Article conveyance facility

Abstract

To provide an article conveyance facility configured to improve efficiency in article conveyance between a plurality of story levels.SOLUTION: An article conveyance facility (1) includes a conveyance vehicle (2), a first-floor level rail (3), a second-floor level rail (4), and an inter-floor conveyance device (5). The inter-floor conveyance device (5) includes a first lifting / lowering rail (51), a second lifting / lowering rail (52), and a lifting / lowering mechanism. The first-floor level rail (3) includes: a first rail portion (31) connected to the first lifting / lowering rail (51) located at a first stop position (P1); and a second rail portion (32) connected to the second lifting / lowering rail (52) located at the first stop position (P1). The second-floor level rail (4) includes: a third rail portion (43) connected to the first lifting / lowering rail (51) located at a second stop position (P2); and a fourth rail portion (44) connected to the second lifting / lowering rail (52) located at the second stop position (P2).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an article transport facility. [Background technology]

[0002] Article transport equipment that can transport articles between floors in a building with multiple floors is used. One example of such an article transport equipment is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 6-171888 (Patent Document 1). The article transport equipment (material transport device) of Patent Document 1 includes multiple transport vehicles (traveling trolleys 8) and an inter-floor transport device (transverse hoisting device 5 + lifting rail 7) that transports the transport vehicles vertically between the first floor (first floor) and the second floor (third floor). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 6-171888 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The article transport system of Patent Document 1 is configured to transport transport vehicles between floors one by one, which causes a problem of poor efficiency in transporting transport vehicles between floors.

[0005] Therefore, it is desirable to realize an article transport facility that improves the efficiency of transporting articles between multiple floors. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The article transport equipment according to the present disclosure includes: A plurality of transport vehicles for transporting items within a building having a plurality of floors; a first level rail disposed on a first level, which is one of the levels, along which the transport vehicle travels; a second level rail on which the transport vehicle runs, the second level rail being disposed on a second level that is one of the levels and different from the first level; an interfloor conveying device that conveys the conveying vehicle in a vertical direction between the first floor and the second floor, The interfloor conveying device includes a first lift rail on which the conveying vehicle runs, a second lift rail arranged in parallel with the first lift rail on which the conveying vehicle runs, and a lift mechanism that moves the first lift rail and the second lift rail in a vertical direction while maintaining a positional relationship between the first lift rail and the second lift 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; A direction along each of the first level rail and the second level rail is defined as a traveling direction, one side of the traveling direction is defined as a traveling direction first side, and the other side of the traveling direction is defined as a traveling direction second side, The first level rail includes a first rail portion connected to the first lift rail at the first stop position from a first side in the traveling direction, and a second rail portion connected to the second lift rail at the first stop position from the first side in the traveling direction, The second level rail includes a third rail portion connected to the first lift rail at the second stop position from the first side in the running direction or the second side in the running direction, and a fourth rail portion connected to the second lift rail at the second stop position from the first side in the running direction or the second side in the running direction.

[0007] According to this configuration, two or more transport vehicles can be transported from one level to another level at the same time. Therefore, the transport efficiency between levels can be improved compared to a configuration in which transport vehicles are transported between levels one by one. Therefore, it is possible to provide an article transport facility that improves the efficiency of transporting articles between multiple levels.

[0008] Further features and advantages of the techniques disclosed herein are set forth in the following exemplary and illustrative embodiments described with reference to the accompanying drawings. This will become clearer with the description of non-limiting embodiments. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] Perspective view of an article transport facility [Diagram 2] Front view of the lower floor rail and transport vehicle [Diagram 3] Schematic diagram of inter-floor conveyor and its surroundings [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of article transport by a transport vehicle; [Diagram 5] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of article transport by a transport vehicle; [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of article transport by a transport vehicle; [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of article transport by a transport vehicle; [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of article transport by a transport vehicle; [Figure 9] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of article transport by a transport vehicle; [Figure 10] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of article transport by a transport vehicle; [Figure 11] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of article transport by a transport vehicle; [Figure 12] Flowchart of processing for a transport vehicle passing around the inter-floor transport device [Figure 13] Schematic diagram of another type of interfloor conveying device and its surroundings. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] An embodiment of an article transport facility will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0011] As shown in Fig. 1, the article transport equipment 1 is configured to be able to transport an article B between floors inside a building having multiple floors including at least a lower floor L and an upper floor U. The article transport equipment 1 includes multiple transport vehicles 2, lower floor rails 3 arranged on the lower floor L, upper floor rails 4 arranged on the upper floor U, an inter-floor transport device 5, and a control system 7. The article transport equipment 1 also includes a processing device 6 (see Fig. 3) that performs processing on the transport vehicles 2.

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

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

[0014] The transport vehicle 2 transports an item 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 floor rail 3 arranged on the lower floor L and an upper floor rail 4 arranged on the upper floor U. In this embodiment, the lower floor rail 3 and the upper floor rail 4 are each installed to form a traveling path R. In this embodiment, the traveling path R includes a main transport path Rm formed in a ring shape, and multiple sub-transport paths Rs each formed in a ring shape, branching off from the main transport path Rm and rejoining the main transport path Rm.

[0015] There are various types of article B that are handled by the article transport equipment 1 and transported by the transport vehicle 2. For example, when the article transport equipment 1 is used in a semiconductor manufacturing factory, a wafer storage container that stores wafers (a so-called FOUP: Front Opening Unified Pod) or a reticle storage container that stores reticles (a so-called reticle pod) is considered to be the article B. In this case, the transport vehicle 2 transports the article B, such as the wafer storage container or the reticle storage container, along the travel route 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. As shown in Fig. 2, the transport vehicle 2 in this embodiment has a running section 21 and a transfer section 22. On the lower floor L, the running section 21 runs on the lower floor upper rails 3A or the lower floor lower rails 3B installed near the ceiling 9. The transfer section 22 is suspended and supported from the running section 21, and holds the article B while the running section 21 is traveling, and transfers the article B between the supply section of the article B, a processing device, etc., of the article B while the running section 21 is stopped.

[0017] In this embodiment, the lower floor upper rail 3A is provided at a position directly below the ceiling 9. The lower floor upper rail 3A is installed along the travel route R. The lower floor upper rail 3A serves as a track along which the travel section 21 of the transport vehicle 2 travels, and is provided as a pair, separated on the left and right. The lower floor upper rail 3A is suspended directly from the ceiling 9 by a support frame.

[0018] The lower floor lower rail 3B is located near the ceiling 9 and lower in the vertical direction Z than the lower floor upper rail 3A. The upper floor rail 4 is installed along only a portion of the travel path R (in this example, the main transport path Rm). The lower floor lower rail 3B serves as a track along which the running part 21 of the transport vehicle 2 travels, and is provided in a pair, separated on the left and right. The lower floor lower rail 3B is suspended and supported by a support frame from a support wall 9A provided along a horizontal plane further below the transfer part 22 of the transport vehicle 2 traveling on the lower floor upper rail 3A.

[0019] Although not shown in the figure, the upper floor rail 4 arranged on the upper floor U also has a similar configuration. The upper floor rail 4 includes an upper floor upper rail 4A and an upper floor lower rail 4B.

[0020] The upper floor upper rail 4A is provided directly below the ceiling of the upper floor U. The upper floor upper rail 4A is installed along the travel route R. The upper floor upper rail 4A serves as a track along which the travel section 21 of the transport vehicle 2 travels, and is provided as a pair on the left and right. The upper floor upper rail 4A is suspended directly from the ceiling by a support frame.

[0021] The upper floor lower rail 4B is located near the ceiling of the upper floor U and lower in the vertical direction Z than the upper floor upper rail 4A. The upper floor lower rail 4B is installed along only a portion of the travel path R (in this example, the main transport path Rm). The upper floor lower rail 4B serves as a track along which the travel section 21 of the transport vehicle 2 travels, and is provided in a pair, separated on the left and right. The upper floor lower rail 4B is suspended and supported by a support frame from a support wall provided along a horizontal plane further below the transfer section 22 of the transport vehicle 2 traveling on the upper floor upper rail 4A.

[0022] The lower floor rail 3 is disposed on a lower floor L, which is one of the multiple floors. As shown in FIG. 3, the lower floor rail 3 includes a lower floor upper rail 3A and a lower floor lower rail 3B disposed below the lower floor upper rail 3A in the vertical direction Z. The lower floor upper rail 3A is installed over the entire travel route R. The lower floor lower rail 3B is installed only in the vicinity of the interfloor conveying device 5.

[0023] The lower floor upper rail 3A has a lower floor upstream upper rail section 31 arranged on a first side F1 in the running direction relative to the interfloor conveying device 5, and a lower floor downstream upper rail section 33 arranged on a second side F2 in the running direction relative to the interfloor conveying device 5. In this embodiment, the lower floor upstream upper rail section 31 corresponds to the "first rail section", and the lower floor downstream upper rail section 33 can be referred to as the "seventh rail section".

[0024] In addition, the lower floor lower rail 3B has a lower floor upstream lower rail section 32 arranged on a first side F1 in the running direction relative to the interfloor conveying device 5, and a lower floor downstream lower rail section 34 arranged on a second side F2 in the running direction relative to the interfloor conveying device 5. In this embodiment, the lower floor upstream lower rail section 32 corresponds to the "second rail section", and the lower floor downstream lower rail section 34 can be referred to as the "eighth rail section".

[0025] The lower floor upstream lower rail section 32 branches off from the lower floor upstream upper rail section 31 on the first side F1 in the running direction relative to the interfloor conveying device 5. In this embodiment, the lower floor upstream lower rail section 32 branches off from the lower floor upstream upper rail section 31 by a lower floor upstream lifting device 35 installed on the first side F1 in the running direction relative to the interfloor conveying device 5. The lower floor upstream lifting device 35 has a lifting rail 36 and a lifting mechanism (not shown) that moves the lifting rail 36 in the up-down direction Z between the lower floor upstream lower rail section 32 and the lower floor upstream upper rail section 31. The lifting mechanism can be of various types, such as a hydraulic drive mechanism or a motor drive mechanism (same below).

[0026] The lower floor downstream lower rail section 34 joins the lower floor downstream upper rail section 33 on the second side F2 in the running direction relative to the interfloor conveying device 5. In this embodiment, the lower floor downstream lower rail section 34 joins the lower floor downstream upper rail section 33 by a lower floor downstream lifting device 37 installed on the second side F2 in the running direction relative to the interfloor conveying device 5. The lower floor downstream lifting device 37 has a lifting rail 38 and a lifting mechanism (not shown) that moves the lifting rail 38 in the up and down direction Z between the lower floor downstream lower rail section 34 and the lower floor downstream upper rail section 33.

[0027] In this embodiment, a waiting section W is set in the lower floor upstream lower rail section 32 and the lower floor downstream lower rail section 34 that constitute the lower floor lower rail 3B. The waiting section W is a section where the transport vehicle 2 stops and waits, for example, until transport is possible by the interfloor transport device 5 or until another transport vehicle 2 that has priority to pass has passed. In this embodiment, a waiting section W is also set in the lower floor upstream upper rail section 31 and the lower floor downstream upper rail section 33 that constitute the lower floor upper rail 3A.

[0028] The upper floor rail 4 is disposed on an upper floor U, which is one of a plurality of floors and different from the lower floor L. The upper floor rail 4 is disposed on an upper floor U, which is a floor higher than the lower floor L. As shown in FIG. 3, the upper floor rail 4 includes an upper floor upper rail 4A and an upper floor lower rail 4B, which is disposed lower in the vertical direction Z than the upper floor upper rail 4A. The upper floor upper rail 4A is installed over the entire travel route R. The upper floor lower rail 4B is installed only in the vicinity of the inter-floor conveying device 5.

[0029] The upper floor upper rail 4A has an upper floor upstream upper rail section 41 arranged on a first side F1 in the running direction relative to the interfloor conveying device 5, and an upper floor downstream upper rail section 43 arranged on a second side F2 in the running direction relative to the interfloor conveying device 5. In this embodiment, the upper floor upstream upper rail section 41 corresponds to the "fifth rail section", and the upper floor downstream upper rail section 43 corresponds to the "third rail section".

[0030] Additionally, the upper floor lower rail 4B has an upper floor upstream lower rail section 42 arranged on a first side F1 in the running direction relative to the interfloor conveying device 5, and an upper floor downstream lower rail section 44 arranged on a second side F2 in the running direction relative to the interfloor conveying device 5. In this embodiment, the upper floor upstream lower rail section 42 corresponds to the "sixth rail section", and the upper floor downstream lower rail section 44 corresponds to the "fourth rail section".

[0031] The upper floor upstream lower rail portion 42 branches off from the upper floor upstream upper rail portion 41 on the first side F1 in the running direction relative to the interfloor conveying device 5. In this embodiment, the upper floor upstream lower rail portion 42 branches off from the upper floor upstream upper rail portion 41 by an upper floor upstream lifting device 45 installed on the first side F1 in the running direction relative to the interfloor conveying device 5. The upper floor upstream 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 between the upper floor upstream lower rail portion 42 and the upper floor upstream upper rail portion 41.

[0032] The upper floor downstream lower rail section 44 joins the upper floor downstream upper rail section 43 on the second side F2 in the running direction relative to the interfloor conveying device 5. In this embodiment, the upper floor downstream lower rail section 44 joins the upper floor downstream upper rail section 43 by an upper floor downstream lifting device 47 installed on the second side F2 in the running direction relative to the interfloor conveying device 5. The upper floor downstream lifting device 47 has a lifting rail 48 and a lifting mechanism (not shown) that moves the lifting rail 48 in the up and down direction Z between the upper floor downstream lower rail section 44 and the upper floor downstream upper rail section 43.

[0033] In this embodiment, a waiting section W is set in the upper floor upstream lower rail section 42 and the upper floor downstream lower rail section 44 that constitute the upper floor lower rail 4B. Also, in this embodiment, a waiting section W is set in the upper floor upstream upper rail section 41 and the upper floor downstream upper rail section 43 that constitute the upper floor upper rail 4A.

[0034] As shown in Fig. 1, the interfloor conveying device 5 is installed between the lower floor L and the upper floor U. The interfloor conveying device 5 conveys the conveying vehicle 2 in the vertical direction Z between the lower floor L and the upper floor U. As shown in Fig. 3, the interfloor conveying device 5 includes an upper lifting rail 51 on which the conveying vehicle 2 runs, a lower lifting rail 52 on which the conveying vehicle 2 runs, 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 lift rail 51 and the lower lift rail 52 are arranged in parallel. In this embodiment, the upper lift rail 51 and the lower lift rail 52 are arranged side by side in the vertical direction Z. The upper lift rail 51 and the lower lift rail 52 are arranged so as to overlap at least partially when viewed in the vertical direction. In this embodiment, the upper lift rail 51 and the lower lift rail 52 are arranged side by side in the vertical direction Z in the same range of the traveling direction F, and completely overlap when viewed in the vertical direction. In this embodiment, the upper lift rail 51 and the lower lift rail 52 are set to a length that allows one transport vehicle 2 to enter each of them.

[0036] The lifting mechanism moves the upper lifting rail 51 and the lower lifting rail 52 in the up-down direction Z while maintaining their positional relationship. The lifting mechanism moves the upper lifting rail 51 and the lower lifting rail 52 together at the same time. The distance in the up-down direction Z between the upper lifting rail 51 and the lower lifting rail 52 is equal to the distance in the up-down direction Z between the lower floor upper rail 3A and the lower floor lower rail 3B, and is also equal to the distance in the up-down direction Z between the upper floor upper rail 4A and the upper floor lower rail 4B.

[0037] As shown in Fig. 3, the lifting mechanism is configured to stop the upper lifting rail 51 and the lower lifting rail 52 at a predetermined lower floor stopping position P1 on a lower floor L and a predetermined upper floor stopping position P2 on an upper floor U. The lower floor stopping position P1 and the upper floor stopping position P2 are representative positions for the upper lifting rail 51 and the lower lifting rail 52. The lifting mechanism may be of various types, such as a hydraulic drive mechanism or a motor drive mechanism.

[0038] With the upper lift rail 51 and the lower lift rail 52 stopped at the lower floor stop position P1, the upper lift rail 51 is connected to the lower floor upstream upper rail section 31 from the second side F2 in the running direction, and is connected to the lower floor downstream upper rail section 33 from the first side F1 in the running direction. In addition, the lower lift rail 52 is connected to the lower floor upstream lower rail section 32 from the second side F2 in the running direction, and is connected to the lower floor downstream lower rail section 34 from the first side F1 in the running direction.

[0039] Furthermore, with the upper lift rail 51 and the lower lift rail 52 stopped at the upper floor stopping position P2, the upper lift rail 51 is connected to the upper floor upstream upper rail section 41 from the second side F2 in the running direction, and is connected to the upper floor downstream upper rail section 43 from the first side F1 in the running direction. Furthermore, the lower lift rail 52 is connected to the upper floor upstream lower rail section 42 from the second side F2 in the running direction, and is connected to the upper floor downstream lower rail section 44 from the first side F1 in the running direction.

[0040] In this embodiment, the lower floor stopping position P1 corresponds to the "first stopping position", and the upper floor stopping position P2 corresponds to the "second stopping position".

[0041] In this embodiment, a processing device 6 that processes the transport vehicle 2 stopped in the waiting section W is arranged in the waiting section W of the lower floor upstream lower rail section 32, the lower floor downstream lower rail section 34, the upper floor upstream lower rail section 42, and the upper floor downstream lower rail section 44. Note that the processing device 6 is not arranged in the waiting section W of the lower floor upstream upper rail section 31, the lower floor downstream upper rail section 33, the upper floor upstream upper rail section 41, and the upper floor downstream upper rail section 43. The processing device 6 may be, for example, a device that performs a predetermined inspection or cleaning of the transport vehicle 2. Alternatively, the processing device 6 may be a device that charges the battery when the transport vehicle 2 is equipped with a battery for traveling. When multiple processing devices 6 are provided, they may be devices that perform the same type of processing, or at least one of them may be a device that performs a different type of processing from the others.

[0042] The control system 7 controls the multiple transport vehicles 2. The control system 7 also controls the inter-floor transport device 5, the lower floor upstream lifting device 35, the lower floor downstream lifting device 37, the upper floor upstream lifting device 45, and the upper floor downstream lifting device 47. The control system 7 includes an arithmetic processing device such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), and a main storage device such as a RAM (Random Access Memory) and a ROM (Read Only Memory). Each function of the control system 7 is realized by cooperation between the arithmetic processing device and a program executed on the arithmetic processing device.

[0043] The control system 7 may be configured as one piece of hardware, or may be configured as a set of multiple pieces of hardware (multiple separate pieces of hardware) that can communicate with each other by wire or wirelessly. For example, the control system 7 may be configured to include a host control device installed in a control facility (not shown) and a control terminal device that is mounted on each transport vehicle 2 and can communicate with the host control device.

[0044] An example of article transportation by a transport vehicle 2 will be described with reference to Figures 4 to 11. As shown in Figure 4, the transport vehicle 2, which has been traveling on the lower floor upstream upper rail section 31 on a lower floor L, passes through the lift rail 36 of the lower floor upstream lift device 35, which is in the raised position, and reaches the downstream end of the lower floor upstream upper rail section 31. The transport vehicle 2 waits in a waiting section W set in the lower floor upstream upper rail section 31.

[0045] As shown in Fig. 5, the following transport vehicle 2 traveling on the lower floor upstream upper rail section 31 on the lower floor L is moved from an elevated position to a lowered position by the lower floor upstream lifting device 35, and then reaches the downstream end of the lower floor upstream lower rail section 32. The transport vehicle 2 waits in a waiting section W set in the lower floor upstream lower rail section 32. During this waiting period, the processing device 6 may perform processing on the transport vehicle 2.

[0046] As shown in Fig. 6, two transport vehicles 2 respectively enter the upper lift rail 51 and the lower lift rail 52 of the interfloor transport device 5 located at the lower floor stopping position P1. The transport vehicle 2 waiting in the waiting section W of the upper rail section 31 on the upstream side of the lower floor enters the upper lift rail 51, and the transport vehicle 2 waiting in the waiting section W of the lower floor upstream lower rail section 32 enters the lower lift rail 52.

[0047] As shown in FIG. 7, the two transport vehicles 2 are moved by the inter-floor transport device 5 from a lower floor stopping position P1 to an upper floor stopping position P2.

[0048] As shown in Fig. 8, the transport vehicle 2 transported by the lower lifting rail 52 of the interfloor transport device 5 enters the upper floor downstream lower rail section 44. Then, it waits in the waiting section W set in the upper floor downstream lower rail section 44. During this waiting, the transport vehicle 2 may be processed by the processing device 6. Meanwhile, the transport vehicle 2 transported by the upper lifting rail 51 of the interfloor transport device 5 enters the upper floor downstream upper rail section 43, passes through the lifting rail 48 of the upper floor downstream lifting device 47 in the raised position, and further proceeds toward the destination.

[0049] In this way, the control system 7 of this embodiment gives priority to the transport vehicle 2 traveling on the upper floor downstream upper rail section 43 at the junction where the upper floor downstream lower rail section 44 joins the upper floor downstream upper rail section 43 (priority traveling processing).

[0050] In the example of Fig. 8, on an upper floor U, another transport vehicle 2 is traveling on the upper floor upstream upper rail portion 41. The transport vehicle 2 traveling on the upper floor upstream upper rail portion 41 passes through the lift rail 46 of the upper floor upstream lift device 45, which is in the raised position, and reaches the downstream end of the upper floor upstream upper rail portion 41. The transport vehicle 2 waits in a waiting section W set in the upper floor upstream upper rail portion 41.

[0051] As shown in FIG. 9, the transport vehicle 2 waiting in the waiting section W of the upper floor downstream lower rail section 44 enters the lift rail 48 that has been lowered to a lower position after another transport vehicle 2 has passed the lift rail 48 of the upper floor downstream lift device 47. Also, the following transport vehicle 2 that has been traveling on the upper floor upstream upper rail section 41 on the upper floor U is moved from the raised position to the lowered position by the upper floor upstream lift device 45, and then reaches the downstream end of the upper floor upstream lower rail section 42. The transport vehicle 2 waits in the waiting section W set in the upper floor upstream lower rail section 42. During this waiting, the processing device 6 may perform processing on the transport vehicle 2.

[0052] As shown in Fig. 10, the two transport vehicles 2 respectively enter the upper lift rail 51 and the lower lift rail 52 of the interfloor transport device 5 located at the upper floor stopping position P2. The transport vehicle 2 waiting in the waiting section W of the upper floor upstream side upper rail section 41 enters the upper lift rail 51, and the transport vehicle 2 waiting in the waiting section W of the upper floor upstream side lower rail section 42 enters the lower lift rail 52. Meanwhile, the transport vehicle 2 is moved from the lowered position to the raised position by the upper floor downstream side lift device 47.

[0053] 11, the two transport vehicles 2 are moved from the upper floor stop position P2 to the lower floor stop position P1 by the interfloor transport device 5. In addition, the transport vehicles 2 moved to the raised position by the upper floor downstream lift device 47 enter the upper floor downstream upper rail portion 43 and proceed toward the destination.

[0054] The above is the basic operation of article transport by the transport vehicle 2 in the vicinity of the interfloor transport device 5, but the control system 7 of this embodiment is also configured to be able to execute special operations. This will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

[0055] First, the control system 7 executes information acquisition processing and transportation priority acquisition processing for each of the multiple transportation vehicles 2 (steps #01, #02). Here, the information acquisition processing is processing for acquiring information required to determine whether or not processing by the processing device 6 is necessary. For example, if the processing device 6 is a device that performs inspection, cleaning, etc. on the transportation vehicles 2, information such as the number of days that have passed since the previous processing is acquired. Alternatively, if the processing device 6 is a device that charges the battery, information such as the remaining battery power is acquired by a sensor.

[0056] The transport priority acquisition process is a process for acquiring the transport priority of the item B being transported. In this embodiment, the transport priority of the item B being transported is acquired by acquiring information on the priority of the transport request from a higher-level system that controls the entire item transport facility 1.

[0057] The control system 7 judges whether the transport priority is high or not based on the result of the transport priority acquisition process (step #03). In this embodiment, this judgment process corresponds to a "transport priority judgment process." In this embodiment, the transport priority of the item B being transported is quantified and managed, and it is judged whether the quantified transport priority is equal to or higher than a predetermined judgment threshold value.

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

[0059] If it is determined that processing by the processing device 6 is not necessary (step #04: No), a normal transport process is executed (step #05). In the normal transport process, the processing device 6 is not operated, and the transport process is executed based on the basic operation described with reference to Figs. 4 to 11.

[0060] On the other hand, when the necessity determination process determines that processing by the processing device 6 is necessary (step #04: Yes), the control system 7 executes a first guiding process to guide the transport vehicle 2 to the waiting section W where the processing device 6 is located (step #06). For example, in the example of FIG. 4, when the transport vehicle 2 that has traveled first needs processing, the transport vehicle 2 is guided to the waiting section W of the lower floor upstream lower rail section 32 where the processing device 6 is located, rather than the waiting section W of the lower floor upstream upper rail section 31 where the processing device 6 is not located. By executing this first guiding process, the waiting time can also be utilized to appropriately execute the processing required by the transport vehicle 2.

[0061] Furthermore, the control system 7 executes a second guiding process to guide the transport vehicle 2 whose transport priority is determined to be equal to or higher than the determination threshold, i.e., whose transport priority is determined to be high, to the upper lift rail 51 regardless of the result of the necessity determination process (step #07). For example, in the above example, if the transport priority of the item B being transported is high, the control system 7 guides the transport vehicle 2 to the waiting section W of the upper rail part 31 upstream of the lower floor connected to the upper lift rail 51, rather than the waiting section W of the lower rail part 32 upstream of the lower floor where the processing device 6 is located. By executing this second guiding process, the transport vehicle 2 can be preferentially run after being moved to another floor by the interfloor transport device 5, so that the item B can be delivered to the destination early.

[0062] Other embodiments (1) In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the transport vehicle 2 transports items in the vicinity of the interfloor transport device 5 by prioritizing transport priority over the necessity for processing. However, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration, and for example, the transport vehicle 2 may transport items in the vicinity of the interfloor transport device 5 by comprehensively taking into account the necessity for processing and the priority for transport.

[0063] (2) In the above embodiment, the processing device 6 is disposed in the waiting section W of the lower floor upstream lower rail section 32, the lower floor downstream lower rail section 34, the upper floor upstream lower rail section 42, and the upper floor downstream lower rail section 44. However, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration, and the processing device 6 may be disposed in only a part of the waiting section W of the lower floor upstream lower rail section 32, the lower floor downstream lower rail section 34, the upper floor upstream lower rail section 42, and the upper floor downstream lower rail section 44. The processing device 6 may also be disposed in at least one waiting section W of the lower floor upstream upper rail section 31, the lower floor downstream upper rail section 33, the upper floor upstream upper rail section 41, and the upper floor downstream upper rail section 43.

[0064] (3) In the above embodiment, a configuration has been described as an example in which the processing device 6 is fixedly disposed in the waiting section W of the lower floor upstream lower rail section 32, the lower floor downstream lower rail section 34, the upper floor upstream lower rail section 42, and the upper floor downstream lower rail section 44. However, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration, and the processing device 6 may be movably disposed on the interfloor conveyance device 5, for example, as shown in Fig. 13. 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 interfloor conveyance device 5.

[0065] (4) In the above embodiment, a configuration has been described as an example in which the lower floor lower rail 3B and the upper floor lower rail 4B are installed only in the vicinity of the interfloor conveyance device 5. However, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration, and for example, at least one of the lower floor lower rail 3B and the upper floor lower rail 4B may be installed over a relatively wide range including the vicinity of the interfloor conveyance device 5.

[0066] (5) In the above embodiment, a configuration has been described in which the lower floor upstream upper rail portion 31 and the lower floor upstream lower rail portion 32 are branched off by the lower floor upstream lift device 35. However, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration, and the rails may be branched off by a branching rail, for example. The branching rail may be branched off in the vertical direction Z, or may be branched off in the horizontal direction. The same applies to the branching portion between the upper floor upstream upper rail portion 41 and the upper floor upstream lower rail portion 42.

[0067] (6) In the above embodiment, a configuration has been described in which the lower floor downstream upper rail section 33 and the lower floor downstream lower rail section 34 are joined by the lower floor downstream lifting device 37. However, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration, and the two rails may be joined by a joining rail, for example. The joining rail may be joined in the vertical direction Z, or in the horizontal direction. The same applies to the joining section of the upper floor downstream upper rail section 43 and the upper floor downstream lower rail section 44.

[0068] (7) In the above embodiment, the upper lift rail 51 and the lower lift rail 52 of the interfloor conveying device 5 completely overlap when viewed in the vertical direction. However, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration, and may be configured such that the upper lift rail 51 and the lower lift rail 52 have different lengths, so that they partially overlap when viewed in the vertical direction. Also, the upper lift rail 51 and the lower lift rail 52 may be arranged side by side, so that they do not overlap when viewed in the vertical direction.

[0069] (8) In the above embodiment, a configuration has been described in which the upper lift rail 51 and the lower lift rail 52 of the interfloor conveying device 5 convey the conveying vehicles 2 one by one. However, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration, and for example, at least one of the upper lift rail 51 and the lower lift rail 52 may convey a plurality of conveying vehicles 2 together.

[0070] (9) In the above embodiment, the configuration in which the travel direction of the transport vehicle 2 is forwardly parallel on the lower floor rail 3 and the upper floor rail 4 has been described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration, and the travel direction of the transport vehicle 2 may be antiparallel on the lower floor rail 3 and the upper floor rail 4. In this case, the "travel direction F" can be determined, for example, based on the travel direction of the transport vehicle 2 traveling on the lower floor rail 3. Then, on the upper floor U, when the upper lift rail 51 and the lower lift rail 52 are stopped at the upper floor stop position P2, the upper lift rail 51 is connected to the upper floor upstream upper rail part 41 from the first side F1 in the travel direction, and is connected to the upper floor downstream upper rail part 43 from the second side F2 in the travel direction. Also, the lower lift rail 52 is connected to the upper floor upstream lower rail part 42 from the first side F1 in the travel direction, and is connected to the upper floor downstream lower rail part 44 from the second side F2 in the travel direction.

[0071] (10) In the above embodiment, the description was given mainly 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 the transport vehicle 2 may travel in both directions, for example.

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

[0073] (12) In the above embodiment, an example has been described of the configuration of the article transport equipment 1 installed in a two-story building having a lower floor L and an upper floor U. However, without being limited to such a configuration, the article transport equipment 1 of this embodiment can also be applied to a building having three or more floors, such as a lower floor L, intermediate floors (first intermediate floor, second intermediate floor, ...), and an upper floor U.

[0074] Summary of the embodiment To summarise the above, an article transport facility according to the present disclosure preferably comprises the following configurations.

[0075] An article transport facility comprising: A plurality of transport vehicles for transporting items within a building having a plurality of floors; a first level rail disposed on a first level, which is one of the levels, along which the transport vehicle travels; a second level rail on which the transport vehicle runs, the second level rail being disposed on a second level that is one of the levels and different from the first level; an interfloor conveying device that conveys the conveying vehicle in a vertical direction between the first floor and the second floor, The interfloor conveying device includes a first lift rail on which the conveying vehicle runs, a second lift rail arranged in parallel with the first lift rail on which the conveying vehicle runs, and a lift mechanism that moves the first lift rail and the second lift rail in a vertical direction while maintaining a positional relationship between the first lift rail and the second lift 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; A direction along each of the first level rail and the second level rail is defined as a traveling direction, one side of the traveling direction is defined as a traveling direction first side, and the other side of the traveling direction is defined as a traveling direction second side, The first level rail includes a first rail portion connected to the first lift rail at the first stop position from a first side in the traveling direction, and a second rail portion connected to the second lift rail at the first stop position from the first side in the traveling direction, The second level rail includes a third rail portion connected to the first lift rail at the second stop position from the first side in the running direction or the second side in the running direction, and a fourth rail portion connected to the second lift rail at the second stop position from the first side in the running direction or the second side in the running direction.

[0076] According to this configuration, two or more transport vehicles can be transported from one level to another level at the same time. Therefore, the transport efficiency between levels can be improved compared to a configuration in which transport vehicles are transported between levels one by one. Therefore, it is possible to provide an article transport facility that improves the efficiency of transporting articles between multiple levels.

[0077] In one embodiment, It is preferable that the first lift rail and the second lift rail are arranged side by side in the vertical direction.

[0078] According to this configuration, since the first lift rail and the second lift rail are vertically aligned, the installation area of ​​the interfloor conveying device can be reduced compared to a configuration in which they are horizontally aligned, thereby making it possible to reduce the size of the entire article conveying facility.

[0079] In one embodiment, The transport vehicle travels on the first level rail toward the second side in the traveling direction, The second rail portion branches off from the first rail portion on a first side in the traveling direction with respect to the interfloor conveying device, It is preferable that a waiting section where the transport vehicle stops and waits is defined in the second rail section.

[0080] According to this configuration, since the second rail section is configured to branch off from the first rail section, the section in which the second rail section is installed can be kept short. Therefore, the first level rail can be simplified. Also, since a waiting section is set in the second rail section branching off from the first rail section, it is possible to appropriately secure a space in which transport vehicles waiting to be transported by the interfloor transport device can wait without impeding the passage of transport vehicles traveling on the first rail section.

[0081] In one embodiment, The third rail portion is connected to the first lift rail at the second stop position from the second side in the traveling direction, and the fourth rail portion is connected to the second lift rail at the second stop position from the second side in the traveling direction, The second level rail includes a fifth rail portion connected to the first lift rail at the second stop position from the first side in the traveling direction, and a sixth rail portion connected to the second lift rail at the second stop position from the first side in the traveling direction, The fourth rail portion joins the third rail portion on the second side of the traveling direction with respect to the interfloor conveying device, It is preferable that the fourth rail portion also has the standby section.

[0082] According to this configuration, the traveling direction of the transport vehicle is the same on the first level rail and the second level rail, so that the transport efficiency of the entire facility can be improved. Also, because the fourth rail section is configured to merge with the third rail section, the section in which the fourth rail section is installed can be kept short. This allows for simplification of the second level rail. Also, because a waiting section is set in the fourth rail section that merges with the third rail section, it is possible to appropriately secure a space in which a transport vehicle waiting for the passage of another transport vehicle at the junction of the fourth rail section and the third rail section can wait without impeding the passage of a transport vehicle traveling on the third rail section (for example, a transport vehicle that has entered the third rail section from the fifth rail section).

[0083] In one embodiment, It is preferable that a processing device is disposed corresponding to the waiting section, for performing processing on the transport vehicle stopped in the waiting section.

[0084] According to this configuration, the time when the transport vehicle is waiting in the waiting section can be utilized to perform processing (e.g., inspection, cleaning, etc.) on the transport vehicle. Therefore, the processing on the transport vehicle can be efficiently performed while minimizing the decrease in the efficiency of transporting goods by the transport vehicle.

[0085] In one embodiment, A control system for controlling the plurality of transport vehicles is provided, It is preferable that the control system executes a priority running process at a junction where the fourth rail section joins the third rail section, giving the transport vehicle running on the third rail section priority over the transport vehicle running on the fourth rail section.

[0086] According to this configuration, at the junction between the fourth rail section and the third rail section, priority is given to transport vehicles traveling on the third rail section, but transport vehicles waiting to pass through the fourth rail section can wait appropriately in a waiting section set up on the fourth rail section.

[0087] In one embodiment, A control system for controlling the plurality of transport vehicles is provided, The control system includes: a necessity determination process for determining whether or not processing by the processing device is necessary for each of the plurality of transport vehicles; a first guiding process of guiding the transport vehicle, which is determined as needing processing by the processing device as a result of the necessity determination process, to the waiting section in which the processing device is located; It is preferable to carry out the following.

[0088] According to this configuration, the first guiding process guides a transport vehicle that needs to be processed to a waiting section in which a processing device is arranged, so that the required processing can be appropriately performed on the transport vehicle as needed.

[0089] In one embodiment, It is preferable that the control system performs a transport priority determination process for each of the transport vehicles to determine the transport priority of the item being transported, and executes a second guidance process to guide the transport vehicles whose transport priority is determined to be equal to or above a predetermined determination threshold as a result of the transport priority determination process, to the first lifting rail regardless of the result of the necessity determination process.

[0090] According to this configuration, the second guiding process can guide a transport vehicle having a high transport priority to a rail section where no waiting section or processing device is provided, instead of a rail section where these devices are provided. This allows the transport vehicle to quickly pass through the interfloor transport device and its surroundings, and deliver the article to the destination promptly.

[0091] In one embodiment, It is preferable that a processing device that performs processing on the transport vehicle located on at least one of the first lifting rail and the second lifting rail is configured to move vertically together with the first lifting rail and the second lifting rail by the lifting mechanism.

[0092] According to this configuration, the time when the transport vehicle is moving up and down by the lifting mechanism can be utilized to perform processing on the transport vehicle (e.g., inspection, cleaning, etc.). Therefore, the processing on the transport vehicle can be efficiently performed while minimizing the decrease in the efficiency of transporting items by the transport vehicle.

[0093] It is sufficient for the article transport facility according to the present disclosure to achieve at least one of the above-mentioned effects. [Explanation of symbols]

[0094] 1. Goods transport equipment 2 Transport vehicle 3 Lower Floor Rail (1st Floor Rail) 3A Lower Floor Top Rail 3B Lower Floor Lower Rail 4 Upper Floor Rail (Second Floor Rail) 4A Upper Floor Top Rail 4B Upper Floor Lower Rail 5 Floor-to-floor transport device 6 Processing Equipment 7. Control System 31 Upper rail section on the upstream side of the lower floor (first rail section) 32 Lower floor upstream side lower rail section (second rail section) 33 Lower floor downstream side upper rail section 34 Lower floor downstream side lower rail section 41 Upper floor upstream upper rail section (5th rail section) 42 Upper floor upstream side lower rail section (6th rail section) 43 Upper floor downstream side upper rail section (third rail section) 44 Upper floor downstream side lower rail section (4th rail section) 51 Upper lift rail (first lift rail) 52 Lower lift rail (second lift rail) B Goods W Waiting area L Lower floor (1st floor) U Upper floor (2nd floor) P1 Lower floor stopping position (1st stopping position) P2 Upper floor stopping position (second stopping position) F Travel direction F1 First side of travel direction F2 Second side of travel direction Z vertical direction

Claims

1. A plurality of transport vehicles for transporting items within a building having a plurality of floors; a first level rail disposed on a first level, which is one of the levels, along which the transport vehicle travels; a second level rail on which the transport vehicle runs, the second level rail being disposed on a second level that is one of the levels and different from the first level; an interfloor conveying device that conveys the conveying vehicle in a vertical direction between the first floor and the second floor, The interfloor conveying device includes a first lift rail on which the conveying vehicle runs, a second lift rail arranged in parallel with the first lift rail on which the conveying vehicle runs, and a lift mechanism that moves the first lift rail and the second lift rail in a vertical direction while maintaining a positional relationship between the first lift rail and the second lift 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, A direction along each of the first level rail and the second level rail is defined as a traveling direction, one side of the traveling direction is defined as a traveling direction first side, and the other side of the traveling direction is defined as a traveling direction second side, The first level rail includes a first rail portion connected to the first lift rail at the first stop position from a first side in the traveling direction, and a second rail portion connected to the second lift rail at the first stop position from the first side in the traveling direction, The second level rail of the item transport equipment includes a third rail portion connected to the first lifting rail at the second stop position from the first side in the traveling direction or the second side in the traveling direction, and a fourth rail portion connected to the second lifting rail at the second stop position from the first side in the traveling direction or the second side in the traveling direction.

2. The article transport facility according to claim 1 , wherein the first lifting rail and the second lifting rail are arranged side by side in the vertical direction.

3. the transport vehicle travels on the first level rail toward the second side in the travel direction, The second rail portion branches off from the first rail portion on a first side in the traveling direction with respect to the interfloor conveying device, The article transport facility according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a waiting section in which the transport vehicle stops and waits is defined in the second rail section.

4. The third rail portion is connected to the first lift rail at the second stop position from the second side in the traveling direction, and the fourth rail portion is connected to the second lift rail at the second stop position from the second side in the traveling direction, The second level rail includes a fifth rail portion connected to the first lift rail at the second stop position from the first side in the traveling direction, and a sixth rail portion connected to the second lift rail at the second stop position from the first side in the traveling direction, The fourth rail portion joins the third rail portion on the second side of the traveling direction with respect to the interfloor conveying device, The article transport facility according to claim 3 , wherein the waiting section is also defined in the fourth rail portion.

5. The article transport facility according to claim 3 , further comprising a processing device disposed in the waiting section for performing processing on the transport vehicle stopped in the waiting section.

6. A control system for controlling the plurality of transport vehicles is provided, The item transport equipment of claim 4, wherein the control system executes a priority running process at a junction where the fourth rail section joins the third rail section, giving priority to the transport vehicle running on the third rail section over the transport vehicle running on the fourth rail section.

7. A control system for controlling the plurality of transport vehicles is provided, The control system includes: a necessity determination process for determining whether or not processing by the processing device is necessary for each of the plurality of transport vehicles; a first guiding process of guiding the transport vehicle, which is determined as needing processing by the processing device as a result of the necessity determination process, to the waiting section in which the processing device is located; The article transport facility according to claim 5 ,

8. The item transport equipment of claim 7, wherein the control system performs a transport priority determination process for each of the transport vehicles to determine the transport priority of the item being transported, and executes a second guidance process to guide the transport vehicles whose transport priority is determined to be equal to or higher than a predetermined determination threshold as a result of the transport priority determination process to the first lifting rail regardless of the result of the necessity determination process.

9. 3. An item transport equipment as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein a processing device that performs processing on the transport vehicle located on at least one of the first lifting rail and the second lifting rail is configured to move vertically together with the first lifting rail and the second lifting rail by the lifting mechanism.

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