Ceiling transport vehicle

Abstract

To provide an overhead carrier that stabilizes a voltage supplied to a holding part.SOLUTION: An overhead carrier includes: a main body part 5 that travels along an overhead track R; a suspending member 8 that has a conductive member 30; and an elevating part 9 that is suspended by the suspending member 8 from the main body part 5. The main body part 5 includes a power supply device 10 connected to the conductive member 30. The conductive member 30 supplies a voltage from the power supply device 10 to the elevating part 9. The elevating part 9 includes: a voltage step-up device 41 that boosts the voltage supplied from the conductive member 30; and a holding part 42 that is operated by a voltage Vs boosted by the voltage step-up device 41 to hold an article 100.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an overhead transport vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] An overhead traveling vehicle has been disclosed that includes a main body that travels along an overhead track and a lifting platform that is suspended from the main body via a suspension member such as a steel belt (see, for example, Patent Document 1). A holding part that holds an article (e.g., a container) is fixed to the lifting platform, and voltage is supplied to the holding part from the main body via the suspension member. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 7-16389 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the voltage supplied to the holding unit may be unstable due to a voltage drop caused by the hanging member, and therefore, it is necessary to stabilize the voltage supplied to the holding unit.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide an overhead transport vehicle that stabilizes the voltage supplied to the holding unit. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] An overhead transport vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises a main body that runs along a ceiling track, a hanging member having a conductive member, and a lifting unit that is suspended from the main body by the hanging member, the main body comprising a power supply device connected to the conductive member, the conductive member supplying voltage from the power supply device to the lifting unit, the lifting unit comprising a booster device that boosts the voltage supplied from the conductive member, and a holding unit that operates using the voltage boosted by the booster device to hold items. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] The ceiling transport vehicle according to this aspect of the present invention boosts the voltage supplied from the hanging member using a booster device and supplies the boosted voltage to the gripping unit, thereby stabilizing the voltage supplied to the gripping unit.

[0008] The ceiling transport vehicle according to the above aspect may further include a fall prevention member that is provided to be movable downward relative to the underside of the article held by the holder, and a drive device that operates by a voltage output from the power supply device to move the fall prevention member forward and backward. With this configuration, the fall prevention member can be operated stably.

[0009] In the overhead transport vehicle according to the above aspect, the booster device boosts the voltage supplied from the conductive member to a predetermined voltage, and the predetermined voltage may be a voltage equivalent to the output voltage of the power supply device. With this configuration, the booster device can boost the voltage drop due to the conductive member and stabilize the voltage supplied to the gripping unit.

[0010] According to the above-described aspect of the overhead transport vehicle, the power supply device includes a power receiving device that receives AC power by contactless power supply and converts the received AC power into DC power. conversion The power converter may convert the DC power into a predetermined DC power.

[0011] According to the ceiling transport vehicle of the above aspect, the holding unit holds an article by gripping the article with a plurality of claws, and the lifting unit has a first sensor that detects whether the plurality of claws are open and a second sensor that detects whether the holding unit is positioned so that the plurality of claws can grip the article, and the first sensor and the second sensor may be operated by a voltage boosted by a voltage booster. With this configuration, the first sensor and the second sensor can be operated stably. Furthermore, according to the ceiling transport vehicle of the above aspect, the lifting unit may be suspended from the main body by a plurality of suspension members, and the conductive member may be provided on any of the suspension members. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram of an overhead transport vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] 1 is a schematic diagram of an overhead transport vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a main electrical system of the ceiling transport vehicle according to the present embodiment. [Figure 4] 3A and 3B are schematic diagrams of a lifting drive unit and a lifting unit according to the present embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the top surface of the lifting platform according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] The present invention will be described below through embodiments, but the following embodiments do not limit the scope of the invention. Furthermore, not all of the combinations of features described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the solution of the invention. In the drawings, identical or similar parts may be designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations may be omitted. Furthermore, the shapes and sizes of elements in the drawings may be exaggerated for clarity, and may differ in shape and size from the actual product.

[0014] In the drawings, directions in the drawings may be explained using an XYZ coordinate system. In the XYZ coordinate system, a plane parallel to the horizontal plane is the XY plane. One direction in this XY plane is referred to as the X direction, and the direction perpendicular to the X direction is referred to as the Y direction. Furthermore, the direction perpendicular to the XY plane is referred to as the Z direction. The X, Y, and Z directions will be explained assuming that the direction indicated by the arrow in the drawing is the + direction, and the direction opposite to the arrow is the - direction.

[0015] Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of an overhead transport vehicle 1 according to this embodiment, viewed from the -Y direction. Fig. 1 shows the overhead transport vehicle 1 gripping a container 100 and storing the container 100 in a storage space AS. Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the overhead transport vehicle 1 lowering the container 100. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing the main electrical system of the overhead transport vehicle 1 according to this embodiment.

[0016] The ceiling transport vehicle 1 travels along a track R that is set higher than the floor, such as the ceiling of a clean room, and transports the container 100 in a suspended state within the storage space AS. The ceiling transport vehicle 1 is used to transport the container 100, for example, between a processing device and a container storage device, or between two processing devices. The X direction in FIG. 1 is the traveling direction of the ceiling transport vehicle 1. The Z direction in FIG. 1 is the vertical direction of the ceiling transport vehicle 1. The Y direction in FIG. 1 is the width direction of the ceiling transport vehicle 1.

[0017] The processing equipment is, for example, a film forming equipment, a coater / developer, an exposure equipment, an etching equipment, etc., and performs various processes in the process of manufacturing a device (e.g., a semiconductor device). The container storage device is, for example, disposed on a transport path for transporting the container 100, and temporarily stores the container 100. The container storage device is, for example, disposed near the ceiling. The container 100 stores, for example, wafers or reticles used in manufacturing semiconductor elements.

[0018] The container 100 has an opening for carrying an object to be contained, such as a semiconductor wafer, into the container 100. This opening is arranged parallel to the vertical direction. The container 100 is arranged in the storage space AS so that the opening faces the width direction (the -Y direction in FIG. 1). The container 100 is, for example, a FOUP (Front Opening Unified Pod), an SMIF pod, or a reticle pod. The container 100 is an example of an article.

[0019] In order for the overhead transport vehicle 1 to travel along the track R and to hold the container 100, it is necessary to supply power to the overhead transport vehicle 1. In this embodiment, power is supplied to the overhead transport vehicle 1 contactlessly from a contactless power supply facility NE. The contactless power supply facility NE is provided, for example, below the track R, and includes a power supply frame laid along the track R and a power supply line supported by the power supply frame.

[0020] The ceiling transport vehicle 1 includes, for example, a running section 2, a connecting section 3a, a support section 3b, a power receiving device 4, a main body section 5, a cover 6a, a cover 6b, a container fall prevention mechanism 7, a hanging member 8, and a lifting section 9.

[0021] The traveling unit 2 includes wheels 2a and a traveling drive unit 2b. The wheels 2a are arranged in contact with the track R and are driven to rotate by the driving force of the traveling drive unit 2b. The traveling drive unit 2b generates a driving force for traveling the overhead transport vehicle 1. The traveling drive unit 2b has a traveling motor such as a linear motor or a rotary motor. The traveling drive unit 2b also has a rotary encoder or a linear encoder. The traveling drive unit 2b controls the linear motor or the rotary motor based on the detection results such as the number of rotations of the wheels 2a detected by the rotary encoder or the linear encoder, and controls the speed or stopping position of the overhead transport vehicle 1.

[0022] The traveling unit 2 may have a guide roller and a plurality of branch rollers. When the traveling unit 2 approaches a branching portion of the track R, it drives the branching rollers to allow the overhead transport vehicle 1 to travel selectively on the main track or the branch track.

[0023] The connecting portion 3a connects the traveling drive unit 2b and the support unit 3b. For example, one end of the connecting portion 3a is connected to the traveling drive unit 2b, and the other end is connected to the support unit 3b. The support unit 3b is disposed along a horizontal plane and supports the main body unit 5.

[0024] The power receiving device 4 receives AC power wirelessly from the wireless power feeding equipment NE. The power receiving device 4 is provided, for example, on the connecting portion 3a. The method of wireless power feeding from the wireless power feeding equipment NE to the power receiving device 4 can be any of the following: electromagnetic induction, magnetic field (electric field) resonance, electric field coupling, and electromagnetic wave. The power receiving device 4 obtains DC power by rectifying the received AC power. The power receiving device 4 may also include a smoothing capacitor that smoothes the rectified DC power. The power receiving device 4 is connected to the main body 5 and supplies the rectified DC power to the main body 5. The power receiving device 4 includes, for example, a power receiving coil, and converts AC power into DC power by rectifying an induced current in the power receiving coil due to a magnetic field generated by a current (high-frequency current) flowing through the power feed line.

[0025] The main body 5 is connected to the traveling drive unit 2b via a connecting unit 3a, and travels along the track R. The main body 5 includes a power supply unit 10 and an elevation drive unit 11, for example.

[0026] The power supply device 10 is electrically connected to the power receiving device 4. The power supply device 10 boosts or lowers the DC power supplied from the power receiving device 4. The power supply device 10 is a power converter, such as a DC-DC converter. The power supply device 10 converts the voltage of the DC power from the power receiving device 4 into a predetermined DC voltage (output voltage) Vd. Specifically, the power supply device 10, which is a DC-DC converter, generates the predetermined output voltage Vd by lowering the voltage of the DC power Pd input from the power receiving device 4. The output voltage Vd is, for example, DC 24 V. The output voltage Vd output from the power supply device 10 may be used as a drive source for driving the branch rollers. For example, the main body 5 includes a drive device, such as a motor, for driving the branch rollers. The drive device receives the output voltage Vd from the power supply device 10 and operates based on the supplied output voltage Vd to drive the branch rollers.

[0027] The lifting / lowering drive unit 11 lowers or raises the lifting / lowering unit 9 at a predetermined speed, and maintains the lifting / lowering unit 9 at a target height. The lifting / lowering unit 9 is suspended from the main body 5 by a plurality of suspension members 8. The lifting / lowering drive unit 11 is, for example, a hoist, and lowers the holding unit 42 by reeling out the plurality of suspension members 8, as illustrated in FIG. 2 . The lifting / lowering drive unit 11 also raises the lifting / lowering unit 9 by winding up the plurality of suspension members 8.

[0028] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of the lifting drive unit 11 and the lifting unit 9. As shown in FIG. 4, the lifting drive unit 11 includes, for example, one or more rotating bodies 20 and a lifting motor 21. The rotating body 20 is, for example, a cylindrical drum having a winding surface for the hanging members 8 on its outer periphery. The lifting motor 21 is an electric motor that drives the rotating body 20 to rotate and wind up and unwind (lower) the multiple hanging members 8. Note that the lifting drive unit 11 may include, for example, rollers such as pulleys that support the multiple hanging members 8.

[0029] One end of the hanging member 8 is connected to the lifting drive unit 11, and the other end is connected to the lifting unit 9. The hanging member 8 is, for example, a belt. In this embodiment, the lifting unit 9 is suspended from the main body 5 by three hanging members 8. However, the number of hanging members 8 is not particularly limited, and may be four or more. Of the multiple hanging members 8 suspending the lifting unit 9, at least one hanging member 8 has a conductive member 30.

[0030] The conductive member 30 supplies the output voltage Vd from the power supply device 10 to the lifting / lowering unit 9. The conductive member 30 is provided inside the hanging member 8. That is, the conductive member 30 passes through the inside of at least one of the hanging members 8 that hang the lifting / lowering unit 9. One end of this conductive member 30 is electrically connected to the output terminal of the power supply device 10, and the other end is electrically connected to the boost device 41 of the lifting / lowering unit 9. The conductive member 30 is, for example, a conductor. The conductive member 30 may also be, for example, the conductor portion of an electric wire.

[0031] The main body 5 may have a horizontal drive unit that moves the lift drive unit 11 in the width direction in a horizontal plane. The main body 5 may have a rotation drive unit that rotates the lift drive unit 11 in a horizontal plane. The main body 5 may have both a horizontal drive unit and a rotation drive unit, or may have either one of them, or neither.

[0032] A cover 6a is provided on the -X side of the main body 5, and a cover 6b is provided on the +X side. The covers 6a and 6b are each fixed to the support 3b and extend from the support 3b in the -Z direction. The pair of covers 6a and 6b form a space for accommodating the container 100, i.e., an accommodating space AS, below the lifting / lowering unit 9 when the lifting / lowering unit 9 is raised to its upper end.

[0033] The container fall prevention mechanism 7 prevents the container 100 from falling. The container fall prevention mechanism 7 includes a container fall prevention member 71 and a fall prevention drive device 72.

[0034] The container fall prevention member 71 is disposed below the underside of the container 100 held by the holder 42 in the storage space AS, thereby preventing the container 100 from falling. The container fall prevention member 71 is movable. Specifically, the container fall prevention member 71 is provided on each of the pair of covers 6a, 6b so as to be rotatable in the horizontal direction. The container fall prevention member 71 advances to the underside of the container 100 accommodated in the storage space AS by rotating in a first rotation direction. This prevents the container 100 from falling. Furthermore, the container fall prevention member 71 retracts to a position where it does not interfere with the movement trajectory of the container 100 into the storage space AS by rotating from the advanced state in a second rotation direction. The retracted state of the container fall prevention member 71 refers to, for example, a state in which the container fall prevention member 71 is accommodated within the cover 6. By retracting the container fall prevention member 71, the container 100 can be accommodated in the storage space AS.

[0035] The fall prevention drive device 72 generates a drive force to rotate the container fall prevention member 71. The fall prevention drive device 72 is, for example, an electric motor. The drive source of this fall prevention drive device 72 is, for example, the output voltage Vd from the power supply device 10. That is, the fall prevention drive device 72 operates by the output voltage Vd output from the power supply device 10 to move the container fall prevention member 71 forward and backward. The fall prevention drive device 72 may be housed inside the main body 5, or may be housed in each of the pair of covers 6a, 6b.

[0036] The lifting unit 9 includes a lifting platform 40, a pressure boosting device 41, and a holding unit .

[0037] The other ends of the multiple hanging members 8 are fixed to the lifting platform 40. The lifting platform 40 is, for example, a plate-like member, and is hung by the multiple hanging members 8 so that its plane is parallel to the horizontal plane.

[0038] The boost device 41 is fixed to the upper surface of the lifting platform 40. The boost device 41 is electrically connected to the other end of the conductive member 30. The boost device 41 receives a voltage from the conductive member 30 and boosts the supplied voltage. The boost device 41 is, for example, a boost-type DC-DC converter. As an example, the boost device 41 may be a switching regulator or a linear regulator. The voltage Vs boosted by the boost device 41 (hereinafter referred to as the "boosted voltage") is, for example, a voltage equivalent to the output voltage Vd of the power supply device 10. The voltage value of this boosted voltage Vs is at least a voltage value that allows the holding unit 42 to operate stably.

[0039] Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram of the upper surface of the lifting platform 40. A fixing member 61 that fixes the other end of the hanging member 8 is provided on the upper surface of the lifting platform 40. In Fig. 5, the lifting platform 40 is suspended by three hanging members 8, and therefore three fixing members 61-1 to 61-3 are provided on the upper surface of the lifting platform 40. Here, if the conductive member 30 passes through the hanging member 8 fixed to the fixing member 61-3, the booster device 41 is provided near this fixing member 61-3.

[0040] For example, assume that the output voltage Vd of the power supply device 10 is 24 V. One end of the conductive member 30 is connected to the output terminal of the power supply device 10, and thus the output voltage Vd of 24 V is input to the one end of the conductive member 30. Here, since the conductive member 30 has a resistance value, a voltage drop occurs when a current flows through the conductive member 30. Therefore, the voltage at one end of the conductive member 30 differs from the voltage at the other end of the conductive member 30. In other words, due to this voltage drop, the voltage at the other end of the conductive member 30, i.e., the voltage supplied to the boost device 41, becomes lower than the voltage at one end of the conductive member 30, which is 24 V (output voltage Vd). Furthermore, the resistance value of the conductive member 30 fluctuates with temperature. Therefore, the voltage drop across the conductive member 30 varies, and the voltage supplied to the boost device 41 is unstable. Therefore, the boost device 41 generates a boosted voltage Vs of 24 V by boosting the voltage by the amount of the voltage drop, for example. This boosted voltage Vs is supplied to at least the holding unit 42. This stabilizes the voltage supplied to the holding unit 42.

[0041] The holding unit 42 is fixed to the underside of the lifting platform 40. The holding unit 42 is driven by a boosted voltage Vs to hold the container 100. That is, the boosted voltage Vs boosted by the booster device 41 is supplied to the holding unit 42, and the holding unit 42 operates using this boosted voltage Vs as a driving source to hold the container 100. For example, the holding unit 42 holds the container 100 in a suspended state by gripping a flange portion of the container 100. Note that the method by which the holding unit 42 grips the container 100 is not particularly limited, and the holding unit 42 may grip the container 100 from above, or may grip the container 100 by pinching it from the left and right.

[0042] The holding unit 42 includes, for example, a chuck 50 and a chuck driver 51. The chuck 50 includes a plurality of claws 50a that grip the flange of the container 100. The chuck driver 51 is driven by a boosted voltage Vs to move the plurality of claws 50a in a first direction to grip the flange of the container 100, and to move the plurality of claws 50a in a second direction to release the grip of the container 100. The chuck driver 51 includes, for example, an electric motor or an actuator for operating the plurality of claws 50a.

[0043] The ceiling transport vehicle 1 may be equipped with, for example, a teaching unit 150. The teaching unit 150 performs teaching to cause the ceiling transport vehicle 1 to memorize the position of the holding unit 42 when the ceiling transport vehicle 1 lowers the container 100 (hereinafter referred to as the "transfer position") and the position of the holding unit 42 when the holding unit 42 grips the container 100 (hereinafter referred to as the "gripping position"). This teaching is performed, for example, when the ceiling transport vehicle 1 is delivered. The configuration of the teaching unit 150 can be the same as that of the teaching unit described in Japanese Patent Application No. 2017-76976 and Japanese Patent Application No. 2019-139474.

[0044] When performing teaching, the user holds the teaching unit 150 with the holding part 42. The teaching unit 150 has a touch panel on the underside. This touch panel detects the transfer position or the gripping position by contacting positioning pins that are set up in advance at those positions. Specifically, the ceiling transport vehicle 1 holds the teaching unit 150 with the holding part 42 and lowers the lifting part 9 until the touch panel contacts the positioning pins. When the teaching unit 150 detects contact with the positioning pins with the touch panel, it stores the detected position of the holding part 42 in the ceiling transport vehicle 1, thereby performing teaching.

[0045] Here, the driving source of the teaching unit 150 is a boosted voltage Vs boosted by a booster device 41. For example, a connector 200 to which the teaching unit 150 is connected is provided on the lifting platform 40. When the teaching unit 150 is connected to the connector 200 shown in FIG. 5, the teaching unit 150 and the output terminal of the booster device 41 are electrically connected, and the boosted voltage Vs is supplied to the teaching unit 150. Therefore, the teaching unit 150 can be operated by a stable power supply.

[0046] As illustrated in FIG. 3, the lifting unit 9 may include a first sensor S1 and a second sensor S2. The first sensor S1 is activated by a boosted voltage Vs boosted by the booster device 41 and detects whether the multiple claws 50a are open. The second sensor S2 is activated by a boosted voltage Vs boosted by the booster device 41 and detects whether the holding unit 42 is positioned so that the multiple claws 50a can grip the container 100. The first sensor S1 and the second sensor S2 may be mechanical switches such as limit switches, or non-contact sensors that use light such as photoelectric sensors or proximity sensors. The first sensor S1 and the second sensor S2 are supplied with the boosted voltage Vs boosted by the booster device 41 as a drive source, allowing for stable operation.

[0047] As described above, the lifting unit 9 of the ceiling transport vehicle 1 is suspended from the main body 5 by the hanging member 8 having the conductive member 30. The conductive member 30 supplies the output voltage Vd from the power supply device 10 of the main body 5 to the lifting unit 9. The lifting unit 9 boosts the voltage supplied from the conductive member 30 to a predetermined boosted voltage Vs using the booster device 41, and supplies the boosted voltage Vs to the holding unit 42. With this configuration, even if the voltage supplied to the lifting unit 9 drops below a voltage at which the holding unit 42 can stably operate due to a voltage drop caused by the conductive member 30 of the hanging member 8, the booster device 41 can boost the voltage to a voltage (boosted voltage Vs) at which the holding unit 42 can stably operate. Therefore, the ceiling transport vehicle 1 can stably supply power to the holding unit 42.

[0048] Here, one possible method for stabilizing the voltage supplied to the holding unit 42 is to provide a battery in the lifting platform 40. With this configuration, it is possible to stabilize the voltage supplied to the holding unit 42 without using a booster device 41 in the lifting platform 40, but this configuration increases the weight of the lifting unit. Another possible configuration is to provide a high-power power supply device in the main body 5 in anticipation of the voltage drop in the hanging member 8, but this leaves room for improvement in terms of stably supplying voltage to the holding unit 42, as the influence of variations in voltage drop in the hanging member 8 remains. In this embodiment, the holding unit 42 is driven by the boosted voltage Vs boosted by the booster device 41 provided in the lifting platform 40, making it lightweight and allowing for a stable supply of voltage to the holding unit 42 even if there are variations in the voltage drop in the hanging member 8.

[0049] The above embodiment discloses the following configuration. (Configuration 1) a main body 5 that runs along a ceiling track R; a hanging member 8 having a conductive member 30; a lifting unit 9 suspended from the main body 5 by a suspension member 8; Equipped with The main body 5 includes a power supply device 10 connected to a conductive member 30. The conductive member 30 supplies the boosted voltage Vs from the power supply device 10 to the lifting unit 9, The lifting unit 9 is a booster device 41 that boosts the voltage supplied from the conductive member 30; a holding unit 42 that operates by a boosted voltage Vs boosted by a booster device 41 and holds an article (e.g., a container 100); A ceiling transport vehicle equipped with: (Configuration 2) a drop prevention member (for example, a container drop prevention member 71) that is provided so as to be able to advance and retreat from the underside of the container 100 held by the holding portion 42; a fall prevention drive device 72 that operates by the voltage output from the power supply device 10 to move the fall prevention member forward and backward; Equipped with Configuration 1 ceiling transport vehicle. (Configuration 3) The booster 41 boosts the voltage supplied from the conductive member 30 to a predetermined voltage (boosted voltage Vs), The boost voltage Vs is a voltage equivalent to the output voltage Vd of the power supply device 10. An overhead transport vehicle of configuration 1 or configuration 2. (Configuration 4) a power receiving device 4 that receives AC power by contactless power supply and converts the received AC power into DC power; The power supply device 10 is conversion a power converter that converts the input DC power into a predetermined DC power, An overhead transport vehicle of any of configurations 1 to 3. (Configuration 5) The holding portion 42 holds an article by gripping the article with the plurality of claw portions 50a, The lifting unit 9 is a first sensor S1 that detects whether the plurality of claw portions 50a are open; a second sensor S2 that detects whether the position of the holding portion 42 is a position where the multiple claw portions 50a can grip an article; and The first sensor S1 and the second sensor S2 are activated by the boosted voltage Vs boosted by the booster device 41. An overhead transport vehicle of any of configurations 1 to 4. (Configuration 6) The lifting unit 9 is suspended from the main body 5 by a plurality of suspension members 8, The conductive member 30 is provided on any one of the plurality of hanging members 8. An overhead transport vehicle of any of configurations 1 to 5.

[0050] One or more of the requirements described in the above-described embodiments may be omitted. Furthermore, the requirements described in the above-described embodiments may be combined as appropriate. Furthermore, the execution order of each procedure shown in this embodiment may be realized in any order, as long as the results of a previous procedure are not used in a subsequent procedure. Furthermore, even if the operations in the above-described embodiments are described using terms such as "first," "next," and "followed" for convenience, it is not essential that they be performed in this order. [Explanation of symbols]

[0051] 1. Ceiling transport vehicle 4. Main body 8. Hanging member 9. Lifting section 10...Power supply 30 Conductive member 41. Booster device 42...Holding part

Claims

1. a main body that runs along a ceiling track; a suspension member having a conductive member; a lifting unit suspended from the main body by the suspension member; Equipped with the main body includes a power supply device connected to the conductive member; the conductive member supplies a voltage from the power supply device to the lifting unit, The lifting unit is a booster device that boosts the voltage supplied from the conductive member; a holding unit that operates by the voltage boosted by the booster device and holds an article; A ceiling transport vehicle equipped with:

2. a fall prevention member provided so as to be able to advance and retreat below the article held by the holding portion; a drive device that operates by the voltage output from the power supply device and moves the fall prevention member forward and backward; Equipped with The ceiling transport vehicle according to claim 1.

3. the booster device boosts the voltage supplied from the conductive member to a predetermined voltage; The predetermined voltage is a voltage equivalent to the output voltage of the power supply device. The ceiling transport vehicle according to claim 1.

4. a power receiving device that receives AC power by contactless power supply and converts the received AC power into DC power; the power supply device is a power converter that converts the DC power converted by the power receiving device into a predetermined DC power. The ceiling transport vehicle according to claim 1.

5. the holding portion holds the article by gripping the article with a plurality of claw portions, The lifting unit is a first sensor that detects whether the plurality of claw portions are open; a second sensor that detects whether the position of the holding portion is a position where the article can be gripped by the plurality of claw portions; and the first sensor and the second sensor are operated by the voltage boosted by the voltage booster; The ceiling transport vehicle according to claim 1.

6. the lifting unit is suspended from the main body by a plurality of the suspension members, The conductive member is provided on any one of the plurality of hanging members. The overhead transport vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

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