Pivotable Door and Blocking Member for Article Storage Facility
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing article storage facilities face challenges in minimizing the external space occupied by transport movable bodies during maintenance, particularly when inactive gases are used, which can lead to reduced workability and increased contamination risks.
Innovation Solution
The article storage facility features a transport movable body with a transfer device, a continuously extending traveling path divided by a wall-shaped member, a pivotable door, and a blocking member that switches to a blocking state to minimize external space occupation by allowing the transport movable body to be retrieved to the external space efficiently while maintaining gas flow control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the transport movable body is retrieved to the external space through an opening in the wall-shaped member, then the workability for maintenance is improved, but the external space occupied by the transport movable body increases
Solution Approach 1:
The door is divided into a first door and a second door that can open independently. The first door opens to allow worker entry, while the second door can remain closed to maintain the sealed environment. This segmentation enables selective access without requiring the entire door assembly to open, thus allowing maintenance work while minimizing external space occupation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different operational states to different parts of the door system. The first door can be open while the second door remains closed, creating localized access points. This allows the transport movable body to be partially accessible for maintenance while the majority of the sealed space remains intact and compact.
2Reliability
If inactive gas is continuously supplied to the container to maintain inert atmosphere, then the semiconductor substrates are protected from contamination, but the oxygen concentration in the internal space decreases making it difficult for workers to work
Solution Approach 1:
The door system is segmented into first and second doors that can operate independently. The first door can be opened for worker access while the second door remains closed to maintain the inert gas atmosphere and protect semiconductor substrates. This allows simultaneous achievement of substrate protection and worker safety.
Solution Approach 2:
The dual-door system acts as an intermediary mechanism between the inert atmosphere requirement and worker access requirement. By providing separate control over the first and second doors, the system mediates between the conflicting needs of maintaining low oxygen concentration for substrate protection and providing adequate oxygen for worker safety.
3Ease of operation
If the door is opened to allow worker entry for maintenance, then the workability is improved, but the gas leakage between internal and external space increases
Solution Approach 1:
The door is segmented into first and second doors that can open independently. When worker entry is required, only the first door opens while the second door remains closed, thus providing access while minimizing the opening size and reducing gas leakage between internal and external spaces.
4Reliability
If the transport movable body is kept in the external space for maintenance, then the internal space atmosphere is maintained, but the region occupied in the external space increases reducing operational efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The dual-door system enables selective access where only the first door opens for maintenance activities. This allows the transport movable body to remain positioned for efficient access while maintaining the sealed environment through the closed second door, thus balancing atmosphere maintenance with operational efficiency.
Data Source
AI summary
In an article storage facility, a door pivotable about a door pivot axis extending in a second direction is provided in an opening which is formed in a path-dividing wall portion that divides a traveling path and through which a transport movable body can pass. The door is configured such that its position is switchable between a closed position in which the door extends along the path-dividing wall portion and blocks the opening and an open position in which the door is located on an internal space side and opens the opening so that the transport movable body can pass through the opening. The article storage facility includes a blocking member that is switchable to a blocking state in which the blocking member blocks a portion through which the internal space and an external space communicate with each other in a state in which the position of the door is switched to an intermediate position between the open position and the closed position or to the open position and the transport movable body is stopped at a target position, the target position being a position of the transport movable body at which the opening is within the extent of the transport movable body in a first direction.