Article Transport Facility With In-Lifter Vehicle Turning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Transport vehicles in article transport facilities have difficulty smoothly moving off the arrival floor due to the need to reverse direction after being raised and lowered by lifters, as they are initially configured to move forward.
Innovation Solution
The facility includes a pair of lifters with larger-than-turning-locus lifting platforms that allow transport vehicles to perform a turning operation while being raised and lowered, enabling them to move off the arrival floor smoothly by changing direction inside the lifters.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the transport vehicle enters the lifter moving forward on the departure floor, then the vehicle can be raised and lowered efficiently, but the vehicle must reverse on the arrival floor which causes difficulty in moving off smoothly
Solution Approach 1:
The transport vehicle performs a turning operation in advance while on the lifting platform during the lifting process. This preliminary action of changing direction during transit allows the vehicle to be positioned correctly before arrival, eliminating the need to reverse upon reaching the destination and enabling smooth movement off the arrival floor.
2Ease of operation
If the lifting platform is made larger to accommodate the turning operation, then the vehicle can change direction during lifting, but the device complexity and space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The lifting and turning operations are merged into a single integrated process. The transport vehicle enters the lifter, performs the turning operation on the lifting platform during ascent or descent, and exits the lifter moving in the correct direction. This combination eliminates the need for separate turning mechanisms or additional space for pre-positioning maneuvers.
Solution Approach 2:
The turning operation is performed in the horizontal plane while the vehicle is being moved in the vertical dimension by the lifter. This use of the vertical dimension during the lifting process allows the vehicle to change its horizontal orientation without requiring additional horizontal space or complex ground-level turning mechanisms.
Data Source
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AI summary
Provided is an article transport facility including a first straight route (R1) and a second straight route (R2) that are parallel to each other, and a first lifter (L1) and a second lifter. The direction in which a transport vehicle (V) travels along the first straight route (R1) and the direction in which the transport vehicle (V) travels along the second straight route (R2) are set to be opposite to each other. The first lifter (L1) connects an end portion of the first straight route (R1) on a straight route first side (X1) to an end portion of the second straight route (R2) on the straight route first side (X1), and the second lifter connects an end portion of the first straight route (R1) on a straight route second side (X2) to an end portion of the second straight route (R2) on the straight route second side (X2). The first lifter (L1) and the second lifter each include a lifting platform (La) on which the transport vehicle (V) can be placed. The lifting platform (La) is larger than a turning locus of the transport vehicle (V) that executes a turning operation, as viewed in an up-down direction.