Conveying equipment

Abstract

To realize a transport facility that can easily reduce the travel distance of a transport vehicle when making turnaround runs.SOLUTION: A transport facility includes a transport vehicle 1, a guide rail 7, and a control system, and the transport vehicle 1 is provided with guided parts 21 and 22 that are guided by the guide rail 7. The widthwise position of the guided parts 21, 22 for entering a first branch path 41 is defined as a first position D1, and the widthwise position of the guided parts 21, 22 for entering a second branch path 42 is defined as a second position. In the case of making a turnaround run in which the transport vehicle 1 on the first branch path 41 is caused to move backward and then enter the second branch path 42, the control system controls a guide drive unit to move the guided parts 21, 22 located at the first position D1 toward the second position during the backward movement on the first branch path 41, and executes branch return control to move the transport vehicle 1 forward on the condition that the guided parts 21, 22 have moved to the second position.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a conveying facility including a carrier traveling along a traveling route, a guide rail provided along the traveling route, and a control system for controlling the carrier.

Background Art

[0002] An example of a conveying facility is disclosed in International Publication No. 2022 / 014116 (Patent Document 1). Hereinafter, in the description of this background art, the reference numerals in Patent Document 1 are cited within parentheses. The conveying facility disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a traveling vehicle (5) that travels along a track (11) to convey an article, and a traveling vehicle controller (3) that controls the traveling vehicle (5). When a conveyance command is generated, a traveling control unit (41) included in the traveling vehicle controller (3) searches for a traveling route to a station (ST) included in the conveyance command, and is configured to cause the traveling vehicle (5) to travel along the traveling route.

[0003] In the conveying facility of Patent Document 1, in addition to one-way control for causing the traveling vehicle (5) to travel in one direction, the traveling control unit (41) is configured to execute reverse traveling control for causing the traveling vehicle (5) to travel in the direction opposite to the one direction. For example, in the situation shown in FIG. 3(A) of Patent Document 1, the traveling vehicle (5A) is controlled to advance from the current position to a specific point (SP) and then retreat from the specific point (SP) to the station (ST1). Further, in the situation shown in FIG. 5 of Patent Document 1, the traveling vehicle (5B) is controlled to retreat from the station (ST2) to a specific point (SP) and then advance from the specific point (SP).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] As described above, in the transport equipment of Patent Document 1, when reverse travel control is performed, the travel of the transport vehicle (traveling vehicle in Patent Document 1) is controlled to reverse at the reversal position (a specific point in Patent Document 1). From the viewpoint of improving the efficiency of transporting goods, it is desirable to keep the travel distance of the transport vehicle during such reverse travel as short as possible. However, Patent Document 1 does not mention this point.

[0006] Therefore, there is a need for a transport system that can easily reduce the travel distance of the transport vehicle during turnaround runs. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In one embodiment, the transport equipment according to the present disclosure comprises a transport vehicle that travels along a travel path, a guide rail provided along the travel path, and a control system for controlling the transport vehicle, wherein the direction along the travel path is defined as the travel direction, and the direction perpendicular to the travel direction in a vertical view is defined as the width direction, the transport vehicle comprises a guided portion that is guided by the guide rail by contacting the guide rail from either side in the width direction, and a guide drive unit that moves the guided portion in the width direction, and the travel path has a branch section where one path branches into a first branch path and a second branch path, and the branch section Guide rails are provided at the branch section, but no guide rails are provided in the upstream section of the branch section, and the transport vehicle is configured to move forward in the forward direction along the travel path and backward in the reverse direction along the travel path, and the position in the width direction of the guided part for entering the first branch path is defined as the first position, and the position in the width direction of the guided part for entering the second branch path is defined as the second position, and the control system, when causing the transport vehicle to reverse on the first branch path and then enter the second branch path, controls the first branch path Section in which the guide rail is providedDuring reversal, the guide drive unit is controlled to move the guided portion from the first position toward the second position, and a branching reverse control is performed to advance the transport vehicle, conditional on the guided portion moving toward the second position.

[0008] In a configuration where guide rails are provided at the branching section but not in the upstream section of the branch, when a transport vehicle on the first branching path is to reverse and then enter the second branching path, it is necessary to reverse the transport vehicle on the first branching path to the upstream section of the branch in order to switch the widthwise position of the guided part from the first position to the second position. With this configuration, when the transport vehicle is to perform the above-mentioned reverse movement, the guide drive unit is controlled to move the guided part, which is in the first position, toward the second position while it is reversing on the first branching path. Therefore, when the transport vehicle enters the upstream section of the branch and the guide rails are no longer present, the guided part moves from the first position to the second position. In other words, with a relatively simple configuration of controlling the guide drive unit to move the guided part, which is in the first position, toward the second position while it is reversing on the first branching path, the guided part can be moved to the second position near the downstream end of the upstream section of the branch. Then, based on the condition that the guided part has moved to the second position in this way, the transport vehicle is controlled to move forward. Therefore, the point where the direction of travel of the transport vehicle switches from reverse to forward can be easily positioned near the downstream end of the upstream section of the branch, making it easier to keep the travel distance of the transport vehicle during the return trip short. Thus, this configuration makes it possible to realize a transport system that can easily keep the travel distance of the transport vehicle short during the return trip.

[0009] In another embodiment, the transport equipment according to the present disclosure comprises a transport vehicle that travels along a travel path, a guide rail provided along the travel path, and a control system for controlling the transport vehicle, wherein the direction along the travel path is defined as the travel direction, and the direction perpendicular to the travel direction in a vertical view is defined as the width direction, the transport vehicle comprises a guided portion that is guided by the guide rail by contacting the guide rail from either side in the width direction, and a guide drive unit that moves the guided portion in the width direction, the travel path includes a merging section where a first merging path and a second merging path merge into one path, and the merging section Guide rails are provided in the first merging path, but no guide rails are provided in the downstream section of the merging section, which is the section downstream of the merging section. The transport vehicle is configured to move forward in the forward direction along the travel path and backward in the reverse direction along the travel path. The position in the width direction of the guided section while the transport vehicle is traveling on the first merging path is defined as the first position, and the position in the width direction of the guided section while the transport vehicle is traveling on the second merging path is defined as the second position. The control system, when causing the transport vehicle to move forward on the first merging path and then enter the second merging path, sets the first merging path as the first merging path. Section in which the guide rail is provided During forward movement, the guide drive unit is controlled to move the guided portion from the first position toward the second position, and merging and turning control is performed to reverse the transport vehicle, conditional on the guided portion moving toward the second position.

[0010] In a configuration where guide rails are provided at the merging section but not in the downstream section, when a transport vehicle is to perform a reversal run by moving forward on the first merging path and then entering the second merging path, it is necessary to move the transport vehicle on the first merging path to the downstream section in order to switch the widthwise position of the guided part from the first position to the second position. With this configuration, when the transport vehicle is to perform the above reversal run, the guide drive unit is controlled to move the guided part, which is in the first position, toward the second position while it is moving forward on the first merging path. Therefore, when the transport vehicle enters the downstream section and the guide rails are no longer present, the guided part moves from the first position to the second position. In other words, with a relatively simple configuration of controlling the guide drive unit to move the guided part, which is in the first position, toward the second position while it is moving forward on the first merging path, the guided part can be moved to the second position near the upstream end of the downstream section. Then, the transport vehicle is controlled to move backward, provided that the guided section has moved to the second position. Therefore, the position where the transport vehicle switches direction from forward to reverse can be easily set near the upstream end of the downstream section of the merging area, making it easier to keep the travel distance of the transport vehicle during the return trip short. Thus, this configuration makes it possible to realize a transport system that can easily keep the travel distance of the transport vehicle short during the return trip.

[0011] Further features and advantages of the conveying equipment will become clear from the following description of the embodiment described with reference to the drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] A diagram showing an example of a conveying system. [Figure 2] A diagram showing an example of a transport vehicle. [Figure 3] A diagram showing an example of a turnaround run. [Figure 4] Diagram showing another example of a turnaround run. [Figure 5] Diagram illustrating branching and loopback control. [Figure 6] Diagram illustrating branching and loopback control. [Figure 7]Diagram illustrating merging and reversing control. [Figure 8] Diagram illustrating merging and reversing control. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0013] An embodiment of the transport equipment will be described based on the drawings. As simplified in Figure 1, the transport equipment 100 comprises a transport vehicle 1 that travels along a travel path 30, a guide rail 7 (see Figure 2) provided along the travel path 30, and a control system 2 that controls the transport vehicle 1. In this embodiment, the transport equipment 100 comprises a plurality of transport vehicles 1. The travel path 30 refers to the entire path along which the transport vehicles 1 travel, and the travel path 30 is composed of a collection of multiple paths (partial paths).

[0014] Each function of the control system 2 is realized through the cooperation of hardware, such as a processing unit, and a program executed on that hardware. The control system 2 may be entirely installed on the transport vehicle 1, or it may be partially installed on the transport vehicle 1 and partially installed on an external control device (a control device installed outside the transport vehicle 1 and capable of communicating with the transport vehicle 1). Alternatively, the control system 2 may be entirely installed on an external control device. Here, the external control device may not be a single device, but a collection of multiple devices capable of communicating with each other.

[0015] The transport vehicle 1 is equipped with a controller (equipment controller) that controls the travel drive unit 13 and the guidance drive unit 20, which will be described later. If at least a part of the control system 2 is provided on an external control device, the controller provided on the transport vehicle 1 operates in response to commands from the external control device. Alternatively, if at least a part of the control system 2 is provided on the transport vehicle 1, the controller provided on the transport vehicle 1 may constitute that at least part of the control system 2.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 2, the direction along the travel route 30 is defined as the travel direction X, and in a vertical view along the vertical direction Z (the vertical direction), the direction orthogonal to the travel direction X (here, the horizontal direction orthogonal to the travel direction X) is defined as the width direction Y. As shown in FIG. 1, a forward direction F is set for each part of the travel route 30. Taking the opposite direction of the forward direction F as the reverse direction R (see FIG. 2), the carrier vehicle 1 basically travels along the travel route 30 in the forward direction F, but when performing the turning-back travel described later, it travels along the travel route 30 in the reverse direction R. That is, the carrier vehicle 1 is configured to be able to perform forward travel along the travel route 30 in the forward direction F and backward (reverse) travel along the travel route 30 in the reverse direction R.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 2, the side facing the forward direction F along the travel route 30 is defined as the downstream side X1, and the side facing the reverse direction R along the travel route 30 is defined as the upstream side X2. The travel direction X can be rephrased as the front-rear direction of the carrier vehicle 1, the downstream side X1 can be rephrased as the front side of the carrier vehicle 1, and the upstream side X2 can be rephrased as the rear side of the carrier vehicle 1. Also, one side of the width direction Y (here, the right side facing the forward direction F) is defined as the first width side Y1, and the other side of the width direction Y (here, the left side facing the forward direction F) is defined as the second width side Y2.

[0018] The carrier vehicle 1 travels along the travel route 30 to transport the article 3 (see FIG. 2). The article 3 is, for example, a FOUP (Front Opening Unified Pod) that houses semiconductor wafers. The carrier vehicle 1 is an automated guided vehicle. The travel route 30 may be physically formed or virtually formed. In this embodiment, the travel route 30 is physically formed by travel rails 6 (here, a pair of travel rails 6 arranged at intervals in the width direction Y). The travel rails 6 are, for example, suspended and supported from the ceiling.

[0019] In FIG. 2, it is assumed that the travel route 30 is formed along the ceiling, but the travel route 30 may be formed on the floor surface or the like. When the travel route 30 is formed on the floor surface, for example, the travel route 30 is physically formed by rails installed on the floor surface, or the travel route 30 is virtually formed by two-dimensional codes, RF (Radio Frequency) tags, etc. installed on the floor surface. Note that the floor surface may be a floor surface suspended and supported from the ceiling.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 2, the carrier 1 includes a first traveling unit 11 as a traveling unit. The first traveling unit 11 includes traveling wheels 14 that roll on the traveling surface of the traveling rail 6 (here, the surface facing the upper side Z1), and a traveling drive unit 13 (for example, an electric motor such as a servo motor) that rotates the traveling wheels 14. When the traveling wheels 14 are rotationally driven by the traveling drive unit 13, the first traveling unit 11 travels along the traveling rail 6. In the present embodiment, the carrier 1 further includes a second traveling unit 12 on the upstream side X2 with respect to the first traveling unit 11. The second traveling unit 12 is configured in the same manner as the first traveling unit 11, and when the traveling wheels 14 are rotationally driven by the traveling drive unit 13, it travels along the traveling rail 6.

[0021] The carrier 1 includes a main body unit 10 connected to the first traveling unit 11. The article 3 is carried by the carrier 1 in a state of being housed in the main body unit 10. In the present embodiment, the main body unit 10 is supported by the first traveling unit 11 in a state of being disposed on the lower side Z2 with respect to the first traveling unit 11. In the present embodiment, the main body unit 10 is connected to both the first traveling unit 11 and the second traveling unit 12, and is supported by the first traveling unit 11 and the second traveling unit 12 in a state of being disposed on the lower side Z2 with respect to the first traveling unit 11 and the second traveling unit 12.

[0022] In the example shown in FIG. 2, the carrier 1 includes a collision prevention sensor 15 that detects another carrier 1 existing on the downstream side X1 with respect to the carrier 1. When the collision prevention sensor 15 detects another carrier 1, the carrier 1 on which the collision prevention sensor 15 is mounted decelerates or stops to avoid a collision with the other carrier 1.

[0023] As shown in Figure 2, in this embodiment, information holders 8 such as 2D codes and RF tags are installed at multiple locations along the travel path 30. The information holders 8 are installed at locations that can be stopping positions for the transport vehicle 1, such as stations, branching waiting positions P1 (see Figure 3), and merging waiting positions P3 (see Figure 4), which will be described later, and at locations that serve as criteria for controlling the transport vehicle 1, such as exit determination positions P5 (see Figure 4), which will be described later. The information holders 8 hold location information, which is information about the location where the information holders 8 are installed. The transport vehicle 1 is equipped with a reader 16 that reads the location information held by the information holders 8, and recognizes its current position based on the location information read by the reader 16. The transport vehicle 1 recognizes its current position based, for example, on the location information read by the reader 16 and the distance traveled since the reader 16 read the location information. The distance traveled by the transport vehicle 1 is measured, for example, using a rotary encoder. Furthermore, the transport vehicle 1 can also be configured to recognize its current position based on the output of a positioning device such as a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver.

[0024] The control system 2 is aware of the current position of each of the multiple transport vehicles 1. In this embodiment, as described above, each transport vehicle 1 is configured to recognize its own current position, and the control system 2 is aware of the current position of each of the multiple transport vehicles 1 by obtaining information on the current position of each transport vehicle 1 from each transport vehicle 1.

[0025] Multiple stations are set up along the travel path 30, and the transport vehicle 1 transfers items 3 between the transport vehicle and the item support unit provided at each station. The operation of the transport vehicle 1 includes traveling along the travel path 30, receiving items 3 from the item support unit at each station, and unloading items 3 from the item support unit at each station. The transport vehicle 1 travels to the originating station, receives items 3 at that station, then travels to the destination station, and unloads items 3 at that station.

[0026] The item support section may be, for example, a load port for a processing device 4 (see Figure 1) that processes item 3 (or the contents contained in item 3), an in / out port for a storage device 5 (see Figure 1) that stores item 3, or an unillustrated storage shelf for temporarily storing item 3. The item support section may be positioned, for example, directly beneath the travel path 30 at a station.

[0027] As shown in Figure 2, a guide rail 7 is provided in a portion of the travel path 30. In this embodiment, the guide rail 7 is positioned above the travel rail 6 at Z1. Also, in this embodiment, the guide rail 7 is positioned between a pair of travel rails 6 that are spaced apart in the width direction Y when viewed from above.

[0028] The transport vehicle 1 includes a guided part that is guided by the guide rail 7 by contacting the guide rail 7 from either side in the width direction Y, and a guide drive unit 20 (for example, a solenoid or an electric motor) that moves the guided part in the width direction Y. The movement of the guided part in the width direction Y by the guide drive unit 20 is performed, for example, by driving only the guided part in the width direction Y, or by driving the guided part in the width direction Y together with a support unit that supports the guided part.

[0029] In this embodiment, the first running section 11 is equipped with a first guide wheel 21 as a guided section that rotates (in this case, freely) around an axis along the vertical direction Z, and a guide drive unit 20 provided on the first running section 11 moves the first guide wheel 21 in the width direction Y. In the example shown in Figure 2, the first running section 11 is equipped with two first guide wheels 21 aligned in the running direction X, and the guide drive unit 20 moves these two first guide wheels 21 in the width direction Y by moving the support section that supports these two first guide wheels 21 in the width direction Y.

[0030] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the second running section 12 is equipped with a second guide wheel 22 as a guided part that rotates (in this case, freely) around an axis along the vertical direction Z, and a guide drive unit 20 provided on the second running section 12 moves the second guide wheel 22 in the width direction Y. In the example shown in Figure 2, the second running section 12 is equipped with two second guide wheels 22 aligned in the running direction X, and the guide drive unit 20 moves these two second guide wheels 22 in the width direction Y by moving the support parts that support these two second guide wheels 22 in the width direction Y. Hereafter, when describing matters common to the first guide wheel 21 and the second guide wheel 22, they will be referred to as guide wheels 21 and 22 without distinction. In this embodiment, the first guide wheel 21 and the second guide wheel 22 each correspond to the "guided part".

[0031] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, in this embodiment, the travel path 30 has a branching section 31 from which one path branches into a first branching path 41 and a second branching path 42. The path that branches off to either the right or left side at the branching section 31 may be designated as the first branching path 41. In the example shown in Figures 5 and 6, the path that branches off to the right at the branching section 31 is designated as the first branching path 41, and the path that branches off to the left at the branching section 31 is designated as the second branching path 42.

[0032] As shown in Figures 7 and 8, in this embodiment, the travel path 30 has a merging section 32 where the first merging path 51 and the second merging path 52 merge into a single path. The path that merges from either the right or left side at the merging section 32 may be designated as the first merging path 51. In the example shown in Figures 7 and 8, the path that merges from the left side at the merging section 32 is designated as the first merging path 51, and the path that merges from the right side at the merging section 32 is designated as the second merging path 52.

[0033] The forward direction F described above is the direction of travel where the branching section 31 branches off (see Figures 5 and 6), and the direction of travel where the merging section 32 merges (see Figures 7 and 8). Similarly, the reverse direction R described above is the direction of travel where the branching section 31 merges, and the direction of travel where the merging section 32 branches off. As shown in Figure 2, the reverse direction R, travel direction X, downstream side X1, upstream side X2, width direction Y, first width direction Y1 (right side here), and second width direction Y2 (left side here) are determined based on the forward direction F. Therefore, in Figures 5 to 8, these are omitted from the illustration, and only the forward direction F is shown.

[0034] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, a guide rail 7 is provided at the branching section 31, but no guide rail 7 is provided in the upstream section C1, which is the section X2 upstream of the branching section 31. No guide rail 7 is provided in the downstream section X1 of the branching section 31 in both the first branching route 41 and the second branching route 42. The guide rail 7 is provided at the branching section 31 so as to branch toward the downstream X1 into a portion along the first branching route 41 and a portion along the second branching route 42.

[0035] As shown in Figures 7 and 8, guide rails 7 are provided at the confluence section 32, but not at the downstream section C2, which is the section X1 downstream of the confluence section 32. Guide rails 7 are also not provided at the upstream section X2 of the confluence section 32 in both the first confluence route 51 and the second confluence route 52. Guide rails 7 are provided at the confluence section 32 so as to branch toward the upstream X2 into a portion along the first confluence route 51 and a portion along the second confluence route 52.

[0036] At the branching section 31, whether the transport vehicle 1 proceeds along the first branching path 41 or the second branching path 42 is determined by the position of the guide wheels 21 and 22 in the width direction Y when entering the branching section 31. Specifically, if the position of the guide wheels 21 and 22 when entering the branching section 31 is such that they contact the guide rail 7 from the first side Y1 in the width direction, the transport vehicle 1 proceeds along the branching path on the first side Y1 in the width direction (the first branching path 41 in the branching section 31 shown in Figure 5). If the position of the guide wheels 21 and 22 when entering the branching section 31 is such that they contact the guide rail 7 from the second side Y2 in the width direction, the transport vehicle 1 proceeds along the branching path on the second side Y2 in the width direction (the second branching path 42 in the branching section 31 shown in Figure 5). Before the transport vehicle 1 enters the branching section 31, the guide drive unit 20 moves the guide wheels 21 and 22 to a position in the width direction Y corresponding to the branching path to be taken.

[0037] The position of the guide wheels 21 and 22 in the width direction Y when entering the merging section 32 is determined according to whether the transport vehicle 1 enters the merging section 32 from the first merging path 51 or the second merging path 52. Specifically, when the transport vehicle 1 enters the merging section 32 from the merging path that merges from the first side Y1 in the width direction (the second merging path 52 in the merging section 32 shown in Figure 7), the guide wheels 21 and 22 are moved to a position where they contact the guide rail 7 from the first side Y1 in the width direction. Also, when the transport vehicle 1 enters the merging section 32 from the merging path that merges from the second side Y2 in the width direction (the first merging path 51 in the merging section 32 shown in Figure 7), the guide wheels 21 and 22 are moved to a position where they contact the guide rail 7 from the second side Y2 in the width direction. The guide drive unit 20 moves the guide wheels 21 and 22 to positions in the width direction Y corresponding to the merging path that the transport vehicle 1 will travel before it enters the merging section 32.

[0038] As shown in Figure 5, in this embodiment, when the transport vehicle 1 proceeds to the right-hand branching path (here, the first branching path 41) at the branching section 31, the left-hand running rail 6 is interrupted, and when the transport vehicle 1 proceeds to the left-hand branching path (here, the second branching path 42) at the branching section 31, the right-hand running rail 6 is interrupted. Also, as shown in Figure 7, in this embodiment, when the transport vehicle 1 enters the merging section 32 from the right-hand merging path (here, the second merging path 52), the left-hand running rail 6 is interrupted, and when the transport vehicle 1 enters the merging section 32 from the left-hand merging path (here, the first merging path 51), the right-hand running rail 6 is interrupted.

[0039] The transport vehicle 1 travels along the section where the running rail 6 is interrupted on either the right or left side, as described above, with only the running wheels 14 on one side in the width direction Y in contact with the running rail 6. The guide wheels 21 and 22 are positioned to contact the guide rail 7 from the side where the running rail 6 is not interrupted in the width direction Y.

[0040] Specifically, the transport vehicle 1 travels along the section where the second side Y2 (left side) of the transport vehicle 6 is interrupted, with the first side Y1 (right side) of the transport vehicle 1 in the width direction having its running wheels 14 in contact with the transport rail 6, and the guide wheels 21 and 22 in contact with the guide rail 7 from the first side Y1 of the width direction. In this state, the load of the transport vehicle 1 is supported by the transport rail 6 in contact with the running wheels 14 on the first side Y1 of the width direction and the guide rail 7. Furthermore, the transport vehicle 1 travels along the section where the first side Y1 (right side) of the transport vehicle 6 is interrupted, with the second side Y2 (left side) of the transport vehicle 1 in contact with the transport rail 6, and the guide wheels 21 and 22 in contact with the guide rail 7 from the second side Y2 of the width direction. In this state, the load of the transport vehicle 1 is supported by the running rail 6, which is in contact with the running wheels 14 on the second side Y2 in the width direction, and the guide rail 7.

[0041] In this embodiment, the transport vehicle 1 is equipped with a movement detection unit that detects the movement of the guide wheels 21 and 22 in the width direction Y. The control system 2 acquires the detection result of the movement of the guide wheels 21 and 22 in the width direction Y by the movement detection unit, and detects that the guide wheels 21 and 22 have moved in the width direction Y during the branching and reversing control and merging and reversing control described later.

[0042] The movement detection unit is configured to detect movement of the guide wheels 21, 22 in the width direction Y by detecting the position of the guide wheels 21, 22 or the support portion supporting the guide wheels 21, 22 in the width direction Y. The movement detection unit may also be configured to detect movement of the guide wheels 21, 22 in the width direction Y by detecting the movement of the guide wheels 21, 22 or the support portion supporting the guide wheels 21, 22. In this case, the movement detection unit detects the movement of the guide wheels 21, 22 or the support portion supporting the guide wheels 21, 22 by detecting a change in the torque of the motor constituting the guide drive unit 20.

[0043] In this embodiment, the transport vehicle 1 includes a first movement detection unit 21a that detects the movement of the first guide wheel 21 in the width direction Y, and a second movement detection unit 22a that detects the movement of the second guide wheel 22 in the width direction Y. The first movement detection unit 21a is provided on the first travel unit 11, and the second movement detection unit 22a is provided on the second travel unit 12.

[0044] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the position of the guide wheels 21 and 22 in the width direction Y for entering the first branching path 41 is defined as the first position D1, and the position of the guide wheels 21 and 22 in the width direction Y for entering the second branching path 42 is defined as the second position D2. In the branching section 31 shown in Figures 5 and 6, the position where the guide wheels 21 and 22 contact the guide rail 7 from the first side Y1 in the width direction (here, the right side) is the first position D1, and the position where the guide wheels 21 and 22 contact the guide rail 7 from the second side Y2 in the width direction (here, the left side) is the second position D2.

[0045] The control system 2 performs branch turnaround control when it wants the transport vehicle 1 to perform a turnaround run (hereinafter referred to as "branch turnaround run") in which the transport vehicle 1 reverses from the first branch path 41 and then enters the second branch path 42. The branch turnaround control controls the guide drive unit 20 to move the guide wheels 21 and 22 at the first position D1 toward the second position D2 while the transport vehicle is reversing on the first branch path 41, and then moves the transport vehicle 1 forward on the condition that the guide wheels 21 and 22 have moved toward the second position D2. In this embodiment, the branch turnaround control moves the transport vehicle 1 forward on the condition that both the first guide wheel 21 and the second guide wheel 22 have moved toward the second position D2. Here, "move forward on the condition" includes both a configuration in which the vehicle moves forward when that condition is met, and a configuration in which the vehicle moves forward when that condition plus other conditions are also met. In this embodiment, the control system 2 moves the transport vehicle 1 forward when the guide wheels 21 and 22 (in this case, both the first guide wheel 21 and the second guide wheel 22) move to the second position D2.

[0046] When the transport vehicle 1 is to perform a branching and reversing run, if the transport vehicle 1 is located downstream X1 of the section of the first branching route 41 where the guide rail 7 is provided, the control system 2 controls the guide drive unit 20 to move the guide wheels 21 and 22 from the first position D1 to the second position D2 after the transport vehicle 1 has reversed to the section where the guide rail 7 is provided. Furthermore, the process of controlling the guide drive unit 20 to move the guide wheels 21 and 22 from the first position D1 to the second position D2 continues until the guide wheels 21 and 22 have moved to the second position D2.

[0047] The branching and reversing control will be explained in detail with reference to Figures 5 and 6. Figure 5 shows the transport vehicle 1 performing a reverse movement MR on the first branching path 41, and Figure 6 shows the transport vehicle 1 performing a forward movement MF to enter the second branching path 42 at a later point in time than in Figure 5. The arrows shown inside the guide wheels 21 and 22 in Figures 5 and 6 indicate that the guide wheels 21 and 22 are biased in the direction of the arrow by the guide drive unit 20. The branching and reversing position P2 shown in Figure 5 is the position where the guide wheels 21 and 22 of the transport vehicle 1 move from the first position D1 to the second position D2 during branching and reversing travel. At the branching and reversing position P2, the upstream end X2 of the first branching path 41 and the upstream end X2 of the second branching path 42 are connected.

[0048] As shown in Figure 5, while the transport vehicle 1 is reversing in the section of the first branching path 41 where the guide rail 7 is provided, the guide wheels 21 and 22 are in contact with the guide rail 7 from the side of the first position D1. Therefore, even if the guide drive unit 20 is controlled to move the guide wheels 21 and 22 from the first position D1 to the side of the second position D2, the guide wheels 21 and 22 will be biased toward the second position D2, but will not move toward the second position D2. The biasing force toward the second position D2 applied to the guide wheels 21 and 22 by the guide drive unit 20 is such that the guide wheels 21 and 22 will not move toward the second position D2 when they are in contact with the guide rail 7 from the side of the first position D1.

[0049] Then, as shown in Figure 6, when the transport vehicle 1 reverses to the upstream branch section C1 where the guide rail 7 is not provided, in other words, when the transport vehicle 1 reverses to the branch turnaround position P2, the guide wheels 21 and 22 move to the second position D2 due to the biasing force applied to them by the guide drive unit 20 toward the second position D2. The control system 2 moves the transport vehicle 1 forward, provided that the guide wheels 21 and 22 have moved to the second position D2. In this embodiment, at the branch turnaround position P2, the direction in which the transport vehicle 1 travels is switched from reverse to forward. Then, as the transport vehicle 1 moves forward with the guide wheels 21 and 22 in the second position D2, the transport vehicle 1 enters the second branch path 42, as shown in Figure 6.

[0050] As shown in Figures 7 and 8, the position of the guide wheels 21 and 22 in the width direction Y while the transport vehicle 1 is traveling along the first merging path 51 is defined as the first position D1, and the position of the guide wheels 21 and 22 in the width direction Y while the transport vehicle 1 is traveling along the second merging path 52 is defined as the second position D2. In the merging section 32 shown in Figures 7 and 8, the position where the guide wheels 21 and 22 contact the guide rail 7 from the second side Y2 in the width direction (here, the left side) is the first position D1, and the position where the guide wheels 21 and 22 contact the guide rail 7 from the first side Y1 in the width direction (here, the right side) is the second position D2.

[0051] The control system 2 performs merging and turning control when it wants the transport vehicle 1 to perform a turnaround maneuver (hereinafter referred to as "merging and turning maneuver") in which it moves forward on the first merging path 51 and then enters the second merging path 52. The merging and turning control controls the guide drive unit 20 to move the guide wheels 21 and 22 at the first position D1 toward the second position D2 while the transport vehicle is moving forward on the first merging path 51, and controls the transport vehicle 1 to reverse once the guide wheels 21 and 22 have moved toward the second position D2. Here, "reverse as a condition" includes both a configuration in which the transport vehicle reverses when that condition is met, and a configuration in which the transport vehicle reverses when that condition plus other conditions are also met. In this embodiment, the control system 2 reverses the transport vehicle 1 when the guide wheels 21 and 22 (here, both the first guide wheel 21 and the second guide wheel 22) have moved toward the second position D2.

[0052] When the transport vehicle 1 is to perform a merging and reversing maneuver, if the transport vehicle 1 is located upstream X2 of the section of the first merging route 51 where the guide rail 7 is provided, the control system 2 controls the guide drive unit 20 to move the guide wheels 21 and 22 from the first position D1 to the second position D2 after the transport vehicle 1 has moved forward with the guide wheels 21 and 22 in the first position D1. Furthermore, the process of controlling the guide drive unit 20 to move the guide wheels 21 and 22 from the first position D1 to the second position D2 continues until the guide wheels 21 and 22 have moved to the second position D2.

[0053] The merging and reversing control will be explained in detail with reference to Figures 7 and 8. Figure 7 shows the transport vehicle 1 performing a forward movement MF in the first merging path 51, and Figure 8 shows the transport vehicle 1 performing a reverse movement MR to enter the second merging path 52 at a later point in time than in Figure 7. The arrows shown inside the guide wheels 21 and 22 in Figures 7 and 8 indicate that the guide wheels 21 and 22 are biased in the direction of the arrow by the guide drive unit 20. The merging and reversing position P4 shown in Figure 7 is the position where the guide wheels 21 and 22 of the transport vehicle 1 move from the first position D1 to the second position D2 during merging and reversing travel. At the merging and reversing position P4, the downstream end X1 of the first merging path 51 and the downstream end X1 of the second merging path 52 are connected.

[0054] As shown in Figure 7, while the transport vehicle 1 is moving forward in the section of the first merging path 51 where the guide rail 7 is provided, the guide wheels 21 and 22 are in contact with the guide rail 7 from the side of the first position D1. Therefore, even if the guide drive unit 20 is controlled to move the guide wheels 21 and 22 from the first position D1 to the side of the second position D2, the guide wheels 21 and 22 will be biased toward the second position D2, but will not move toward the second position D2. The biasing force toward the second position D2 applied to the guide wheels 21 and 22 by the guide drive unit 20 is such that the guide wheels 21 and 22 will not move toward the second position D2 when they are in contact with the guide rail 7 from the side of the first position D1.

[0055] Then, as shown in Figure 8, when the transport vehicle 1 moves forward to the downstream section C2 of the merging where the guide rail 7 is not provided, in other words, when the transport vehicle 1 moves forward to the merging turnaround position P4, the guide wheels 21 and 22 move to the second position D2 due to the biasing force applied to them by the guide drive unit 20 toward the second position D2. The control system 2 reverses the transport vehicle 1 on the condition that the guide wheels 21 and 22 have moved to the second position D2. In this embodiment, at the merging turnaround position P4, the direction in which the transport vehicle 1 travels is switched from forward to reverse. Then, as the transport vehicle 1 reverses with the guide wheels 21 and 22 in the second position D2, the transport vehicle 1 enters the second merging path 52, as shown in Figure 8.

[0056] Figure 3 is an enlarged view of a portion of area A in Figure 1. Figure 3 shows three transport vehicles 1: the first transport vehicle 1A, the second transport vehicle 1B, and the third transport vehicle 1C. Figure 3 shows the situation in which the first transport vehicle 1A performs a branching turnaround at the branching section 31. In Figure 3, the first transport vehicle 1A performs the following in the order described: first travel operation M1, which is backward from its current position to the branching turnaround position P2; second travel operation M2, which is forward from the branching turnaround position P2 to the destination P0, which will be described later; and third travel operation M3, which is forward from the destination P0. The first transport vehicle 1A can also travel to the destination P0 by moving forward only by performing a fourth travel operation M4, which is forward from its current position to the destination P0.

[0057] In Figure 3 and Figure 4 (which will be referenced later), the forward movement of the transport vehicle 1 is shown with solid arrows, and the backward movement of the transport vehicle 1 is shown with dashed arrows. Also, in Figures 3 and 4, the area including the branching section 31 and the merging section 32 is referred to as the branching / merging area B. The control system 2 controls multiple transport vehicles 1 so that, for example, two or more transport vehicles 1 are not present in the branching / merging area B at the same time, thereby preventing interference between the transport vehicles 1 in the branching / merging area B.

[0058] The control system 2 performs branching standby control when one of the multiple transport vehicles 1 (first transport vehicle 1A in Figure 3) is at the branching section 31, causing another transport vehicle 1 (third transport vehicle 1C in Figure 3) that is about to enter the branching section 31 to wait at a predetermined branching standby position P1. The control system 2 sets the branching standby position P1 to be upstream X2 from the transport vehicle 1 at the branching turnaround position P2, and to a position where the transport vehicle 1 at the branching standby position P1 does not interfere with the transport vehicle 1 that has come to the branching turnaround position P2. In this embodiment, the control system 2 has predetermined a position as the branching standby position P1 that does not interfere with the transport vehicle 1 that has come to the branching turnaround position P2, and when performing branching standby control, it causes the transport vehicle 1 that is the target of the branching standby control (third transport vehicle 1C in Figure 3) to wait at the predetermined branching standby position P1. Furthermore, the range of the branching section 31 used in determining whether or not the transport vehicle 1 is in the branching section 31 can be any range including the branching section 31 (for example, branching / merging area B including the branching section 31), and the branching waiting position P1 is set outside the range of the branching section 31.

[0059] Figure 4, like Figure 3, is a magnified view of a portion of area A in Figure 1. Figure 4 shows four transport vehicles 1: the first transport vehicle 1A, the second transport vehicle 1B, the third transport vehicle 1C, and the fourth transport vehicle 1D. Figure 4 shows the situation where the first transport vehicle 1A performs a branching turnaround at the branching section 31 and then performs a merging turnaround at the merging section 32. In Figure 4, the first transport vehicle 1A performs the following in the order described: fifth travel operation M5, which is backward from the current position to the branching turnaround position P2; sixth travel operation M6, which is forward from the branching turnaround position P2 to the merging turnaround position P4; seventh travel operation M7, which is backward from the merging turnaround position P4 to the destination P0; and eighth travel operation M8, which is forward from the destination P0. The first transport vehicle 1A can also travel to the destination P0 by moving forward only by performing a ninth travel operation M9, which is forward from the current position to the destination P0.

[0060] When one of the multiple transport vehicles 1 (the first transport vehicle 1A in Figure 4) is in the merging section 32, the control system 2 performs merging standby control, causing the other transport vehicles 1 (the third transport vehicle 1C and the fourth transport vehicle 1D in Figure 4) that are about to enter the merging section 32 to wait at a predetermined merging standby position P3. In this embodiment, the control system 2 has predetermined a position X2 upstream of the merging section 32 (two positions in Figure 4) as the merging standby position P3, and when performing merging standby control, it causes the transport vehicles 1 that are the target of the merging standby control (the third transport vehicle 1C and the fourth transport vehicle 1D in Figure 3) to wait at the predetermined merging standby position P3. The control system 2 then sets the exit determination position P5, which is the position where it determines that a transport vehicle 1 in the merging section 32 has left the merging section 32, to be downstream of the merging turnaround position P4 at X1. In this embodiment, the control system 2 pre-sets the position X1 downstream of the merging and turning point P4 as the exit determination position P5. The range of the merging section 32 used in determining whether or not the transport vehicle 1 is in the merging section 32 can be any range including the merging section 32 (for example, the branching and merging area B including the merging section 32), and the merging waiting position P3 and the exit determination position P5 are set outside the range of the merging section 32.

[0061] When a destination P0 is set, the control system 2 selects a transport vehicle 1 from among multiple transport vehicles 1 to be sent to that destination P0. Below, we consider the case where the source station of the item 3 is designated as the destination P0. In this case, the source station that becomes the destination P0 is specified, for example, by a transport task that transports the item 3 from the source station to the destination station. The transport task is generated by the control system 2, or by another device that can communicate with the control system 2 (for example, a higher-level control device of the control system 2).

[0062] The control system 2 designates a transport vehicle 1 that is not transporting item 3 (hereinafter referred to as the "empty transport vehicle") as a candidate for the selected transport vehicle. Alternatively, a transport vehicle 1 that is transporting item 3 (hereinafter referred to as the "active transport vehicle") may also be included as a candidate for the selected transport vehicle. In this case, if the active transport vehicle is selected as the selected transport vehicle, it will unload the item 3 being transported at the destination station and then proceed to destination P0.

[0063] In this embodiment, when the control system 2 selects a preferred transport vehicle (a transport vehicle 1 to be sent to destination P0) from among a plurality of transport vehicles 1, it is configured to select the transport vehicle 1 with the smallest cost (route cost), which is determined according to the distance from the position of each transport vehicle 1 to destination P0 and the travel conditions of each transport vehicle 1. The route cost is derived such that it decreases as the predicted travel time required for the transport vehicle 1 to travel to destination P0 decreases. The route cost for each transport vehicle 1 is derived, for example, by Dijkstra's algorithm. By selecting the transport vehicle 1 with the smallest route cost as the preferred transport vehicle, it is possible to quickly get the transport vehicle 1 to destination P0.

[0064] The driving conditions for the transport vehicle 1 include, for example, at least one of the following: the direction of travel of the transport vehicle 1 (forward or backward), the degree of congestion on the route, the structure of the route (for example, a straight section, a curved section, a branching section passing through branching section 31, or a merging section passing through merging section 32), the number of stations on the route, and the state of the transport vehicle 1 (for example, whether it is an empty transport vehicle or an operational transport vehicle). For example, in a section where a maintenance lift is connected to lower the transport vehicle 1 from the travel route 30 formed on the ceiling side to the ground side for maintenance, the degree of congestion in that section may increase due to the presence of transport vehicles 1 heading towards the maintenance lift and transport vehicles 1 returning from the maintenance lift to the travel route 30.

[0065] The route cost is derived to increase as the distance from the current location of transport vehicle 1 to destination P0 increases. Furthermore, the route cost is derived to increase when the travel conditions for transport vehicle 1 result in a longer travel time. For example, if the travel conditions for transport vehicle 1 include route congestion, the route cost is derived to increase as the route congestion increases.

[0066] In this embodiment, the route cost is the sum of the section costs of all sections included in the route from the current position of the transport vehicle 1 to the destination P0. The section cost for each section can be a value obtained by multiplying the base cost, which is the cost corresponding to the distance of the section, by a correction coefficient determined according to the driving conditions of the transport vehicle 1 in that section. The base cost is set to increase as the length of the section for which the base cost is set increases. The correction coefficient is set to increase when the driving conditions of the transport vehicle 1 in the section for which the correction coefficient is set result in a longer travel time for the transport vehicle 1 to pass through that section. Details are omitted, but the travel route 30 can be represented using nodes and links connecting the nodes. Nodes correspond to specific points such as branching points 31 and merging points 32, and links correspond to the route sections connecting specific points. In this case, the above section cost can be the cost of the section corresponding to the link (link cost).

[0067] In this embodiment, the cost (route cost) is set to be higher when the transport vehicle 1 is moving backward than when the transport vehicle 1 is moving forward. Specifically, in this embodiment, the above correction coefficient is set to be higher when the transport vehicle 1 is moving backward than when the transport vehicle 1 is moving forward, so that the route cost is set to be higher when the transport vehicle 1 is moving backward than when the transport vehicle 1 is moving forward. Therefore, in this embodiment, if other conditions are the same (for example, if the travel distance is the same), the transport vehicle 1 that can reach the destination P0 by moving forward only is preferentially selected as the selected transport vehicle. For example, if the above-mentioned collision prevention sensor 15 (see Figure 2) is provided only on the downstream side X1 (front side) of the transport vehicle 1, it may be necessary to set the travel speed when the transport vehicle 1 is moving backward to be lower than the travel speed when the transport vehicle 1 is moving forward. In such cases, it is preferable to set the route cost to be higher when the transport vehicle 1 is moving backward than when the transport vehicle 1 is moving forward, so that the transport vehicle 1 that can reach the destination P0 by moving forward only is preferentially selected as the selected transport vehicle.

[0068] In this embodiment, the candidates for the selected transport vehicle include a transport vehicle 1 that reaches destination P0 by performing a U-turn. In this embodiment, the U-turn includes both branching U-turns and merging U-turns. Therefore, the candidates for the selected transport vehicle include a transport vehicle 1 that reaches destination P0 by performing branching U-turns, a transport vehicle 1 that reaches destination P0 by performing merging U-turns, and a transport vehicle 1 that reaches destination P0 by performing both branching U-turns and merging U-turns.

[0069] By including transport vehicle 1, which reaches destination P0 by performing a turnaround maneuver, among the candidates for selected transport vehicles, the likelihood of transport vehicle 1 reaching destination P0 quickly can be increased. For example, in the situation shown in Figure 3, suppose that the first transport vehicle 1A and the second transport vehicle 1B are empty transport vehicles. In this case, if transport vehicle 1, which reaches destination P0 by performing a turnaround maneuver, is not included among the candidates for selected transport vehicles, the second transport vehicle 1B will be selected as the selected transport vehicle. On the other hand, if transport vehicle 1, which reaches destination P0 by performing a turnaround maneuver, is included among the candidates for selected transport vehicles, the first transport vehicle 1A will be selected as the selected transport vehicle if the route cost when the first transport vehicle 1A reaches destination P0 by performing a branching turnaround maneuver (first travel operation M1 and second travel operation M2) is smaller than the route cost when the second transport vehicle 1B moves forward to destination P0. In this case, it is possible to reach destination P0 with transport vehicle 1 (in this case, the first transport vehicle 1A) more quickly than when the second transport vehicle 1B is selected as the selected transport vehicle.

[0070] Furthermore, for example, in the situation shown in Figure 4, let's assume that the first transport vehicle 1A and the second transport vehicle 1B are empty transport vehicles. In this case, if the candidate transport vehicle for selection does not include transport vehicle 1, which reaches destination P0 by making a return trip, then the second transport vehicle 1B will be selected as the selected transport vehicle. On the other hand, if the candidate transport vehicle for selection includes transport vehicle 1, which reaches destination P0 by making a return trip, then the first transport vehicle 1A will be selected as the selected transport vehicle if the route cost when the first transport vehicle 1A makes a branching return trip (fifth trip operation M5, sixth trip operation M6, and seventh trip operation M7) to reach destination P0 is smaller than the route cost when the second transport vehicle 1B moves forward to destination P0. In this case, it is possible to get transport vehicle 1 (in this case, the first transport vehicle 1A) to destination P0 more quickly than when the second transport vehicle 1B is selected as the selected transport vehicle.

[0071] [Other Embodiments] (1) In the above embodiment, a configuration in which the control system 2 causes the transport vehicle 1 to perform both branching and reversing travel and merging and reversing travel was described as an example. However, the present disclosure is not limited to such a configuration, and the control system 2 can also be configured to cause the transport vehicle 1 to perform only one of either branching and reversing travel or merging and reversing travel.

[0072] (2) In the above embodiment, a configuration was described as an example in which the cost (route cost) is set higher when the transport vehicle 1 moves backward than when the transport vehicle 1 moves forward. However, the present disclosure is not limited to such a configuration, and a configuration in which there is no difference in cost between when the transport vehicle 1 moves forward and when the transport vehicle 1 moves backward is also possible.

[0073] (3) In the above embodiments, a configuration in which the transport vehicle 1 is provided with a first guide wheel 21 and a second guide wheel 22 was described as an example. However, the present disclosure is not limited to such a configuration, and the transport vehicle 1 may also be provided with only the first guide wheel 21 (for example, a configuration in which the transport vehicle 1 is not provided with a second running section 12).

[0074] (4) In the above embodiment, a configuration was described as in which the first running section 11 is equipped with a first guide wheel 21 as a guided section, and the second running section 12 is equipped with a second guide wheel 22 as a guided section. However, the present disclosure is not limited to such a configuration, and the first running section 11 and the second running section 12 can also be configured to be equipped with a guided section of a different form from the guide wheel (for example, a member that slides and is guided on the guide rail 7).

[0075] (5) The configurations disclosed in each of the embodiments described above can be applied in combination with configurations disclosed in other embodiments (including combinations of embodiments described as other embodiments), as long as no inconsistencies arise. With regard to other configurations, the embodiments disclosed in this specification are merely illustrative in all respects. Therefore, various modifications can be made as appropriate without departing from the spirit of this disclosure.

[0076] [Summary of this embodiment] The following is an overview of the conveying equipment described above.

[0077] In one embodiment, the transport equipment comprises a transport vehicle that travels along a travel path, a guide rail provided along the travel path, and a control system for controlling the transport vehicle, wherein the direction along the travel path is defined as the travel direction, and the direction perpendicular to the travel direction in a vertical view is defined as the width direction, the transport vehicle comprises a guided portion that is guided by the guide rail by contacting the guide rail from either side in the width direction, and a guide drive unit that moves the guided portion in the width direction, the travel path has a branching section where one path branches into a first branching path and a second branching path, the guide rail is provided at the branching section, and the guide rail is provided in the upstream section of the branching section. Furthermore, the transport vehicle is configured to move forward along the travel path in the forward direction and backward along the travel path in the reverse direction. The position of the guided portion in the width direction for entering the first branching path is defined as the first position, and the position of the guided portion in the width direction for entering the second branching path is defined as the second position. When the control system makes the transport vehicle reverse on the first branching path and then enter the second branching path, it controls the guide drive unit to move the guided portion at the first position toward the second position while the transport vehicle is reversing on the first branching path, and executes branching turnaround control to advance the transport vehicle once the guided portion has moved to the second position.

[0078] In a configuration where guide rails are provided at the branching section but not in the upstream section of the branch, when a transport vehicle on the first branching path is to reverse and then enter the second branching path, it is necessary to reverse the transport vehicle on the first branching path to the upstream section of the branch in order to switch the widthwise position of the guided part from the first position to the second position. With this configuration, when the transport vehicle is to perform the above-mentioned reverse movement, the guide drive unit is controlled to move the guided part, which is in the first position, toward the second position while it is reversing on the first branching path. Therefore, when the transport vehicle enters the upstream section of the branch and the guide rails are no longer present, the guided part moves from the first position to the second position. In other words, with a relatively simple configuration of controlling the guide drive unit to move the guided part, which is in the first position, toward the second position while it is reversing on the first branching path, the guided part can be moved to the second position near the downstream end of the upstream section of the branch. Then, based on the condition that the guided part has moved to the second position in this way, the transport vehicle is controlled to move forward. Therefore, the point where the direction of travel of the transport vehicle switches from reverse to forward can be easily positioned near the downstream end of the upstream section of the branch, making it easier to keep the travel distance of the transport vehicle during the return trip short. Thus, this configuration makes it possible to realize a transport system that can easily keep the travel distance of the transport vehicle short during the return trip.

[0079] Here, if there are multiple transport vehicles, the control system executes branching standby control to cause other transport vehicles that intend to enter the branching section to wait at a predetermined branching standby position when one of the multiple transport vehicles is at the branching section, and the control system sets the branching standby position to be upstream of the transport vehicle at the branching standby position, and the position where the guided part of the transport vehicle that is making a turnaround move from the first position to the second position is defined as the branching turnaround position, and the control system sets the branching standby position to be upstream of the transport vehicle at the branching turnaround position, and to be in a position where the transport vehicle at the branching standby position does not interfere with the transport vehicle that has come to the branching turnaround position.

[0080] This configuration makes it less likely that a transport vehicle waiting at the branching point will obstruct the transport vehicle at the branching point, preventing it from making a turnaround.

[0081] In another embodiment, the transport equipment comprises a transport vehicle that travels along a travel path, a guide rail provided along the travel path, and a control system for controlling the transport vehicle, wherein the direction along the travel path is defined as the travel direction, and the direction perpendicular to the travel direction in a vertical view is defined as the width direction, the transport vehicle comprises a guided portion that is guided by the guide rail by contacting the guide rail from either side in the width direction, and a guide drive unit that moves the guided portion in the width direction, the travel path includes a merging section where a first merging path and a second merging path merge into one path, the guide rail is provided at the merging section, and the guide rail is not provided in the downstream section of the merging section. The transport vehicle is configured to move forward along the travel path and backward along the travel path, with the position of the guided portion in the width direction while the transport vehicle is traveling along the first merging path being the first position, and the position of the guided portion in the width direction while the transport vehicle is traveling along the second merging path being the second position. When the control system makes the transport vehicle move forward on the first merging path and then turn around to enter the second merging path, it controls the guide drive unit to move the guided portion at the first position toward the second position while the transport vehicle is moving forward on the first merging path, and executes a merging turnaround control to reverse the transport vehicle, provided that the guided portion has moved to the second position.

[0082] In a configuration where guide rails are provided at the merging section but not in the downstream section, when a transport vehicle is to perform a reversal run by moving forward on the first merging path and then entering the second merging path, it is necessary to move the transport vehicle on the first merging path to the downstream section in order to switch the widthwise position of the guided part from the first position to the second position. With this configuration, when the transport vehicle is to perform the above reversal run, the guide drive unit is controlled to move the guided part, which is in the first position, toward the second position while it is moving forward on the first merging path. Therefore, when the transport vehicle enters the downstream section and the guide rails are no longer present, the guided part moves from the first position to the second position. In other words, with a relatively simple configuration of controlling the guide drive unit to move the guided part, which is in the first position, toward the second position while it is moving forward on the first merging path, the guided part can be moved to the second position near the upstream end of the downstream section. Then, the transport vehicle is controlled to move backward, provided that the guided section has moved to the second position. Therefore, the position where the transport vehicle switches direction from forward to reverse can be easily set near the upstream end of the downstream section of the merging area, making it easier to keep the travel distance of the transport vehicle during the return trip short. Thus, this configuration makes it possible to realize a transport system that can easily keep the travel distance of the transport vehicle short during the return trip.

[0083] In this configuration, the system comprises multiple transport vehicles, and when one of the transport vehicles is in the merging section, the control system performs merging wait control, causing other transport vehicles attempting to enter the merging section to wait at a predetermined merging wait position. The position where the guided portion of the transport vehicle in the reverse direction moves from the first position to the second position is defined as the merging turnaround position. The control system preferably sets the exit determination position, which is the position where it determines that a transport vehicle in the merging section has left the merging section, downstream of the merging turnaround position.

[0084] This configuration makes it less likely that a situation will occur where, while a transport vehicle in a merging area (hereinafter referred to as the "target transport vehicle") is making a turnaround, it is determined that the target transport vehicle has exited the merging area, allowing another transport vehicle to enter the merging area, and this other transport vehicle obstructs the target transport vehicle in the merging area, preventing it from making a turnaround.

[0085] In the transport equipment of each of the above configurations, the control system is configured to select the transport vehicle that will go to the destination from among a plurality of transport vehicles, and to select the transport vehicle that has the lowest cost, which is determined according to the distance from the position of each transport vehicle to the destination and the driving conditions of each transport vehicle. Preferably, the candidates for the selected transport vehicle include the transport vehicle that will reach the destination by performing the return trip.

[0086] This configuration allows for the selection of a suitable transport vehicle from multiple vehicles to reach a destination, based on the distance from each vehicle's current location to the destination and the driving conditions of each vehicle. Furthermore, this configuration also allows for the selection of transport vehicles that could potentially reach the destination by making a return trip. Therefore, compared to excluding transport vehicles that would require a return trip from the selection criteria, this configuration increases the likelihood of quickly reaching the destination.

[0087] As described above, in a configuration in which the candidate for the selected transport vehicle includes a transport vehicle that reaches the destination by performing the aforementioned reversing maneuver, it is preferable that the cost be set to be higher when the transport vehicle is moving backward than when the transport vehicle is moving forward.

[0088] In this configuration, the cost of a transport vehicle moving backward is set to be higher than the cost of a transport vehicle moving forward. Therefore, for example, if the distance to the destination is the same, a transport vehicle that moves forward to reach the destination can be preferentially selected as the preferred transport vehicle. Consequently, the need for other transport vehicles to wait or avoid the transport vehicle while it moves backward is reduced, making it easier to improve the overall transport efficiency of the transport system.

[0089] The conveying equipment relating to this disclosure only needs to be able to achieve at least one of the effects described above. [Explanation of symbols]

[0090] 1: Transport vehicle 2: Control System 7: Guide rail 20: Guide drive unit 21: 1st guide ring (guided part) 22:Second guide ring (guided part) 30: Route 31: Branching point 32: Confluence 41: First branch route 42: Second branch route 51: First merging route 52: Second merging route 100: Conveying equipment C1: Upstream section of the junction C2: Downstream section of the confluence D1: 1st position D2: 2nd position F: Forward P0: Destination P1: Branching waiting position P2: Branching and turning point P3: Merging standby position P4: Merging and turning point P5: Exit judgment position R: Reverse direction X: Traveling direction X1: Downstream side X2: Upstream side Y: width direction Z: Vertical direction

Claims

1. A transport system comprising a transport vehicle that travels along a travel path, guide rails provided along the travel path, and a control system for controlling the transport vehicle, The direction along the aforementioned travel path is defined as the travel direction, and the direction perpendicular to the travel direction when viewed from above and below is defined as the width direction. The transport vehicle comprises a guided portion that is guided by the guide rail by contacting the guide rail from either side in the width direction, and a guide drive unit that moves the guided portion in the width direction. The aforementioned route includes a branching point where one route branches into a first branching route and a second branching route. Guide rails are provided at the aforementioned branching section, but guide rails are not provided in the upstream section of the branching section, which is the section upstream of the branching section. The transport vehicle is configured to be able to move forward along the travel path in the forward direction and backward along the travel path in the reverse direction. The position in the width direction of the guided portion for entering the first branching path is defined as the first position, and the position in the width direction of the guided portion for entering the second branching path is defined as the second position. The control system, when causing the transport vehicle to reverse in the first branching path and then enter the second branching path, controls the guide drive unit to move the guided part at the first position toward the second position while the transport vehicle is reversing in the section of the first branching path where the guide rail is provided, and executes branching reversal control to advance the transport vehicle once the guided part has moved toward the second position.

2. The conveying equipment according to claim 1, wherein the control system controls the guide drive unit to move the guided portion at the first position toward the second position such that the biasing force applied to the guided portion by the guide drive unit toward the second position is such that the guided portion does not move toward the second position when the guided portion is in contact with the guide rail from the first position side.

3. Equipped with multiple transport vehicles, The control system, when one of the multiple transport vehicles is at the branching point, executes branching standby control to cause other transport vehicles that intend to enter the branching point to wait at a predetermined branching standby position. The position at which the guided portion of the transport vehicle moves from the first position to the second position during the return journey is defined as the branching return position. The transport equipment according to claim 1, wherein the control system sets the branching standby position to a position upstream of the transport vehicle at the branching turnaround position, such that the transport vehicle at the branching standby position does not interfere with the transport vehicle that has come to the branching turnaround position.

4. A transport system comprising a transport vehicle that travels along a travel path, guide rails provided along the travel path, and a control system for controlling the transport vehicle, The direction along the aforementioned travel path is defined as the travel direction, and the direction perpendicular to the travel direction when viewed from above and below is defined as the width direction. The transport vehicle comprises a guided portion that is guided by the guide rail by contacting the guide rail from either side in the width direction, and a guide drive unit that moves the guided portion in the width direction. The aforementioned travel route includes a merging section where the first merging route and the second merging route merge into a single route. Guide rails are provided at the aforementioned confluence section, but guide rails are not provided in the downstream section of the confluence, which is the section downstream of the confluence section. The transport vehicle is configured to be able to move forward along the travel path in the forward direction and backward along the travel path in the reverse direction. The position in the width direction of the guided portion while the transport vehicle is traveling along the first merging path is defined as the first position, and the position in the width direction of the guided portion while the transport vehicle is traveling along the second merging path is defined as the second position. The control system, when causing the transport vehicle to perform a turnaround maneuver by moving it forward in the first merging path and then entering the second merging path, controls the guide drive unit to move the guided portion at the first position toward the second position while the transport vehicle is moving forward in the section of the first merging path where the guide rail is provided, and executes a merging turnaround control to reverse the transport vehicle once the guided portion has moved to the second position.

5. The conveying equipment according to claim 4, wherein the control system controls the guide drive unit to move the guided portion at the first position toward the second position such that the biasing force applied to the guided portion toward the second position by the guide drive unit is such that the guided portion does not move toward the second position when the guided portion is in contact with the guide rail from the first position side.

6. Equipped with multiple transport vehicles, The control system, when one of the multiple transport vehicles is in the merging section, executes a merging waiting control that causes the other transport vehicles attempting to enter the merging section to wait at a predetermined merging waiting position. The position at which the guided portion of the transport vehicle moves from the first position to the second position during the return journey is defined as the merging and turning point. The transport equipment according to claim 4, wherein the control system sets the exit determination position, which is the position at which the transport vehicle in the merging section determines to have left the merging section, to a position downstream of the merging turnaround position.

7. The control system is configured to select the transport vehicle that will travel to the destination from among a plurality of transport vehicles, and to select the transport vehicle that has the lowest cost, which is determined according to the distance from the position of each transport vehicle to the destination and the driving conditions of each transport vehicle. The transport equipment according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the candidate for the selected transport vehicle includes the transport vehicle that reaches the destination by performing the return trip.

8. The transport equipment according to claim 7, wherein the cost is set to be greater when the transport vehicle is moving backward than when the transport vehicle is moving forward.

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