Transport vehicle

Abstract

To realize a carrier capable of reducing a size thereof in a vertical direction.SOLUTION: A first holding body 21 and a second holding body 22 are arranged on a lower side of a support 20. On the lower side of the support 20, a holding body drive part 6 is arranged inside an area A1 in a vertical direction, where the first holding body 21 and the second holding body 22 are arranged. A rope body fixing part 4 for fixing a rope body 3a to the support 20 is provided to the support 20. The rope body fixing part 4 is arranged so as to protrude downward from the support 20.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a carrier that travels along a travel route to transport articles.

Background Art

[0002] An example of such a carrier is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2022-177495 (Patent Document 1). Hereinafter, the reference numerals shown in parentheses in the description of the background art are those of Patent Document 1.

[0003] The carrier (1) disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a holding unit (7) that holds the flange (201) of a FOUP (200), and a lifting drive unit (6) that raises and lowers the holding unit (7) by winding and unwinding a plurality of belts (B) connected to the holding unit (7). The carrier (1) also includes a pair of grippers (12). The pair of grippers (12) are configured to open and close in the horizontal direction by a drive unit provided inside the holding unit (7), and can grip the flange (201) of the FOUP (200) by the opening and closing operation. With the above configuration, the carrier (1) can transfer the FOUP (200) between the load port (300) provided below the travel route.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] In the configuration of Patent Document 1, the pair of grippers (12) for holding the FOUP (200) protrude downward from the base (11) of the holding unit (7), making it easy to increase the size in the vertical direction. Also, as shown in Figure 2 of Patent Document 1, the belt fixing part for fixing the belt (B) to the holding unit (7) protrudes upward from the housing (13) of the holding unit (7). Therefore, when the holding unit (7) is positioned at the highest position closest to the lifting drive unit (6), at least a gap equivalent to the belt fixing part is formed between the holding unit (7) and the lifting drive unit (6) in the vertical direction. In this respect as well, the configuration of Patent Document 1 is easy to increase the size in the vertical direction.

[0006] In light of the above situation, there is a need for a transport vehicle that can be miniaturized in the vertical direction. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In view of the above, one possible configuration of a transport vehicle is: A transport vehicle that travels along a route to transport goods, A gripping portion for gripping the gripping portion of the aforementioned article, It comprises a lifting mechanism for raising and lowering the gripping portion, The lifting unit comprises a rope for suspending the gripping unit, and a lifting drive unit that raises and lowers the gripping unit by winding and unwinding the rope. The gripping unit comprises a plate-shaped support suspended by the cable so as to be in a position along a horizontal plane, a first gripping body and a second gripping body supported by the support and moving toward and away from each other, and a gripping body drive unit that drives the first gripping body and the second gripping body. The first gripping body and the second gripping body are positioned below the support, The support and , the first gripping body and the second gripping body With each lower end Up and down between The gripping body drive unit is located within the region. The aforementioned cord Lower end A cable fixing portion for fixing the cable to the support is provided on the support, The cable body fixing part protrudes downward from the support body Furthermore, within the region where the first gripping body or the second gripping body exists in the gripping body movement direction, which is the movement direction of the first gripping body and the second gripping body, the gripping body is positioned at a distance from the region where the first gripping body or the second gripping body exists, in an orthogonal direction perpendicular to the gripping body movement direction when viewed from above and below. .

[0008] According to this configuration, the first gripping body and the second gripping body are disposed below the support body, and the gripping body driving part is disposed in the vertical region where the first gripping body and the second gripping body are disposed. Therefore, each element constituting the gripping part can be efficiently aggregated below the support body, making it easy to reduce the size of the gripping part in the vertical direction. Further, the cable body fixing part for fixing the cable body and the support body is disposed so as to protrude downward from the support body. Therefore, the number of elements disposed above the support body can be reduced. Thereby, in a state where the gripping part is disposed inside the housing part, the gripping part and the lifting driving part can be disposed close to each other in the vertical direction. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the size of the entire transport vehicle in the vertical direction.

[0009] Furthermore, in view of the above, one aspect of the transport vehicle is a transport vehicle that travels along a route to transport goods, A gripping portion for gripping the gripping portion of the aforementioned article, It comprises a lifting mechanism for raising and lowering the gripping portion, The lifting unit comprises a rope for suspending the gripping unit, and a lifting drive unit that raises and lowers the gripping unit by winding and unwinding the rope. The gripping unit comprises a plate-shaped support suspended by the cable so as to be in a position along a horizontal plane, a first gripping body and a second gripping body supported by the support and moving toward and away from each other, and a gripping body drive unit that drives the first gripping body and the second gripping body. The first gripping body and the second gripping body are positioned below the support, The gripping drive unit is positioned within the region between the support and the lower ends of the first and second gripping bodies in the vertical direction. A cable fixing portion for fixing the cable to the support is provided on the support, The cable fixing portion is positioned to protrude downward from the support, An article detection unit for detecting the article to be gripped by the gripping unit is provided on the support, The article detection unit is positioned to protrude upward from the support, When the support body is closest to the lifting drive unit in the vertical direction, the item detection unit is positioned in a location that overlaps with the vertical region where the lifting drive unit is located, but does not overlap with the lifting drive unit in a vertical view.

[0010] This configuration makes it possible to bring the support unit and the lifting drive unit closer together in the vertical direction while avoiding interference between the lifting drive unit and the object detection unit. Therefore, even in a configuration where an object detection unit is provided, it is possible to reduce the size in the vertical direction.

[0011] Furthermore, in view of the above, one aspect of the transport vehicle is a transport vehicle that travels along a route to transport goods, A gripping portion for gripping the gripping portion of the aforementioned article, It comprises a lifting mechanism for raising and lowering the gripping portion, The lifting unit comprises a rope for suspending the gripping unit, and a lifting drive unit that raises and lowers the gripping unit by winding and unwinding the rope. The gripping unit comprises a plate-shaped support suspended by the cable so as to be in a position along a horizontal plane, a first gripping body and a second gripping body supported by the support and moving toward and away from each other, and a gripping body drive unit that drives the first gripping body and the second gripping body. The first gripping body and the second gripping body are positioned below the support, The gripping drive unit is positioned within the region between the support and the lower ends of the first and second gripping bodies in the vertical direction. A cable fixing portion for fixing the cable to the support is provided on the support, The cable fixing portion is positioned to protrude downward from the support, A pair of first gripping bodies is provided, and a pair of second gripping bodies is provided, The gripping body drive unit comprises a first rail and a second rail extending along the operating direction of a pair of first gripping bodies and a pair of second gripping bodies, a first guide body and a second guide body moving along the first rail, a third guide body and a fourth guide body moving along the second rail, a motor, and a transmission mechanism for transmitting the driving force of the motor to the pair of first gripping bodies and the pair of second gripping bodies. One of the pair of first gripping bodies is supported by the first guide body, and one of the pair of second gripping bodies is supported by the second guide body, One of the pair of first gripping bodies is supported by the third guide body, and the other of the pair of second gripping bodies is supported by the fourth guide body, The motor and the transmission mechanism are positioned between the first rail and the second rail.

[0012] According to this configuration, a linear motion mechanism using rails extending along the direction of movement of the gripping bodies can operate a pair of first gripping bodies and a pair of second gripping bodies. Therefore, for example, if the direction of movement of the gripping bodies is horizontal, the rails are also provided to extend horizontally, making it easier to miniaturize the entire gripping body drive unit in the vertical direction. In addition, since four gripping bodies can be guided by two rails, it is easier to miniaturize the gripping body drive unit. Furthermore, since the motor and transmission mechanism are arranged between the first rail and the second rail, it is possible to drive a total of four gripping bodies with the driving force of one motor. Therefore, the number of motors required to drive the gripping bodies can be reduced, which also makes it easier to miniaturize the gripping body drive unit.

[0013] Furthermore, in view of the above, one aspect of the transport vehicle is a transport vehicle that travels along a route to transport goods, A gripping portion for gripping the gripping portion of the aforementioned article, It comprises a lifting mechanism for raising and lowering the gripping portion, The lifting unit comprises a rope for suspending the gripping unit, and a lifting drive unit that raises and lowers the gripping unit by winding and unwinding the rope. The gripping unit comprises a plate-shaped support suspended by the cable so as to be in a position along a horizontal plane, a first gripping body and a second gripping body supported by the support and moving toward and away from each other, and a gripping body drive unit that drives the first gripping body and the second gripping body. The first gripping body and the second gripping body are positioned below the support, The gripping drive unit is positioned within the region between the support and the lower ends of the first and second gripping bodies in the vertical direction. A cable fixing portion for fixing the cable to the support is provided on the support, The cable fixing portion is positioned to protrude downward from the support, The gripping body drive unit comprises a rail extending along the operating direction of the first gripping body and the second gripping body, and a drive mechanism for moving the first gripping body and the second gripping body along the rail. A bridge portion is provided on the lower side of the support, The bridge section is positioned to cross the rail in a vertical view, The wiring provided on the support is supported by the bridge portion.

[0014] With this configuration, by utilizing the bridge section, wiring can be installed without interfering with the rails.

[0015] Further features and advantages of the technology relating to this disclosure will become clearer from the following description of exemplary and non-limiting embodiments, with reference to the drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0016] [Figure 1] Plan view of the conveying equipment [Figure 2] Diagram showing the transfer operation [Figure 3] Diagram showing the grasping motion [Figure 4] This diagram shows the state in which the gripping part and the lifting drive part are closest to each other. [Figure 5]A diagram showing the centroid of a figure with the belt fixing point as its vertex when viewed from above. [Figure 6] Diagram showing the belt fixing structure [Figure 7] View of the gripping part from below. [Figure 8] Diagram showing the wiring structure of the gripping section. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0017] The transport vehicle is configured to transport goods by traveling along a designated route. The following describes embodiments of the transport vehicle, illustrating their application to transport equipment.

[0018] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the transport equipment 100 includes a predetermined travel path R, a transport vehicle V that travels along the travel path R to transport the goods 8, and a plurality of transfer target locations 9 provided along the travel path R.

[0019] The travel path R is set at a position above the floor. In this example, the travel path R is constructed using a travel rail Ra installed near the ceiling. The transport vehicle V is configured as a so-called overhead transport vehicle and travels along the travel rail Ra. The transfer target location 9 is located below the travel path R. The transport vehicle V is configured to transfer the item 8 between the transport vehicle V and the transfer target location 9 by raising and lowering the item 8.

[0020] In this embodiment, the transport equipment 100 is equipped with multiple transport vehicles V. Each of the transport vehicles V is configured to receive a transport command from a higher-level control device (not shown) that centrally manages the equipment and to perform a task corresponding to that transport command. For example, the transport command includes information about the source and destination of the item 8. A transport vehicle V that receives a transport command transports the item 8 from the source to the destination. The source and destination include the transfer target location 9.

[0021] The items 8 handled by the transport equipment 100 can be of various types. In this example, the transport equipment 100 is used in a semiconductor manufacturing plant. Therefore, items 8 include substrate containers (so-called FOUPs: Front Opening Unified Pods) that contain substrates (wafers, panels, etc.) and reticle containers (so-called reticle pods) that contain reticles. In this case, the transport vehicle V transports items 8, such as substrate containers and reticle containers, along the travel path R between each process.

[0022] In this embodiment, the transfer target location 9 comprises a processing device 90 that performs processing on the article 8, and a mounting table 91 positioned adjacent to the processing device 90. In this specification, "processing on the article 8" means processing on the contents (substrates and reticles) contained in the article 8, which serves as a container. The transport vehicle V receives the article 8 that has been processed by the processing device 90 from the mounting table 91, or hands over the article 8 that has not yet been processed by the processing device 90 to the mounting table 91. The processing device 90 performs various processes, such as thin film formation, photolithography, and etching.

[0023] As shown in Figure 2, the transport vehicle V comprises a traveling section 1 that travels on a traveling rail Ra, and a storage section S for accommodating the article 8. The transport vehicle V also comprises a gripping section 2 that grips the gripping section 81 of the article 8, and a lifting section 3 that raises and lowers the gripping section 2.

[0024] In this embodiment, the running unit 1 comprises a plurality of running wheels 1a that roll on the running rail Ra, and a running drive unit 1m that drives at least a portion of the plurality of running wheels 1a. For example, the running drive unit 1m is configured using an electric motor.

[0025] In this embodiment, the storage section S is suspended and supported by the travel section 1 and is positioned below the travel rail Ra. The storage section S is configured to accommodate an article 8 gripped by the gripping section 2. When the transport vehicle V transports the article 8 along the travel path R, the article 8 is stored in the storage section S. The article 8 is stored in the storage section S with the gripping section 2, which is gripping the article 8, raised by the lifting section 3 to its highest position.

[0026] In this embodiment, the lifting unit 3 comprises a lifting belt 3a (an example of a rope) that suspends the gripping unit 2, and a lifting drive unit 3m that raises and lowers the gripping unit 2 by winding and unwinding the lifting belt 3a. In this example, the lifting unit 3 is equipped with four lifting belts 3a. Figure 2 shows two of the four lifting belts 3a. Although detailed illustration is omitted, the lifting drive unit 3m comprises a rotating body around which each lifting belt 3a is wound, and a drive source that rotates the rotating body. As the rotating body rotates in the forward or reverse direction, each lifting belt 3a is wound up or unwound. As a result, the gripping unit 2 connected to each lifting belt 3a rises and falls. The lifting drive unit 3m is covered by a case.

[0027] The gripping part 2 is configured to grip the part 81 of the article 8. The gripping part 2 comprises a first gripping body 21 and a second gripping body 22. The part 81 of the article 8 is gripped by the first gripping body 21 and the second gripping body 22.

[0028] As shown in Figure 3, in this embodiment, the article 8 comprises a main body portion 80 and a gripping portion 81. The main body portion 80 is the part in which the contents are contained and is formed in a box shape. The gripping portion 81 is the part that is gripped by the gripping portion 2 of the transport vehicle V.

[0029] In this embodiment, a pair of gripping portions 81 are provided so as to protrude upward from the upper surface of the main body portion 80. Each of the pair of gripping portions 81 comprises a plurality of support columns 81a extending from the upper surface of the main body portion 80 and a plate-like portion 81b connecting the upper ends of each of the plurality of support columns 81a. The plurality of support columns 81a provided on one gripping portion 81 are arranged in a line along the depth direction of the paper in Figure 3.

[0030] The plate-like portion 81b is formed in an elongated shape along the direction in which the multiple support columns 81a are aligned (the depth direction of the paper in Figure 3). The upper surface of the plate-like portion 81b is made up of a flat surface. A recessed area 81c is formed on the upper surface of the plate-like portion 81b, which is recessed downwards.

[0031] The gripping unit 2 comprises a plate-shaped support 20 suspended by a lifting belt 3a so as to be in a position along a horizontal plane, a first gripping body 21 and a second gripping body 22 supported by the support 20 and moving toward and away from each other, and a gripping body drive unit 6 that drives the first gripping body 21 and the second gripping body 22. In this embodiment, the gripping unit 2 includes a case C that covers the space below the support 20. The case C is attached to the support 20 and covers at least the gripping body drive unit 6. In this example, the case C also covers parts of the first gripping body 21 and the second gripping body 22.

[0032] In this embodiment, the first gripping body 21 and the second gripping body 22 are configured to move along the horizontal direction. That is, the first gripping body 21 and the second gripping body 22 move along the horizontal direction to move closer to and further apart from each other.

[0033] In this embodiment, the first gripping body 21 and the second gripping body 22 are configured to move apart from each other between a pair of gripped portions 81 to be gripped, thereby gripping the pair of gripped portions 81 from the inside in the horizontal direction. The first gripping body 21 and the second gripping body 22 are configured to move closer to each other, thereby releasing the grip on the pair of gripped portions 81.

[0034] In this embodiment, an article detection unit 5 is provided on the support 20 to detect the article 8 to be gripped by the gripping unit 2. The gripping unit 2 is configured to recognize the position of the article 8 when the article detection unit 5 detects the article 8, and to perform a gripping operation on the article 8.

[0035] In this embodiment, the article detection unit 5 comprises a first detection unit 51 and a second detection unit 52. The first detection unit 51 is configured to detect one of a pair of gripping portions 81 provided on the article 8. The second detection unit 52 is configured to detect the other of a pair of gripping portions 81 provided on the article 8. The first detection unit 51 and the second detection unit 52 have different structures for detecting the article 8.

[0036] The first detection unit 51 is configured to detect the position of the article 8 by contacting the gripping portion 81 of the article 8. In this embodiment, the first detection unit 51 comprises a contact body 51a and a first sensor unit 510.

[0037] The contact body 51a is positioned to penetrate vertically through a hole h1 provided in the support 20, and is configured to move vertically relative to the support 20. As the gripping portion 2 descends over the article 8 at the transfer target location 9, the contact body 51a contacts the gripped portion 81 of the article 8 from above. The lower end of the contact body 51a is configured to fit into a recess 81c of the gripped portion 81. As the lower end of the contact body 51a is pushed upward by the gripped portion 81, the entire contact body 51a moves upward relative to the support 20.

[0038] The first detection unit 51 is positioned on the upper surface of the support 20. The first detection unit 51 is configured to detect when the contact body 51a moves upward relative to the support 20. The first detection unit 51 at least detects contact of the contact body 51a with the gripped portion 81. Furthermore, the first detection unit 51 detects the vertical relative position of the gripping portion 2 and the gripped portion 81 based on the amount of upward movement of the contact body 51a with respect to the support 20. In this example, the first detection unit 51 includes a light-emitting unit and a light-receiving unit, and is configured to detect the amount of movement of the contact body 51a with respect to the gripped portion 81 and the contact body 51a with respect to the support 20 based on whether or not the optical axis is blocked by the contact body 51a.

[0039] The second detection unit 52 is configured to detect the position of the article 8 by non-contact detection of the gripping portion 81 of the article 8. In this embodiment, the second detection unit 52 includes a support member 52a and a second sensor unit 520 supported by the support member 52a.

[0040] The support member 52a is provided on the upper surface of the support body 20. The support member 52a is configured to support the second sensor unit 520 above the support body 20. In the illustrated example, the support member 52a is configured using an L-shaped bracket.

[0041] The second sensor unit 520 is positioned above the support body 20. As described above, the second sensor unit 520 is supported by the support member 52a. The second sensor unit 520 detects the relative vertical distance between the gripping unit 2 and the gripped unit 81 without contact. In this embodiment, the second sensor unit 520 is configured using an optical distance sensor and is configured to emit light downwards. The light emitted from the second sensor unit 520 reaches the gripped unit 81 through the hole h2 provided in the support body 20. As a result, the second sensor unit 520 detects the relative vertical distance between the gripping unit 2 and the gripped unit 81.

[0042] The gripping unit 2, which descends toward the article 8 at the transfer target location 9, recognizes its relative position to the article 8 based on the detection results from both of its two detection units, which have different detection structures: a contact-type first detection unit 51 and a non-contact-type second detection unit 52. This allows the gripping unit 2 to recognize its relative position to the article 8 with high accuracy. When the gripping unit 2 descends to a position where it can grasp the pair of parts 81 of the article 8, it operates the first gripping body 21 and the second gripping body 22 to grasp the pair of parts 81.

[0043] Next, we will describe the arrangement of each element that makes up the transport vehicle V.

[0044] As shown in Figure 3, the first gripping body 21 and the second gripping body 22 are positioned below the support body 20. In this embodiment, a pair of first gripping bodies 21 and a pair of second gripping bodies 22 are provided (see Figures 7 and 8). The pair of first gripping bodies 21 and the pair of second gripping bodies 22 are positioned below the support body 20.

[0045] The gripping drive unit 6 is located below the support body 20, within the vertical region A1 where the first gripping body 21 and the second gripping body 22 are positioned. In other words, the gripping drive unit 6 is located in the vertical region A1 between the support body 20 and the lower ends of the first gripping body 21 and the second gripping body 22. This configuration allows each element constituting the gripping unit 2 to be efficiently concentrated below the support body 20. Therefore, it is easier to miniaturize the gripping unit 2 as a whole in the vertical direction.

[0046] A belt fixing part 4 (an example of a cable fixing part) for fixing the lifting belt 3a to the support 20 is provided on the support 20. The belt fixing part 4 is positioned to protrude downward from the support 20. This configuration reduces the number of elements positioned above the support 20. Therefore, as shown in Figure 4, with the gripping part 2 located inside the housing part S, the gripping part 2 and the lifting drive part 3m can be positioned close together in the vertical direction. Consequently, the overall transport vehicle V can be made smaller in the vertical direction.

[0047] In this embodiment, the belt fixing section 4 includes a fixed wall section 40 that protrudes downward from the support 20, and a rotating body 41 that can rotate at a predetermined angle relative to the fixed wall section 40. The lifting belt 3a is fixed to the rotating body 41 by bolts B (see also Figure 6). For example, the rotating body 41 is configured to rotate at a set angle of plus 30 degrees or minus 30 degrees from the reference phase. This makes it possible to adjust the tension or slack of the lifting belt 3a to adjust the horizontality of the support 20 suspended by multiple (four in this example) lifting belts 3a. As described above, in this embodiment, the lifting section 3 is equipped with four lifting belts 3a. Therefore, four belt fixing sections 4 are provided on the support 20 corresponding to the four lifting belts 3a (see also Figure 5).

[0048] In this embodiment, the article detection unit 5 is positioned to protrude upward from the support 20. As described above, in this example, the article detection unit 5 comprises a first detection unit 51 and a second detection unit 52. Both the first detection unit 51 and the second detection unit 52 have portions positioned above the support 20. Specifically, the first sensor unit 510 of the first detection unit 51 is positioned to protrude upward from the support 20. Also, the support member 52a of the second detection unit 52 is positioned to protrude upward from the support 20. The second sensor unit 520 of the second detection unit 52 is supported by this support member 52a and is therefore positioned above the support 20.

[0049] As shown in Figure 4, in this embodiment, when the support body 20 is closest to the lifting drive unit 3m in the vertical direction, the item detection unit 5 is positioned in a location that overlaps with the vertical region A2 where the lifting drive unit 3m is located, but does not overlap with the lifting drive unit 3m in a vertical view. In other words, when the gripping unit 2 is raised by the lifting unit 3 and positioned at its highest point, the item detection unit 5 is positioned in a location that does not overlap with the lifting drive unit 3m in a vertical view, but overlaps with the vertical region A2 where the lifting drive unit 3m is located. With this configuration, it is possible to bring the support body 20 and the lifting drive unit 3m closer together in the vertical direction while avoiding interference between the lifting drive unit 3m and the item detection unit 5.

[0050] In this embodiment, when the support body 20 is closest to the lifting drive unit 3m in the vertical direction, the first sensor unit 510 of the first detection unit 51 and the second sensor unit 520 of the second detection unit 52 are arranged so as to sandwich the lifting drive unit 3m in the horizontal direction.

[0051] As shown in Figure 5, in this embodiment, four belt fixing parts 4 are provided on the support 20, and a lifting belt 3a is connected to each belt fixing part 4. The positions of the four belt fixing parts 4 are set based on the center of gravity of the article 8. Specifically, the positions of the four belt fixing parts 4 are set so that the amount of vertical displacement between the center of gravity 4x (central center) of the figure with the four belt fixing parts 4 as vertices and the center of gravity (center of mass) of the article 8 when it is held by the gripping part 2 is small. This makes it easier to maintain the horizontal posture of the gripping part 2 when it is holding the article 8.

[0052] As shown in Figure 6, a power supply line 97 for supplying power to the gripping section 2 is provided on some of the lifting belts 3a among the multiple lifting belts 3a. The power supplied to the gripping section 2 by the power supply line 97 is, for example, power obtained by contactless power supply from another power supply line provided along the running rail Ra (see Figure 2). In this example, the power supply line 97 is provided on one of the four lifting belts 3a.

[0053] The power supply line 97 is arranged along the extending direction of the lifting belt 3a. In this embodiment, the lifting belt 3a including the power supply line 97 is fixed to the belt fixing part 4 by a plurality of bolts B aligned in the extending direction of the lifting belt 3a. This makes it easy to fix the lifting belt 3a with the bolts B in a position that avoids the power supply line 97 extending along the extending direction of the lifting belt 3a. In the illustrated example, the lifting belt 3a is fixed to the belt fixing part 4 by two bolts B aligned along the extending direction of the lifting belt 3a. For other lifting belts 3a that do not include the power supply line 97, it is preferable to arrange a plurality of bolts B aligned in the width direction of the lifting belt 3a and fix them to the belt fixing part 4 with these bolts B. This allows for highly stable fixing of the lifting belt 3a.

[0054] Next, the configuration of the gripping body drive unit 6 will be described in detail. Figure 7 is a view of the gripping unit 2 from below, showing the main components of the gripping unit 2. Note that in Figure 7, the wiring W and bridge unit 7, which will be described later, are omitted in order to make the configuration of the gripping body drive unit 6 easier to understand.

[0055] As shown in Figure 7, the gripping body drive unit 6 includes a rail 6r that extends along the operating direction of the first gripping body 21 and the second gripping body 22, and a drive mechanism 60 that moves the first gripping body 21 and the second gripping body 22 along the rail 6r.

[0056] As described above, in this embodiment, the first gripping body 21 and the second gripping body 22 are configured to operate along the horizontal direction. Therefore, the rail 6r extends along the horizontal direction. In this example, the gripping body drive unit 6 includes a first rail 61r and a second rail 62r that extend along the operating direction of the pair of first gripping bodies 21 and the pair of second gripping bodies 22 (hereinafter referred to as "gripping body operating direction X"). That is, the rail 6r includes the first rail 61r and the second rail 62r. ​​The first rail 61r and the second rail 62r extend along the horizontal direction and are arranged parallel to each other. The first rail 61r and the second rail 62r are spaced apart in a direction perpendicular to the gripping body operating direction X when viewed from above (hereinafter referred to as "orthogonal direction Y"). If we define one side in the orthogonal direction Y as the first orthogonal side Y1 and the other side as the second orthogonal side Y2, then the first rail 61r is positioned on the first orthogonal side Y1 more than the second rail 62r, and the second rail 62r is positioned on the second orthogonal side Y2 more than the first rail 61r.

[0057] In this embodiment, the gripping body drive unit 6 includes a motor 60m and a transmission mechanism 60t that transmits the driving force of the motor 60m to a pair of first gripping bodies 21 and a pair of second gripping bodies 22. The drive mechanism 60 includes the motor 60m and the transmission mechanism 60t.

[0058] In this embodiment, a motor 60m and a transmission mechanism 60t are arranged between the first rail 61r and the second rail 62r. ​​In other words, the drive mechanism 60 is arranged between the first rail 61r and the second rail 62r in the orthogonal direction Y.

[0059] In this embodiment, the gripping body drive unit 6 includes a first guide body 61g and a second guide body 62g that move along the first rail 61r, and a third guide body 63g and a fourth guide body 64g that move along the second rail 62r.

[0060] In this embodiment, the first guide body 61g and the third guide body 63g are connected by a first connecting portion 61c and are configured to operate as a single unit. The first connecting portion 61c moves along the gripping body operating direction X by receiving the driving force of the motor 60m. As a result, both the first guide body 61g and the third guide body 63g move along the gripping body operating direction X. In this embodiment, the transmission mechanism 60t is configured using a ball screw mechanism, and the first connecting portion 61c is movably supported by the screw of the ball screw mechanism.

[0061] One of the pair of first gripping bodies 21 is supported by the first guide body 61g. The other of the pair of first gripping bodies 21 is supported by the third guide body 63g. Therefore, when the driving force of the motor 60m is transmitted to the first connecting part 61c by the transmission mechanism 60t, the first guide body 61g and the third guide body 63g move integrally in the same direction, and the pair of first gripping bodies 21 move.

[0062] In this embodiment, the second guide body 62g and the fourth guide body 64g are connected by a second connecting portion 62c and are configured to operate as a single unit. The second connecting portion 62c moves along the gripping body operating direction X by receiving the driving force of the motor 60m. As a result, both the second guide body 62g and the fourth guide body 64g move along the gripping body operating direction X. As described above, in this embodiment, the transmission mechanism 60t is configured using a ball screw mechanism, and the second connecting portion 62c is movably supported by the screw of the ball screw mechanism.

[0063] One of the pair of second gripping bodies 22 is supported by the second guide body 62g. The other of the pair of second gripping bodies 22 is supported by the fourth guide body 64g. Therefore, when the driving force of the motor 60m is transmitted to the second connecting part 62c by the transmission mechanism 60t, the second guide body 62g and the fourth guide body 64g move integrally in the same direction, causing the pair of second gripping bodies 22 to move.

[0064] The first connecting portion 61c and the second connecting portion 62c move toward and toward each other in response to the driving force of the motor 60m. Consequently, the pair of first gripping bodies 21 that move integrally via the first connecting portion 61c and the pair of second gripping bodies 22 that move integrally via the second connecting portion 62c operate to move toward and toward each other.

[0065] Figure 8 shows the wiring structure of the gripping section 2. In Figure 8, the dashed lines represent the main parts of the wiring W of the gripping section 2. Other wiring may also exist besides the wiring W shown in the figure. The wiring W includes power lines that supply power to each element of the gripping section 2, and signal lines for transmitting and receiving signals.

[0066] In this embodiment, a bridge portion 7 is provided on the lower side of the support 20. The bridge portion 7 is positioned to cross the rail 6r in a vertical view. The bridge portion 7 is positioned below the rail 6r and straddles the rail 6r. The bridge portion 7 extends in the orthogonal direction Y. In this example, the bridge portion 7 is positioned to cross both the first rail 61r and the second rail 62r in a vertical view. The bridge portion 7 connects the region Y1 first orthogonal to the first rail 61r and the region Y2 second orthogonal to the second rail 62r.

[0067] In this embodiment, a pair of bridge sections 7 are provided on the lower surface of the support 20. The pair of bridge sections 7 are spaced apart in the gripping body operating direction X and are arranged parallel to each other. The pair of bridge sections 7 are arranged to sandwich the motor 60m in the gripping body operating direction X. In this example, the motor 60m is located between the first rail 61r and the second rail 62r in the orthogonal direction Y when viewed in the vertical direction, and between the gripping body operating direction X of the pair of bridge sections 7.

[0068] In this embodiment, the wiring W provided on the support 20 is supported by the bridge section 7. The wiring W is located below the support 20. In this example, the wiring W is supported by each of the pair of bridge sections 7. Having a pair of bridge sections 7 increases the flexibility in the placement of the wiring W. For example, one of the pair of bridge sections 7 may support the wiring W consisting of power lines, and the other of the pair of bridge sections 7 may support the wiring W consisting of signal lines. In this way, the bridge sections 7 may be used differently depending on the type of wiring W.

[0069] The bridge section 7 is configured to support the wiring W across a region Y1 perpendicular to the rail 6r and a region Y2 perpendicular to the rail 6r. In this embodiment, each of the pair of bridge sections 7 supports the wiring W across a region Y1 perpendicular to the first rail 61r and a region Y2 perpendicular to the second rail 62r.

[0070] In this embodiment, the lifting belt 3a, including the power supply line 97, is fixed to the support 20 by a belt fixing part 4 (hereinafter referred to as "target belt fixing part 4") in a region Y1 that is first orthogonal to the first rail 61r. That is, the target belt fixing part 4 is located in a region Y1 that is first orthogonal to the first rail 61r, and the power supply line 97 is fixed to the target belt fixing part 4. Power from the power supply line 97 is supplied to each element of the gripping part 2 by wiring W. In this embodiment, a terminal block 99 is provided in a region Y1 that is first orthogonal to the first rail 61r. The wiring W from the target belt fixing part 4 is connected to the terminal block 99. In addition to power lines, signal lines may also be included in the wiring W from the target belt fixing part 4. Wiring W from the first detection unit 51 and wiring W from the second detection unit 52 are also connected to the terminal block 99.

[0071] In this embodiment, a motor driver 98 for controlling the motor 60m is provided in a region Y2 perpendicular to the second rail 62r. ​​Wiring W from the terminal block 99 is connected to the motor 60m and the motor driver 98 via the bridge section 7. A first rail 61r is positioned between the terminal block 99 and the motor 60m, but the bridge section 7 makes it possible to connect the terminal block 99 and the motor 60m with wiring W. Similarly, a second rail 62r is positioned between the motor 60m and the motor driver 98, but the bridge section 7 makes it possible to connect the motor 60m and the motor driver 98 with wiring W.

[0072] In this way, by using the bridge section 7, the wiring W provided on the underside of the support 20 can be prevented from interfering with the rail 6r or the drive mechanism 60.

[0073] [Other Embodiments] Next, other embodiments will be described.

[0074] (1) In the above embodiment, an example was described in which the article detection unit 5, which detects the article 8 to be gripped by the gripping unit 2, is equipped with a first detection unit 51 and a second detection unit 52 having different detection structures. However, the invention is not limited to such an example, and the article detection unit 5 may be equipped with only a contact-type first detection unit 51, or with only a non-contact-type second detection unit 52.

[0075] (2) In the above embodiments, an example was described in which the rail 6r includes a first rail 61r and a second rail 62r. ​​However, the rail 6r may be a single rail, and is not limited to such an example.

[0076] (3) In the above embodiment, an example was described in which a pair of first gripping bodies 21 are connected by a first connecting portion 61c and a pair of second gripping bodies 22 are connected by a second connecting portion 62c. However, the invention is not limited to such an example, and the first connecting portion 61c and the second connecting portion 62c may not be provided. It is preferable that the pair of first gripping bodies 21 are integrally formed as the same member, and the pair of second gripping bodies 22 are integrally formed as the same member.

[0077] (4) In the above embodiment, an example was described in which the bridge section 7 is arranged to straddle both the first rail 61r and the second rail 62r. ​​However, the invention is not limited to this example, and separate bridge sections 7 may be arranged, such as a bridge section 7 straddling the first rail 61r and a bridge section 7 straddling the second rail 62r.

[0078] (5) In the above embodiments, an example was described in which the wiring W includes signal lines for transmitting and receiving signals. However, without limiting to such an example, the transmission and reception of signals at each element may be performed wirelessly, for example, by an optical transmission device. In this case, some or all of the wiring W consisting of signal lines becomes unnecessary.

[0079] (6) In the above embodiment, an example was described in which the lifting unit 3 is equipped with four lifting belts 3a, and accordingly four belt fixing parts 4 are provided on the support 20. However, the invention is not limited to such an example, and for example, the lifting unit 3 may be equipped with three lifting belts 3a, and accordingly three belt fixing parts 4 may be provided on the support 20.

[0080] (7) In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the first gripping body 21 and the second gripping body 22 are configured to grip the gripped portion 81 by moving apart from each other and to release the grip on the gripped portion 81 by moving closer to each other. However, the embodiment is not limited to such an example, and for example, in the case where the article 8 has only one gripped portion 81, the first gripping body 21 and the second gripping body 22 may be configured to grip the gripped portion 81 by moving closer to each other and to release the grip on the gripped portion 81 by moving apart from each other.

[0081] (8) In the above embodiment, a lifting belt 3a was exemplified as the rope, and a belt fixing part 4 was exemplified as the rope fixing part. However, the embodiment is not limited to this example, and the rope may be a wire. In this case, the rope fixing part is a wire fixing part.

[0082] (9) The configurations disclosed in the embodiments described above can be applied in combination with configurations disclosed in other embodiments, as long as no inconsistencies arise. With regard to other configurations, the embodiments disclosed herein are merely illustrative in all respects. Therefore, various modifications can be made as appropriate without departing from the spirit of this disclosure.

[0083] [Summary of this embodiment] The following is a summary of this embodiment.

[0084] A transport vehicle that travels along a route to transport goods, A gripping portion for gripping the gripping portion of the aforementioned article, It comprises a lifting mechanism for raising and lowering the gripping portion, The lifting unit comprises a rope for suspending the gripping unit, and a lifting drive unit that raises and lowers the gripping unit by winding and unwinding the rope. The gripping unit comprises a plate-shaped support suspended by the cable so as to be in a position along a horizontal plane, a first gripping body and a second gripping body supported by the support and moving toward and away from each other, and a gripping body drive unit that drives the first gripping body and the second gripping body. The first gripping body and the second gripping body are positioned below the support, The gripping drive unit is located below the support and within the vertical region where the first gripping body and the second gripping body are arranged. A cable fixing portion for fixing the cable to the support is provided on the support, The cable fixing portion is positioned to protrude downward from the support.

[0085] In this configuration, the first and second gripping bodies are positioned below the support body, and the gripping body drive unit is positioned in the vertical region where the first and second gripping bodies are located. Therefore, each element constituting the gripping body can be efficiently concentrated below the support body, making it easier to reduce the overall vertical size of the gripping body. In addition, the cable fixing part for fixing the cable to the support body is positioned to protrude downward from the support body. Therefore, the number of elements positioned above the support body can be reduced. As a result, the gripping body and the lifting drive unit can be positioned close together in the vertical direction when the gripping body is located inside the housing. Consequently, it becomes possible to reduce the overall vertical size of the transport vehicle.

[0086] An article detection unit for detecting the article to be gripped by the gripping unit is provided on the support, The article detection unit is positioned to protrude upward from the support, In the state in which the support body is closest to the lifting drive unit in the vertical direction, it is preferable that the item detection unit is positioned in a location that overlaps with the vertical region in which the lifting drive unit is located, but does not overlap with the lifting drive unit in a vertical view.

[0087] This configuration makes it possible to bring the support unit and the lifting drive unit closer together in the vertical direction while avoiding interference between the lifting drive unit and the object detection unit. Therefore, even in a configuration where an object detection unit is provided, it is possible to reduce the size in the vertical direction.

[0088] A pair of first gripping bodies is provided, and a pair of second gripping bodies is provided, The gripping body drive unit comprises a first rail and a second rail extending along the operating direction of a pair of first gripping bodies and a pair of second gripping bodies, a first guide body and a second guide body moving along the first rail, a third guide body and a fourth guide body moving along the second rail, a motor, and a transmission mechanism for transmitting the driving force of the motor to the pair of first gripping bodies and the pair of second gripping bodies. One of the pair of first gripping bodies is supported by the first guide body, and one of the pair of second gripping bodies is supported by the second guide body, One of the pair of first gripping bodies is supported by the third guide body, and the other of the pair of second gripping bodies is supported by the fourth guide body, It is preferable that the motor and the transmission mechanism are arranged between the first rail and the second rail.

[0089] According to this configuration, a linear motion mechanism using rails extending along the direction of movement of the gripping bodies can operate a pair of first gripping bodies and a pair of second gripping bodies. Therefore, for example, if the direction of movement of the gripping bodies is horizontal, the rails are also provided to extend horizontally, making it easier to miniaturize the entire gripping body drive unit in the vertical direction. In addition, since four gripping bodies can be guided by two rails, it is easier to miniaturize the gripping body drive unit. Furthermore, since the motor and transmission mechanism are arranged between the first rail and the second rail, it is possible to drive a total of four gripping bodies with the driving force of one motor. Therefore, the number of motors required to drive the gripping bodies can be reduced, which also makes it easier to miniaturize the gripping body drive unit.

[0090] The gripping body drive unit comprises a rail extending along the operating direction of the first gripping body and the second gripping body, and a drive mechanism for moving the first gripping body and the second gripping body along the rail. A bridge portion is provided on the lower side of the support, The bridge section is positioned to cross the rail in a vertical view, It is preferable that the wiring provided on the support is supported by the bridge portion.

[0091] With this configuration, by utilizing the bridge section, wiring can be installed without interfering with the rails. [Industrial applicability]

[0092] The technology disclosed herein can be used in transport vehicles that travel along a designated route to transport goods. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0093] V: Transport vehicle 2: Grip part 20:Support 21: 1st gripping body 22:Second grip body 3: Lifting section 3a: Lifting belt (rope) 3m: Lifting drive unit 4: Belt fixing part (rope fixing part) 5: Item detection unit 6: Gripping body drive unit 60: Drive mechanism 60m: Motor 60t: Transmission mechanism 6r: Rail 61r: First rail 62r: Second rail 61g: First guide body 62g: Second guide body 63g: Third guide body 64g: 4th guide body 7: Bridge section 8: Goods 81:Gripped part A1: Vertical area A2: Vertical area R: Driving route W: Wiring

Claims

1. A transport vehicle that travels along a route to transport goods, A gripping portion for gripping the gripping portion of the aforementioned article, It comprises a lifting mechanism for raising and lowering the gripping portion, The lifting unit comprises a rope for suspending the gripping unit, and a lifting drive unit that raises and lowers the gripping unit by winding and unwinding the rope. The gripping section comprises a plate-shaped support suspended by the cable so as to be in a position along a horizontal plane, a first gripping body and a second gripping body supported by the support and moving toward and away from each other, and a gripping body drive unit that drives the first gripping body and the second gripping body. The first gripping body and the second gripping body are positioned below the support, The gripping drive unit is positioned within the region between the support and the lower ends of the first and second gripping bodies in the vertical direction. A cable fixing portion for fixing the lower end of the cable to the support is provided on the support, The cable fixing portion protrudes downward from the support and is positioned within the region where the first gripping body or the second gripping body exists in the gripping body movement direction, which is the movement direction of the first gripping body and the second gripping body, and is spaced apart from the region where the first gripping body or the second gripping body exists in an orthogonal direction perpendicular to the gripping body movement direction when viewed from above.

2. A transport vehicle that travels along a route to transport goods, A gripping portion for gripping the gripping portion of the aforementioned article, It comprises a lifting mechanism for raising and lowering the gripping portion, The lifting unit comprises a rope for suspending the gripping unit, and a lifting drive unit that raises and lowers the gripping unit by winding and unwinding the rope. The gripping section comprises a plate-shaped support suspended by the cable so as to be in a position along a horizontal plane, a first gripping body and a second gripping body supported by the support and moving toward and away from each other, and a gripping body drive unit that drives the first gripping body and the second gripping body. The first gripping body and the second gripping body are positioned below the support, The gripping drive unit is positioned within the region between the support and the lower ends of the first and second gripping bodies in the vertical direction. A cable fixing portion for fixing the cable to the support is provided on the support, The cable fixing portion is positioned to protrude downward from the support, An article detection unit for detecting the article to be gripped by the gripping unit is provided on the support, The article detection unit is positioned to protrude upward from the support, A transport vehicle in which, when the support body is closest to the lifting drive unit in the vertical direction, the item detection unit is positioned in a location that overlaps with the vertical region where the lifting drive unit is located, but does not overlap with the lifting drive unit in a vertical view.

3. A transport vehicle that travels along a route to transport goods, A gripping portion for gripping the gripping portion of the aforementioned article, It comprises a lifting mechanism for raising and lowering the gripping portion, The lifting unit comprises a rope for suspending the gripping unit, and a lifting drive unit that raises and lowers the gripping unit by winding and unwinding the rope. The gripping section comprises a plate-shaped support suspended by the cable so as to be in a position along a horizontal plane, a first gripping body and a second gripping body supported by the support and moving toward and away from each other, and a gripping body drive unit that drives the first gripping body and the second gripping body. The first gripping body and the second gripping body are positioned below the support, The gripping drive unit is positioned within the region between the support and the lower ends of the first and second gripping bodies in the vertical direction. A cable fixing portion for fixing the cable to the support is provided on the support, The cable fixing portion is positioned to protrude downward from the support, A pair of the first gripping bodies is provided, and a pair of the second gripping bodies is provided, The gripping body drive unit comprises a first rail and a second rail extending along the operating direction of the pair of first gripping bodies and the pair of second gripping bodies, a first guide body and a second guide body moving along the first rail, a third guide body and a fourth guide body moving along the second rail, a motor, and a transmission mechanism for transmitting the driving force of the motor to the pair of first gripping bodies and the pair of second gripping bodies. One of the pair of first gripping bodies is supported by the first guide body, and one of the pair of second gripping bodies is supported by the second guide body, One of the pair of first gripping bodies is supported by the third guide body, and the other of the pair of second gripping bodies is supported by the fourth guide body, A transport vehicle in which the motor and the transmission mechanism are arranged between the first rail and the second rail.

4. A transport vehicle that travels along a route to transport goods, A gripping portion for gripping the gripping portion of the aforementioned article, It comprises a lifting mechanism for raising and lowering the gripping portion, The lifting unit comprises a rope for suspending the gripping unit, and a lifting drive unit that raises and lowers the gripping unit by winding and unwinding the rope. The gripping section comprises a plate-shaped support suspended by the cable so as to be in a position along a horizontal plane, a first gripping body and a second gripping body supported by the support and moving toward and away from each other, and a gripping body drive unit that drives the first gripping body and the second gripping body. The first gripping body and the second gripping body are positioned below the support, The gripping drive unit is positioned within the region between the support and the lower ends of the first and second gripping bodies in the vertical direction. A cable fixing portion for fixing the cable to the support is provided on the support, The cable fixing portion is positioned to protrude downward from the support, The gripping body drive unit comprises a rail extending along the operating direction of the first gripping body and the second gripping body, and a drive mechanism for moving the first gripping body and the second gripping body along the rail. A bridge portion is provided on the lower side of the support, The bridge section is positioned to cross the rail in a vertical view, A transport vehicle in which wiring provided on the support is supported by the bridge portion.

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