Storage shelves

Abstract

This storage shelf comprises: a placement part on which an article is placed from above; and a restriction member that restricts the upward movement of the article, by rotating in one direction in conjunction with the article being placed on the placement part from above and by advancing to a position directly above the article which was placed on the placement part.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a storage shelf.

Background Art

[0002] As a storage shelf, as described in Patent Document 1, there is known a storage device including a shelf board (placement part) on which an object to be conveyed (article) is placed, and a fall prevention mechanism that restricts upward movement of the object to be conveyed placed on the shelf board. In the storage device described in Patent Document 1, the fall prevention mechanism moves between a position where it advances above the article and a position where it retreats from above by being pressed in the horizontal direction by a lifting mechanism that moves in the horizontal direction.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the above-described storage shelf, for example, when placing an article on the placement part from above without involving horizontal movement of the lifting mechanism, there is a possibility that upward movement of the article cannot be restricted. Further, in the above-described storage shelf, when placing an article on the placement part from above after the lifting mechanism has moved horizontally at a high position, there is a possibility that upward movement of the article cannot be restricted.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a storage shelf capable of restricting upward movement of an article placed on a placement part from above.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] (1) A storage rack according to one aspect of the present disclosure comprises a mounting section on which articles are placed from above, and a restricting member that rotates in one direction as articles are placed on the mounting section from above and moves forward directly above the articles placed on the mounting section, thereby restricting the upward movement of the articles.

[0007] In this storage rack, the upward movement of items placed on the rack can be restricted by a regulating member, utilizing the downward movement of the items during placement. In other words, it is possible to restrict the upward movement of items placed on the rack from above.

[0008] (2) In the storage rack described in (1) above, the regulating member has a rotating shaft extending in the vertical direction and a main body that is rotatably mounted on the rotating shaft as its base axis, and the main body may include a helical contact surface that is inclined with respect to the vertical plane and extends spirally around the rotating shaft, and can contact the article placed on the mounting section from above. In this case, the regulating member can be easily and reliably moved to an advance position that is directly above the article placed on the mounting section by utilizing the downward movement of the article.

[0009] (3) In the storage rack described in (1) or (2) above, the restricting member may rotate in the opposite direction to the one direction as the article is lifted upward from the placement section, and move away from directly above the placed article, thereby releasing the restriction on the upward movement of the article. In this case, the restriction on the movement of the article by the restricting member (restriction on the upward movement of the article) can be released by utilizing the upward movement of the article.

[0010] (4) In the storage rack described in (3) above, the restricting member may have an elastic body that biases the restricting member to rotate in the other direction. In this case, the movement restriction by the restricting member can be released by utilizing the elastic force of the elastic body.

[0011] (5) In the storage rack described in (4) above, the restricting member may have a rotation damper that delays the rotational speed of the restricting member in the other direction. In this case, for example, in response to the normal upward movement of an item during transfer, the restricting member can be rotated in the other direction to follow, thereby releasing the movement restriction by the restricting member. On the other hand, for example, in response to the sudden upward movement (lifting) of an item during an earthquake, the rotation damper can delay the rotational speed of the restricting member in the other direction, thereby preventing the movement restriction by the restricting member from being released immediately.

[0012] (6) In any of the storage shelves described in (1) to (5) above, a positioning pin is provided on the mounting section, protruding upward and inserted into a recess at the bottom of the article placed on the mounting section, and when the article is placed on the mounting section, the length of the positioning pin inserted into the recess may be longer than the distance between the portion of the restricting member that extends directly above the article and the article. In this case, when movement is restricted by the restricting member, it is possible to prevent the positioning pin from coming out of the recess of the article.

[0013] (7) In the storage rack described in (2) above, when the main body is in the first rotation position and the article is in the first height position, the article comes into contact with the spiral contact surface, and when the article descends from the first height position to the second height position, which is lower than the first height position and is the height position when the article is placed on the mounting section, the article may slide along the spiral contact surface and push against it, causing the main body to rotate in one direction from the first rotation position to the second rotation position. In this case, when placing the article on the mounting section, the downward movement of the article can be specifically used to rotate the main body in one direction from the first rotation position to the second rotation position.

[0014] (8) In the storage rack described in (7) above, the main body has a base portion provided with a spiral contact surface and an overhang portion provided integrally with the base portion and extending horizontally, wherein when the main body is in the first rotation position, the overhang portion is retracted from directly above the placement area on which the articles are placed in the placement section, and when the main body is in the second rotation position, the overhang portion may be extended directly above the articles. In this case, when placing an article on the placement section, it is possible to restrict the upward movement of the article by moving the overhang portion to the extended position. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] According to this disclosure, it is possible to provide a storage rack that can restrict the upward movement of articles placed on the mounting section from above. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0016] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a side view showing a storage rack and an overhead transport vehicle according to one embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the item in Figure 1. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a plan view showing the storage rack in Figure 1. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the regulating member in Figure 3. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is another perspective view showing the regulating member of Figure 3. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a perspective view showing a cross-section of the regulatory member shown in Figure 4. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a perspective view showing the surrounding structure of the torsion spring in the regulating member of Figure 4. [Figure 8] Figure 8(a) is a perspective view illustrating the operation of the regulating member when placing an item on the storage shelf from above. Figure 8(b) is a side view showing the regulating member and the item in Figure 8(a). [Figure 9] Figure 9(a) is a perspective view illustrating the continuation of the operation shown in Figure 8(a). Figure 9(b) is a side view showing the regulating member and article in Figure 9(a). [Figure 10]FIG. 10(a) is a perspective view for explaining the continuation of the operation of FIG. 9(a). FIG. 10(b) is a side view showing the regulating member and the article of FIG. 10(a). [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a side view showing an enlarged part of the regulating member in a state where an article is placed on the placing portion.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0017] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the description of the drawings, the same or corresponding elements are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions are omitted. The terms "upper" and "lower" correspond to the vertical up and down directions.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 1, the storage shelf 1 is arranged, for example, along the track 4 of the ceiling transfer vehicle 6 that constitutes the ceiling transfer vehicle system S of a semiconductor manufacturing factory. The storage shelf 1 temporarily stores articles 10 such as FOUPs. The storage shelf 1 is an overhead buffer (OHB). The storage shelf 1 includes a placing portion 8 that is suspended and supported by a plurality of shelf columns 9 from the ceiling. The storage shelf 1 receives, supports, and stores the article 10 transferred from the ceiling transfer vehicle 6. In the illustrated example, the storage shelf 1 is an under-track buffer (UTB) in which the placing portion 8 is arranged directly below the track 4.

[0019] As shown in Figure 2, article 10 is, for example, a Front Opening Unified Pod (FOUP) for storing multiple semiconductor wafers. Article 10 has a box-shaped container body 11 that opens at the front, a lid 12 that is detachably provided on the front side of the container body 11, a flange 13 provided on the upper part of the container body 11, and a bottom plate 14 provided on the lower part of the container body 11. The flange 13 is the part that is gripped by the overhead transport vehicle 6. The flange 13 is formed in a plate shape along the upper surface of the container body 11. The flange 13 is located in the center of the upper surface when viewed from above. The bottom plate 14 is formed in a plate shape along the lower surface of the container body 11. The bottom plate 14 is provided so as to protrude outward from both sides of the container body 11. Three recesses (grooves or holes) 15 (see Figure 11) for positioning are provided on the lower surface (bottom) of the container body 11. Positioning pins P, which will be described later, are inserted into the recesses 15.

[0020] Returning to Figure 1, the overhead transport vehicle 6 travels along a track 4 laid near the ceiling and transports the goods 10. The overhead transport vehicle 6 has a travel unit 18, a main frame 22, a lateral transfer unit 24, a θ drive 26, a lifting drive unit 28, and a lifting platform 30. The travel unit 18 makes the overhead transport vehicle 6 travel along the track 4. The lateral transfer unit 24 slides the θ drive 26, the lifting drive unit 28, and the lifting platform 30 together. The θ drive 26 rotates the lifting drive unit 28 and the lifting platform 30 within a predetermined angular range in the horizontal plane. The lifting drive unit 28 raises and lowers the lifting platform 30 by winding or unwinding the suspension material. The lifting platform 30 grips the goods 10 with the gripping unit 31 and raises and lowers them.

[0021] As shown in Figures 1 and 3, the loading section 8 is the area where the articles 10 are transferred between the overhead transport vehicle 6 and the loading section 8. The articles 10 are placed on the loading section 8 from above. The loading section 8 is composed of a plate-shaped member with the vertical direction as the thickness direction. The loading section 8 has a loading surface 8x that is aligned with the horizontal plane. The articles 10 being transported by the overhead transport vehicle 6 are temporarily placed on the loading section 8.

[0022] For example, when transferring an item 10 from the loading section 8 to the overhead transport vehicle 6, the overhead transport vehicle 6, which does not hold the item 10, stops at a predetermined position above the loading section 8. If the position of the lifting platform 30 to be lowered at the stopping position deviates from the predetermined position relative to the loading section 8 (item 10), the horizontal position and horizontal angle of the lifting platform 30 are adjusted by driving the lateral transfer section 24 and the θ drive 26. Next, the lifting drive unit 28 lowers the lifting platform 30, and the gripping portion 31 of the lifting platform 30 holds the flange 13 of the item 10 that is loaded on the loading section 8. Next, the lifting drive unit 28 raises the lifting platform 30, lifting the item 10 upwards. Then, the overhead transport vehicle 6, holding the item 10, starts moving.

[0023] On the other hand, for example, when transferring an item 10 from the overhead transport vehicle 6 to the loading section 8, the overhead transport vehicle 6 holding the item 10 stops at a predetermined position above the loading section 8. If the position of the lifting platform 30 (item 10) to be lowered at the stopping position deviates from the predetermined position relative to the loading section 8, the horizontal position and horizontal angle of the lifting platform 30 are adjusted by driving the lateral transfer unit 24 and the θ drive 26. Subsequently, the lifting drive unit 28 lowers the lifting platform 30, and after the item 10 is placed on the loading section 8 from above, the gripping portion 31 of the lifting platform 30 releases its grip on the flange 13 of the item 10. Next, the lifting drive unit 28 raises the lifting platform 30 to its upper limit. Then, the overhead transport vehicle 6, which is not holding the item 10, starts moving.

[0024] Three positioning pins P are provided on the mounting section 8. The positioning pins P protrude upward from the mounting surface 8x. The positioning pins P are inserted into recesses 15 on the lower surface of the article 10 placed on the mounting section 8 until their tips abut against the article 10. In this way, the article 10 is positioned and placed on the mounting section 8. The positioning pins P are, for example, kinema pins. In the illustrated example, the positioning pins P are distributed at three points that are not on a straight line with the mounting surface 8x when viewed from above.

[0025] The storage rack 1 of this embodiment is equipped with a restricting member 50. The restricting member 50 rotates in one direction as the article 10 is placed on the placement section 8 from above, and moves forward directly above the article 10 placed on the placement section 8, thereby restricting the upward movement of the article 10. The restricting member 50 rotates in the other direction as the article 10 is lifted upward from the placement section 8, and moves away from directly above the placed article 10, thereby releasing the restriction on the upward movement of the article 10. Directly above the article 10 is directly above the article 10. Directly above the article 10 is the position that overlaps with the article 10 in a plan view.

[0026] As shown in Figures 3, 4, 5, and 6, the regulating members 50 are provided on the mounting section 8. A pair of regulating members 50 are provided for each article 10 placed on the mounting section 8. The pair of regulating members 50 are positioned on the mounting surface 8x such that, when viewed from above, they face each other horizontally across the mounting area Z on the mounting section 8 where the article 10 is placed. The regulating member 50 has a rotating shaft 51, a main body 52, a rotating stopper 53, a torsion spring (elastic body) 54, and a rotating damper 55.

[0027] Note that "one direction" refers to one of the directions of rotation. Here, "one direction" refers to one of the directions of rotation around the rotation axis 51 (clockwise direction). "The other direction" is the direction opposite to "one direction" and refers to the other direction of rotation. Here, "the other direction" refers to the other direction of rotation around the rotation axis 51 (counterclockwise direction). Note that Figures 1 and 3 to 8 show the initial state in which the regulating member 50 does not rotate further in the other direction.

[0028] The rotating shaft 51 is a shaft member that extends along the vertical direction. The rotating shaft 51 is formed, for example, in a cylindrical shape. The lower part of the rotating shaft 51 is fixed and supported by a rectangular plate 61. The plate 61 is positioned on the mounting surface 8x of the mounting section 8 with the vertical direction as the thickness direction. The plate 61 is fixed to the mounting section 8 with bolts B0.

[0029] The main body 52 is rotatably mounted around the rotating shaft 51. The main body 52 is made of, for example, resin. The main body 52 is composed of a base portion 56 and an overhanging portion 57. A through hole 56h is formed in the base portion 56. The rotating shaft 51 is inserted into the through hole 56h via a flanged cylindrical sliding bearing 62. This allows the base portion 56 to rotate in one direction and in other directions around the rotating shaft 51.

[0030] The base portion 56 is provided with a helical contact surface 58. In other words, the main body portion 52 has a helical contact surface 58. The helical contact surface 58 is inclined with respect to the vertical plane and extends in a spiral shape around the rotation axis 51. The helical contact surface 58 extends from the upper end to the lower end of the base portion 56. In a plan view, the helical contact surface 58 extends in an angular range of 180° along the circumferential direction around the rotation axis 51. The helical contact surface 58 is a slope that descends while rotating around the rotation axis 51. The helical contact surface 58 is a curved surface that bulges out and extends smoothly and continuously. The helical contact surface 58 is a surface that can contact the article 10 placed on the mounting portion 8 from above. In a plan view, the helical contact surface 58 overlaps with the mounting area Z. The helical contact surface 58 is a sliding surface on which the article 10 slides. The angle of inclination of the helical contact surface 58 with respect to the vertical plane is constant from the upper end to the lower end of the helical contact surface 58.

[0031] The spiral contact surface 58 converts the downward force applied when the article 10 contacts it from above into a rotational force in one direction. Specifically, when the article 10 strikes the spiral contact surface 58 from above and the spiral contact surface 58 is pressed against it, a force is generated that rotates the base portion 56 in one direction. As a result, the base portion 56 rotates in one direction due to this force, and the article 10 moves (slides) toward the mounting surface 8x by sliding along the spiral contact surface 58.

[0032] As shown in Figures 7 and 8(b), a pressed surface 56x is formed on the lower part of the base portion 56, which is pressed in the opposite direction of rotation by a torsion spring 54. An engaged surface 56y is formed on the lower part of the base portion 56, which engages in the rotational direction with a rotation stopper 53 to prevent the base portion 56 from rotating further in the opposite direction in the initial state.

[0033] As shown in Figures 3 to 6, the overhang portion 57 is integrally provided with the base portion 56. The overhang portion 57 is fixed to the upper part of the base portion 56 with bolts (not shown) or the like. The overhang portion 57 rotates in one direction and in other directions around the rotation axis 51 in synchronization with the base portion 56. The overhang portion 57 is configured to protrude horizontally. The overhang portion 57 includes a clamp portion 64 as a convex portion provided to protrude horizontally from the base portion 56.

[0034] The clamp portion 64 has a structure that extends downward and bends so as to protrude on the opposite side from the helical contact surface 58. The lower surface of the clamp portion 64 is a plane that aligns with the horizontal plane. The lower surface of the clamp portion 64 is located above the lower end of the helical contact surface 58. In its initial state, the clamp portion 64 is positioned to protrude outward on the opposite side from the mounting area Z when viewed from above. On the other hand, as shown in Figure 11, when the article 10 is placed on the mounting portion 8, the clamp portion 64 extends directly above the bottom plate 14 of the article 10 placed on the mounting portion 8 as a result of the overhang portion 57 rotating in one direction in sync with the base portion 56 (details will be described later). The clamp portion 64 constitutes the part that extends directly above the article 10.

[0035] The rotation stopper 53 is a member that, in its initial state, engages with the engaged surface 56y of the base portion 56 in the rotational direction, preventing the base portion 56 from rotating further in other directions. The rotation stopper 53 is a cylindrical member with its axis oriented in the vertical direction. The rotation stopper 53 is provided on the plate 61. The rotation stopper 53 prevents the main body portion 52 from rotating in other directions in its initial state, and positions the rotational position of the main body portion 52 at the first rotational position.

[0036] The torsion spring 54 biases the regulating member 50 to rotate in the other direction. The torsion spring 54 is wound around the lower part of the rotating shaft 51 on the plate 61. One end 54a of the torsion spring 54, which constitutes the fixed point on one arm, engages with the rotation stopper 53. The other end 54b of the torsion spring 54, which constitutes the point of action on the other arm, engages with the pressed surface 56x of the base portion 56. As a result, the torsion spring 54 presses the pressed surface 56x in the other direction of rotation, biasing the base portion 56 to rotate in that other direction.

[0037] The rotation damper 55 delays the rotational speed of the regulating member 50 in the other direction. The rotation damper 55 is fixed to the upper surface of the overhang 57 via bolt B1. The rotation damper 55 is also connected to the upper end of the rotating shaft 51 via coupling 65. The rotation damper 55 is not particularly limited, and various known rotation dampers can be used.

[0038] Next, an example of the operation of the regulating member 50 will be described.

[0039] For example, let's describe an example where an item 10 is placed on the mounting section 8 from directly above in order to temporarily store the item 10 on the storage shelf 1. First, in the initial state when the item 10 is not placed on the mounting section 8, as shown in Figure 3, the main body 52 is in the first rotation position and the clamp portion 64 of the extension 57 is in a position where it is retracted from directly above the mounting area Z. In this initial state, the lifting platform 30 holding the item 10 is lowered, and the item 10 is lowered onto the mounting section 8 from above. As a result, as shown in Figures 8(a) and 8(b), when the item 10 is in the first height position T1, the bottom plate 14 of the item 10 comes into contact with the upper part of the spiral contact surface 58.

[0040] As shown in Figures 9(a) and 9(b), when the article 10 is lowered onto the mounting section 8, the helical contact surface 58 is pressed against the bottom plate 14, generating a force that rotates the main body 52 in one direction. This force is greater than the elastic force of the torsion spring 54 (force in the other direction of rotation), and as a result, the main body 52 rotates in one direction while the bottom plate 14 of the article 10 slides downward along the helical contact surface 58. At this time, the clamp portion 64 of the overhang 57 moves to rotate horizontally in one direction of rotation.

[0041] As the article 10 is lowered onto the mounting section 8, the spiral contact surface 58 is pressed further against the bottom plate 14, as shown in Figures 10(a) and 10(b). The main body 52 rotates in one direction, causing the bottom plate 14 of the article 10 to slide downward along the spiral contact surface 58. Simultaneously, the positioning pin P is inserted into the recess 15 on the underside of the article 10. This completes the placement of the article 10 onto the mounting surface 8x.

[0042] When the article 10 is placed on the mounting surface 8x, the bottom plate 14 of the article 10 is in contact with the lower part of the spiral contact surface 58, the main body 52 has rotated in one direction to the second rotation position, and the article 10 is positioned at a second height position T2 which is lower than the first height position T1. Also, when the article 10 is placed on the mounting surface 8x, the clamp portion 64 of the protruding portion 57 moves to further rotate horizontally in one direction of rotation, and extends directly above the bottom plate 14 of the article 10. As shown in Figure 11, when the article 10 is placed on the mounting surface 8x, the length H0 of the positioning pin P inserted into the recess 15 of the article 10 (i.e., the depth of the recess 15) is longer than the distance L0 between the bottom plate 14 of the article 10 and the clamp portion 64 that extends directly above the bottom plate 14.

[0043] On the other hand, when transferring an item 10 placed on the mounting surface 8x of the mounting section 8 to the overhead transport vehicle 6, the lifting platform 30 holding the item 10 is raised, lifting the item 10 straight up. This releases the pressure of the bottom plate 14 of the item 10 against the helical contact surface 58, and the elastic force of the torsion spring 54 causes the main body 52 to rotate in the other direction to return to its initial state.

[0044] At this time, the rotation damper 55 delays the rotation speed of the main body 52 in the other direction, so even if the article 10 rises suddenly, the main body 52 does not follow, and the bottom plate 14 of the article 10 separates from the spiral contact surface 58. In this case, the clamp portion 64 of the overhang 57 remains extended directly above the bottom plate 14 of the article 10, and the upward movement of the article 10 remains restricted. Also, when the article 10 is lifted in a normal lifting operation, the main body 52 rotates in response, and the bottom plate 14 of the article 10 moves upward so as to slide along the spiral contact surface 58. As a result, the clamp portion 64 of the overhang 57 moves to rotate horizontally in the other direction of rotation and retracts from directly above the bottom plate 14 of the article 10. Consequently, the restriction on the upward movement of the article 10 is released.

[0045] In the storage rack 1, the upward movement of the articles 10 placed on the placement section 8 can be restricted by the restricting member 50, utilizing the downward movement of the articles 10 when they are placed on the rack. In other words, it is possible to restrict the upward movement of the articles 10 placed on the placement section 8 from above.

[0046] In the storage rack 1, the regulating member 50 has a rotating shaft 51 extending vertically and a main body 52 rotatably mounted around the rotating shaft 51. The main body 52 includes a helical contact surface 58. In this case, the regulating member 50 can be easily and reliably moved to an advanced position directly above the article 10 placed on the mounting section 8 by utilizing the downward movement of the article 10.

[0047] In the storage rack 1, as the article 10 is lifted upward from the placement section 8, the restricting member 50 rotates in the opposite direction to the previous direction and moves away from directly above the placed article 10, thereby releasing the restriction on the upward movement of the article 10. In this case, the restriction on the movement of the article 10 by the restricting member 50 (the restriction on the upward movement of the article 10) can be released by utilizing the upward movement of the article 10.

[0048] In storage shelf 1, the restricting member 50 has a torsion spring 54 that biases the restricting member 50 to rotate in the other direction. In this case, the movement restriction imposed by the restricting member 50 can be released by utilizing the elastic force of the torsion spring 54.

[0049] In storage rack 1, the restricting member 50 has a rotation damper 55 that delays the rotational speed of the restricting member 50 in the other direction. In this case, for example, in response to the normal upward movement of the article 10 during transfer, the elastic force of the torsion spring 54 rotates the restricting member 50 in the other direction to follow, thereby releasing the movement restriction imposed by the restricting member 50. In other words, the rotation damper 55 delays the rotational speed of the restricting member 50 to the extent that it follows the normal upward movement of the restricting member 50. On the other hand, for example, in response to the sudden upward movement (lifting) of the article 10 during an earthquake, the rotation damper 55 delays the rotational speed of the restricting member 50 in the other direction, thereby preventing the movement restriction imposed by the restricting member 50 from being immediately released.

[0050] The storage rack 1 is equipped with a positioning pin P on the mounting section 8. When an article 10 is placed on the mounting section 8, the length H0 of the positioning pin P inserted into the recess 15 of the article 10 is longer than the distance L0 between the lower surface of the clamp portion 64 of the restricting member 50 and the upper surface of the bottom plate 14 of the article 10. In this case, when movement is restricted by the clamp portion 64 of the restricting member 50, it is possible to prevent the positioning pin P from coming out of the recess 15 of the article 10.

[0051] In the storage rack 1, when the main body 52 is in the first rotation position and the article 10 is at the first height position T1, the article 10 contacts the helical contact surface 58. When the article 10 descends from the first height position T1 to the second height position T2, the article 10 slides along the helical contact surface 58, pushing against it, and the main body 52 rotates in one direction from the first rotation position to the second rotation position. In this case, when placing the article 10 on the placement section 8, the downward movement of the article 10 can be specifically used to rotate the main body 52 in one direction from the first rotation position to the second rotation position.

[0052] In the storage rack 1, the main body 52 has a base portion 56 provided with a helical contact surface 58, and an overhang portion 57 integrally provided with the base portion 56 and extending horizontally. When the main body 52 is in the first rotation position, the clamp portion 64 retracts from directly above the placement area Z of the placement portion 8. When the main body 52 is in the second rotation position, the clamp portion 64 extends directly above the article 10. In this case, when placing the article 10 on the placement portion 8, it is possible to restrict the upward movement of the article 10 by moving the clamp portion 64 of the overhang portion 57 to the extended position.

[0053] Although embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above.

[0054] In the above embodiment, the article 10 is not limited to a FOUP, but may be a container for storing a glass substrate, a container such as a reticle pod, or a general component. In the above embodiment, multiple articles 10 may be placed on the storage shelf 1. In the above embodiment, a pair of regulating members 50 are placed for each article 10, but one or more regulating members 50 may be placed for each article 10. In the above embodiment, the storage shelf 1 may be, for example, a side track buffer (STB) in which the loading section 8 is located to the side of the track 4. In this case, the overhead transport vehicle 6 may slide the article 10 using the lateral transfer section 24 and then place the article 10 on the loading section 8 from above.

[0055] In the above embodiment, the base portion 56 and the protruding portion 57 are configured to be separable, but the base portion 56 and the protruding portion 57 may be configured to be integrally and inseparably connected. If the base portion 56 and the protruding portion 57 are separable, for example, multiple protruding portions 57 with different shapes of clamp portions 64 may be prepared and the protruding portions 57 may be replaced depending on the situation and application. In this case, it will be possible to accommodate a variety of situations and applications.

[0056] The components in the above embodiments and modifications are not limited to the materials and shapes described above, and various materials and shapes can be applied to them. Each component in the above embodiments or modifications can be arbitrarily applied to each component in other embodiments or modifications. Parts of each component in the above embodiments or modifications can be omitted as appropriate without departing from the gist of one aspect of this disclosure. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0057] 1...Storage shelf, 8...Placement section, 10...Article, 15...Recess, 50...Regulating member, 51...Rotating shaft, 52...Main body, 54...Torsion spring (elastic body), 55...Rotation damper, 56...Base section, 57...Protruding section, 58...Spiral contact surface, P...Positioning pin, Z...Placement area.

Claims

1. A mounting section on which items are placed from above, The device comprises a restricting member that rotates in one direction as the article is placed on the aforementioned mounting section from above, and moves forward directly above the article placed on the aforementioned mounting section, thereby restricting the upward movement of the article, The aforementioned restraining member is A rotation axis extending along the vertical direction, It has a main body portion that is rotatably mounted around the aforementioned rotation axis, The main body is, A storage shelf that is inclined with respect to a vertical plane and extends spirally around the axis of rotation, and includes a spiral contact surface that can contact the article placed on the storage unit described above from above.

2. The storage rack according to claim 1, wherein the restricting member rotates in a direction opposite to the one direction as the article is lifted upward from the aforementioned storage unit, and moves away from directly above the placed article, thereby releasing the restriction on the upward movement of the article.

3. The storage rack according to claim 2, wherein the restricting member has an elastic body that biases the restricting member to rotate in the other direction.

4. The storage rack according to claim 3, wherein the restricting member has a rotation damper that delays the rotational speed of the restricting member in the other direction.

5. The mounting portion is provided with a positioning pin that protrudes upward and is inserted into a recess at the bottom of the article placed on the mounting portion, The storage rack according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, when the article is placed on the aforementioned storage unit, the length of the positioning pin inserted into the recess is longer than the distance between the portion of the regulating member that extends directly above the article and the article.

6. When the main body is in the first rotation position and the article is in the first height position, the article comes into contact with the helical contact surface. The storage rack according to claim 1, wherein when the article descends from the first height position to a second height position which is lower than the first height position and is the height position when the article is placed on the storage unit described above, the article slides on the helical contact surface and pushes against the helical contact surface, causing the main body to rotate in one direction from the first rotation position to the second rotation position.

7. The main body is, The base portion provided with the aforementioned spiral contact surface, It has an overhang portion that is integrally provided with the base portion and extends horizontally, When the main body is in the first rotation position, the protruding portion retracts from directly above the placement area on which the article is placed in the aforementioned placement portion. The storage rack according to claim 6, wherein when the main body is in the second rotation position, the protruding portion extends directly above the article.

Images