Transport facility

Abstract

This transport facility is provided with: a plurality of flying bodies (10) that fly unmanned; a plurality of transport target sections (3) that may each serve as an origin and / or a destination of transport of articles (W) by the flying bodies (10); and a flight path area (E) in which the flying bodies (10) that transport the articles (W) between different transport target sections (3) fly. The flight path area (E) includes a first area (E1) in which a flying body (10) flies so as to travel in the horizontal direction, and a second area (E2) which is set parallel to the first area (E1) and in which a flying body (10) heading toward the opposite direction from the flying body (10) flying in the first area (E1) flies. The heights of the first area (E1) and the second area (E2) are set to be different from each other.

Description

Transport Facility

[0001] The present invention relates to a transport facility.

[0002] For example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2020-40798 (Patent Document 1) discloses a technique related to a transport facility. Hereinafter, the reference numerals shown in parentheses in the description of the background art are those of Patent Document 1.

[0003] The transport facility of Patent Document 1 includes a storage shelf (3) for storing an article (W), and a flying object (1) that flies unmanned with respect to the storage shelf (3) to transport the article. In the storage shelf (3), mounting tables (32) are arranged in each of a plurality of stages. And, a storage space (30) for storing articles is formed on each mounting table (32). In this transport facility, the mounting table (32) is configured to slide and move so as to protrude forward (the side where the article is taken in and out) with respect to the storage space (30) by a moving mechanism (33). When the flying object (1) approaches the storage space (30), the mounting table (32) protrudes forward with respect to the storage space (30). Thereby, the flying object (1) can transfer the article to and from the mounting table (32).

[0004] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2020-40798

[0005] In a transport facility in which articles are transported by a plurality of flying objects as in Patent Document 1, there is a risk that the flying objects may collide with each other during the transportation of the articles. For this reason, it is conceivable to reduce the possibility of the flying objects colliding with each other by reducing the number of flying objects flying in the transport facility at the same time. However, there is a problem that it is difficult to improve the transport efficiency of articles when the number of flying objects flying at the same time is reduced.

[0006] Therefore, there is a demand for providing a technique that can improve the transport efficiency of articles while reducing the possibility of collision between flying objects in a transport facility provided with a flight path area in which a plurality of flying objects fly unmanned.

[0007] The transport equipment according to this disclosure comprises a plurality of unmanned flying aircraft equipped with a holding unit for holding and releasing articles, a plurality of transport target units which are at least one of the source and destination of the articles transported by the aircraft, and a flight path area on which the aircraft fly to transport the articles between different transport target units, wherein the flight path area includes a first area on which the aircraft fly so as to move horizontally, and a second area set parallel to the first area on which the aircraft fly toward the opposite side from the aircraft flying in the first area, and the heights of the first area and the second area are set to be different from each other.

[0008] With this configuration, the heights of the first area and the second area, where aircraft flying in the opposite direction from the aircraft flying in the first area fly, are different. Therefore, even when goods are transported by multiple aircraft, the possibility of collisions between aircraft can be reduced. In addition, since the number of actions required to avoid collisions can be reduced for each of the multiple aircraft, the efficiency of goods transport in the transport equipment can be easily increased. Thus, with this configuration, it is possible to improve the efficiency of goods transport while reducing the possibility of collisions between aircraft.

[0009] Further features and advantages of the conveying equipment will become clear from the following description of exemplary and non-limiting embodiments, which will be illustrated with reference to the drawings.

[0010] A schematic diagram illustrating the flight path area A schematic diagram illustrating the flight path area in a different embodiment A schematic diagram illustrating the flight path area in a different embodiment A schematic diagram illustrating the flight path area in a different embodiment A schematic diagram illustrating the flight path area in a different embodiment Control block diagram

[0011] [First Embodiment] Hereinafter, the transport equipment 100 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in Figure 1, the transport equipment 100 comprises a plurality of unmanned flying aircraft 10, a plurality of transport target units 3, and a flight path area E on which the aircraft 10 fly. In this embodiment, the transport equipment 100 further comprises a control system 110 that controls each of the plurality of aircraft 10. The control system 110 comprises a higher-level controller C provided inside the transport equipment 100 and a control unit H provided on each aircraft 10.

[0012] The flying object 10 transports the article W between different transport target sections 3. The flight path area E on which the flying object 10 flies is set inside the transport equipment 100. In this example, the article W is a FOUP (Front Opening Unified Pod) that contains semiconductor wafers, but it is not limited to this. The article W may be a container other than a FOUP that contains semiconductor wafers. Also, the article W may be a carton container, a container, or something other than a container.

[0013] Each of the multiple transport target units 3 is configured to be at least one of the source and destination of the article W transported by the aircraft 10. In this example, multiple processing units 41 are provided inside the transport equipment 100. The processing units 41 are devices that process the contents (in this case, semiconductor wafers) contained in the article W. The transport target units 3 are arranged to correspond to each processing unit 41. In this example, the transport target unit 3 is a load port 31 that loads the article W into and out of the processing unit 41. The article W is placed on the upper surface of the load port 31. Multiple aircraft 10 transport the article W between the multiple load ports 31. In the first embodiment, as shown in Figure 1, a specific direction along the horizontal plane in which two transport target units 3 are aligned is called specific direction A. One side of specific direction A is called specific direction first side A1, and the opposite side is called specific direction second side A2. In the illustrated example, the two processing units 41 are spaced apart in specific direction A. Furthermore, the two transport target sections 3 (load ports 31) provided in each processing device 41 are arranged at the same position in the vertical direction. However, the two transport target sections 3 may be arranged so that their vertical positions are different from each other. Note that the transport target sections 3 are not limited to the load ports 31 provided in the processing device 41. For example, at least one of the two transport target sections 3 may be a shelf board of a rack that stores goods W (FOUP), an in / out section of an automated warehouse, or a transport surface of a transport device.

[0014] As shown in Figures 1 and 6, the aircraft 10 includes a flight unit 12 that flies along the flight path area E. The flight unit 12 is equipped with multiple rotors, the control unit for controlling each element of the aircraft 10, and a drive unit for providing driving force to each element. The rotors generate lift and thrust by being rotated around their axis. The movement of the multiple rotors makes it easier to maintain a horizontal attitude of the aircraft 10 during flight. The flight unit 12 may also be configured to include fixed wings and a propulsion device for generating thrust in the air.

[0015] Each of the multiple flying units 10 is equipped with a holding unit 2 for holding and releasing an article W. This allows the flying unit 10 to fly while holding the article W. In this example, the holding unit 2 holds the article W below the flying unit 12. The holding unit 2 is equipped with multiple gripping claws (not shown). The multiple gripping claws are configured to grip the article W (more specifically, the flange portion of the FOUP (not shown)). The multiple gripping claws can grip the article W placed on the transport target unit 3, or release the grip of the article W placed on the transport target unit 3. This allows the article W to be transferred between the holding unit 2 and the transport target unit 3. The configuration of the holding unit 2 can be appropriately changed depending on the type and size of the article W. For example, the holding unit 2 may be configured to include a mechanism for scooping up and holding the article W from below. Furthermore, the holding unit 2 may be equipped with a transfer device (conveyor type, fork type, etc.) to support the article W and transfer the article W to the transport target unit 3.

[0016] Each of the multiple flying objects 10 is equipped with a collision avoidance sensor 13. The collision avoidance sensor 13 is configured to detect other flying objects 10 that may collide with it. In this embodiment, the collision avoidance sensor 13 is also configured to detect other obstacles that may collide with the flying object 10. Various sensors can be used as the collision avoidance sensor 13, such as millimeter-wave radar, LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), ultrasonic sensors, and cameras.

[0017] In the illustrated example, the aircraft 10 transports an item W between two transport target units 3 arranged in a specific direction A. The aircraft 10 receives the item W placed on one of the two load ports 31 (the second side A2 in the specific direction) of the transport target unit 3. The aircraft 10 then hands over the held item W to the other load port 31 (the first side A1 in the specific direction) of the two load ports 31. When the aircraft 10 receives an item W from the transport target unit 3, the aircraft 10 descends from above the transport target unit 3 and approaches the item W placed on the upper surface of the transport target unit 3. The aircraft 10 then has the holding unit 2 hold the item W. When the aircraft 10 hands over an item W to the transport target unit 3, the aircraft 10 descends from above the transport target unit 3 and lands the item W, held by the holding unit 2, on the transport target unit 3. The aircraft 10 then releases the holding unit 2 from holding the item W. When transferring the item W to the transport target unit 3, the aircraft 10 may land on the transport target unit 3, or it may transfer the item W while hovering.

[0018] As shown in Figure 1, the flight path area E is configured to include a first area E1 in which the aircraft 10 flies in a horizontal direction, and a second area E2 which is set parallel to the first area E1 and in which the aircraft 10 flies in the opposite direction from the aircraft 10 flying in the first area E1. In this embodiment, the flight path area E is set above the multiple transport target units 3. In this example, the flight path area E is set to follow a specific direction A. The aircraft 10 then flies along the specific direction A in both the first area E1 and the second area E2. Note that "parallel" is not limited to the first area E1 and the second area E2 being perfectly parallel, but also includes cases where the first area E1 and the second area E2 are approximately parallel.

[0019] As shown in Figure 1, the heights of the first area E1 and the second area E2 are set to be different from each other. In this embodiment, the first area E1 and the second area E2 are set to be adjacent in the vertical direction, so that their vertical positions are different from each other. Here, the first area E1 is the area in which the flying body 10 that does not hold the article W by the holding part 2 flies, and the second area E2 is the area in which the flying body 10 that holds the article W by the holding part 2 flies. The second area E2 is set to be lower than the first area E1. In this example, in each of the first area E1 and the second area E2, it is possible for multiple flying bodies 10 to fly in at least one line along a specific direction A. On the other hand, in each area (the first area E1 and the second area E2), the vertical dimensions of each area are set so that multiple flying bodies 10 cannot fly separately in the vertical direction. Also, in this example, there is no area in which the flying bodies 10 fly below the second area E2. As a result, no other flying body 10 will fly below the flying body 10 holding the item W, thus avoiding interference between the item W held by the flying body 10 and another flying body 10 flying below it. In this example, when the flying body 10 receives the item W from the transport target unit 3 on the second side A2 of the specific direction, which is one of two transport target units 3 arranged in a specific direction A, it flies from the second side A2 of the specific direction to the first side A1 of the second area E2, which is below the first area E1. Then, when the flying body 10 hands over the item W to the transport target unit 3 on the first side A1 of the specific direction, it flies from the first side A1 of the specific direction to the second side A2 of the specific direction in the first area E1. After that, the flying body 10 receives another item W from the transport target unit 3 on the second side A2 of the specific direction. Furthermore, the first area E1 and the second area E2 may each be configured so that multiple aircraft 10 can fly side by side (in a direction perpendicular to a specific direction A when viewed from above or below). In this way, the configuration of the flight path area E can be changed as appropriate.

[0020] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 1, the detection range P of the collision avoidance sensor 13 is set to detect another aircraft 10 flying in the first area E1 when the aircraft 10 equipped with the collision avoidance sensor 13 is flying in the first area E1, but not to detect another aircraft 10 flying in the second area E2. Furthermore, the detection range P of the collision avoidance sensor 13 is set to detect another aircraft 10 flying in the second area E2 when the aircraft 10 equipped with the collision avoidance sensor 13 is flying in the second area E2, but not to detect another aircraft 10 flying in the first area E1. In this example, the detection range P of the collision avoidance sensor 13 is configured to detect obstacles in front of the aircraft 10 in the direction of travel, within the area where the aircraft 10 equipped with the collision avoidance sensor 13 is located. Naturally, the detection range P of the collision avoidance sensor 13 can be changed as appropriate. For example, the detection range P of the collision avoidance sensor 13 can be set not only in front of the aircraft 10 in the direction of travel, but also behind it. If the aircraft 10 detects an obstacle in its direction of travel (for example, another aircraft 10 in its direction of travel), it can reduce its flight speed or enter a hovering state. Furthermore, if the aircraft 10 detects an obstacle in its direction of travel, it can also fly in a manner that avoids that obstacle. In this example, each aircraft 10 is equipped with a control unit H as described above, enabling such autonomous flight.

[0021] In this embodiment, the upper-level controller C and the control unit H each include, for example, a processor such as a microcomputer, peripheral circuits such as memory, etc. Each function is realized through the cooperation of this hardware and a program executed on the processor such as a computer. The upper-level controller C and the control units H provided on each of the multiple aircraft 10 are configured to communicate with each other. The upper-level controller C includes a storage unit 17, a route setting unit 18, and an area setting unit 19. The area setting unit 19 sets the flight path area E. The area setting unit 19 is configured to set multiple areas, including the first area E1 and second area E2 described above. The route setting unit 18 sets the flight source (the transport target unit 3 which is the transport source of the item W) and the flight destination (the transport target unit 3 which is the transport destination of the item W) for each of the multiple aircraft 10. Then, based on the set flight source and flight destination, the route setting unit 18 sets one or more areas (areas included in the flight path area E) on which the aircraft 10 will fly. The memory unit 17 stores the flight path area E, etc., in the transport equipment 100. Figure 1 illustrates a configuration in which two transport target units 3 are arranged spaced apart in a specific direction A in the transport equipment 100, but it is not limited to this. The transport equipment 100 may have three or more transport target units 3, and the aircraft 10 in Figure 1 may fly further toward a transport target unit 3 not shown in the figure. In addition to the load port 31 described above, the transport target unit 3 may also be a charging station for charging the aircraft 10, a waiting area for the aircraft 10 to wait, the transport surface of a conveyor, the support surface of a support base, the mounting surface of an automated guided vehicle, etc. Furthermore, the transport target unit 3 may be a holding device that holds the article W from a position other than below. For example, the transport target unit 3 may be a holding device that holds the flange portion of the article W (FOUP) in an overhead transport vehicle that suspends and supports the article W.

[0022] [Second Embodiment] A second embodiment of the conveying equipment 100 will be described with reference to Figure 2. In the following, the conveying equipment 100 of this embodiment will be described, focusing on the differences from the first embodiment. Unless otherwise specified, the same reference numerals are used as in the first embodiment, and detailed explanations will be omitted.

[0023] As shown in Figure 2, the multiple transport target units 3 are arranged at different positions in the vertical direction. Furthermore, the first area E1 and the second area E2 are set to heights corresponding to the different transport target units 3 in the vertical direction. In this example, the multiple transport target units 3 are spaced apart in a specific direction A and are also separated vertically. The transport equipment 100 includes an in / out section 32, a loading section 33, and an unloading section 34 as transport target units 3. Here, the side of the in / out section 32 where the loading section 33 and unloading section 34 are located is designated as the second specific direction A2, and the opposite side is designated as the first specific direction A1. The loading section 33 transports goods W from the outside to the inside of the transport equipment 100. The unloading section 34 transports goods W from the inside to the outside of the transport equipment 100. Here, the loading section 33 and the unloading section 34 are transport conveyors. In the illustrated example, the unloading section 34 is positioned above the loading section 33. Furthermore, the loading / unloading section 32, the loading section 33, and the unloading section 34 are positioned so as to be separated in a specific direction A.

[0024] In this example, the transport equipment 100 includes an automated warehouse 42. The automated warehouse 42 can store multiple items W in multiple levels. The loading / unloading unit 32 loads and unloads items W into and out of the automated warehouse 42. Multiple loading / unloading units 32 are provided to correspond to each level. The multiple loading / unloading units 32 are arranged in a vertical direction. The loading / unloading unit 32 is a conveyor for transport. The aircraft 10 receives items W from the loading unit 33 and transports them to any loading / unloading unit 32. After handing over the items W to a loading / unloading unit 32, the aircraft 10 flies towards the loading unit 33. Also, when the aircraft 10 receives items W from any of the loading / unloading units 32, it flies towards the unloading unit 34. Then, the aircraft 10 hands over the transported items W to the unloading unit 34. In the illustrated example, the items W are cartons, containers, etc. In this example, the holding part 2 is configured to hold the article W from above, but it is not limited to this configuration; it may also be configured to support the article W from below. Furthermore, the holding part 2 may be configured to suspend and support the article W from above.

[0025] The flight path area E is set between the loading / unloading section 32 and the loading / unloading section 33 and the loading / unloading section 34 in a specific direction A. In this example, the second area E2 is positioned to correspond to one of the multiple loading / unloading sections 32. The first area E1 is positioned to correspond to the loading / unloading section 32 above the loading / unloading section 32 of the second area E2 (the loading / unloading section 32 corresponding to the second area E2). The aircraft 10, having received the goods at the loading / unloading section 33, flies through the second area E2 from the second side A2 in a specific direction to the first side A1 in a specific direction. The aircraft 10 then delivers the goods W to the loading / unloading section 32 of the second area E2. After delivering the goods W, the empty aircraft 10 (hereinafter simply referred to as "empty aircraft 10") ascends and flies through the first area E1 from the first side A1 in a specific direction to the second side A2 in a specific direction. The empty aircraft 10 then descends and receives a new item W from the loading unit 33. Alternatively, the aircraft 10 that has delivered the item W to the loading / unloading unit 32 of the second area E2 may receive another item W from another loading / unloading unit 32 and fly toward the unloading unit 34. In the example in Figure 2, the aircraft 10 that has delivered the item W to the loading / unloading unit 32 of the second area E2 may also receive another item W placed in the loading / unloading unit 32 one level higher and fly toward the first area E1. The aircraft 10 can then deliver the item W to the unloading unit 34. The aircraft 10 that has delivered the item W to the unloading unit 34 may receive a new item W from the loading unit 33 and fly toward the loading / unloading unit 33, or it may fly toward a waiting area for the aircraft 10 (not shown). In this way, the control system 110 (here, the higher-level controller C) can, if necessary, configure the aircraft 10 holding the item W to fly toward the first area E1. In that case, it is preferable that the system be configured so that no other aircraft 10 flies in the second area E2 while the aircraft 10 holding the item W is flying in the first area E1. This prevents a collision between the item W and another aircraft 10 flying in the second area E2, even if the aircraft 10 flying in the first area E1 drops the item W.

[0026] In this example, the flight path area E further comprises a third area E3 and a fourth area E4. The third area E3 and the fourth area E4 are set above the first area E1. The fourth area E4 is set to correspond to the entry / exit section 32 one level above the entry / exit section 32 of the first area E1. The third area E3 is set to correspond to the entry / exit section 32 one level above the entry / exit section 32 of the fourth area E4. The aircraft 10, having received goods from the loading section 33, flies through the fourth area E4 from the second side A2 in a specific direction to the first side A1 in a specific direction, and delivers the goods W to the entry / exit section 32 of the fourth area E4. After that, the empty aircraft 10 flies through the third area E3 from the first side A1 in a specific direction to the second side A2 in a specific direction, and receives new goods W from the loading section 33. Furthermore, after flying through the fourth area E4 and delivering the goods W to the loading / unloading section 32 of the fourth area E4, the aircraft 10 may receive another goods W from another loading / unloading section 32 (for example, the loading / unloading section 32 of the third area E3) and fly toward the unloading section 34. Naturally, the aircraft 10 may, for example, deliver the goods W to the loading / unloading section 32 of the second area E2, then receive another goods W from the loading / unloading section 32 of the fourth area E4 and fly toward the unloading section 34.

[0027] [Third Embodiment] A third embodiment of the conveying equipment 100 will be described with reference to Figures 3 and 4. In the following description, the conveying equipment 100 of this embodiment will be described focusing on the differences from the first embodiment. Unless otherwise specified, the same reference numerals are used as in the first embodiment, and detailed explanations will be omitted.

[0028] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the transport equipment 100 includes a storage shelf 5 with multiple shelves 51, each containing an item W. In this embodiment, the side of the storage shelf 5 from which the item W is loaded and unloaded is referred to as the shelf front 50. The direction along the depth of the storage shelf 5 is referred to as the depth direction X, the side in the depth direction X that faces the shelf front 50 from the inside of the storage shelf 5 is referred to as the first depth side X1, the opposite side as the second depth side X2, and the direction perpendicular to the vertical direction in a depth view along the depth direction X is referred to as the width direction Y. One side of the width direction Y is referred to as the first width side Y1, and the opposite side as the second width side Y2.

[0029] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, multiple item placement sections 8 for placing items W are set along the width direction Y in each of the multiple-tiered shelf sections 51. This allows multiple items W to be placed side by side in the width direction Y on a single shelf section 51. In this example, each of the multiple-tiered shelf sections 51 is supported by multiple pillars. The multiple-tiered shelf sections 51 are spaced apart from each other in the vertical direction. The multiple item placement sections 8 set along the width direction Y are set in the space formed between adjacent shelf sections 51. Each of the multiple item placement sections 8 is a transport target section 3. In this example, the vertical dimension of the item placement section 8 is set to a size that allows the aircraft 10 holding the item W to enter (Figure 4). The aircraft 10 then transfers the item W to the item placement section 8. In the example in Figure 4, two item placement sections 8 are set side by side in the depth direction X on each shelf section 51. In the illustrated example, one item W can be placed in one item placement section 8.

[0030] As shown in Figure 4, the flight path area E is positioned adjacent to the shelf front 50 on the first side X1 in the depth direction. The flight path area E comprises multiple areas, including the first area E1 and the second area E2. Each of the multiple areas is set to extend in the width direction Y along the shelf section 51 of the corresponding level. In other words, the multiple areas (in the example of Figure 3, six areas from the first area E1 to the sixth area E6) are positioned adjacent to each other in the vertical direction, along the width direction Y, and along the shelf section 51 of the corresponding level. In the example of Figure 4, shelf fronts 50 are set on both sides of the storage shelf 5 in the depth direction X. One flight path area E is set on the first side X1 in the depth direction (outside the storage shelf 5) for each shelf front 50. By setting two flight path areas E for one storage shelf 5 in this way, the transport efficiency of the goods W by the flying body 10 can be increased.

[0031] As shown in Figure 3, the transport equipment 100 further includes an input section 33 and an output section 34 as the transport target section 3. The input section 33 transports articles W from the outside to the inside of the transport equipment 100. The output section 34 outputs articles W from the inside to the outside of the transport equipment 100. In this example, the input section 33 and the output section 34 are arranged on the first side Y1 in the width direction with respect to the storage rack 5 and the flight path area E. The output section 34 is also arranged above the input section 33. When the aircraft 10 receives articles W from the input section 33, it flies along the flight path area E and delivers the articles W to the transport destination article placement section 8. When the aircraft 10 receives articles W from the article placement section 8, it flies along the flight path area E and delivers the articles W to the output section 34.

[0032] In the example shown in Figure 3, several different areas (the fourth area E4 and the sixth area E6) are located between the second area E2 and the first area E1. The second area E2 is positioned along the lowest shelf section 51. The second area E2, the fourth area E4, and the sixth area E6 are arranged in the order listed from bottom to top. In these areas, the aircraft 10 is configured to fly from the first side Y1 in the width direction to the second side Y2 in the width direction. The first area E1 is positioned one level above the sixth area E6.

[0033] In the example shown in Figure 3, the first area E1, the third area E3, and the fifth area E5 are arranged in the order listed from bottom to top. The fifth area E5 corresponds to the uppermost shelf 51. In the illustrated example, the seventh area E7 is located above the uppermost shelf 51. In these areas, the aircraft 10 is configured to fly from the second side Y2 in the width direction to the first side Y1 in the width direction. In the illustrated example, the end of the first side Y1 in the width direction of the flight path area E is located on the side of the loading section 33 and the unloading section 34 (first side Y1 in the width direction) rather than the storage shelf 5 (shelf front 50). Each of the flight path areas E is configured so that the aircraft 10 flies at least along the width direction Y.

[0034] In the example shown in Figure 3, the destination item placement section 8a for transporting item W is set to the shelf section 51 corresponding to the sixth area E6. When the aircraft 10 holds item W in the loading section 33, it flies toward the set destination item placement section 8a. The aircraft 10 flies through the area corresponding to the destination item placement section 8a (sixth area E6) and reaches the destination item placement section 8a. After handing over item W to the destination item placement section 8a, the aircraft 10 flies toward the loading section 33. When the aircraft 10 flies toward the loading section 33, it flies through one of the following areas: the first area E1, the third area E3, the fifth area E5, and the seventh area E7. For example, the aircraft 10 may select to fly to the 7th area E7 if there are aircraft 10 hovering in the 1st area E1, 3rd area E3, and 5th area E5 corresponding to multiple shelf sections 51, or if there are more than the specified number of aircraft 10 flying, or if there is an aircraft 10 that is transferring goods W to the goods placement section 8. Alternatively, the aircraft 10 may select to fly to the least congested area among the 1st area E1, 3rd area E3, 5th area E5, and 7th area E7.

[0035] Furthermore, after transporting the item W to the destination item placement unit 8a, the aircraft 10 can also fly towards the source item placement unit 8b, which is the receiving location for the item W. In the example shown in Figure 3, the source item placement unit 8b is set in the shelf unit 51 corresponding to the third area E3. After the aircraft 10 flies through the sixth area E6 and delivers the item to the destination item placement unit 8a, it ascends and enters the third area E3. The aircraft 10 then flies through the third area E3 and receives another item W from the source item placement unit 8b. After receiving the item W, the aircraft 10 continues to fly through the third area E3 towards the discharge unit 34. After that, the aircraft 10 delivers the item W to the discharge unit 34.

[0036] In the examples shown in Figures 3 and 4, unlike the first and second embodiments described above, the holding portion 2 of the flying body 10 is configured to grip the side of the article W. Thus, the configuration in which the holding portion 2 holds the article W can be changed as appropriate. Furthermore, if the holding portion 2 is equipped with a transfer device (fork type, conveyor type, etc.) that supports the article W from below, the flying body 10 hovers in the area in front of the article placement section 8 and transfers (hands over) the article W to the article placement section 8 using the transfer device. Therefore, since the flying portion 12 or holding portion 2 of the flying body 10 does not need to enter the article placement section 8, the vertical dimensions of each article placement section 8 can be kept small. Thus, it is possible to improve the storage efficiency of the article W in the storage rack 5 while maintaining the transport efficiency of the article W.

[0037] [Fourth Embodiment] A fourth embodiment of the conveying equipment 100 will be described with reference to Figure 5. In the following, the conveying equipment 100 of this embodiment will be described, focusing on the differences from the first embodiment. Unless otherwise specified, the same reference numerals are used as in the first embodiment, and detailed explanations will be omitted.

[0038] As shown in Figure 5, the transport equipment 100 has two floors. Here, the two floors are arranged separately in the vertical direction. The lower of the two floors is called the first floor 1F, and the floor located above the first floor 1F is called the second floor 2F. The transport equipment 100 is also provided with an inter-floor connection section 9 that connects the first floor 1F and the second floor 2F. The inter-floor connection section 9 is a space in which a connecting path extending in the vertical direction is formed. Multiple aircraft 10 fly through the inter-floor connection section 9 to move between the first floor 1F and the second floor 2F. In this example, the flight path area E is set inside the inter-floor connection section 9, spanning from the first floor 1F to the second floor 2F. In the following, with respect to the first area E1 and the second area E2 in the horizontal direction, the side where the transport target 3 connected to the first area E1 and the second area E2 is located will be referred to as the first specific direction A1, and the opposite side will be referred to as the second specific direction A2.

[0039] The flight path area E is set above the first area E1 and the second area E2 and includes a third area E3 in which the aircraft 10 flies in a horizontal direction. The flight path area E is also set above the first area E1 and the second area E2 and parallel to the third area E3, and includes a fourth area E4 in which the aircraft 10 flies in the opposite direction from the aircraft 10 flying in the third area E3. Furthermore, the flight path area E is set to connect the first area E1 and the third area E3 and includes a fifth area E5 in which the aircraft 10 ascends or descends, and a sixth area E6 in which connects the second area E2 and the fourth area E4 and includes a sixth area E6 in which the aircraft 10 flies in the opposite direction from the aircraft 10 flying in the fifth area E5. In the illustrated example, the first area E1 and the second area E2 are located in the area of ​​the first floor 1F in the inter-floor connection section 9. On the other hand, the third area E3 and the fourth area E4 are located in the area of ​​the second floor 2F in the inter-floor connection section 9. The fifth area E5 and the sixth area E6 are set to extend in the vertical direction and are set to span the first floor 1F and the second floor 2F in the inter-floor connection section 9.

[0040] The conveying equipment 100 includes a plurality of conveying target units 3. The conveying target units 3 are located on the first floor 1F and the second floor 2F, respectively. The conveying target units 3 located on the first floor 1F correspond to the first area E1 and the second area E2. The conveying target units 3 located on the second floor 2F correspond to the third area E3 and the fourth area E4. In the illustrated example, the conveying target unit 3 is a load port 31 provided on the processing device 41. The article W is designated as FOUP. In this embodiment, with respect to the third area E3 and the fourth area E4, the side on which the conveying target units 3 connected to the third area E3 and the fourth area E4 are located is also designated as the first side A1 in a specific direction. Here, "connected" includes direct connection between the conveying target unit 3 and the corresponding area, as well as connection via space. Furthermore, the second area E2 is set lower than the first area E1, the third area E3 is set lower than the fourth area E4, and the fifth area E5 is set on the first side A1 in a specific direction relative to the sixth area E6.

[0041] In the illustrated example, the end of the second side A2 in a specific direction of the second area E2 and the end of the second side A2 in a specific direction of the fourth area E4 are connected by the sixth area E6. Also, the end of the second side A2 in a specific direction of the first area E1 and the end of the second side A2 in a specific direction of the third area E3 are connected by the fifth area E5. The flight area of ​​the aircraft 10 formed by the first area E1, the fifth area E5, and the third area E3 is arranged to be surrounded by the flight area formed by the second area E2, the sixth area E6, and the fourth area E4. Specifically, the flight area of ​​the aircraft 10 formed by the first area E1, the fifth area E5, and the third area E3 is located above the second area E2 and below the fourth area E4, and is located on the first side A1 in a specific direction relative to the sixth area E6.

[0042] When the aircraft 10 receives the item W from the transport target unit 3 (load port 31) on the first floor 1F, it flies through the second area E2 from the first side A1 in a specific direction to the second side A2 in a specific direction. Then, the aircraft 10 flies through the sixth area E6 (ascending) and then flies through the fourth area E4 from the second side A2 in a specific direction to the first side A1 in a specific direction. After that, it delivers the item W to the transport target unit 3 (load port 31) on the second floor 2F. After delivering the item W to the transport target unit 3, the aircraft 10 flies through the third area E3 from the first side A1 in a specific direction to the second side A2 in a specific direction. Then, the aircraft 10 flies through the fifth area E5 (descending) and then flies through the first area E1 from the second side A2 in a specific direction to the first side A1 in a specific direction. After that, the aircraft 10 receives another item W from the transport target unit 3 on the first floor 1F. Furthermore, after flying through the first area E1, the aircraft 10 may land at the charging station 35, which serves as the transport target 3. The number and arrangement of areas in which the aircraft 10 flies can also be appropriately changed depending on the scale of the transport equipment 100 and the size of the inter-floor connection section 9.

[0043] [Other Embodiments] (1) In the above first to fourth embodiments, the flying object 10 has been described by taking as an example a configuration in which it flies along the direction (specific direction A, width direction Y) along the horizontal plane in each of the first area E1 and the second area E2. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The flying object 10 may fly in a direction inclined with respect to the horizontal plane for each of the first area E1 and the second area E2. For example, the flying object 10 may fly such that its vertical position increases as it heads toward one side of the specific direction A or the width direction Y. In that case, each of the first area E1 and the second area E2 can also be set to be inclined with respect to the horizontal plane. In that case, it is preferable that the first area E1 is arranged above the second area E2 at the same position in the specific direction A or the width direction Y.

[0044] (2) In the above first embodiment, the detection range P of the collision prevention sensor 13 has been described by taking as an example a configuration in which when the flying object 10 equipped with the collision prevention sensor 13 is flying in the first area E1, it detects another flying object 10 flying in the first area E1 and does not detect another flying object 10 flying in the second area E2. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The detection range P of the collision prevention sensor 13 may be set to detect another flying object 10 flying in the second area E2 even when the flying object 10 equipped with the collision prevention sensor 13 is flying in the first area E1. Further, when another area is set above the first area E1, the detection range P of the collision prevention sensor 13 can also be set to detect another flying object 10 flying in the other area.

[0045] (3) In the above first embodiment, the configuration in which the first area E1 and the second area E2 are adjacent to each other in the vertical direction has been described by taking as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The first area E1 and the second area E2 may be set to be separated from each other in the vertical direction. Then, the control system 110 may set the area between the first area E1 and the second area E2 in the vertical direction as an area where the flight of the flying object 10 is prohibited.

[0046] (4) In the above-described second embodiment, the configuration in which the first area E1 and the second area E2 are set to heights corresponding to the respective conveyance target portions 3 having different vertical positions has been described as an example, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The first area E1 and the second area E2 may be set according to the respective conveyance target portions 3 having different horizontal positions. Thus, it is preferable that the setting of the positions of the first area E1 and the second area E2 with respect to the conveyance target portion 3 can be changed as appropriate.

[0047] (5) In the above-described third embodiment, the conveyance facility 100 includes a storage shelf 5 having a plurality of shelves 51 for accommodating the articles W in respective stages, and a plurality of article placement portions 8 for placing the articles W are set along the width direction Y in each of the plurality of shelves 51, and each of the plurality of article placement portions 8 is the conveyance target portion 3 has been described as an example, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The conveyance facility 100 includes, for example, a conveyance device (such as a stacker crane or a rail-guided vehicle) for taking in and out the article W with respect to each article placement portion 8, and the conveyance target portion 3 may be set on the conveyance surface of the conveyance device. Further, instead of the storage shelf 5, the conveyance facility 100 may include a sorting device having a plurality of chutes, and each flying object 10 may be configured to throw the article W into the plurality of chutes. In that case, the conveyance target portion 3 is a chute.

[0048] (6) In the above-described fourth embodiment, the conveyance facility 100 includes two floors (the first floor 1F and the second floor 2F) and an inter-floor connection portion 9 connecting the two floors, and the flight path area E is set inside the inter-floor connection portion 9 has been described as an example, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The conveyance facility 100 may include three or more floors adjacent in the vertical direction, and the flight path area E may be set inside the inter-floor connection portion 9 connecting these three or more floors to each other.

[0049] (7) In addition, the configurations disclosed in the above-described respective embodiments can be applied in combination with the configurations disclosed in other embodiments as long as no contradiction occurs. Regarding other configurations, all the embodiments disclosed in this specification are merely examples in all respects. Therefore, various modifications can be made as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure.

[0050] [Summary of the above embodiment] The following is a summary of the conveying equipment described above.

[0051] The transport equipment according to this disclosure comprises a plurality of unmanned flying aircraft equipped with a holding unit for holding and releasing articles, a plurality of transport target units which are at least one of the source and destination of the articles transported by the aircraft, and a flight path area on which the aircraft fly to transport the articles between different transport target units, wherein the flight path area includes a first area on which the aircraft fly so as to move horizontally, and a second area set parallel to the first area on which the aircraft fly toward the opposite side from the aircraft flying in the first area, and the heights of the first area and the second area are set to be different from each other.

[0052] With this configuration, the heights of the first area and the second area, where aircraft flying in the opposite direction from the aircraft flying in the first area fly, are different. Therefore, even when goods are transported by multiple aircraft, the possibility of collisions between aircraft can be reduced. In addition, since the number of actions required to avoid collisions can be reduced for each of the multiple aircraft, the efficiency of goods transport in the transport equipment can be easily increased. Thus, with this configuration, it is possible to improve the efficiency of goods transport while reducing the possibility of collisions between aircraft.

[0053] Here, it is preferable that the first area is the area in which the aircraft flies without the holding part holding the article, and the second area is the area in which the aircraft flies with the holding part holding the article.

[0054] This configuration allows for setting the flight paths of the aircraft carrying the goods and the aircraft not carrying the goods to different areas, making it easier to improve the efficiency of goods transport.

[0055] Furthermore, it is preferable that the second area is set lower than the first area.

[0056] In this configuration, the second area where the aircraft holding the item flies is set lower than the first area where the aircraft without the item flies. Therefore, even if the item falls from the aircraft, the collision between the fallen item and the aircraft can be reduced.

[0057] Furthermore, it is preferable that the multiple conveying targets are arranged at different positions in the vertical direction, and that the first area and the second area are set to heights corresponding to the respective conveying targets at different positions in the vertical direction.

[0058] In this configuration, the first and second areas are set to heights corresponding to the different heights of the transport targets. Therefore, the possibility of collisions between multiple aircraft transporting goods to multiple transport targets located at different heights is reduced, and the number of maneuvers required to avoid collisions by each aircraft is minimized. Thus, it is easier to improve the efficiency of goods transport.

[0059] Furthermore, each of the multiple aircraft is equipped with a collision avoidance sensor for detecting other aircraft that may collide with it, and the detection range of the collision avoidance sensor is preferably set to detect another aircraft flying in the first area when the aircraft equipped with the collision avoidance sensor is flying in the first area, but not to detect another aircraft flying in the second area, and to detect another aircraft flying in the second area when the aircraft equipped with the collision avoidance sensor is flying in the second area, but not to detect another aircraft flying in the first area.

[0060] This configuration prevents the false detection of aircraft flying in other areas at different altitudes. Therefore, the possibility of each aircraft performing unnecessary evasive maneuvers due to false detection is reduced.

[0061] Furthermore, the storage shelf is further provided with multiple shelves for storing the articles on each level, the surface on which the articles are loaded and unloaded from the storage shelf is the shelf front, the direction along the depth of the storage shelf is the depth direction, the side from the inside of the storage shelf toward the shelf front in the depth direction is the first side in the depth direction, the direction perpendicular to the vertical direction in a depth view along the depth direction is the width direction, multiple article placement sections for placing the articles are set along the width direction on each of the multiple shelves, each of the multiple article placement sections is the transport target section, the flight path area is arranged adjacent to the first side in the depth direction with respect to the shelf front, and comprises multiple areas on which the aircraft flies, including the first area and the second area, and the multiple areas are set to extend in the width direction along the shelf of the corresponding level.

[0062] With this configuration, the aircraft can fly along each of the multiple levels of shelves. Therefore, it is possible to transport goods along each of the several levels of shelves and to properly transfer goods between the transport target section (goods placement section) and the transport target section. In addition, the possibility of collisions between aircraft flying along different levels of shelves can be reduced. Therefore, the efficiency of goods transport can be more effectively improved.

[0063] Furthermore, the flight path area includes: a third area set above the first and second areas, on which the aircraft flies in a horizontal direction; a fourth area set above the first and second areas and parallel to the third area, on which the aircraft flies in the opposite direction from the aircraft flying in the third area; a fifth area set to connect the first and third areas, on which the aircraft ascends or descends; and a sixth area set to connect the second and fourth areas, on which the aircraft flies in the opposite direction from the aircraft flying in the fifth area. In the horizontal direction, with respect to the first and second areas, the side on which the transport target unit connected to the first and second areas is located is designated as the first specific direction, and with respect to the third and fourth areas, the side on which the transport target unit connected to the third and fourth areas is located is also designated as the first specific direction, and the second area is set below the first area. Preferably, the third area is set lower than the fourth area, and the fifth area is set on the first side in the specific direction relative to the sixth area.

[0064] In this configuration, the first area and the third area, which is above the first area, are connected by the fifth area, and the second area and the fourth area, which is above the second area, are connected by the sixth area. Furthermore, the flight paths formed by the first, third, and fifth areas and the flight paths formed by the second, fourth, and sixth areas are set so as not to intersect with each other. As a result, the possibility of collisions between aircraft heading towards different transport targets can be effectively reduced, and the amount of collision avoidance maneuvers required by each aircraft can be minimized, thereby effectively increasing the efficiency of transporting goods.

[0065] The transport equipment relating to this disclosure only needs to be able to achieve at least one of the effects described above.

[0066] 2: Holding section 3: Transport target section 5: Storage shelf 8: Item placement section 10: Aircraft 13: Collision avoidance sensor 50: Front of shelf 51: Shelf section 100: Transport equipment A: Specific direction A1: First side of specific direction E: Flight path area E1: First area E2: Second area E3: Third area E4: Fourth area E5: Fifth area E6: Sixth area P: Detection range X: Depth direction X1: First side of depth direction

Claims

1. A transport system comprising: a plurality of unmanned flying aircraft equipped with a holding unit for holding and releasing articles; a plurality of transport target units which are at least one of the source and destination of the articles transported by the aircraft; and a flight path area on which the aircraft fly to transport the articles between different transport target units, wherein the flight path area includes a first area on which the aircraft fly so as to move horizontally, and a second area set parallel to the first area on which the aircraft fly toward the opposite side from the aircraft flying in the first area, and the heights of the first area and the second area are set to be different from each other.

2. The transport equipment according to claim 1, wherein the first area is an area in which the aircraft does not hold the article by the holding part and flies, and the second area is an area in which the aircraft holds the article by the holding part and flies.

3. The conveying equipment according to claim 2, wherein the second area is set lower than the first area.

4. The conveying equipment according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the plurality of conveying units are arranged at different positions in the vertical direction, and the first area and the second area are set to heights corresponding to each of the conveying units that are at different positions in the vertical direction.

5. The transport equipment according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein each of the plurality of aircraft is equipped with a collision avoidance sensor for detecting other aircraft that may collide with it, and the detection range of the collision avoidance sensor is set to detect another aircraft flying in the first area when the aircraft equipped with the collision avoidance sensor is flying in the first area, but not to detect another aircraft flying in the second area, and to detect another aircraft flying in the second area when the aircraft equipped with the collision avoidance sensor is flying in the second area, but not to detect another aircraft flying in the first area.

6. The transport equipment according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a storage shelf having multiple shelves for storing the articles on each level, the surface on which the articles are loaded and unloaded from the storage shelf being defined as the shelf front, the direction along the depth of the storage shelf being defined as the depth direction, the side in the depth direction from the inside of the storage shelf toward the shelf front being defined as the first side in the depth direction, the direction perpendicular to the vertical direction in a depth view along the depth direction being defined as the width direction, a plurality of article placement sections for which the articles are placed are set along the width direction on each of the multiple shelves, each of the plurality of article placement sections is the transport target section, the flight path area is arranged adjacent to the first side in the depth direction with respect to the shelf front, and comprises a plurality of areas on which the aircraft flies, including the first area and the second area, and the plurality of areas are set to extend in the width direction along the shelf of the corresponding level.

7. The flight path area includes: a third area set above the first and second areas, on which the aircraft flies so that it moves horizontally; a fourth area set above the first and second areas and parallel to the third area, on which the aircraft flies in the opposite direction from the aircraft flying in the third area; a fifth area set to connect the first and third areas, on which the aircraft ascends or descends; and a sixth area set to connect the second and fourth areas, on which the aircraft flies in the opposite direction from the aircraft flying in the fifth area. In the horizontal direction, with respect to the first and second areas, the side on which the transport target unit connected to the first and second areas is located is designated as the first specific direction, and with respect to the third and fourth areas, the side on which the transport target unit connected to the third and fourth areas is located is also designated as the first specific direction, and the second area is set below the first area. The conveying equipment according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the third area is set lower than the fourth area, and the fifth area is set on the first side in the specific direction relative to the sixth area.

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