Goods transport vehicle

Abstract

To provide an article conveyance vehicle comprising a fall regulation device structured to facilitate ensuring of a strength irrespective of article weight.SOLUTION: An article conveyance vehicle 1 comprises a fall regulation device 2. A vehicle body 5 includes a first cover 51, a second cover 52, and a cover connection 53. The fall regulation device 2 includes a pair of fall regulation members 20, and a drive mechanism 30. Each of the fall regulation members 20 includes a supported part, a pair of upper and lower extensions 22, and a lower connection. The drive mechanism 30 drives the fall regulation members 20 to move to a regulation position P1 and a releasing position P0. At the regulation position, the upper and lower extensions 22 overlap a stored article Ws in a second-direction view, and the lower connection is disposed to overlap the stored article Ws in a vertical view. At the releasing position P0, the lower connection is disposed not to overlap the stored article Ws in the vertical view.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an article transport vehicle for transporting articles. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-131702 (Patent Document 1) discloses an article transport vehicle equipped with a pair of fall-stopping members. In the following description of the background art, the reference numerals in parentheses refer to those in Patent Document 1.

[0003] The article transport vehicle (ceiling transport vehicle 1) of Patent Document 1 includes a travel section (traveling and moving section 12) that travels on a travel rail (2), a holding section (support mechanism 19) that suspends and holds an article (transported object 6), a lifting section (lifting operation mechanism 20) that supports the holding section so that it can be raised and lowered, a cover section (21) that covers the upper and side peripheries of the article positioned at the transport position, and a pair of fall prevention members (a pair of fall prevention bodies 27) that are spaced apart in the travel direction of the travel section. The pair of fall prevention members are positioned below the article at the transport position and are configured to move toward and away from each other along a horizontal plane. While the article transport vehicle is traveling, the pair of fall prevention members are positioned so as to overlap the article at the transport position in a vertical view. Therefore, even if the holding section unintentionally releases the hold of the article, the pair of fall prevention members can support the article, preventing the article from falling below the pair of fall prevention members. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-131702 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the article transport vehicle of Patent Document 1, the pair of fall prevention members are cantilevered on the support portion (support portion 21a) of the cover portion (21). Therefore, if the holding portion unintentionally releases the hold of the article, a bending moment acts on the pair of fall prevention members and the support portion of the cover portion (21) that supports the fall prevention members. Therefore, when it is expected that heavy articles will be transported, it is necessary to ensure that the fall prevention members and the support portion have sufficient strength to withstand the bending moment generated by supporting the articles. This has led to the problem of increased size of the fall prevention members and the support portion, which in turn leads to increased size and cost of the article transport vehicle.

[0006] Therefore, it is desirable to realize an article transport vehicle equipped with a drop prevention device whose structure makes it easy to ensure strength regardless of the weight of the article. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The article transport vehicle according to the present disclosure is an article transport vehicle that transports articles, The apparatus comprises a running section having wheels, a vehicle body connected to the running section and forming a storage space for storing the item, a holding section for holding the item in a suspended state, a lifting section for raising and lowering the holding section relative to the vehicle body, thereby moving the item held by the holding section up and down to a storage position within the storage space and a lowered position below the storage space, and a fall prevention device for preventing the item, which is the stored item, from falling when in the storage position, A specific direction in the horizontal direction is defined as a first direction, a direction perpendicular to the first direction when viewed in the up-down direction is defined as a second direction, one side of the first direction is defined as a first direction first side, and the other side of the first direction is defined as a first direction second side, the vehicle body includes a first cover portion that covers a first side in the first direction with respect to the accommodation space, a second cover portion that covers a second side in the first direction with respect to the accommodation space, and a cover connecting portion that connects the first cover portion and the second cover portion on an upper side with respect to the accommodation space, The fall prevention device includes a pair of fall prevention members and a drive mechanism that drives the pair of fall prevention members, Each of the pair of fall prevention members comprises a supported portion supported by the cover connecting portion, a pair of vertical extending portions arranged separately on both sides of the stored item in the second direction and extending downward from the supported portion, and a lower connecting portion connecting the pair of vertical extending portions below the stored item, The drive mechanism drives the pair of drop restriction members to move them between a restriction position and a release position, In the restricting position, the pair of vertical extending portions of each of the pair of fall restricting members overlaps with the stored articles when viewed in the second direction along the second direction, and the lower connecting portions of each of the pair of fall restricting members are arranged to overlap with the stored articles when viewed in the vertical direction, In the release position, the lower connecting portions of the pair of fall restraint members are disposed outward in the first direction relative to the contained articles so as not to overlap with the contained articles when viewed in the up-down direction.

[0008] According to this configuration, the supported portions of each of the pair of fall prevention members are supported by the cover connecting portion that is above the storage space in the vehicle body. The pair of vertically extending portions that extend downward from the supported portions support the lower connecting portion, which is below the stored item, in a suspended state. Therefore, when the pair of fall prevention members are in the restraining position, even if the holding portion unintentionally releases the item, the lower connecting portion of each of the pair of fall prevention members can support the item. This prevents the item from falling off the pair of fall prevention members. Furthermore, when an article is supported by the lower connecting portion in this manner, the weight of the article acts as a vertical tensile load on the fall prevention member, which is oriented in a vertical direction from the supported portion to the lower connecting portion. In other words, it is possible to avoid a large bending moment acting on the fall prevention member and the supporting portion that supports the fall prevention member. Therefore, even if the article is heavy, it is easy to ensure the strength necessary to support the article without significantly increasing the rigidity of the fall prevention member and the supporting portion. This also makes it easy to reduce the size and weight of the fall prevention member and the supporting portion. Furthermore, with this configuration, when the pair of fall prevention members are in the prevention position, each of the vertically extending portions is positioned to overlap with the stored article when viewed in the second direction, thereby preventing the article or a part of it from falling out in the second direction. In this way, with this configuration, it is possible to realize an article transport vehicle equipped with a drop prevention device whose structure makes it easy to ensure strength regardless of the weight of the article.

[0009] Further features and advantages of the article transport vehicle will become apparent from the following description of exemplary, non-limiting embodiments which are given with reference to the drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] Side view of the goods transport facility [Figure 2] Side view of an article transport vehicle [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a plan view schematically showing a drive mechanism of the fall prevention device; [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a side view (a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV in FIG. 3) illustrating a drive mechanism of the fall prevention device. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a front view (a cross-sectional view taken along line VV in FIG. 4) showing a drive mechanism of the fall prevention device; [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a bottom view schematically illustrating the lower connecting portion of the main body and the pair of fall-prevention members. [Figure 7] Control Block Diagram [Figure 8] 10 is a side view of an article transport vehicle according to another embodiment; [Figure 9] 10 is a side view of an article transport vehicle according to another embodiment; [Figure 10] 10 is a side view of an article transport vehicle according to another embodiment; [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a plan view schematically showing a drive mechanism of a fall prevention device according to another embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] An embodiment in which the article transport vehicle 1 is applied to an article transport facility 100 will be described below with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 1, the article transport facility 100 includes an article transport vehicle 1 that travels along a travel path 3, and a processing device 10 that processes the contents contained in the article W.

[0012] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the article transport vehicle 1 transports an article W. In this embodiment, the article transport vehicle 1 moves along a travel path 3 to transport the article W. In this example, the travel path 3 is arranged along the ceiling, and a rail R is provided along the travel path 3. That is, the article transport vehicle 1 travels along the travel path 3 while being guided by the rail R to transport the article W. Specifically, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the rail R is fixed to the ceiling while being suspended from the ceiling. In this example, a pair of rails R is provided along the travel path 3. Thus, in this example, the article transport vehicle 1 is a ceiling transport vehicle that travels while being guided by a pair of rails R suspended from the ceiling. Note that the article transport vehicle 1 is not limited to a ceiling transport vehicle.

[0013] In this example, the article transport facility 100 is provided with a plurality of processing devices 10 (only one of which is shown in the example of FIG. 1). The article transport vehicle 1 transports articles W between the plurality of processing devices 10. Each of the plurality of processing devices 10 is equipped with a port 10a. Articles W to be processed by the processing devices 10 are loaded and unloaded from the port 10a. The article transport vehicle 1 stops at a position on the travel path 3 corresponding to the port 10a and transfers the articles W to and from the port 10a. In this example, a container (FOUP: Front Opening Unified Pod) that stores semiconductor substrates is used as the article W to be transported. The processing device 10 processes the semiconductor substrates stored in the article W. Note that the article W may be a reticle storage container (a so-called reticle pod) that stores reticles, other than a FOUP.

[0014] The configuration of the article transport vehicle 1 will be described in detail below with reference to Figures 1 to 7. In the description, a specific horizontal direction will be referred to as the first direction X, a direction perpendicular to the first direction X when viewed from above will be referred to as the second direction Y, one side of the first direction X will be referred to as the first direction first side X1, and the other side of the first direction X will be referred to as the first direction second side X2. In this example, the second direction Y is the horizontal direction perpendicular to the first direction X.

[0015] 1 and 2, the article transport vehicle 1 comprises a running section 4 equipped with wheels 4a, a vehicle body 5 connected to the running section 4 and forming a storage space S for storing an article W, a holding section 6 that holds the article W in a suspended state, a lifting section 7 that raises and lowers the holding section 6 relative to the vehicle body 5, thereby raising and lowering the article W held in the holding section 6 to a storage position T1 within the storage space S and a lowered position T2 below the storage space S, and a fall prevention device 2 that prevents stored article Ws, which is the article W at the storage position T1, from falling. In this embodiment, the article transport vehicle 1 further comprises a slide section 8 that horizontally slides the article W held in the holding section 6, and a control device H.

[0016] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the traveling unit 4 includes wheels 4a that roll on the rails R and a traveling motor M1 that drives the wheels 4a. In the illustrated example, the traveling unit 4 includes a plurality of wheels 4a. The traveling motor M1 drives at least one of the plurality of wheels 4a to provide a propulsive force for the article transport vehicle 1 to move while being guided along the pair of rails R. In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the first direction X is the direction along the traveling direction of the traveling unit 4. In other words, the direction along the traveling path 3 is the first direction X, and the article transport vehicle 1 travels along the first direction X.

[0017] The holding unit 6 includes a pair of gripping claws 6a and a holding motor M2 (see FIG. 7) that moves the pair of gripping claws 6a toward or away from each other. The holding unit 6 is configured to switch between a gripping state in which the pair of gripping claws 6a grip the article W and a grip release state in which the gripping state is released by driving the holding motor M2 to move the pair of gripping claws 6a toward or away from each other. In this example, as shown in FIG. 2, the article W includes an article main body Wb and a held portion Wa provided above the article main body Wb. The holding unit 6 is configured to hold the held portion Wa of the article W, more specifically, to hold the held portion Wa with the pair of gripping claws 6a, thereby holding the article W in a suspended state.

[0018] The slide unit 8 includes a slide body 8a that moves along the second direction Y relative to the travel unit 4, and a slide motor M4 (see FIG. 7) that moves the slide body 8a along the second direction Y. The slide unit 8 is configured to move the lifting unit 7, the holding unit 6, and the article W held by the holding unit 6 along the second direction Y by driving the slide motor M4. For example, if the port 10a in the processing device 10 is positioned offset in the second direction Y relative to the travel path 3, the article W held by the holding unit 6 can be moved along the second direction Y to position the article W overlapping the port 10a in a vertical view. This allows the lifting unit 7 to properly transfer the article W to the port 10a.

[0019] When the article transport vehicle 1 moves along the travel path 3, the lifting unit 7 lifts the article W held by the holding unit 6 from the lowered position T2 to the storage position T1. When transferring the article W between the article transport vehicle 1 and the port 10a, the lifting unit 7 lowers the article W held by the holding unit 6 from the storage position T1 to the lowered position T2. ​​In this example, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the lifting unit 7 includes a pulley 7a supported by a slide body 8a, a belt 7b wound around the pulley 7a and connected to the holding unit 6 at its tip, and a lifting motor M3 (see FIG. 7) that rotates the pulley 7a to drive the belt 7b. The lifting unit 7 rotates the pulley 7a in the forward direction by driving the lifting motor M3, thereby winding up the belt 7b, thereby lifting the holding unit 6 and the article W held by the holding unit 6 relative to the vehicle body 5. Furthermore, the lifting unit 7 rotates the pulley 7a in the reverse direction by driving the lifting motor M3, thereby unwinding the belt 7b, thereby lowering the holding unit 6 and the article W held by the holding unit 6 relative to the vehicle body 5. By raising and lowering the article W in this manner, the article transport vehicle 1 transfers the article W between itself and the port 10a.

[0020] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, in this embodiment, the car body 5 is disposed below the running section 4. In this example, the car body 5 is suspended and supported by the running section 4. Specifically, the running section 4 is disposed above the rail R, and the car body 5 is disposed below the rail R. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the car body 5 has a shape in which at least one side in the second direction Y is open to the storage space S. In this example, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the car body 5 has a shape in which both sides in the second direction Y and the bottom side are open to the storage space S. The specific configuration of the car body 5 will be described below.

[0021] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 and 6 , the vehicle body 5 includes a first cover portion 51 that covers a first side X1 in the first direction relative to the storage space S, a second cover portion 52 that covers a second side X2 in the first direction relative to the storage space S, and a cover connecting portion 53 that connects the first cover portion 51 and the second cover portion 52 on the upper side relative to the storage space S. The storage space S is formed so as to be surrounded by the first cover portion 51, the second cover portion 52, and the cover connecting portion 53. In this embodiment, the first cover portion 51 and the second cover portion 52 are each arranged to face a surface facing the first direction X of an item W (i.e., stored item Ws) held by the holder 6 and stored in the storage space S. No such cover portion is arranged on either side and below the storage space S in the second direction Y, leaving the storage space S open. Therefore, the stored item Ws can slide outward in both directions in the second direction Y relative to the storage space S by the slide portion 8. Similarly, the stored article Ws can be raised and lowered between the storage position T1 and the lowered position T2 by the lifting section 7. In this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the cover connecting section 53 is connected to the running section 4. In this example, the article transport vehicle 1 further includes a connecting member 4d, and the cover connecting section 53 is connected to the running section 4 via the connecting member 4d (see FIGS. 2 and 3). As shown in FIG. 2, the lifting section 7, the sliding section 8, and the holding section 6 are disposed below the cover connecting section 53, and these are also supported by the running section 4 via the connecting member 4d. Therefore, the storage space S for storing the article W is formed below the area where the lifting section 7, the sliding section 8, and the holding section 6 are disposed.

[0022] The fall prevention device 2 is a device for preventing the article W from falling from the article transport vehicle 1, even if, for example, the holding of the stored article Ws by the holding part 6 is unintentionally released while the article transport vehicle 1 is traveling. The specific configuration of the fall prevention device 2 will be described below.

[0023] 1 to 5, the fall prevention device 2 includes a pair of fall prevention members 20 and a drive mechanism 30 that drives the pair of fall prevention members 20. In this embodiment, the pair of fall prevention members 20 are provided on the cover connecting portion 53. The pair of fall prevention members 20 are also arranged separately in the first direction X. When the holding portion 6 releases the hold of the stored item Ws, the pair of fall prevention members 20 support the item W, thereby preventing the item W from falling below the storage space S.

[0024] 2 to 6 , each of the pair of fall prevention members 20 includes a supported portion 21 supported by the cover connecting portion 53, a pair of vertical extending portions 22 arranged separately on both sides of the stored item Ws in the second direction Y and extending downward from the supported portion 21, and a lower connecting portion 24 connecting the pair of vertical extending portions 22 below the stored item Ws. In this embodiment, each of the pair of fall prevention members 20 is arranged so that the supported portion 21, the pair of vertical extending portions 22, and the lower connecting portion 24 surround both sides and the lower side of the storage space S in the second direction Y. In this example, the supported portion 21, the pair of vertical extending portions 22, and the lower connecting portion 24 are arranged outside the storage space S. Note that in this example, the pair of fall prevention members 20 have the same structure. Therefore, the following description will focus on the configuration of one of the pair of fall prevention members 20, and will omit a description of the other. The pair of fall prevention members 20 may have different structures.

[0025] In this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the supported portion 21 is supported by the cover connecting portion 53 via the drive mechanism 30. The supported portion 21 supports the pair of vertically extending portions 22 from above. In this example, the fall prevention member 20 includes a pair of supported portions 21 corresponding to the pair of vertically extending portions 22, respectively. The pair of supported portions 21 are arranged separately in the second direction Y (more specifically, on both sides of the second direction Y with respect to the stored article Ws). The corresponding vertically extending portion 22 is connected to each of the pair of supported portions 21. In the example of FIGS. 4 and 5, the pair of supported portions 21 are connected to guide portions 32 of the drive mechanism 30, which will be described later. The connection portion of the guide portions 32 with the supported portions 21 serves as a support portion 41, which will be described later. The configuration of such a drive mechanism 30 will be described in detail later.

[0026] In this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 4, and 5, each of the pair of vertically extending portions 22 is arranged along the vertical direction. Furthermore, the pair of vertically extending portions 22 is arranged to overlap each other when viewed in the second direction Y. Note that "overlapping" includes not only complete overlapping of the respective regions, but also partial overlapping of the respective regions. In this example, as described above, each of the pair of supported portions 21 supports the corresponding pair of vertically extending portions 22 from above. Specifically, the upper ends of the vertically extending portions 22 are connected to the corresponding supported portions 21. The vertically extending portions 22 are formed to extend downward from the supported portions 21. Furthermore, the lower ends of the vertically extending portions 22 are arranged below the bottom surface of the stored item Ws. In the examples of FIGS. 2, 4, and 5, the vertically extending portions 22 are plate-shaped members arranged along the vertical direction. At the restricting position P1 described below, each of the pair of vertically extending portions 22 is positioned to face the surface of the item main body Wb of the stored item Ws facing the second direction Y. The lower ends of each of the pair of vertically extending portions 22 are positioned below the bottom surface of the stored item Ws and below the lower ends of the first cover portion 51 and the second cover portion 52 (in other words, below the storage space S). The lower ends of each of the pair of vertically extending portions 22 may be positioned within the storage space S as long as they are below the bottom surface of the stored item Ws. In this case, the lower ends of each of the pair of vertically extending portions 22 are positioned below the bottom surface of the stored item Ws and above the lower ends of the first cover portion 51 and the second cover portion 52. In this example, the pair of vertically extending portions 22 have the same structure, but may have different structures. Even in this case, it is preferable that the lower ends of each of the pair of vertically extending portions 22 are positioned at the same vertical position.

[0027] In this example, each of the pair of vertically extending portions 22 is disposed in a position aligned along the vertical direction, but may be disposed in a position inclined relative to the vertical direction, for example.

[0028] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6 , the lower connecting portion 24 connects the lower ends of the pair of vertically extending portions 22. That is, the lower connecting portion 24 is supported from above by the pair of vertically extending portions 22. In other words, the lower connecting portion 24 is supported from above by the pair of supported portions 21 via the pair of vertically extending portions 22. The lower connecting portion 24 is disposed below the bottom surface of the stored item Ws and along the second direction Y. In the illustrated example, the lower connecting portion 24 is a plate-like member that extends along a horizontal plane. At the restricting position P1, which will be described later, the lower connecting portion 24 of each of the pair of fall restricting members 20 is disposed so as to face the downward-facing surface of the item main body Wb of the stored item Ws. Note that, although the lower connecting portion 24, the vertically extending portions 22, and the supported portions 21 are integrally formed in this example, they may each be configured as separate bodies.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 2 , the drive mechanism 30 drives the pair of fall prevention members 20 to move them between a restraining position P1 and a release position P0. Here, the restraining position P1 is a position of the pair of fall prevention members 20 where an article W released from the holding units 6 can be prevented from falling below the storage space S. In other words, the restraining position P1 is a position of the pair of fall prevention members 20 where an article W released from the holding units 6 can be supported from below. The release position P0 is a position of the pair of fall prevention members 20 when the article transport vehicle 1 transfers an article W between itself and the port 10a. At the release position P0, the pair of fall prevention members 20 are positioned so as not to interfere with the lifting unit 7, the holding units 6, and the sliding unit 8, which perform transfer operations with respect to the port 10a, or with the article W held by the holding units 6. In this embodiment, the drive mechanism 30 moves the pair of fall prevention members 20 from the restraining position P1 to the release position P0 when the article transport vehicle 1 transfers an article W between itself and the port 10a. When the article transport vehicle 1 travels along the travel path 3 while holding an article W, the drive mechanism 30 moves the pair of fall prevention members 20 from the release position P0 to the prevention position P1. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2 , the drive mechanism 30 moves the supported portions 21 of each of the pair of fall prevention members 20 in the first direction X. As a result, each of the pair of fall prevention members 20 is disposed at either the prevention position P1 or the release position P0. In this example, the drive mechanism 30 moves each of the supported portions 21, which are disposed separately in the first direction X, in the first direction X, moving them closer to and away from each other. Furthermore, in this example, when the supported portions 21 (here, the pair of supported portions 21) move in the first direction X, the pair of vertical extending portions 22 and the lower connecting portion 24 also move in the first direction X together with the supported portions 21. In other words, the drive mechanism 30 moves the entire fall prevention member 20 in the first direction X, moving the pair of fall prevention members 20 closer to and away from each other. The restricting position P1 and the releasing position P0 will be specifically described below.

[0030] 2 and 6, at the restraint position P1, the pair of vertical extending portions 22 of each of the pair of fall restraint members 20 overlaps with the contained item Ws when viewed in the second direction Y along the second direction Y, and the lower connecting portions 24 of each of the pair of fall restraint members 20 overlap with the contained item Ws when viewed in the vertical direction. In this embodiment, at the restraint position P1, the pair of fall restraint members 20 are positioned a specified distance inward from both ends of the item main body Wb of the contained item Ws in the first direction X. In other words, the pair of vertical extending portions 22 and the lower connecting portions 24 of each of the pair of fall restraint members 20 are positioned a specified distance inward from both ends of the item main body Wb of the contained item Ws in the first direction X. The specified distance is set so that the pair of fall restraint members 20 are positioned at a position (restriction position P1) where the item W can be appropriately supported. In this example, at the regulating position P1, the pair of vertical extending portions 22 are positioned so that they partially overlap with the contained items Ws when viewed in the second direction Y (in the illustrated example, the area below the center of the vertical extending portions 22), and the lower connecting portion 24 is positioned so that it partially overlaps with the contained items Ws when viewed in the vertical direction (specifically, the area other than both ends of the lower connecting portion 24 in the second direction Y).

[0031] Furthermore, in this example, as described above, at the restricting position P1, the pair of vertically extending portions 22 are arranged to face the surface of the article main body Wb of the stored article Ws that faces the second direction Y (see FIG. 2). Also, at the restricting position P1, the lower connecting portion 24 is arranged to face the bottom surface of the article main body Wb of the stored article Ws (see FIG. 3). Since the restricting position P1 is set so that the pair of fall prevention members 20 are arranged as described above, even if the holding portion 6 unintentionally releases the held article Ws, the released article W falls onto the respective lower connecting portions 24 of the pair of fall prevention members 20 and is properly supported by the lower connecting portions 24. This prevents the article W from falling below the storage space S. Furthermore, even if the released item W moves to one side in the second direction Y due to centrifugal force generated when the item transport vehicle 1 travels along a curved path in the travel path 3, the item will come into contact with the vertical extension portion 22 on one side in the second direction Y of each of the pair of fall prevention members 20, thereby preventing the item from falling from one side in the second direction Y to below the storage space S.

[0032] 2 and 6, at the release position P0, the lower connecting portions 24 of each of the pair of fall prevention members 20 are arranged outward in the first direction X with respect to the stored items Ws so as not to overlap with the stored items Ws when viewed in the vertical direction. In this embodiment, at the release position P0, the pair of vertical extending portions 22 of each of the pair of fall prevention members 20 are arranged outward in the first direction X with respect to the stored items Ws so as not to overlap with the stored items Ws when viewed in the second direction Y. In this example, at the release position P0, the pair of fall prevention members 20 are arranged at positions a specified distance outward from both sides of the item main body Wb of the stored item Ws in the first direction X. Therefore, at the release position P0, the pair of vertical extending portions 22 are arranged so as to overlap with the storage space S without overlapping with the stored items Ws when viewed in the second direction Y. Furthermore, at the release position P0, the lower connecting portions 24 of each of the pair of fall prevention members 20 are arranged so as to overlap with the storage space S without overlapping with the stored items Ws when viewed in the vertical direction. Therefore, when the article W held by the holding portion 6 moves up and down between the storage position T1 and the lowered position T2, for example, the article W does not interfere with the lower connecting portions 24 of the pair of fall prevention members 20. Similarly, when the article W held by the holding portion 6 slides in the second direction Y, the article W does not interfere with the pair of vertical extending portions 22 of the pair of fall prevention members 20.

[0033] As described above, in this example, the pair of fall prevention members 20 move from the prevention position P1 to opposite sides in the first direction X to reach the release position P0. That is, the release positions P0 corresponding to each of the pair of fall prevention members 20 are set on both outer sides in the first direction X with respect to the contained items Ws. However, the release positions P0 corresponding to each of the pair of fall prevention members 20 may also be set on one side in the first direction X with respect to the contained items Ws. In this case, the pair of fall prevention members 20 reach the release position P0 by moving from the prevention position P1 to the same side in the first direction X with respect to the contained items Ws.

[0034] 2 to 5, in this embodiment, the drive mechanism 30 includes a guide unit 32 that guides the supported portions 21 of the pair of fall-prevention members 20 movably in the first direction X, and a drive unit 35 that moves the pair of supported portions 21 in opposite directions in the first direction X. In this example, the guide unit 32 and the drive unit 35 are provided on the cover connecting portion 53 (on the upper surface of the cover connecting portion 53 in the example of FIG. 3).

[0035] In this example, as shown in FIGS. 2 to 5, the guide unit 32 includes a linear guide mechanism 31. The linear guide mechanism 31 is arranged along the first direction X, and the supported portions 21 of each of the pair of fall prevention members 20 are connected to the linear guide mechanism 31. In this manner, each of the pair of fall prevention members 20 moves in the first direction X while being guided by the linear guide mechanism 31. In the example of FIG. 3, the pair of linear guide mechanisms 31 are arranged separately in the second direction Y. Each of the pair of linear guide mechanisms 31 includes a guide body 31a and a plurality of (here, two) moving bodies 31b. The guide body 31a is arranged so that the moving bodies 31b move along the first direction X. The pair of supported portions 21 of each of the pair of fall prevention members 20 are fixed to the moving bodies 31b. In the examples of FIGS. 4 and 5, the supported portions 21 are fixed to the moving body 31b from above, and are thereby supported by the moving body 31b. That is, the moving body 31b of the linear guide mechanism 31 functions as a support part 41 that supports the supported part 21. Although the linear guide mechanism 31 is a linear guide here, various known linear guide mechanisms such as a ball spline, a linear bushing, etc. can be used.

[0036] 2 to 4, the drive unit 35 includes a plurality of pulleys 35b supported by the cover connecting portion 53, a drive belt 35a wound around the plurality of pulleys 35b and connected to the linear guide mechanism 31, and a fall prevention drive motor M6 that rotates the pulleys 35b to drive the drive belt 35a. In the example of FIG. 4, the drive belt 35a is wound around a plurality of (here, two) pulleys 35b arranged separately in the first direction X. One of the pair of fall prevention members 20 is connected to a horizontal portion of the lower drive belt 35a, and the other of the pair of fall prevention members 20 is connected to a horizontal portion of the upper drive belt 35a. Specifically, the fall prevention members 20 are connected to the drive belt 35a via a belt support portion 23 provided on the upper portion of the vertical extension portion 22. When the plurality of pulleys 35b rotate in the same direction, the pair of fall prevention members 20 move toward or away from each other. 3, a pair of such drive belts 35a are provided corresponding to the pair of linear motion guide mechanisms 31. The drive belt 35a and the plurality of pulleys 35b are connected to a single fall prevention drive motor M6 via a transmission mechanism 35c. The transmission mechanism 35c transmits the driving force of the fall prevention drive motor M6 to the plurality of pulleys 35b. The drive belt 35a rotates together with the rotation of the plurality of pulleys 35b, thereby moving the pair of fall prevention members 20 toward and away from each other.

[0037] In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 7, the control device H controls the traveling unit 4, the holding unit 6, the lifting unit 7, the sliding unit 8, and the fall prevention device 2. The control device H includes a processor such as a microcomputer and peripheral circuits such as a memory, and each function of the control device H is realized by cooperation between this hardware and programs executed on the hardware such as the processor. The control device H is connected to a host controller (not shown) that controls the entire article conveying facility 100 so as to be able to communicate with each other. The control device H is configured to acquire commands from the host controller (not shown) in a command acquisition unit 11, and to control the traveling unit 4, the holding unit 6, the lifting unit 7, the sliding unit 8, and the fall prevention device 2 according to the content of the acquired commands.

[0038] In this example, the control device H executes transport control for transporting the articles W between the plurality of processing devices 10, and transfer control for transferring the articles W to and from the port 10a.

[0039] In the transport control, the control device H controls the travel section 4 (travel motor M1) to move the article transport vehicle 1 toward the destination processing equipment 10 in response to a transport command from a higher-level controller. At that time, the control device H controls the fall prevention device 2 (fall prevention drive motor M6) to maintain the pair of fall prevention members 20 in the restriction position P1. The control device H then stops the article transport vehicle 1 at a stopping position corresponding to the port 10a of the destination processing equipment 10. Therefore, even if the retention of the article W by the retaining section 6 is unintentionally released while the article transport vehicle 1 is traveling, the article W is supported by the respective lower connecting sections 24 of the pair of fall prevention members 20, and therefore the article W can be prevented from falling below the storage space S, i.e., from falling from the article transport vehicle 1. Furthermore, even if the released item W moves to either side in the second direction Y, for example, due to traveling along a curved path in the traveling path 3 or receiving an external impact, the vertical extension portions 22 of each of the pair of fall prevention members 20 restrict movement outward in the second direction Y of the storage space S, thereby preventing the item W from falling from either side in the second direction Y relative to the storage space S.

[0040] Here, each of the pair of fall prevention members 20 is supported from above by the support portion 41 (here, the plurality of movable bodies 31b) in a vertical orientation. The released article W is supported from below by the lower connecting portion 24, which is the lower end portion of each of the pair of fall prevention members 20. Therefore, compared to a case where the pair of fall prevention members 20 are supported in a cantilevered manner by each of the first cover portion 51 and the second cover portion 52, a large bending moment can be avoided from acting on the support portion 41 that supports the fall prevention members 20. Therefore, even if the weight of the article W to be transported is heavy, the strength required to support the article W can be easily ensured without significantly increasing the rigidity of the fall prevention members 20 or the members that support them. Therefore, regardless of the weight of the article W, the pair of fall prevention members 20 can easily properly support the released article W. Furthermore, it is also easy to avoid the fall prevention members 20 and the support portion 41 from becoming larger in size in order to ensure the strength required to support the article W.

[0041] The control device H executes transfer control for the article transport vehicle 1 parked at the port 10a to be transferred. When transferring an article W to or from the port 10a, the control device H controls the fall prevention device 2 to move the pair of fall prevention members 20 from the prevention position P1 to the release position P0. This prevents the article W held by the holding unit 6 from interfering with the pair of fall prevention members 20 when transferring the article W between the article transport vehicle 1 and the port 10a. The control device H controls the lifting unit 7 (lifting motor M3) to lift and lower the article W between the storage position T1 and the lowered position T2 while the pair of fall prevention members 20 are in the release position P0. Here, when the port 10a is located off the rail R along the travel path 3, the control device H controls the sliding unit 8 (sliding motor M4) to slide the article W in the second direction Y. In this way, the control device H, during transfer control, moves the pair of fall prevention members 20 from the prevention position P1 to the release position P0, thereby allowing the item W to be transferred between the port 10a without interfering with the pair of fall prevention members 20.

[0042] Other Embodiments Next, other embodiments of the article transport vehicle will be described.

[0043] (1) In the above embodiment, the fall prevention device 2 has been described as having a pair of fall prevention members 20, but this is not limiting. For example, the fall prevention device 2 may have three or more fall prevention members 20.

[0044] (2) In the above embodiment, the article transport vehicle 1 is configured such that, when transporting an article W, the pair of fall prevention members 20 are moved from the release position P0 to the prevention position P1, and even when the holding portion 6 releases the held article Ws, the article W can be supported by the lower connecting portion 24 of each of the pair of fall prevention members 20. However, this configuration is not limited to this. For example, the article transport vehicle 1 can be configured to include an anti-sway mechanism 60 in addition to the pair of fall prevention members 20. This allows vibrations generated while the article transport vehicle 1 is traveling to be absorbed by the anti-sway mechanism 60, thereby reducing vibrations transmitted to the held article Ws. This prevents damage to the contents contained in the held article Ws due to vibrations. An example of this is shown in FIG. 8. In the example of FIG. 8, the first cover portion 51 and the second cover portion 52 each include the anti-sway mechanism 60, which includes an anti-sway body 60a and an anti-sway body support portion 60b that supports the anti-sway body 60a. In the illustrated example, the anti-vibration body 60a is a roller that rotates around an axis along the vertical direction, and anti-vibration body support parts 60b that rotatably support the roller are attached to the first cover part 51 and the second cover part 52 so as to be movable in the first direction X. When the article transport vehicle 1 travels, the anti-vibration body support parts 60b of the first cover part 51 and the second cover part 52 protrude inward in the first direction X of the storage space S and abut against the side of the article main body part Wb of the stored article Ws (the surface facing the first direction X). It is preferable that the drive source that drives the anti-vibration mechanism 60 and the drive source of the drive mechanism 30 that drives the pair of fall prevention members 20 (the fall prevention drive motor M6 in the above embodiment) be a common drive source. Note that the anti-vibration body 60a may also be configured to include an elastic member. This more effectively absorbs vibrations transmitted to the stored article Ws.

[0045] (3) In the above embodiment, the drive mechanism 30 moves the supported portions 21 of each of the pair of fall prevention members 20 in the first direction X, thereby moving the pair of vertically extending portions 22 of each of the pair of fall prevention members 20 in the first direction X. At the release position P0, the pair of vertically extending portions 22 of each of the pair of fall prevention members 20 are disposed outward in the first direction X relative to the contained items Ws so as not to overlap with the contained items Ws as viewed in the second direction Y. However, this is not limiting. For example, the supported portions 21 of each of the pair of fall prevention members 20 do not have to move in the first direction X. Furthermore, at the release position P0, the vertically extending portions 22 of each of the pair of fall prevention members 20 may overlap with the contained items Ws as viewed in the second direction Y. One such example is shown in FIG. 10. In FIG. 10, the drive mechanism 30 includes a pair of rotating bodies 36 that rotate around an axis r1 along the second direction Y. The pair of rotating bodies 36 are disposed separately in the first direction X. Each of the pair of rotating bodies 36 supports a pair of supported portions 21 of each of the pair of fall prevention members 20. That is, the rotating body 36 serves as a support portion 41 that supports the supported portions 21. Drive of the fall prevention drive motor M6 causes each of the pair of rotating bodies 36 to rotate in opposite directions about the axis r1 via a transmission mechanism 37 (simplified in FIG. 10 ). This causes each of the pair of fall prevention members 20 to pivot about the axis r1 and move between the release position P0 and the prevention position P1. In the illustrated example, at the release position P0, the pair of vertical extension portions 22 of each of the pair of fall prevention members 20 do not overlap any of the stored article Ws, the holding portion 6, the lifting portion 7, or the sliding portion 8 when viewed in the second direction Y. However, a configuration in which the pair of vertical extension portions 22 of each of the pair of fall prevention members 20 overlaps with the stored article Ws when viewed in the second direction Y at the release position P0 is also possible. For example, when the article transport vehicle 1 does not have a slide portion 8, such a configuration can be used.

[0046] (4) In the above embodiment, the drive mechanism 30 is described as including, as the drive unit 35, a plurality of pulleys 35b supported by the cover connecting portion 53, a drive belt 35a wound around the plurality of pulleys 35b and connected to the linear guide mechanism 31, and a fall prevention drive motor M6 that rotates the pulley 35b to drive the drive belt 35a. However, this is not limiting. For example, the drive mechanism 30 may also be configured as including, as the drive unit 35, a ball screw 36a, a nut portion 36b that threadably engages with the ball screw 36a, and an interlocking shaft 36c that connects the nut portion 36b to the support portions 41 (here, the movable bodies 31b) of the pair of linear guide mechanisms 31. One such example is shown in FIG. 11. In the example of FIG. 11, the ball screw 36a is connected to the fall prevention drive motor M6 and is arranged along the first direction X. The ball screw 36a is driven to rotate about its axis by the fall prevention drive motor M6. In the illustrated example, the ball screw 36a has a male thread formed such that the spiral direction is opposite on one side and the other side with respect to the center in the first direction X (traveling direction). The nut portions 36b are threadedly engaged with portions of the ball screw 36a where the male threads are oriented in different directions. That is, a pair of nut portions 36b are arranged in the first direction X. A pair of interlocking shafts 36c are also arranged in the first direction X. Each interlocking shaft 36c connects the nut portion 36b to a pair of moving bodies 31b of the linear guide mechanisms 31 that face each other in the second direction Y. Therefore, when the ball screw 36a rotates in the first direction, the pair of nut portions 36b approach each other, and when the ball screw 36a rotates in the second direction opposite the first direction, the pair of nut portions 36b move away from each other. In response to the approaching and separating movement of the pair of nut portions 36b, the pair of fall-prevention members 20 move toward and away from each other. The drive mechanism 30 includes a rack-and-pinion mechanism as the drive unit 35, and the pair of drop-prevention members 20 can also be moved in the first direction X using the rack-and-pinion mechanism.

[0047] (5) In the above embodiment, the drive mechanism 30 has been described as moving the pair of fall prevention members 20 to one restriction position P1 and the release position P0. However, the present invention is not limited to this configuration. For example, the restriction position P1 may be set at multiple positions in the first direction X. In this case, the drive mechanism 30 can move the pair of fall prevention members 20 to multiple restriction positions P1 and the release position P0. One such example is shown in FIG. 9. In the example of FIG. 9, multiple (here, two) restriction positions P1 are set according to the size of the stored item Ws. More specifically, multiple restriction positions P1 are set according to the width of the stored item Ws in the first direction X. In the illustrated example, when the size of the stored item Ws is large, the control device H moves the pair of fall prevention members 20 to the large item restriction position P11, which is a position closer to the release position P0. Furthermore, when the size of the stored item Ws is small, the control device H moves the pair of fall prevention members 20 to the small item restriction position P12, which is set further inward in the first direction X than the large item restriction position P11. In the illustrated example, two restriction positions P1 are set, but two or more restriction positions P1 may be set.

[0048] (6) In the above embodiment, the vehicle body 5 is described as being located below the traveling unit 4. However, the present invention is not limited to this configuration. For example, the vehicle body 5 may be located above the traveling unit 4.

[0049] (7) In the above embodiment, the first direction X is described as a direction along the traveling direction of the run unit 4. However, the present invention is not limited to this configuration. For example, the first direction X may be a direction perpendicular to the traveling direction of the run unit 4 when viewed from above. In this case, it is preferable that the second direction Y is a direction along the traveling direction of the run unit, and the article transport vehicle 1 travels along the second direction Y. Furthermore, for example, both the first direction X and the second direction Y may be inclined with respect to the traveling direction of the run unit 4. [Summary of the above embodiment] The above-described article transport vehicle will now be outlined.

[0050] The article transport vehicle according to the present disclosure is an article transport vehicle that transports articles, The apparatus comprises a running section having wheels, a vehicle body connected to the running section and forming a storage space for storing the item, a holding section for holding the item in a suspended state, a lifting section for raising and lowering the holding section relative to the vehicle body, thereby moving the item held by the holding section up and down to a storage position within the storage space and a lowered position below the storage space, and a fall prevention device for preventing the item, which is the stored item, from falling when in the storage position, A specific direction in the horizontal direction is defined as a first direction, a direction perpendicular to the first direction when viewed in the up-down direction is defined as a second direction, one side of the first direction is defined as a first direction first side, and the other side of the first direction is defined as a first direction second side, the vehicle body includes a first cover portion that covers a first side in the first direction with respect to the accommodation space, a second cover portion that covers a second side in the first direction with respect to the accommodation space, and a cover connecting portion that connects the first cover portion and the second cover portion on an upper side with respect to the accommodation space, The fall prevention device includes a pair of fall prevention members and a drive mechanism that drives the pair of fall prevention members, Each of the pair of fall prevention members comprises a supported portion supported by the cover connecting portion, a pair of vertical extending portions arranged separately on both sides of the stored item in the second direction and extending downward from the supported portion, and a lower connecting portion connecting the pair of vertical extending portions below the stored item, The drive mechanism drives the pair of drop restriction members to move them between a restriction position and a release position, In the restricting position, the pair of vertical extending portions of each of the pair of fall restricting members overlaps with the stored articles when viewed in the second direction along the second direction, and the lower connecting portions of each of the pair of fall restricting members are arranged to overlap with the stored articles when viewed in the vertical direction, In the release position, the lower connecting portions of the pair of fall restraint members are disposed outward in the first direction relative to the contained articles so as not to overlap with the contained articles when viewed in the up-down direction.

[0051] According to this configuration, the supported portions of each of the pair of fall prevention members are supported by the cover connecting portion that is above the storage space in the vehicle body. The pair of vertically extending portions that extend downward from the supported portions support the lower connecting portion, which is below the stored item, in a suspended state. Therefore, when the pair of fall prevention members are in the restraining position, even if the holding portion unintentionally releases the item, the lower connecting portion of each of the pair of fall prevention members can support the item. This prevents the item from falling off the pair of fall prevention members. Furthermore, when an article is supported by the lower connecting portion in this manner, the weight of the article acts as a vertical tensile load on the fall prevention member, which is oriented in a vertical direction from the supported portion to the lower connecting portion. In other words, it is possible to avoid a large bending moment acting on the fall prevention member and the supporting portion that supports the fall prevention member. Therefore, even if the article is heavy, it is easy to ensure the strength necessary to support the article without significantly increasing the rigidity of the fall prevention member and the supporting portion. This also makes it easy to reduce the size and weight of the fall prevention member and the supporting portion. Furthermore, with this configuration, when the pair of fall prevention members are in the prevention position, each of the vertically extending portions is positioned to overlap with the stored article when viewed in the second direction, thereby preventing the article or a part of it from falling out in the second direction. In this way, with this configuration, it is possible to realize an article transport vehicle equipped with a drop prevention device whose structure makes it easy to ensure strength regardless of the weight of the article.

[0052] Here, the vehicle body has a shape in which at least one side in the second direction is open relative to the accommodation space, the drive mechanism moves the supported portions of the pair of drop prevention members in the first direction, In the release position, it is preferable that the pair of vertically extending portions of each of the pair of fall prevention members are positioned outside the contained items in the first direction so as not to overlap with the contained items when viewed in the second direction.

[0053] According to this configuration, when the pair of fall prevention members are in the prevention position, the pair of vertically extending portions of each of the pair of fall prevention members can prevent the article or a part of the article from falling in the second direction, and when the pair of fall prevention members are in the release position, the article can be moved in the second direction from the storage position. Therefore, for example, the article can be removed in the second direction or transferred by sliding it in the second direction.

[0054] Furthermore, it is preferable that the drive mechanism includes a guide section that guides the supported portions of each of the pair of fall prevention members so that they can move freely in the first direction, and a drive section that moves the pair of supported portions in opposite directions in the first direction.

[0055] According to this configuration, the pair of drop prevention members can be driven in opposite directions in the first direction to move appropriately between the prevention position and the release position. Furthermore, since the pair of fall prevention members are arranged separately on both outer sides in the first direction relative to the contained items in the released position, it is easier to secure a retraction space for the pair of fall prevention members in the released position compared to a configuration in which the pair of fall prevention members are arranged together on either side of the contained items in the first direction.

[0056] Preferably, the restriction position can be set to a plurality of positions in the first direction.

[0057] According to this configuration, multiple restriction positions can be set according to the size of the stored items, so that even if there are multiple sizes of items and the holding portion unintentionally releases the holding of the item, the item can be properly supported to prevent it from falling.

[0058] The vehicle body is disposed below the traveling portion, The cover connecting portion is preferably connected to the running portion.

[0059] According to this configuration, the supported portions of the pair of fall prevention members are supported by the cover connecting portions, which are connecting portions with the running portion of the vehicle body. Therefore, it is easy to ensure the strength of the support portions that support the pair of fall restriction members on the vehicle body side.

[0060] Preferably, the first direction is a direction along the running direction of the running portion.

[0061] According to this configuration, even if a load due to acceleration or deceleration of the running part acts on the stored items, the first cover part and the second cover part can prevent the items or parts of them from falling out in the running direction (first direction).

[0062] It is sufficient for an article transport vehicle according to the present disclosure to achieve at least one of the above-mentioned effects. [Explanation of symbols]

[0063] 1: Goods transport vehicle 2: Fall prevention device 4: Running part 4a:wheel 5: Body 6: Holding part 7: Lifting section 20: Fall prevention member 21: Supported part 22:Vertical extension part 24:Lower connection part 30: Drive mechanism 32: Information department 35: Drive unit 41: Support part 51: First cover part 52: Second cover part 53: Cover connection part P0: Release position P1: Restriction position S: Storage space W:Goods Ws: Storage items X: 1st direction X1: 1st direction 1st side X2: 1st direction 2nd side Y: Second direction

Claims

1. An article transport vehicle that transports articles, The apparatus comprises a running section having wheels, a vehicle body connected to the running section and forming a storage space for storing the item, a holding section for holding the item in a suspended state, a lifting section for raising and lowering the holding section relative to the vehicle body, thereby moving the item held by the holding section up and down to a storage position within the storage space and a lowered position below the storage space, and a fall prevention device for preventing the item, which is the stored item, from falling when in the storage position, A specific direction in the horizontal direction is defined as a first direction, a direction perpendicular to the first direction when viewed in the up-down direction is defined as a second direction, one side of the first direction is defined as a first direction first side, and the other side of the first direction is defined as a first direction second side, the vehicle body includes a first cover portion that covers a first side in the first direction with respect to the accommodation space, a second cover portion that covers a second side in the first direction with respect to the accommodation space, and a cover connecting portion that connects the first cover portion and the second cover portion on an upper side with respect to the accommodation space, The fall prevention device includes a pair of fall prevention members and a drive mechanism that drives the pair of fall prevention members, Each of the pair of fall prevention members comprises a supported portion supported by the cover connecting portion, a pair of vertical extending portions arranged separately on both sides of the stored item in the second direction and extending downward from the supported portion, and a lower connecting portion connecting the pair of vertical extending portions below the stored item, The drive mechanism drives the pair of drop restriction members to move them between a restriction position and a release position, In the restricting position, the pair of vertical extending portions of each of the pair of fall restricting members overlaps with the stored articles when viewed in a second direction along the second direction, and the lower connecting portions of each of the pair of fall restricting members are arranged to overlap with the stored articles when viewed in the vertical direction, In the release position, the lower connecting portions of each of the pair of fall prevention members are positioned outward in the first direction relative to the stored items so as not to overlap with the stored items when viewed in the vertical direction.

2. the vehicle body has a shape in which at least one side in the second direction is open relative to the accommodation space, the drive mechanism moves the supported portions of the pair of drop prevention members in the first direction, The article transport vehicle described in claim 1, wherein in the released position, a pair of the vertical extending portions of each of the pair of fall prevention members are positioned outward in the first direction relative to the contained items so as not to overlap with the contained items when viewed in the second direction.

3. The article transport vehicle described in claim 2, wherein the drive mechanism includes a guide portion that guides each of the supported portions of the pair of fall prevention members so that they can move freely in the first direction, and a drive portion that moves the pair of supported portions in opposite directions in the first direction.

4. The article transport vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the restriction position can be set to a plurality of positions in the first direction.

5. the vehicle body is disposed below the traveling portion, The article transport vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the cover connecting portion is connected to the running portion.

6. The article transport vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the first direction is a direction along a traveling direction of the traveling portion.

Images