Transport vehicle

Abstract

To appropriately suppress falling of an article in a state where the article is gripped.SOLUTION: A gripping part 30 includes a grip body 31, a gripper 32 supported so as to be movable in a first direction X relative to the grip body 31, and a gripper drive 30m that drives the gripper 32. The gripper 32 includes a supported part 320 supported on the grip body 31, a base 321 extending downward from the supported part 320, and an extension 322 that extends in the first direction X from the base 321. A mounting region 322r on which the lower surface 81fu of a gripped part 81 is mounted is formed in the upper surface 322f of the extension 322. The extension 322 includes a projection 322a formed to project above the mounting region 322r on an opposite side in the first direction X sandwiching the mounting region 322r with respect to the base 321.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a transport vehicle that travels along a travel path to transport items, and that is equipped with a storage section that stores the items, a gripping section that grips the items, and a lifting section that raises and lowers the gripping section between the storage section and a transfer target location that is located below the travel path. [Background technology]

[0002] An example of such a carrier vehicle is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2005-064130 (Patent Document 1). In the following description of the background art, the reference numerals in parentheses refer to those in Patent Document 1.

[0003] The transport vehicle (1) disclosed in Patent Document 1 transfers a storage container (51) by gripping a flange member (53) of the storage container (51) with a gripping mechanism (32). The gripping mechanism (32) has a pair of claw members (33) that open and close by moving in opposite directions. When the pair of claw members (33) are in a closed state, they sandwich the flange member (53) from both sides and support it from below. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-064130 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the configuration of Patent Document 1, when the pair of claw members (33) are supporting the flange member (53) from below, i.e., when the gripping mechanism (32) is gripping the storage container (51), if the pair of claw members (33) open due to, for example, a malfunction or vibration, there is a possibility that the storage container (51) will fall off the gripping mechanism (32).

[0006] In view of the above situation, it is desirable to realize a technology that can appropriately prevent an item from falling off while the item is being held. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A transport vehicle that travels along a travel route to transport an item, a storage section for storing the article; a gripping portion that grips the article; a lifting unit that lifts and lowers the gripping unit between the storage unit and a transfer target location that is located below the travel path, The article includes an article main body portion and a gripped portion that protrudes upward from the article main body portion and is gripped by the gripping portion, A specific direction along the horizontal direction is the first direction, the gripped portion has a lower surface facing the article main body portion from above, and a side surface that is continuous with the lower surface and faces one side in the first direction, the gripping unit includes a gripping main body, a gripping body supported so as to be movable relative to the gripping main body in the first direction, and a gripping body driving unit that drives the gripping body; the grip body includes a supported portion supported by the grip main body portion, a base portion extending downward from the supported portion, and an extending portion extending from the base portion in the first direction, a placement area on which the lower surface of the gripped portion is placed is formed on the upper surface of the extension portion; The extension portion includes a protruding portion formed on the opposite side of the base portion in the first direction across the placement area so as to protrude above the placement area.

[0008] According to this configuration, the lower surface of the gripped portion of the article is placed on the placement area of ​​the extension portion of the gripper, thereby gripping the article. Then, with the lower surface of the gripped portion placed on the placement area of ​​the extension portion of the gripper, movement of the gripped portion to one side in the first direction is restricted by the protrusion, and movement to the other side in the first direction is restricted by the base of the gripper. Therefore, according to this configuration, it is possible to appropriately prevent the article from falling off while it is being gripped.

[0009] Further features and advantages of the techniques according to the present disclosure will become more apparent from the following description of exemplary and non-limiting embodiments, which proceeds with reference to the drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] Plan view of the transport facility [Figure 2] Diagram showing transfer operation [Figure 3] A perspective view of an article from above [Figure 4] Diagram showing the grasping operation [Figure 5] A perspective view of the grip portion seen from below. [Figure 6] Diagram showing the lowering limit of the gripping part [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a state before the grasped part is placed on the grasper; [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a state in which the gripped part is placed on the gripper; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] The transport vehicle is configured to travel along a travel path to transport an article. Hereinafter, an embodiment of the transport vehicle will be described, taking as an example a case where the transport vehicle is applied to a transport facility.

[0012] In the following, the reference symbol "Z" will be used to indicate the up-down direction. As shown in Figure 3 and subsequent figures, a specific direction along the horizontal direction will be referred to as the "first direction X." The direction perpendicular to the first direction X when viewed from the up-down direction Z (here, the horizontal direction perpendicular to the first direction X) will be referred to as the "second direction Y."

[0013] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the conveying equipment 100 includes a specified travel route R, a conveying vehicle 1 that travels along the travel route R to convey an item 8, and a plurality of transfer target locations 9 arranged along the travel route R.

[0014] The travel route R is set at a position spaced above the floor surface. In this example, the travel route R is configured using a rail Ra installed near the ceiling. The transport vehicle 1 is configured as a so-called ceiling transport vehicle, and travels along the rail Ra. The transfer target location 9 is located below the travel route R. The transport vehicle 1 is configured to transfer the item 8 between the transfer target location 9 and the transport vehicle 1 by raising and lowering the item 8.

[0015] In this embodiment, the transport facility 100 includes a plurality of transport vehicles 1. Each of the plurality of transport vehicles 1 is configured to receive a transport command from a host control device (not shown) that manages the facility in an integrated manner, and to execute a task in accordance with the transport command. For example, the transport command includes information on the origin and destination of the item 8. Upon receiving the transport command, the transport vehicle 1 transports the item 8 from the origin to the destination. The origin and destination include a transfer target location 9.

[0016] There are various types of items 8 handled by the transport facility 100. In this example, the transport facility 100 is used in a semiconductor manufacturing factory. Therefore, the items 8 include substrate storage containers (so-called FOUPs: Front Opening Unified Pods) that store substrates (wafers, panels, etc.), and reticle storage containers (so-called reticle pods) that store reticles. In this case, the transport vehicle 1 transports the items 8, such as the substrate storage containers and reticle storage containers, along the travel route R between each process.

[0017] In this embodiment, the transfer target location 9 includes a processing device 90 that processes the item 8, and a mounting table 91 that is arranged adjacent to the processing device 90. In this specification, "processing the item 8" means processing of the object (substrate or reticle) contained in the item 8 as a container. The transport vehicle 1 receives the item 8 that has been processed by the processing device 90 from the mounting table 91, or delivers the item 8 that has not been processed by the processing device 90 to the mounting table 91. The processing device 90 performs various processes, such as thin film formation, photolithography, and etching.

[0018] 2, the transport vehicle 1 includes a running section 20 that runs on a rail Ra. The transport vehicle 1 also includes a storage section 10 that stores an item 8, a gripping section 30 that grips the item 8, and a lifting section 40 that raises and lowers the gripping section 30 between the storage section 10 and a transfer target location 9 that is located below the travel route R.

[0019] In this embodiment, the traveling unit 20 includes a plurality of traveling wheels 21 that roll on the rail Ra, and a traveling drive unit 20m that drives at least some of the plurality of traveling wheels 21. For example, the traveling drive unit 20m is configured using an electric motor.

[0020] In this embodiment, the storage unit 10 is suspended from the traveling unit 20 and is positioned below the rail Ra. The storage unit 10 is configured to be able to store the article 8 gripped by the gripping unit 30. When the transport vehicle 1 transports the article 8 along the travel route R, the article 8 is stored in the storage unit 10.

[0021] In this embodiment, the lifting unit 40 includes a lifting belt 41 connected to the gripping unit 30, and a lifting drive unit 40m that drives the lifting belt 41. The lifting drive unit 40m includes a rotating body around which the lifting belt 41 is wound, and a drive source that rotates the rotating body. When the rotating body rotates in the forward or reverse direction, the lifting belt 41 is wound up or unwound. This causes the gripping unit 30 connected to the lifting belt 41 to rise and fall.

[0022] 4, the gripping unit 30 includes a gripping main body 31, a gripping body 32 supported so as to be movable relative to the gripping main body 31 in the first direction X, and a gripping body driving unit 30m that drives the gripping body 32. For example, the gripping body driving unit 30m includes an electric motor. The gripping unit 30 will be described in detail later.

[0023] Next, a description will be given of the item 8. As described above, the item 8 is a container for storing an object to be stored.

[0024] 3, the article 8 includes an article main body 80 and a gripped portion 81 that protrudes upward from the article main body 80 and is gripped by the gripping portion 30. The article main body 80 is a portion that contains an object to be contained and is formed in a box shape. The gripped portion 81 is a portion that is gripped by the gripping portion 30 of the transport vehicle 1.

[0025] In this embodiment, the article 8 has a pair of gripped parts 81. The gripped parts 81 have a plurality of support members 81a extending from the upper surface of the article main body 80, and a cross member 81b connecting the upper ends of the plurality of support members 81a and extending horizontally. In this example, the cross member 81b is formed in a plate shape. However, shapes other than a plate shape are not excluded.

[0026] The grasped portion 81 has a bottom surface 81fu (see also FIG. 6) that faces the article main body 80 from above, and a side surface 81fs that is continuous with the bottom surface 81fu and faces one side in the first direction X. In this embodiment, the bottom surface 81fu is the surface of the cross member 81b that faces downward. Furthermore, the side surface 81fs is the surface of the cross member 81b that faces one side in the first direction X. Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, the bottom surface 81fu of the cross member 81b may be referred to as the bottom surface 81fu of the grasped portion 81. Furthermore, the side surface 81fs of the cross member 81b may be referred to as the side surface 81fs of the grasped portion 81.

[0027] The multiple support members 81a that make up one grasped portion 81 are arranged at intervals in the second direction Y. In the illustrated example, three support members 81a are arranged at equal intervals. As will be described in detail later, the intervals between the multiple support members 81a are set to allow the gripping body 32 of the gripping unit 30 to pass through.

[0028] The cross member 81b is formed in an elongated shape along the second direction Y in which the multiple support members 81a are aligned. The cross member 81b has recesses 81c that are recessed downward from its upper surface. Multiple recesses 81c (two in the illustrated example) are formed in the cross member 81b. As will be described in detail later, when the gripping portion 30 grips the gripped portion 81, the positioning portion 33 of the gripping portion 30 fits into the recesses 81c.

[0029] In the following description, one of the pair of gripped portions 81 will be referred to as a first gripped portion 811, and the other will be referred to as a second gripped portion 812. The first gripped portion 811 and the second gripped portion 812 are arranged to be spaced apart in the first direction X. In the following description, when there is no need to particularly distinguish between the first gripped portion 811 and the second gripped portion 812, they will be collectively referred to simply as "gripped portion 81."

[0030] Next, a detailed description will be given of the structure of the gripping portion 30. The gripping portion 30 is configured to be able to grip the pair of gripped portions 81 described above.

[0031] 4, the gripping unit 30 includes a gripping main body 31, a gripping body 32 supported so as to be movable relative to the gripping main body 31 in the first direction X, and a gripping body driving unit 30m that drives the gripping body 32. The above-mentioned lifting belt 41 is connected to the gripping main body 31. In this example, the gripping unit 30 includes a plurality of positioning units 33.

[0032] In this embodiment, the gripping unit 30 includes at least a pair of gripping bodies 32. The pair of gripping bodies 32 are arranged spaced apart from each other in the first direction X. The pair of gripping bodies 32 are driven by the gripping body driving unit 30m to move toward and away from each other in the first direction X. In other words, the pair of gripping bodies 32 are configured to perform an approaching movement and a moving away movement.

[0033] One of the pair of gripping bodies 32 is referred to as a first gripping body 32A, and the other is referred to as a second gripping body 32B. As shown in FIG. 5, in this embodiment, a plurality of first gripping bodies 32A are provided. The plurality of first gripping bodies 32A are arranged so as to be lined up along the second direction Y. Each of the plurality of first gripping bodies 32A is configured to grip one first gripped portion 811 (see FIG. 4). In the illustrated example, two first gripping bodies 32A are provided, and each of the two first gripping bodies 32A grips one first gripped portion 811. In addition, in this embodiment, a plurality of second gripping bodies 32B are provided. The plurality of second gripping bodies 32B are arranged so as to be lined up along the second direction Y. Each of the plurality of second gripping bodies 32B is configured to grip one second gripped portion 812 (see FIG. 4). In the illustrated example, two second gripping bodies 32B are provided, and the two second gripping bodies 32B grip one second gripped portion 812. Hereinafter, when there is no particular distinction between the first gripping body 32A and the second gripping body 32B, they will be collectively referred to simply as "gripping body 32."

[0034] 4, the grip body 32 includes a supported portion 320 supported by the grip main body portion 31, a base portion 321 extending downward from the supported portion 320, and an extending portion 322 extending from the base portion 321 in the first direction X. In this example, the entire grip body 32 is formed so that the supported portion 320, the base portion 321, and the extending portion 322 form an L-shape when viewed in the second direction Y.

[0035] A placement area 322r on which the lower surface 81fu of the grasped portion 81 is placed is formed on the upper surface 322f of the extending portion 322. The lower surface 81fu of the grasped portion 81 is placed on the upper surface 322f of the extending portion 322, whereby the grasped portion 81 is grasped by the gripping body 32 (see also FIG. 8).

[0036] In this embodiment, the lower surface 81fu of the first gripped portion 811 is placed on the placement area 322r of the first gripping body 32A (in this example, a plurality of first gripping bodies 32A). As a result, the first gripped portion 811 is gripped by the first gripping body 32A. Also, the lower surface 81fu of the second gripped portion 812 is placed on the placement area 322r of the second gripping body 32B (in this example, a plurality of second gripping bodies 32B). As a result, the second gripped portion 812 is gripped by the second gripping body 32B.

[0037] In this embodiment, the first gripper 32A and the second gripper 32B are driven by the gripper drive unit 30m from a state in which they are disposed between the first gripped portion 811 and the second gripped portion 812 in the first direction X to perform a separating operation (hereinafter simply referred to as a "separating operation") in which they move away from each other along the first direction X. In other words, the gripper 30 disposes the first gripper 32A and the second gripper 32B between the first gripped portion 811 and the second gripped portion 812 in the first direction X and causes the first gripper 32A and the second gripper 32B to perform the separating operation. The gripper 30 grips the item 8 by causing at least the first gripper 32A and the second gripper 32B to perform the separating operation.

[0038] 4, the placement area 322r of the first gripper 32A is positioned to face the lower surface 81fu of the first gripped portion 811 from below due to the separation operation. The placement area 322r of the second gripper 32B is positioned to face the lower surface 81fu of the second gripped portion 812 from below due to the separation operation. From this state, the entire gripper 30 is raised by the lifting unit 40, whereby the lower surface 81fu of the first gripped portion 811 is placed on the placement area 322r of the first gripper 32A and the lower surface 81fu of the second gripped portion 812 is placed on the placement area 322r of the second gripper 32B. In this manner, the gripper 30 grips the item 8.

[0039] In this embodiment, the above-described multiple positioning portions 33 are provided so as to protrude downward from the gripper main body portion 31. Each of the multiple positioning portions 33 is provided at a position corresponding to a recess 81c provided in the gripped portion 81 of the article 8. Each of the multiple positioning portions 33 is configured to fit into the corresponding recess 81c, at least when the gripper 30 is gripping the gripped portion 81. Furthermore, when the transport vehicle 1 receives the article 8 placed on the platform 91, each of the multiple positioning portions 33 fits into the recess 81c as the gripper 30 descends toward the platform 91. In other words, each of the multiple positioning portions 33 fits into the recess 81c before the gripper 30 grips the gripped portion 81. This positions the gripper 32 at an appropriate position relative to the gripped portion 81. When the gripping part 30 is configured to be rotatable around an axis along the vertical direction Z, each of the positioning parts 33 fits into the recess 81c, thereby setting the gripping part 30 at an appropriate rotation position relative to the article 8. Thereafter, by operating each gripping body 32, it becomes possible to appropriately grip the gripped part 81.

[0040] In this embodiment, downward protrusions 35 are provided that protrude downward from the grip main body 31. The downward protrusions 35 are omitted in Fig. 5. The downward protrusions 35 are fixed to the grip main body 31. The downward protrusions 35 are provided to correspond to the gripped portions 81 of the article 8. In this example, a pair of downward protrusions 35 are provided to correspond to a pair of gripped portions 81.

[0041] As shown in FIG. 6 , when the gripper 30 is positioned at its lower limit, the downward protrusion 35 abuts against the gripped portion 81 of the article 8. This prevents the gripper 30 from descending beyond its lower limit and also reduces the impact when the gripper 30 collides with the gripped portion 81 at its lower limit. That is, the downward protrusion 35 not only prevents the gripper 30 from descending excessively, but also has an impact-reducing function. The "lower limit" refers to the limit to which the gripper 30 can descend toward the article 8 positioned at the transfer target location 9. As shown in FIG. 6 , when the gripper 30 is positioned at its lower limit, the lower surface of the gripper 32 is positioned above the upper surface of the article main body 80. This makes it possible to stop the descent of the gripper 30 before the gripper 32 comes into contact with the article main body 80, even if the gripper 30 descends excessively.

[0042] As described above, when the article 8 is transferred, the gripped portion 81 of the article 8 is placed on the placement area 322r formed in the extension portion 322 of the gripper 32. Here, as shown in FIG. 7 , the extension portion 322 has a protruding portion 322a formed on the opposite side of the placement area 322r in the first direction X from the base portion 321, so as to protrude upward beyond the placement area 322r. In this embodiment, the protruding portion 322a is formed at the end of the extension portion 322 in the first direction X. The gripping operation for gripping the gripped portion 81 (in this embodiment, the above-mentioned separating operation) is performed in a state where the upper end 322e of the protruding portion 322a is positioned below the lower surface 81fu of the gripped portion 81.

[0043] 8, when the gripped portion 81 of the article 8 is placed on the placement area 322r of the extension portion 322, the protrusion 322a faces or abuts against the side surface 81fs of the gripped portion 81 in the first direction X. As a result, the outward movement of the gripped portion 81 in the first direction X is restricted by the protrusion 322a. Furthermore, the inward movement of the gripped portion 81 in the first direction X is restricted by the base 321. Therefore, when the article 8 is gripped by the gripper 30, the transport vehicle 1 can appropriately prevent the article 8 from falling off.

[0044] As shown in FIG. 7, the gripping unit 30 includes a sensor 34 that detects that the lower surface 81fu of the gripped portion 81 is placed on the placement area 322r. In this embodiment, the sensor 34 is configured to detect the presence or absence of the gripped portion 81 (specifically, the lower surface 81fu) in a region Dr (hereinafter referred to as the "detection region Dr") that is below the upper end 322e of the protrusion 322a and above the placement area 322r. That is, the area above the protrusion 322a is excluded from the detection target of the sensor 34. Therefore, even if the lower surface 81fu of the gripped portion 81 is located above the protrusion 322a, the sensor 34 does not detect the lower surface 81fu. With this configuration, for example, if the gripped portion 81 gripped by the gripper 32 is not properly placed on the placement area 322r and ends up on the protrusion 322a, the sensor 34 can be prevented from detecting the gripped portion 81. Therefore, when the gripping of the gripped portion 81 by the gripper 32 is inappropriate, the sensor 34 will not erroneously detect that the gripping is appropriate. Note that if the sensor 34 does not detect the underside 81fu of the gripped portion 81 even after the gripping unit 30 has performed a gripping operation to grip the gripped portion 81, the gripping unit 30 may retry the gripping operation. If the sensor 34 still does not detect the underside 81fu of the gripped portion 81 even after retrying the gripping operation, the transport vehicle 1 may notify an error to a higher-level control device, a worker, or the like.

[0045] In this embodiment, the sensor 34 is configured to detect that the lower surface 81fu of the gripped portion 81 has been placed on the placement area 322r. Specifically, the sensor 34 includes a pressed portion 34a that is pressed by the lower surface 81fu of the gripped portion 81 placed on the placement area 322r, and is configured to detect that the lower surface 81fu of the gripped portion 81 has been placed on the placement area 322r when the pressed portion 34a is pressed (see FIG. 8). In this example, the pressed portion 34a is disposed so as to protrude upward from the placement area 322r, and the upper end of the pressed portion 34a is disposed below the upper end 322e of the protruding portion 322a. This allows the sensor 34 to detect the lower surface 81fu of the gripped portion 81 in a detection area Dr that is below the upper end 322e of the protruding portion 322a and above the placement area 322r.

[0046] As described above, in this embodiment, the gripping unit 30 includes a plurality of (two in this example) first grippers 32A and a plurality of (two in this example) second grippers 32B. In this embodiment, a sensor 34 is provided corresponding to each of the plurality of first grippers 32A and the plurality of second grippers 32B. That is, a sensor 34 is provided to detect that the lower surface 81fu of the gripped portion 81 is placed on the placement area 322r of each of the plurality of first grippers 32A and the placement area 322r of each of the plurality of second grippers 32B. This makes it possible to detect whether each gripped portion 81 is being properly gripped by each gripper 32. Furthermore, for example, when some of the plurality of grippers 32 detect the gripped portion 81 and the other do not detect the gripped portion 81, it is possible to determine the posture and tilt direction of the gripped object 8 based on the detection results. If the gripping portion 30 is configured to be rotatable around an axis along the vertical direction Z, the deviation of the rotational position of the gripping portion 30 relative to the item 8 can also be determined based on the detection results of multiple sensors 34.

[0047] As shown in FIG. 7 , in this embodiment, the downward protrusion 35 and the protrusion 322a of the gripping body 32 face each other in the vertical direction Z. Specifically, the downward protrusion 35 faces the protrusion 322a of the gripping body 32 after the separation operation, i.e., the protrusion 322a of the gripping body 32 in a state where the gripping body 32 is opened outward in the first direction X, in the vertical direction Z. In other words, after the separation operation of the gripping body 32, the downward protrusion 35 and the protrusion 322a are arranged so as to overlap each other as viewed in the vertical direction Z. A gap Gz in the vertical direction Z between the lower end 35e of the downward protrusion 35 and the upper end 322e of the protrusion 322a is smaller than the thickness Lz of the gripped portion 81 in the vertical direction Z. In this example, the thickness Lz of the gripped portion 81 in the vertical direction Z is the thickness Lz of the portion of the gripped portion 81 supported from below by the extending portion 322 (here, the cross member 81b) in the vertical direction Z. With the above configuration, even if the gripped portion 81, while being gripped by the gripping portion 30, tries to climb onto the protruding portion 322a, for example, due to vibration, the gripped portion 81 can be prevented from slipping through the gap Gz in the vertical direction Z between the lower end 35e of the downward protruding portion 35 and the upper end 322e of the protruding portion 322a and falling off.

[0048] According to the transport vehicle 1 described above, when the lower surface 81fu of the gripped portion 81 is placed on the placement area 322r of the gripper 32, the protruding portion 322a of the gripper 32 faces or abuts against the side surface 81fs of the gripped portion 81 in the first direction X, thereby preventing the gripped portion 81 from falling off from the gripping unit 30. Furthermore, since the gap Gz in the vertical direction Z between the lower end 35e of the downward protruding portion 35 and the upper end 322e of the protruding portion 322a is smaller than the thickness Lz of the gripped portion 81 in the vertical direction Z, the gripped portion 81 can be further prevented from slipping through the gap Gz and falling off from the gripping unit 30.

[0049] Other Embodiments Next, other embodiments of the transport vehicle will be described.

[0050] (1) In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the first gripper 32A and the second gripper 32B perform a separating action to move away from each other along the first direction X from a state in which they are disposed between the first gripped portion 811 and the second gripped portion 812 in the first direction X, thereby gripping both the first gripped portion 811 and the second gripped portion 812 from the inside of the first direction X. However, without being limited to this example, the first gripper 32A and the second gripper 32B may perform an approaching action to move closer to each other along the first direction X in a state in which the first gripper 32A is disposed outward in the first direction X from the first gripped portion 811 and the second gripper 32B is disposed outward in the first direction X from the second gripped portion 812, thereby gripping both the first gripped portion 811 and the second gripper 812 from the outside of the first direction X.

[0051] (2) In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the sensor 34 includes a pressed portion 34a that is pressed by the lower surface 81fu of the gripped portion 81 placed on the placement area 322r, and is configured to detect that the lower surface 81fu of the gripped portion 81 has been placed on the placement area 322r by pressing the pressed portion 34a. That is, an example has been described in which the sensor 34 is configured as a contact sensor. However, without being limited to this example, the sensor 34 may be configured as a non-contact sensor that detects an object without contact. In this case, the sensor 34 may be configured using a known sensor such as an optical sensor or an ultrasonic sensor.

[0052] (3) In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which a sensor 34 is provided corresponding to each of the multiple first grippers 32A and the multiple second grippers 32B. However, without being limited to this example, sensors 34 may be provided to some of the multiple first grippers 32A and the multiple second grippers 32B. In the above embodiment, two first grippers 32A and two second grippers 32B are provided. In this case, it is preferable to provide sensors 34 only to the first grippers 32A and the second grippers 32B, which are diagonally arranged in the vertical direction Z, out of a total of four grippers 32. This reduces the number of sensors 34 installed. Furthermore, since placement of the gripped portion 81 on the grippers 32 at diagonal positions in the vertical direction Z can be detected, it is easy to detect whether the entire article 8 is being properly gripped.

[0053] (4) In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the downward protrusion 35 that protrudes downward from the grip main body 31 is provided. However, the downward protrusion 35 is not an essential component. Even when the downward protrusion 35 is provided, the gap Gz in the vertical direction Z between the lower end 35e of the downward protrusion 35 and the upper end 322e of the protrusion 322a may be made not smaller than the thickness Lz of the gripped portion 81 in the vertical direction Z. In this case, the downward protrusion 35 does not have a function of preventing the gripped portion 81 from falling off, but may have a function of preventing excessive descent of the gripping portion 30 and a function of shock absorption, as in the above embodiment.

[0054] (5) In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the gripping unit 30 includes both a positioning portion 33 (two positioning portions 33 in the illustrated example) that fits into a recess 81c formed in the first gripped portion 811 and a positioning portion 33 (two positioning portions 33 in the illustrated example) that fits into a recess 81c formed in the second gripped portion 812. However, without being limited to this example, the gripping unit 30 may be configured to include only a positioning portion 33 that fits into a recess 81c formed in either the first gripped portion 811 or the second gripped portion 812. In other words, a positioning portion 33 corresponding to a recess 81c formed in the other of the first gripped portion 811 or the second gripped portion 812 may not be provided.

[0055] (6) In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the article 8 has a pair of grippable parts 81. However, without being limited to such an example, the article 8 may have only one grippable part 81, or may have three or more grippable parts 81. The number of grippers 32 for gripping the grippable parts 81 is determined arbitrarily depending on the number of grippable parts 81.

[0056] (7) The configurations disclosed in the above-described embodiments may be combined with configurations disclosed in other embodiments as long as no contradictions arise. Regarding other configurations, the embodiments disclosed in this specification are merely examples in all respects. Therefore, various modifications may be made as appropriate within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0057] [Summary of the above embodiment] The above-described transport vehicle will now be described.

[0058] A transport vehicle that travels along a travel route to transport an item, a storage section for storing the article; a gripping portion that grips the article; a lifting unit that lifts and lowers the gripping unit between the storage unit and a transfer target location that is located below the travel path, The article includes an article main body portion and a gripped portion that protrudes upward from the article main body portion and is gripped by the gripping portion, A specific direction along the horizontal direction is the first direction, the gripped portion has a lower surface facing the article main body portion from above, and a side surface that is continuous with the lower surface and faces one side in the first direction, the gripping unit includes a gripping main body, a gripping body supported so as to be movable relative to the gripping main body in the first direction, and a gripping body driving unit that drives the gripping body; the grip body includes a supported portion supported by the grip main body portion, a base portion extending downward from the supported portion, and an extending portion extending from the base portion in the first direction, a placement area on which the lower surface of the gripped portion is placed is formed on the upper surface of the extension portion; The extension portion includes a protruding portion formed on the opposite side of the base portion in the first direction across the placement area so as to protrude above the placement area.

[0059] According to this configuration, the lower surface of the gripped portion of the article is placed on the placement area of ​​the extension portion of the gripper, thereby gripping the article. Then, with the lower surface of the gripped portion placed on the placement area of ​​the extension portion of the gripper, movement of the gripped portion to one side in the first direction is restricted by the protrusion, and movement to the other side in the first direction is restricted by the base of the gripper. Therefore, according to this configuration, it is possible to appropriately prevent the article from falling off while it is being gripped.

[0060] the article includes a pair of the grippable portions, One of the pair of gripped portions is a first gripped portion, and the other is a second gripped portion, The first grasped portion and the second grasped portion are disposed apart from each other in the first direction, The gripping portion includes a pair of gripping bodies, The pair of grippers are driven by the gripper drive unit to move toward and away from each other in the first direction, The lower surface of the first gripped portion is placed on the placement area of ​​a first gripping body, which is one of the pair of gripping bodies; It is preferable that the lower surface of the second gripped portion is placed on the placement area of ​​a second gripping body, which is the other of the pair of gripping bodies.

[0061] According to this configuration, an article having a pair of gripped portions can be appropriately gripped by the pair of gripping bodies. Furthermore, the protrusions of the first gripping body and the second gripping body are engaged with the side surfaces of the corresponding gripped portions, thereby restricting the movement of the first gripping body and the second gripping body in the first direction (the direction toward or away from each other). This reduces the need for a brake mechanism or the like to restrict the movement of the first gripping body and the second gripping body in the first direction. Therefore, according to this configuration, the number of parts of the gripping body can be reduced, resulting in weight reduction and cost reduction.

[0062] the first gripping body and the second gripping body are driven by the gripping body driving unit to perform a separating operation in which the first gripping body and the second gripping body are separated from each other along the first direction from a state in which the first gripping body and the second gripping body are disposed between the first gripped portion and the second gripped portion in the first direction, the placement area of ​​the first gripper is disposed at a position facing the lower surface of the first gripped portion from below by the separating operation; Preferably, the placement area of ​​the second gripper is placed at a position facing the lower surface of the second gripped part from below by the separating operation.

[0063] According to this configuration, the first gripping body and the second gripping body can grip the first gripped portion and the second gripped portion from the inside in the first direction, respectively, which makes it easier to make the gripping portion smaller in the first direction than a configuration in which the gripped portions are gripped by sandwiching them from the outside in the first direction.

[0064] The gripping portion preferably includes a sensor that detects that the lower surface of the gripped portion is placed on the placement area.

[0065] According to this configuration, the sensor can detect that the underside of the gripped part has been placed on the placement area, thereby making it possible to appropriately detect whether the gripping part is gripping an article.

[0066] Preferably, the sensor is configured to detect the presence or absence of the gripped portion in a region below the upper end of the protruding portion and above the placement region.

[0067] According to this configuration, for example, if the gripped part gripped by the gripper is not placed correctly in the placement area and rides up on the protrusion, the sensor can be prevented from detecting the gripped part. Therefore, according to this configuration, the sensor can detect whether the gripper is properly gripping the gripped part.

[0068] A direction perpendicular to the first direction when viewed from above is defined as a second direction, A plurality of the first gripping bodies are provided, and the plurality of first gripping bodies are arranged so as to be aligned along the second direction, A plurality of the second gripping bodies are provided, and the plurality of the second gripping bodies are arranged so as to be aligned along the second direction, The plurality of first gripping bodies are configured to grip one of the first gripped portions, Preferably, the plurality of second gripping bodies are configured to grip one of the second gripped portions.

[0069] According to this configuration, the article can be stably gripped by the plurality of first gripping bodies and the plurality of second gripping bodies.

[0070] It is preferable that a sensor be provided in the placement area of ​​each of the plurality of first gripping bodies and in the placement area of ​​each of the plurality of second gripping bodies to detect that the underside of the gripped portion has been placed on it.

[0071] This configuration makes it possible to detect whether each gripper is properly gripping each gripped part. Furthermore, for example, if some of the multiple grippers detect the gripped part and some do not, it becomes possible to determine the posture and tilt direction of the gripped article based on the detection results.

[0072] A downward protrusion is provided that protrudes downward from the grip body portion, The downward protruding portion and the protruding portion face each other in the up-down direction, It is preferable that the gap in the vertical direction between the lower end of the downward protruding portion and the upper end of the protruding portion is smaller than the thickness of the gripped portion in the vertical direction.

[0073] According to this configuration, even if the gripped part, while being held by the gripping part, tries to climb onto the protruding part, for example, due to vibration, the gripped part can be prevented from slipping through the vertical gap between the lower end of the downward protruding part and the upper end of the protruding part and falling off. [Industrial Applicability]

[0074] The technology disclosed herein can be used in a transport vehicle that travels along a travel path to transport items, and that is equipped with a storage section that stores the items, a gripping section that grips the items, and a lifting section that raises and lowers the gripping section between the storage section and a transfer target location that is located below the travel path. [Explanation of symbols]

[0075] 1: Transport vehicle 10: Storage section 30: Grip part 30m:Gripper drive unit 31: Grip body part 32: Grip body 320: Supported part 321: Base 322: Extension part 322a:Protrusion 322e :Top edge 322f:Top surface 322r: Placement area 32A: 1st grip 32B:Second grip body 34: Sensor 35: Downward protrusion 35e: bottom edge 40: Lifting section 8: Goods 80: Main body of the article 81:Gripped part 81fs: Side 81fu: Bottom surface 811: First gripped part 812: Second gripped part 9: Transfer location Dr: Area (detection area) Gz: Gap Lz: Thickness R: Travel route X: 1st direction Y: Second direction Z: Vertical direction

Claims

1. A transport vehicle that travels along a travel route to transport an item, a storage section for storing the article; a gripping portion that grips the article; a lifting unit that lifts and lowers the gripping unit between the storage unit and a transfer target location that is located below the travel path, The article includes an article main body portion and a gripped portion that protrudes upward from the article main body portion and is gripped by the gripping portion, A specific direction along the horizontal direction is set as the first direction, the gripped portion includes a lower surface facing the article main body portion from above, and a side surface that is continuous with the lower surface and faces one side in the first direction, The gripping unit includes a gripping main body, a gripping body supported so as to be movable relative to the gripping main body in the first direction, and a gripping body driving unit that drives the gripping body, the grip body includes a supported portion supported by the grip main body portion, a base portion extending downward from the supported portion, and an extending portion extending from the base portion in the first direction, a placement area on which the lower surface of the gripped portion is placed is formed on the upper surface of the extension portion; The extension portion has a protrusion formed on the opposite side of the base portion in the first direction across the placement area, the protrusion protruding above the placement area.

2. the article includes a pair of the grippable portions, One of the pair of gripped portions is a first gripped portion, and the other is a second gripped portion, The first grasped portion and the second grasped portion are disposed apart from each other in the first direction, The gripping portion includes a pair of gripping bodies, The pair of grippers are driven by the gripper drive unit to move toward and away from each other in the first direction, The lower surface of the first gripped portion is placed on the placement area of ​​a first gripping body that is one of the pair of gripping bodies, The transport vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the lower surface of the second gripped portion is placed on the placement area of ​​a second gripper, which is the other of the pair of grippers.

3. the first gripping body and the second gripping body are driven by the gripping body driving unit to perform a separating operation in which the first gripping body and the second gripping body are separated from each other along the first direction from a state in which the first gripping body and the second gripping body are disposed between the first gripped portion and the second gripped portion in the first direction, the placement area of ​​the first gripper is disposed at a position facing the lower surface of the first gripped portion from below by the separating operation; The transport vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein the placement area of ​​the second gripper is disposed at a position facing the lower surface of the second gripped part from below by the separating operation.

4. The transport vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the gripping unit includes a sensor that detects that the underside of the gripped part is placed in the placement area.

5. The transport vehicle according to claim 4 , wherein the sensor is configured to detect the presence or absence of the gripped part in an area below an upper end of the protrusion and above the placement area.

6. A direction perpendicular to the first direction when viewed from above is defined as a second direction, A plurality of the first gripping bodies are provided, and the plurality of first gripping bodies are arranged so as to be aligned along the second direction, A plurality of the second gripping bodies are provided, and the plurality of the second gripping bodies are arranged so as to be aligned along the second direction, The plurality of first gripping bodies are configured to grip one of the first gripped portions, The transport vehicle according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the plurality of second gripping bodies are configured to grip one of the second gripped portions.

7. The transport vehicle described in claim 6, further comprising a sensor for detecting that the underside of the gripped portion is placed in the placement area of ​​each of the plurality of first grippers and the placement area of ​​each of the plurality of second grippers.

8. A downward protrusion is provided that protrudes downward from the grip body portion, The downward protruding portion and the protruding portion face each other in the up-down direction, The transport vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein a vertical gap between a lower end of the downward protruding portion and an upper end of the protruding portion is smaller than a vertical thickness of the gripped portion.

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