstream side lower track portion 34, the upper upstream side lower track portion 42, and the upper downstream side lower track portion 44. In addition, in the waiting section W of the lower upstream side upper track portion 31, the lower downstream side upper track portion 33, the upper upstream side upper track portion 41, and the upper downstream side upper track portion 43, no processing device 6 is arranged. The processing device 6 may be, for example, a device for performing a prescribed inspection or cleaning on the transport vehicle 2. Alternatively, in the case where the transport vehicle 2 is equipped with a battery for traveling, the processing device 6 may also be a device for charging the battery. In the case where a plurality of processing devices 6 are provided, they may be devices for performing the same type of processing, or at least one device may perform a different type of processing from others.

[0042] The control system 7 controls the plurality of transport vehicles 2. In addition, the control system 7 controls the inter-layer transport device 5, the lower layer upstream side lifting device 35, the lower layer downstream side lifting device 37, the upper layer upstream side lifting device 45, and the upper layer downstream side lifting device 47. The control system 7 is equipped with a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and other computing devices and RAM (Random Access Memory) or ROM (Read Only Memory) and other main storage devices. The functions of the control system 7 are realized by the cooperation of the computing device and the program executed on the computing device.

[0043] In addition, the control system 7 may be composed of a single piece of hardware or a collection of multiple pieces of hardware (multiple separate pieces of hardware) that can communicate with each other by wire or wireless. For example, the control system 7 may also be composed of a host control device that is disposed in a control facility that is not shown, and a control terminal device that is mounted on each transport vehicle 2 and can communicate with the host control device.

[0044] Reference Figures 4 to 11 , an example of using the transport vehicle 2 to transport articles is described. Figure 4 As shown, the transport vehicle 2 traveling on the lower upstream side upper rail portion 31 in the lower layer L passes through the lifting rail 36 of the lower upstream side lifting device 35 located in the raised position and reaches the downstream end of the lower upstream side upper rail portion 31. The transport vehicle 2 waits in the waiting section W set in the lower upstream side upper rail portion 31.

[0045] like Figure 5As shown, the subsequent transport vehicle 2 traveling on the lower layer upstream side upper rail portion 31 in the lower layer L is moved from the ascending position to the descending position by the lower layer upstream side lifting device 35, and then reaches the downstream side end of the lower layer upstream side lower rail portion 32. The transport vehicle 2 waits in the waiting section W set in the lower layer upstream side lower rail portion 32. During this waiting period, the transport vehicle 2 can also be processed by the processing device 6.

[0046] like Figure 6 As shown, the two transport vehicles 2 enter the upper lifting rail 51 and the lower lifting rail 52 of the inter-layer transport device 5 located at the lower stop position P1, respectively. The transport vehicle 2 waiting in the waiting section W of the upper rail portion 31 on the lower upstream side enters the upper lifting rail 51, and the transport vehicle 2 waiting in the waiting section W of the lower rail portion 32 on the lower upstream side enters the lower lifting rail 52.

[0047] like Figure 7 As shown, the two transport vehicles 2 are moved from the lower stop position P1 to the upper stop position P2 by the inter-layer transport device 5 .

[0048] like Figure 8 As shown, the transport vehicle 2 transported by the lower lifting rail 52 of the inter-layer transport device 5 enters the lower rail portion 44 on the upper downstream side. Then, it waits in the waiting area W set in the lower rail portion 44 on the upper downstream side. During this waiting period, the transport vehicle 2 can also be processed by the processing device 6. On the other hand, the transport vehicle 2 transported by the upper lifting rail 51 of the inter-layer transport device 5 enters the upper rail portion 43 on the upper downstream side, and further moves to the destination through the lifting rail 48 of the upper downstream side lifting device 47 in the ascending position.

[0049] In this way, the control system 7 of the present embodiment allows the transport vehicle 2 traveling on the upper downstream side upper rail portion 43 to travel with priority at the merging portion where the upper downstream side lower rail portion 44 merges with the upper downstream side upper rail portion 43 (priority travel processing).

[0050] exist Figure 8 In the example of , in the upper layer U, other transport vehicles 2 travel on the upper upstream side upper rail portion 41. The transport vehicle 2 traveling on the upper upstream side upper rail portion 41 passes through the lifting rail 46 of the upper upstream side lifting device 45 located in the raised position, and arrives at the downstream end of the upper upstream side upper rail portion 41. The transport vehicle 2 waits in the waiting section W set in the upper upstream side upper rail portion 41.

[0051] like Fig. 9As shown, the transport vehicle 2 waiting in the waiting section W of the lower track portion 44 on the upper downstream side enters the lifting track 48 that descends to the descending position after the other transport vehicles 2 pass through the lifting track 48 of the lifting device 47 on the upper downstream side. In addition, the subsequent transport vehicle 2 that travels on the upper track portion 41 on the upper upstream side in the upper layer U moves from the ascending position to the descending position through the upper upstream side lifting device 45, and then arrives at the downstream end of the lower track portion 42 on the upper upstream side. The transport vehicle 2 waits in the waiting section W set in the lower track portion 42 on the upper upstream side. During this waiting period, the transport vehicle 2 can also be processed by the processing device 6.

[0052] like Fig.10 As shown, the two transport vehicles 2 enter the upper lifting rail 51 and the lower lifting rail 52 of the inter-layer transport device 5 located at the upper stop position P2, respectively. The transport vehicle 2 waiting in the waiting section W of the upper track portion 41 on the upper upstream side enters the upper lifting rail 51, and the transport vehicle 2 waiting in the waiting section W of the lower track portion 42 on the upper upstream side enters the lower lifting rail 52. Meanwhile, the transport vehicle 2 moves from the lowered position to the raised position by the upper downstream side lifting device 47.

[0053] like Fig.11 As shown, the two transport vehicles 2 are moved from the upper stop position P2 to the lower stop position P1 by the inter-layer transport device 5. Furthermore, the transport vehicles 2 moved to the raised position by the upper downstream lifting device 47 enter the upper downstream upper rail portion 43 and travel toward the destination.

[0054] The above is the basic operation of the transport vehicle 2 transporting articles around the inter-layer transport device 5, but the control system 7 of this embodiment is configured to also perform special operations. Fig.12 The flowchart is described below.

[0055] First, the control system 7 performs information acquisition processing and transport priority acquisition processing on multiple transport vehicles 2 (steps #01, 02). Here, the information acquisition processing is a process for acquiring information required to determine whether there is a necessity for processing by the processing device 6. For example, in the case where the processing device 6 is a device that inspects or cleans the transport vehicle 2, information such as the number of days that have passed since the last processing is acquired. Alternatively, in the case where the processing device 6 is a device that charges a battery, information such as the remaining battery level is acquired through a sensor.

[0056] The transport priority acquisition process is a process for acquiring the transport priority of the transported article B. In the present embodiment, the transport priority of the transported article B is obtained by acquiring information on the priority of the transport request from the host system that manages the entire article transport facility 1 .

[0057] The control system 7 determines whether the conveyance priority is high based on the result of the conveyance priority acquisition process (step #03). In the present embodiment, this determination process is equivalent to the "conveyance priority determination process". In the present embodiment, the conveyance priority of the article B being conveyed is numerically managed, and it is determined whether the numerical conveyance priority is above a predetermined determination threshold.

[0058] Then, if it is determined that the transport priority is less than the determination threshold, that is, the transport priority is not high (step #03: No), then, based on the result of the necessity determination process, it is determined whether it is necessary to perform processing by the processing device 6 (step #04). In the present embodiment, this determination process corresponds to the "necessity determination process".

[0059] If it is determined that the processing device 6 does not need to be processed (step #04: No), the normal transport process is performed (step #05). In the normal transport process, the processing device 6 does not work, and the reference Figures 4 to 11 The basic operation described executes the transport process.

[0060] On the other hand, when the control system 7 determines that the processing by the processing device 6 is necessary as a result of the necessity determination process (step #04: Yes), it executes the first guidance process (step #06) of guiding the transport vehicle 2 to the standby section W where the processing device 6 is arranged. Figure 4 In the example of FIG. 1 , when the transport vehicle 2 that first travels needs to be processed, the transport vehicle 2 is not guided to the waiting section W of the lower upstream side upper rail portion 31 where the processing device 6 is not arranged, but is guided to the waiting section W of the lower upstream side lower rail portion 32 where the processing device 6 is arranged. By performing this first guidance processing, the processing required by the transport vehicle 2 can be appropriately performed by utilizing the waiting time.

[0061] Furthermore, the control system 7 performs a second guidance process (step #07) to guide the transport vehicle 2 whose transport priority is above the determination threshold value as a result of the transport priority determination process, i.e., is determined to have a high transport priority, to the upper lifting rail 51, regardless of the result of the necessity determination process. For example, in the above example, when the transport priority of the article B being transported is high, the transport vehicle 2 is not guided to the standby section W of the lower upstream side lower rail section 32 of the lower layer where the processing device 6 is arranged, but is guided to the standby section W of the upper upstream side upper rail section 31 of the lower layer connected to the upper lifting rail 51. By executing this second guidance process, the transport vehicle 2 can be preferentially driven after being moved to other floors by the inter-layer transport device 5, so that the article B can be delivered to the destination as soon as possible.

[0062] [Other embodiments] (1) In the above-mentioned embodiment, an example is given in which the transport priority is given higher priority than the necessity of processing by using the transport vehicle 2 around the inter-layer transport device 5 to transport articles. However, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration, and for example, the transport priority may be given to the transport vehicle 2 around the inter-layer transport device 5 in a manner that comprehensively considers the necessity of processing and the transport priority.

[0063] (2) In the above-mentioned embodiment, the configuration in which the processing device 6 is arranged in the waiting section W of the lower upstream lower rail portion 32, the lower downstream lower rail portion 34, the upper upstream lower rail portion 42, and the upper downstream lower rail portion 44 is described as an example. However, the configuration is not limited to this, and for example, the processing device 6 may be arranged in only a part of the waiting section W of the lower upstream lower rail portion 32, the lower downstream lower rail portion 34, the upper upstream lower rail portion 42, and the upper downstream lower rail portion 44. In addition, the processing device 6 may be arranged in at least one waiting section W of the lower upstream upper rail portion 31, the lower downstream upper rail portion 33, the upper upstream upper rail portion 41, and the upper downstream upper rail portion 43.

[0064] (3) In the above embodiment, the processing device 6 is fixedly arranged in the standby section W of the lower upstream lower rail section 32, the lower downstream lower rail section 34, the upper upstream lower rail section 42, and the upper downstream lower rail section 44. However, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration. Fig.13 As shown, the processing device 6 may be movably arranged on the inter-layer conveying device 5. In this case, the processing device 6 may be configured to move in the vertical direction Z together with the upper lifting rail 51 and the lower lifting rail 52 by the lifting mechanism of the inter-layer conveying device 5.

[0065] (4) In the above embodiment, the lower layer lower rail 3B and the upper layer lower rail 4B are provided only in the vicinity of the inter-layer conveyor 5. However, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration, and for example, at least one of the lower layer lower rail 3B and the upper layer lower rail 4B may be provided in a relatively wide range including the vicinity of the inter-layer conveyor 5.

[0066] (5) In the above embodiment, the structure in which the lower upstream upper rail portion 31 and the lower upstream lower rail portion 32 are branched by the lower upstream lifting device 35 is described as an example. However, it is not limited to such a structure, and for example, branching can also be performed by a branching rail. The branching rail can branch in the up-down direction Z or in the lateral direction. The branching portion of the upper upstream upper rail portion 41 and the upper upstream lower rail portion 42 is also the same.

[0067] (6) In the above embodiment, the structure in which the lower downstream upper rail portion 33 and the lower downstream lower rail portion 34 are joined by the lower downstream lifting device 37 is described as an example. However, it is not limited to such a structure, and for example, the joining may be performed by a joining rail. The joining rail may join in the vertical direction Z or in the horizontal direction. The joining portion of the upper downstream upper rail portion 43 and the upper downstream lower rail portion 44 is also the same.

[0068] (7) In the above embodiment, the upper lifting rail 51 and the lower lifting rail 52 of the inter-layer conveying device 5 completely overlap when viewed in the vertical direction. However, the present invention is not limited to such a structure. For example, the upper lifting rail 51 and the lower lifting rail 52 may have different lengths and partially overlap when viewed in the vertical direction. In addition, the upper lifting rail 51 and the lower lifting rail 52 may be arranged in a horizontal manner and may not overlap when viewed in the vertical direction.

[0069] (8) In the above embodiment, the upper lifting rail 51 and the lower lifting rail 52 of the inter-layer conveying device 5 are used as an example to convey the conveying vehicles 2 one by one. However, this is not limited to such a structure, for example, at least one of the upper lifting rail 51 and the lower lifting rail 52 may also convey a plurality of conveying vehicles 2 in a concentrated manner.

[0070] (9) In the above-mentioned embodiment, the configuration in which the traveling direction of the transport vehicle 2 is parallel in the forward direction on the lower rail 3 and the upper rail 4 is described as an example. However, the configuration is not limited to this, and the traveling direction of the transport vehicle 2 may be parallel in the reverse direction on the lower rail 3 and the upper rail 4. In this case, the "travel direction F" may be determined, for example, based on the travel direction of the transport vehicle 2 traveling on the lower rail 3. Furthermore, in the upper layer U, when the upper lifting rail 51 and the lower lifting rail 52 are stopped at the upper layer stop position P2, the upper lifting rail 51 is connected to the upper layer upstream side upper rail portion 41 from the first side F1 of the travel direction, and is connected to the upper layer downstream side upper rail portion 43 from the second side F2 of the travel direction. In addition, the lower lifting rail 52 is connected to the upper layer upstream side lower rail portion 42 from the first side F1 of the travel direction, and is connected to the upper layer downstream side lower rail portion 44 from the second side F2 of the travel direction.

[0071] (10) In the above embodiment, the transport vehicle 2 is mainly described assuming a configuration in which the transport vehicle 2 travels in only one direction. However, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration, and for example, the transport vehicle 2 may travel in both directions.

[0072] (11) In the above embodiment, the lower rail 3 and the upper rail 4 are suspended from the ceiling 9 or the support wall 9A. However, the present invention is not limited to such a structure, and the lower rail 3 and the upper rail 4 may be provided on the floor surface, for example.

[0073] (12) In the above embodiment, the article transport equipment 1 is described as an example in which the article transport equipment 1 is installed in a two-story building having a lower floor L and an upper floor U. However, the article transport equipment 1 of this embodiment is not limited to such a structure, and can also be applied to a building having three or more floors having a lower floor L, an intermediate floor (a first intermediate floor, a second intermediate floor, ...), and an upper floor U.

[0074] [Summary of Implementation Methods] In summary, the article transport facility of the present invention preferably includes the following structures.

[0075] An article conveying device, comprising: A plurality of transport vehicles that transport items within a building having multiple floors; A first layer of tracks, which is arranged in the first layer as one of the multiple layers, for the transport vehicle to travel; A second layer of tracks, which is arranged in a second layer which is one of the plurality of layers and is different from the first layer, for the transport vehicle to travel; and an inter-layer conveying device, which conveys the conveying vehicle in an up-down direction across the first layer and the second layer, The inter-layer conveying device comprises: a first lifting rail for the conveying vehicle to travel, a second lifting rail arranged in parallel with the first lifting rail and for the conveying vehicle to travel, and a lifting mechanism for moving the first lifting rail and the second lifting rail in the up-down direction while maintaining the positional relationship between the first lifting rail and the second lifting rail. The lifting mechanism is configured to stop the first lifting rail and the second lifting rail at a predetermined first stop position on the first floor and a predetermined second stop position on the second floor. The directions along the first track and the second track are respectively taken as the driving direction, one side of the driving direction is taken as the first side of the driving direction, and the other side of the driving direction is taken as the second side of the driving direction, The first layer track includes a first track portion connected to the first lifting track at the first stop position from a first side of the traveling direction, and a second track portion connected to the second lifting track at the first stop position from a first side of the traveling direction. The second layer track includes a third track portion connected to the first lifting track located at the second stop position from the first side of the traveling direction or the second side of the traveling direction, and a fourth track portion connected to the second lifting track located at the second stop position from the first side of the traveling direction or the second side of the traveling direction.

[0076] According to this structure, two or more transport vehicles can be transported from one layer to another layer at the same time. Therefore, compared with the structure of transporting transport vehicles one by one between layers, the transport efficiency of the transport vehicles between layers can be improved. Therefore, it is possible to provide an article transport device that realizes the improvement of the efficiency of article transport between multiple layers.

[0077] As a method, preferably, The first lifting rail and the second lifting rail are arranged side by side in the up-and-down direction.

[0078] According to this configuration, since the first lifting rail and the second lifting rail are arranged in a vertical direction, the installation area of ​​the inter-layer conveyor can be suppressed to be smaller than that of a configuration in which they are arranged in a horizontal direction. Therefore, the overall miniaturization of the article conveying equipment can be achieved.

[0079] As a method, preferably, The transport vehicle travels on the first layer track toward the second side of the travel direction, The second rail portion branches from the first rail portion on a first side in the travel direction relative to the inter-layer conveying device. A waiting section in which the transport vehicle stops and waits is set on the second rail portion.

[0080] According to this configuration, since the second track section is branched from the first track section, the section where the second track section is provided can be kept short. Therefore, the first-layer track can be simplified. In addition, since a waiting section is provided in the second track section branched from the first track section, a space can be appropriately secured for a transport vehicle waiting for transport by the inter-layer transport device to wait without obstructing the passage of the transport vehicle traveling on the first track section.

[0081] As a method, preferably, The third rail portion is connected to the first lifting rail located at the second stop position from the second side of the traveling direction, and the fourth rail portion is connected to the second lifting rail located at the second stop position from the second side of the traveling direction. The second layer track includes a fifth track portion connected to the first lifting track located at the second stop position from the first side of the travel direction, and a sixth track portion connected to the second lifting track located at the second stop position from the first side of the travel direction. The fourth track portion merges with the third track portion on the second side of the travel direction relative to the inter-layer conveying device. The waiting area is also set on the fourth rail portion.

[0082] According to this configuration, since the travel directions of the transport vehicles in the first track and the second track are the same, the overall transport efficiency of the equipment can be improved. In addition, since the fourth track portion is configured to merge with the third track portion, the section where the fourth track portion is provided can be kept shorter. Therefore, the second track can be simplified. In addition, since a standby section is provided in the fourth track portion that merges with the third track portion, it is possible to appropriately ensure a space for the transport vehicles waiting for other transport vehicles to pass through at the junction of the fourth track portion and the third track portion so as not to hinder the passage of the transport vehicles traveling on the third track portion (for example, the transport vehicles entering the third track portion from the fifth track portion).

[0083] As a method, preferably, Corresponding to the waiting section, a processing device for processing the transport vehicle stopped in the waiting section is arranged.

[0084] According to this configuration, the time when the transport vehicle is waiting in the waiting area can be used to perform processing (such as inspection or cleaning) on ​​the transport vehicle. Therefore, the reduction in the transport efficiency of the transport vehicle for articles can be suppressed, and the transport vehicle can be efficiently processed.

[0085] As a method, preferably, A control system is provided for controlling the plurality of transport vehicles. The control system performs a priority travel process for giving priority to the transport vehicle traveling on the third rail portion over the transport vehicle traveling on the fourth rail portion at a merging portion where the fourth rail portion merges with the third rail portion.

[0086] According to this configuration, at the junction of the fourth rail section and the third rail section, the transport vehicle traveling on the third rail section has priority, but the transport vehicle waiting to pass on the fourth rail section can wait appropriately in the waiting section set on the fourth rail section.

[0087] As a method, preferably, A control system is provided for controlling the plurality of transport vehicles. The control system performs the following processing: Necessity determination processing, for each of the plurality of transport vehicles, determining whether there is a necessity for processing by the processing device; and The first guidance process guides the transport vehicle determined as needing to be processed by the processing device as a result of the necessity determination process to the standby section where the processing device is arranged.

[0088] According to this configuration, the transport vehicle that requires processing is guided to the standby section where the processing device is arranged by the first guidance processing, so that the processing required for the transport vehicle can be appropriately performed as needed.

[0089] As a method, preferably, The control system performs a transport priority determination process on each of the transport vehicles to determine the transport priority of the items being transported, and executes a second guidance process to guide the transport vehicle whose transport priority is determined to be above a predetermined determination threshold value as a result of the transport priority determination process to the first lifting track, without considering the result of the necessity determination process.

[0090] According to this configuration, through the second guidance process, the transport vehicle with a high transport priority of the article can be guided to a track section without a waiting section or a processing device instead of a track section with these. Therefore, the article can be quickly passed through the inter-layer transport device and its surroundings, so that the article can be delivered to the destination as soon as possible.

[0091] As a method, preferably, A processing device configured to process the transport vehicle located on at least one of the first and second elevating rails is moved in the up-down direction together with the first and second elevating rails by the elevating mechanism.

[0092] According to this configuration, the time when the transport vehicle moves in the vertical direction by the lifting mechanism can be used to process the transport vehicle (for example, check or clean it). Therefore, the transport efficiency of the transport vehicle to the article can be suppressed and the transport vehicle can be processed efficiently.

[0093] The article transport equipment of the present invention only needs to achieve at least one of the above-mentioned effects. Explanation of symbols

[0094] 1Item conveying equipment 2Conveyor vehicle 3Lower track (first track) 3A Lower Level Upper Track 3B Lower Level Lower Track 4 Upper track (second track) 4A Upper Level Upper Track 4B Upper Lower Track 5-layer conveyor 6. Processing device 7. Control System 31 Upper rail section on the upstream side of the lower layer (first rail section) 32 Lower upstream side lower rail section (second rail section) 33 Upper track section on the downstream side of the lower level 34 Lower track section on the downstream side of the lower level 41 Upper upstream side upper rail section (fifth rail section) 42 Upper upstream side lower rail section (sixth rail section) 43 Upper downstream side upper rail section (third rail section) 44 Upper downstream lower track section (fourth track section) 51 Upper lifting track (first lifting track) 52 lower lifting track (second lifting track) B Item W Standby Zone L Lower floor (first floor) U Upper level (second level) P1 lower stop position (first stop position) P2 upper stop position (second stop position) F Driving direction F1 driving direction first side F2 driving direction second side Z up and down direction.

Claims

1. An article conveying device, characterized in that: have: A plurality of transport vehicles that transport items within a building having multiple floors; A first layer of tracks, which are arranged in one of the multiple layers, namely the first layer, for the transport vehicle to travel; A second layer of tracks, which is arranged in one of the multiple layers and is different from the first layer, for the transport vehicle to travel; as well as an inter-layer conveying device, which conveys the conveying vehicle in an up-down direction across the first layer and the second layer, The inter-layer conveying device comprises: a first lifting rail for the conveying vehicle to travel, a second lifting rail arranged in parallel with the first lifting rail and for the conveying vehicle to travel, and a lifting mechanism for moving the first lifting rail and the second lifting rail in the up-down direction while maintaining the positional relationship between the first lifting rail and the second lifting rail. The lifting mechanism is configured to stop the first lifting rail and the second lifting rail at a predetermined first stop position on the first floor and a predetermined second stop position on the second floor. The directions along the first track and the second track are respectively taken as the driving direction, one side of the driving direction is taken as the first side of the driving direction, and the other side of the driving direction is taken as the second side of the driving direction, The first layer track includes a first track portion connected to the first lifting track located at the first stop position from a first side of the traveling direction, and a second track portion connected to the second lifting track located at the first stop position from a first side of the traveling direction. The second layer track includes a third track portion connected to the first lifting track located at the second stop position from the first side of the traveling direction or the second side of the traveling direction, and a fourth track portion connected to the second lifting track located at the second stop position from the first side of the traveling direction or the second side of the traveling direction.

2. The article conveying device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first lifting rail and the second lifting rail are arranged side by side in the up-and-down direction.

3. The article conveying device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The transport vehicle travels on the first layer track toward the second side of the travel direction, The second rail portion is branched from the first rail portion on a first side of the inter-layer conveying device in the travel direction, The second rail portion is provided with a waiting section where the transport vehicle stops and waits.

4. The article conveying device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The third rail portion is connected to the first lifting rail located at the second stop position from the second side of the traveling direction, and the fourth rail portion is connected to the second lifting rail located at the second stop position from the second side of the traveling direction. The second layer track includes a fifth track portion connected to the first lifting track located at the second stop position from the first side of the travel direction, and a sixth track portion connected to the second lifting track located at the second stop position from the first side of the travel direction. The fourth track portion merges with the third track portion on the second side of the travel direction relative to the inter-layer conveying device. The fourth rail portion is also provided with the standby zone.

5. The article conveying device according to claim 3, characterized in that: Corresponding to the waiting section, a processing device for processing the transport vehicle stopped in the waiting section is arranged.

6. The article conveying device according to claim 4, characterized in that: A control system is provided for controlling the plurality of transport vehicles. The control system performs a priority travel process for giving priority to the transport vehicle traveling on the third rail portion over the transport vehicle traveling on the fourth rail portion at a merging portion where the fourth rail portion merges with the third rail portion.

7. The article conveying device according to claim 5, characterized in that: A control system is provided for controlling the plurality of transport vehicles. The control system performs the following processing: Necessity determination processing, for each of the plurality of transport vehicles, determining whether there is a necessity for processing by the processing device; as well as The first guidance process guides the transport vehicle determined as needing to be processed by the processing device as a result of the necessity determination process to the standby section where the processing device is arranged.

8. The article conveying device according to claim 7, characterized in that: The control system performs a transport priority determination process on each of the transport vehicles to determine the transport priority of the items being transported, and executes a second guidance process to guide the transport vehicle whose transport priority is determined to be above a predetermined determination threshold value as a result of the transport priority determination process to the first lifting track, without considering the result of the necessity determination process.

9. The article conveying device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: A processing device configured to process the transport vehicle located on at least one of the first and second elevating rails is moved in the up-down direction together with the first and second elevating rails by the elevating mechanism.

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