JP4766111B2 - Transport vehicle system - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a transport vehicle system, and more particularly to a transport vehicle system in which a plurality of transport vehicles travel separately on a pair of routes arranged side by side on a plurality of luggage storage locations.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a transport vehicle system having a predetermined route, a plurality of stations provided on the route, and a plurality of transport vehicles that travel along the route and transport articles is known. In the transport vehicle system, between the station and the transport vehicle, cargo grasping (loading of articles from the station to the transport vehicle) and unloading (loading of articles from the transport vehicle to the station) is performed. In this system, when a request for grasping an article is generated from a certain station, a conveyance command is assigned to an empty conveyance vehicle at the nearest position so as to move to that station and receive the article. The reason for selecting the nearest empty transport vehicle is to quickly transport the article.

  As a representative example of the transport vehicle system, an overhead transport vehicle system used in a transport system of a semiconductor factory is known. The ceiling transport vehicle system includes a track provided on the ceiling and a ceiling transport vehicle that can travel along the track. The overhead transport vehicle mainly includes a traveling unit that engages with the track, a holding unit that can hold a FOUP loaded with semiconductor wafers, and a moving mechanism that moves the holding unit up and down.

Furthermore, in recent years, the overhead transport vehicle has a lateral movement mechanism that moves the luggage laterally. The transport vehicle system employs a temporary storage port for lateral movement, which enables a simple and quick temporary storage operation as compared with a conventional stocker (see, for example, Patent Document 1). .
JP 2007-191235 A

  On the other hand, in order to improve the temporary storage capacity, it is conceivable to arrange the temporary storage ports at short intervals in the traveling direction. However, in this case, when two transport vehicles access two temporary storage ports adjacent to each other in the traveling direction, there is a problem that the two transport vehicles cannot execute the transfer operation at the same time. Specifically, the transport vehicle on the upstream side of the travel waits until the transport vehicle on the downstream side in the travel direction finishes the transfer operation, and then moves and stops at the target temporary storage port to perform the transfer operation.

  An object of the present invention is to reduce the number of transport vehicles that are in a standby state while increasing the number of luggage storage locations by narrowing the interval in the transport vehicle system.

The transport vehicle system according to the present invention includes a pair of routes, a plurality of transport vehicles, a plurality of luggage storage locations, and a controller. The pair of paths are arranged side by side. The plurality of transport vehicles travel separately on a pair of routes. The plurality of luggage storage locations are provided side by side in the traveling direction between the pair of routes. The controller can control the transport vehicle and assigns a travel command to the load storage location to the transport vehicle in response to a transport request from the load storage location.

The controller manages a plurality of luggage storage locations arranged in the traveling direction as a group. When the luggage storage in the group issues a transport request, the controller determines whether the route traveled by the transport vehicle to which the travel command is assigned according to the transport request is to be selected from the pair of routes. And the second determination are executed. The first judgment is that if the luggage storage area that issued the transportation request is adjacent to another luggage storage area that is the destination of another transportation vehicle, the vehicle will travel to the adjacent luggage storage area. Priority is given to a route different from the route on which the transport vehicle to which the command is assigned travels. In the second determination, priority is given to a route in which the number of other transport vehicles traveling is small.
In this system, since the transport vehicle traveling to the luggage storage location adjacent in the traveling direction is divided into a pair of routes, simultaneous access to the luggage storage location adjacent in the traveling direction is possible. As a result, it is possible to reduce the number of transport vehicles that are in a standby state while increasing the number of luggage storage locations by narrowing the interval between the luggage storage locations. Furthermore, since the transport vehicle is equally distributed to the pair of routes, the traffic jam is prevented. More specifically, it is possible to prevent the transportation vehicles from being concentrated on one route.

The controller, with respect to the transport request generated by the group, allocating a travel command to the carry request issued luggage storage location or from the upstream position of the most upstream in the group to the transport vehicle. The controller assigns a travel command for the luggage storage location for which the transport request has been issued in order from the transport vehicle that has arrived at the position.
In this system, even if the order of arrival of the transport vehicles is changed at the branching / merging point, the packages can be transferred simultaneously at a plurality of luggage storage locations on the same travel line.

  In the transport vehicle system according to the present invention, the number of transport vehicles in a standby state can be reduced while increasing the number of luggage storage locations by narrowing the interval.

(1) Transport vehicle system The transport vehicle system as one embodiment of the present invention is a system for running a plurality of transport vehicles on a defined transport track. The transport vehicle travels in one direction on the transport track, loads articles from the target location according to the transport command assigned by the host controller, then travels to the transport destination location and loads the articles at the transport destination location. put out.
More specifically, the transport vehicle system 1 is disposed using, for example, a ceiling space in a clean room, and transports an article W such as a FOUP containing a semiconductor wafer between load ports such as a processing apparatus and an inspection apparatus. . The transport track is composed of two types, a U-shaped intra bay route in a bay in which processing devices are arranged, and an inter bay route that interconnects the intra bay routes.

(2) Layout of Carrier Vehicle System FIG. 1 shows the layout of the intra bay route of the carrier vehicle system 1.

  The transport vehicle system 1 includes a plurality of transport vehicles 3 and a transport track 5. A plurality of first processing devices 9 and second processing devices 10 that perform processing of semiconductors and the like are arranged along the transport track 5. More specifically, the first processing device 9 and the second processing device 10 are arranged at a constant interval on the left and right in the drawing. The first processing device 9 and the second processing device 10 each have a first load port 9a and a second load port 10a for delivering articles.

  The transport track 5 is a traveling rail for transferring articles between the first load port 9a and the second load port 10a of the first processing device 9 and the second processing device 10. The conveyance track 5 mainly includes a normal line 11, a bypass line 12, a branch part 13, and a junction part 14. The bypass line 12 is a running rail for passing. The normal line 11 and the bypass line 12 extend in parallel to each other, and are connected by a branch portion 13 and a junction portion 14.

  The normal line 11 includes a first normal line 11 a disposed in the vicinity of the first processing apparatus 9 and a second normal line 11 b disposed in the vicinity of the second processing apparatus 10. The bypass line 12 includes a first bypass line 12a and a second bypass line 12b. The first bypass line 12a is disposed inside the first normal line 11a (on the opposite side to the first processing apparatus 9). The second bypass line 12b is disposed inside the second normal line 11b (on the side opposite to the second processing apparatus 10).

  The 1st processing apparatus 9 is a short apparatus, and the 1st side buffer 15 is installed in the ceiling space and empty space above it. The 2nd processing apparatus 10 is a tall apparatus, and a side buffer cannot be installed above it. Therefore, the second side buffer 16 is installed in an empty space such as a passage. The 1st side buffer 15 and the 2nd side buffer 16 are supported by the support | pillar 43 (FIG. 3) extended from a ceiling. The side buffer is composed of a plurality of buffers arranged in the traveling direction.

  A third side buffer 17 is provided between the first normal line 11a and the first bypass line 12a, and a fourth side buffer 18 is provided between the second normal line 11b and the second bypass line 12b. Is provided. The third side buffer 17 can freely deliver the article W from the transport vehicle 3 traveling on the first normal line 11a as well as from the transport vehicle 3 traveling on the first bypass line 12a. The articles W can be delivered to the fourth side buffer 18 both from the transport vehicle 3 traveling on the second normal line 11b and from the transport vehicle 3 traveling on the second bypass line 12b.

  Further, a fifth side buffer 19 is provided between the first bypass line 12a and the second bypass line 12b. The article W can be delivered to the fifth side buffer 19 not only from the transport vehicle 3 traveling on the first bypass line 12a but also from the transport vehicle 3 traveling on the second bypass line 12b.

(3) Control system of conveyance vehicle system In FIG. 2, the control system 20 of the conveyance vehicle system 1 is shown. The control system 20 includes a production controller 21, a physical distribution controller 23, and a transport vehicle controller 27.
The distribution controller 23 is a higher-order controller of the transport vehicle controller 27. The transport vehicle controller 27 has a function of managing a plurality of transport vehicles 3 and assigning a transport command to them. The “conveyance command” includes a command related to traveling and a command related to the load holding position and the unloading position.

  The production controller 21 can communicate with the first processing device 9 and the second processing device 10. The first processing device 9 and the second processing device 10 transmit a conveyance request (load grasping request / unloading request) of an article for which processing has been completed to the manufacturing controller 21.

  The manufacturing controller 21 transmits a transport request from the first processing apparatus 9 and the second processing apparatus 10 to the physical distribution controller 23, and the physical distribution controller 23 transmits a report to the manufacturing controller 21.

  When the distribution controller 23 receives a transfer request from the manufacturing controller 21, the distribution controller 23 converts the transfer request into a transfer command, and performs a transfer command assigning operation to the transfer vehicle 3.

  The transport vehicle controller 27 continuously communicates with each transport vehicle 3 to create a transport command, and obtains position information based on the position data transmitted from each transport vehicle 3. Examples of acquiring position information include the following methods. A plurality of points are set on the transport track 5 so that a transport signal is transmitted to the transport vehicle controller 27 when the transport vehicle 3 passes the points. Then, the transport vehicle controller 27 stores the point at which the transport vehicle 3 has passed most recently and the time at which the point has passed. And the position of the conveyance vehicle 3 is calculated and calculated | required based on the regulation speed and time of the point area. Alternatively, for example, an encoder is provided in the transport vehicle 3, and the travel distance after passing the point is transmitted as position data from the transport vehicle 3 to the transport vehicle controller 27. Know the location.

(4) Structure of Ceiling Transport Vehicle FIG. 3 shows a front view of the transport vehicle 3. In FIG. 3, the transport vehicle 3 travels on the first bypass line 12a, and the third side buffer 17 and the fifth side buffer 19 are disposed on both sides.

  The transport track 5 is mainly composed of a travel rail 30. The traveling rail 30 is supported from the ceiling of the clean room by a column 31. The traveling rail 30 includes a traveling rail body 32 and a power supply rail 33.

  The transport vehicle 3 includes a main body base 34, a travel drive unit 35, and a power reception unit 36. The main body base 34 is provided below the traveling rail 30. The travel drive unit 35 travels within the travel rail body 32. The power receiving unit 36 receives power from the power supply rail 33.

  The transport vehicle 3 further includes a turning unit 39, a lifting drive unit 40, and a lifting platform 41. The raising / lowering drive part 40 is supported by the turning part 39, and can raise / lower the raising / lowering stand 41 with suspension materials, such as a belt, a wire, and a rope. The elevator 41 can chuck and release the upper flange of the article W with a hand.

  The transport vehicle 3 further has a lateral movement mechanism 38. The lateral movement mechanism 3838 can laterally move the swivel unit 39, the lifting drive unit 40, the lifting platform 41, and the article W in the left-right direction substantially perpendicular to the traveling direction of the traveling rail 30. A pair of fall prevention covers 42 are provided before and after the transport vehicle 3 so as to sandwich the article W from the front and the back.

  The lateral movement mechanism 38 has an upper side portion 38a and a lower side portion 38b. During traveling of the transport vehicle 3, as shown by the solid line in FIG. 3, the upper side portion 38 a and the lower side portion 38 b are stacked one above the other in the direction parallel to the traveling rail 30. It is directly below.

  When the article W is moved laterally, the upper part 38a and the lower part 38b are extended as shown by the one-dot chain line in FIG. As a result, the article W moves sideways above the fifth side buffer 19. On the other hand, when the lateral movement mechanism 38 is extended as shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 3, the article W moves above the third side buffer 17. The turning angle of the turning unit 39 may be a small range such as within ± 5 °. However, preferably, the turning unit 39 can be rotated by, for example, 90 ° so that the direction of the article W can be changed to a direction suitable for the first processing apparatus 9 or the second processing apparatus 10.

  As described above, the transport vehicle 3 moves the article W to the position immediately below and to the left and right sides of the traveling rail 30 by the lateral movement mechanism 38, the turning unit 39, the lifting drive unit 40, and the lifting platform 41. Can do. That is, the transport vehicle 3 can deliver the cargo W to and from the first side buffer 15, the second side buffer 16, the third side buffer 17, the fourth side buffer 18, and the fifth side buffer 19.

(5) Control operation for simultaneously unloading adjacent buffers FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 are schematic diagrams for explaining a control operation for simultaneously unloading adjacent buffers in the transport vehicle system 1. FIG. 6 is a flowchart of the control operation.

  FIG. 4 discloses the first normal line 11a, the first bypass line 12a, and the third side buffer 17 therebetween. In the third side buffer 17, two first buffers 17A and a second buffer 17B are shown. The first buffer 17A is on the downstream side in the traveling direction, and the second buffer 17B is on the upstream side in the traveling direction. The first buffer 17 </ b> A and the second buffer 17 </ b> B are adjacent to each other, and the distance between them is shorter than the traveling direction length of the transport vehicle 3. That is, the two transport vehicles 3 cannot access the first buffer 17A and the second buffer 17B at the same time while being placed on either the first normal line 11a or the first bypass line 12a.

  In the present embodiment, the first buffer 17A and the second buffer 17B are set to form a group A. Further, in the first normal line 11a and the first bypass line 12a, a first stop point A1 and a second stop point A2 are set at positions corresponding to the first buffer 17A, respectively.

  Hereinafter, the control operation of the transport vehicle controller 27 will be described.

  In the flowchart of FIG. 6, it waits for a transport request to be issued from any of the buffers in the group in step S1. When the transport request is accepted, the process proceeds to step S2.

In step S2, the status of other buffers in the group is confirmed.
In step S3, it is determined whether or not a transport command is assigned for another buffer. If it is not assigned, the process proceeds to step S5, and a transfer command is assigned to the empty transfer vehicle with respect to the buffer for which the transfer request is issued. In this case, a transfer command is assigned to the nearest empty transfer vehicle regardless of the left or right line.

  If it is determined in step S3 that the transport vehicle is assigned to another buffer, the process proceeds to step S4. In step S4, a travel line different from the travel line on which the transport vehicle assigned to the other buffer is traveling is selected, and an empty transport vehicle is called from the stop point in the other travel line as a starting point. Specifically, a travel command up to the stop point is assigned to the transport vehicle.

Next, a specific example will be described with reference to FIG.
In the state of FIG. 4, the first transport vehicle 3a travels on the first normal line 11a and approaches the group A. A conveyance command related to the first buffer 17A is assigned to the first conveyance vehicle 3a.

  In this state, it is assumed that a transport request is issued for the second buffer 17B (Yes in step S1). Then, the state of the first buffer 17A, which is the buffer nearest to the second buffer 17B, is confirmed (step S2). In this case, since the first transport vehicle 3a is allocated to the first buffer 17A (Yes in Step S3), an empty transport vehicle is next searched (Step S4). Here, since the 1st conveyance vehicle 3a is drive | working the 1st normal line 11a, the search of an empty conveyance vehicle is performed in the 1st bypass line 12a. As a result, the second transport vehicle 3b is detected, and a transport command is assigned to the second transport vehicle 3b. More specifically, the travel command up to the second stop point A2 on the first bypass line 12a is assigned to the second transport vehicle 3b.

  As a result, as shown in FIG. 5, the first transport vehicle 3a can access the first buffer 17A and the second transport vehicle 3b can access the second buffer 17B. In this way, simultaneous transfer between adjacent buffers is possible, and as a result, the conveyance efficiency in the conveyance vehicle system 1 is improved.

(6) Control operation for unloading from a left and right transport vehicle with respect to a row of buffers FIGS. 7, 8 and 9 show unloading from left and right transport vehicles with respect to a row of buffers in the transport vehicle system. It is a schematic diagram for demonstrating the control action which performs. FIG. 10 is a flowchart of the control operation.

  FIG. 7 discloses the first normal line 11a, the first bypass line 12a, and the third side buffer 17 therebetween. The third side buffer 17 has eight buffers. A first buffer 17A, a second buffer 17B, a third buffer 17C, a fourth buffer 17D, a fifth buffer 17E, a sixth buffer 17F, a seventh buffer 17G, and an eighth buffer 17H. The first buffer 17A is located on the most downstream side in the traveling direction, and the eighth buffer 17H is located on the most upstream side in the traveling direction.

  The transport vehicle controller 27 has layout data including the configuration of each group, and thereby recognizes the first buffer 17A to the eighth buffer 17H as the group B.

  Furthermore, a branch path 28 that can be shifted from the first normal line 11a to the first bypass line 12a is formed upstream of the group B in the transport direction. Due to the branch path 28, the first normal line 11a is provided with a branch point 13A, and the first bypass line 12a is provided with a junction point 14A.

  A conveyance command assigning operation will be described. In addition, the flowchart of FIG. 10 shows the control operation of the transport vehicle controller 27.

In step S11, the distribution controller 23 waits for a request to unload the buffer. The number of unloading requests may be one or plural.
In step S12, a travel command to a predetermined position is assigned to a predetermined number of transport vehicles. Specifically, the position data is acquired by communicating with the traveling vehicle, and it is determined whether or not there is a transportation vehicle to which a conveyance command traveling upstream in the traveling direction of the group B can be assigned. Be examined. A transport vehicle that can be assigned a transport command means a transport vehicle that has not loaded with goods and has not yet been assigned a transport command, and that has a distance to a predetermined point greater than a predetermined value. To do. This is because, when a travel command is assigned to the transport vehicle, a distance is required to decelerate and stop at a predetermined point. Note that the “travel command” is a command related to travel specifying only a destination, and does not include commands related to cargo grasping / unloading operations.

  In step S13, it is checked whether or not a new unloading request has been issued from another buffer in group B after the travel command is transmitted. If an additional unloading request has been issued, the process proceeds to step S14. If not, step S14 is skipped and the process proceeds to step S15.

  In step S14, a travel command up to a predetermined point is transmitted to the transporting vehicle 3 corresponding to the added number. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S15.

  In step S15, it is waited for the transport vehicle 3 to arrive at a predetermined point. If the transport vehicle 3 has not arrived, the process returns to step S13 to check whether an additional unloading request has been issued. When the transport vehicle 3 arrives at a predetermined point, the process proceeds to step S16.

In step S16, balance determination is performed. In the balance determination, “the number of left and right accesses of the transport command in the group B at that time” is checked, and the number of left and right accesses is compared. This is because priority is given to a travel line with a small number of left and right accesses so as to balance the number of left and right accesses. In step S16, the above-described adjacency determination is further executed. Specifically, it is determined whether a buffer for which an unloading request has been issued is adjacent to a buffer for which a new unloading request has been issued on a line with a small number of left and right accesses. This is to avoid such allocation because the transport vehicle cannot simultaneously access adjacent buffers on the same travel line.

  In step S17, the travel line to be searched for the transport vehicle is selected in consideration of the adjacency determination and the balance determination. When the adjacency determination and the balance determination conflict, the adjacency determination may be prioritized or the balance determination may be prioritized.

  In step S17, the transport command (including the travel line information to be accessed) in the buffer at the most downstream of the buffers that are currently requesting unloading in the group B to the transport vehicle 3 is assigned to the transport vehicle 3. . In addition, since the conveyance vehicle 3 receives the allocation command at the same time as it arrives at the predetermined point, it continues to travel without stopping at the predetermined point. Therefore, the conveyance efficiency of the conveyance vehicle system 1 is good. Subsequently, the process proceeds to step S18.

  In step S18, it is determined whether or not a transport command has been issued to the transport vehicle 3 for all the buffers requested to be unloaded. If not completed, steps S13 to S17 are repeated.

(6-1) First Example A first example will be described with reference to FIG.

  In step S11, the distribution controller 23 waits for an unloading request from the third side buffer 17 to be transmitted. In this embodiment, a request for unloading at the first buffer 17A, the fourth buffer 17D and the fifth buffer 17E is issued.

  In step S12, a travel command is assigned to the transport vehicle 3 as follows. Since the number of buffers for which the unloading request is issued is three, the travel command up to the branch point 13A is assigned to the three transport vehicles 3. This travel command assignment may be assigned to the transport vehicle 3 on the first normal line 11a, may be assigned to the transport vehicle 3 on the first bypass line 12a, or on the first normal line 11a. You may allocate to both the conveyance vehicle 3 and the conveyance vehicle 3 in the 1st bypass line 12a.

  In step S13, it is determined whether there is a request for additional unloading. Here, it is assumed that a transport request in the third buffer 17C is issued.

  In step S14, since the number of buffers for which a new unloading request has been issued is one, a travel command up to the branch point 13A is assigned to one new transport vehicle 3 on the first normal line 11a.

When the transport vehicle 3 arrives at the branch point 13A in step S15, the process proceeds to step S16.
In step S16, adjacency determination and balance determination are executed. The contents of these determinations will be described later.

  In step S17, a conveyance command in the buffer at the most downstream side of the first normal line 11a or the first bypass line 12a is assigned. The above operation is performed every time the transport vehicle 3 reaches the branch point 13A. As a result, a transport command is assigned to the four transport vehicles 3 in order.

From the above, as shown in FIG. 8, the third transport vehicle 3c and the fourth transport vehicle 3d travel on the first normal line 11a on the upstream side in the travel direction from the group B and on the downstream side in the travel direction from the branch point 13A. The fifth transport vehicle 3e and the sixth transport vehicle 3f travel on the first bypass line 12a.
As a result, the third transport vehicle 3c unloads with the third buffer 17C from the first normal line 11a side. The fourth transport vehicle 3d unloads with the fifth buffer 17E from the first normal line 11a side. The fifth transport vehicle 3e unloads with the first buffer 17A from the first bypass line 12a side. The sixth transport vehicle 3f performs unloading with the fourth buffer 17D from the first bypass line 12a side.

  The third transport vehicle 3c performs unloading in the fifth buffer 17E unless a transport request in the third buffer 17C is issued in step S14. However, in this embodiment, when the third transport vehicle 3c arrives at the branch point 13A, the buffer that issues the most downstream transport request on the first normal line 11a is changed to the third buffer 17C. Accordingly, the third transport vehicle 3c is assigned the transport command in the third buffer 17C at the branch point 13A.

  For the first buffer 17A, the third buffer 17C, the fourth buffer 17D, and the fifth buffer 17E, the third transport vehicle 3c and the fourth transport vehicle 3d are distributed to the first normal line 11a, and the first bypass line 12a. The fifth transport vehicle 3e and the sixth transport vehicle 3f are distributed. This is because the balance determination is performed in step S16, and the distribution of the transport vehicle 3 is determined based on the determination.

  A conveyance command is assigned to the adjacent third buffer 17C, fourth buffer 17D, and fifth buffer 17E so that the conveyance vehicle 3 alternately accesses from the first normal line 11a and the first bypass line 12a. This is because the adjacency determination is performed in step S16, and the distribution of the transport vehicle 3 is determined based on the determination result.

  In this embodiment, since the transport command is assigned as described above, the fourth transport vehicle 3d can be unloaded in the fifth buffer 17E at the same time as the third transport vehicle 3c unloads in the third buffer 17C. . At the same time as the fifth transport vehicle 3e unloads in the first buffer 17A, the sixth transport vehicle 3f can unload in the fourth buffer 17D.

  Furthermore, at the same time as the third transport vehicle 3c unloads in the third buffer 17c, the sixth transport vehicle 3f can unload in the fourth buffer 17D. At the same time as the sixth transport vehicle 3f unloads in the fourth buffer 17D, the fourth transport vehicle 3d can unload in the fifth buffer 17E.

(6-2) Second Example A second example will be described with reference to FIG.

  In step S11, the distribution controller 23 waits for an unloading request from the third side buffer 17 to be transmitted. In this embodiment, a request for unloading at the first buffer 17A, the fourth buffer 17D and the fifth buffer 17E is issued.

  In step S12, a travel command is assigned to the transport vehicle 3 as follows. Since the number of buffers for which the unloading request is issued is three, the travel command up to the branch point 13A is assigned to the three transport vehicles 3. This travel command assignment may be assigned to the transport vehicle 3 on the first normal line 11a, may be assigned to the transport vehicle 3 on the first bypass line 12a, or on the first normal line 11a. You may allocate to both the conveyance vehicle 3 and the conveyance vehicle 3 in the 1st bypass line 12a.

  In step S13, it is determined whether there is a request for additional unloading. Here, it is assumed that a transport request in the sixth buffer 17F is issued.

  In step S14, since the number of buffers for which a new unloading request has been issued is one, a travel command up to the branch point 13A is assigned to a new single transport vehicle 3. The travel command may be assigned to the transport vehicle 3 on the first normal line 11a, or may be assigned to the transport vehicle 3 on the first bypass line 12a.

When the transport vehicle 3 arrives at the branch point 13A in step S15, the process proceeds to step S16.
In step S16, adjacency determination and balance determination are executed. These determinations will be described later.

  In step S17, a conveyance command in the buffer at the most downstream side of the first normal line 11a or the second bypass line 11a is assigned.

From the above, as shown in FIG. 9, the seventh transport vehicle 3g travels on the first normal line 11a on the upstream side in the travel direction from the group B, and the eighth transport vehicle 3h on the first bypass line 12a. The ninth transport vehicle 3i and the tenth transport vehicle 3j are traveling.
As a result, a transport command is assigned to the four transport vehicles 3 in order. As a result, the seventh transport vehicle 3g unloads with the fifth buffer 17E from the first normal line 11a side. The eighth transport vehicle 3h unloads the first buffer 17A from the first bypass line 12a side. The ninth transport vehicle 3i performs unloading with the fourth buffer 17D from the first bypass line 12a side. The tenth transport vehicle 3j performs unloading with the sixth buffer 17F from the first bypass line 12a side.

  As a result, the transport command is assigned so that the transport vehicle 3 alternately accesses the fourth buffer 17D, the fifth buffer 17E, and the sixth buffer 17F from the first normal line 11a and the first bypass line 12a. It has been. This is because the adjacency determination is performed in step S16, and the distribution of the transport vehicle 3 is determined based on the determination result.

  As a result, the seventh transport vehicle 3g is distributed to the first normal line 11a with respect to the first buffer 17A, the fourth buffer 17D, the fifth buffer 17E, and the sixth buffer 17F, and the eighth buffer 8a to the first bypass line 12a. The transport vehicle 3h, the ninth transport vehicle 3i, and the tenth transport vehicle 3j are distributed. This is a result of the adjacency determination being adopted in preference to the balance determination in step S16. That is, when the tenth transport vehicle 3j arrives at the branch point 13A, the transport command is assigned so as to travel on the first bypass line 12a and unload the sixth buffer 17F.

  In this embodiment, since the transport command is assigned as described above, the ninth transport vehicle 3i can be unloaded in the fourth buffer 17D at the same time when the eighth transport vehicle 3h is unloaded in the first buffer 17A. . Further, at the same time that the ninth transport vehicle 3i can be unloaded in the fourth buffer 17D, the tenth transport vehicle 3j can be unloaded in the sixth buffer 17F.

  Furthermore, at the same time as the ninth transport vehicle 3i unloads in the fourth buffer 17D, the seventh transport vehicle 3g can unload in the fifth buffer 17E. Further, at the same time as the seventh transport vehicle 3g unloads in the fifth buffer 17E, the tenth transport vehicle 3j can unload in the sixth buffer 17F.

(7) Control operation for forcibly switching the access direction FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of a transport vehicle system in the third embodiment.
The layout of this embodiment is the same as that of the above embodiment.

  It is assumed that the eleventh transport vehicle 3k stops in the first bypass line 12a due to an abnormality while traveling near the group B.

In this case, the transport vehicle controller 27 puts the group B in the “first bypass line 12a access prohibited” state. Thereafter, the travel command to the transport vehicle 3 is transmitted only to the transport vehicle 3 traveling on the first normal line 11a.
(8) Features

(8-1)
The transport vehicle system 1 includes a first normal line 11a and a first bypass line 12a, a plurality of transport vehicles 3, a first buffer 17A and a second buffer 17B, and a transport vehicle controller 27 (FIG. 4 to FIG. 4). FIG. 6). The first normal line 11a and the first bypass line 12a are arranged side by side. The several conveyance vehicle 3 drive | works the 1st normal line 11a and the 1st bypass line 12a separately. The first buffer 17A and the second buffer 17B are provided side by side between the first normal line 11a and the first bypass line 12a. The transport vehicle controller 27 can control the transport vehicle 3. The transport vehicle controller 27 divides a transport command to the first buffer 17A and the second buffer 17B adjacent to each other in the travel direction into the first normal line 11a and the first bypass line 12a, and the first transport vehicle 3a and Assigned to the second transport vehicle 3b.

  In this system, even when the first buffer 17A and the second buffer 17B adjacent to each other are close to each other, a load can be simultaneously loaded from the first transport vehicle 3a and the second transport vehicle 3b to the first buffer 17A and the second buffer 17B. Can be transferred. As a result, it is possible to reduce the number of transport vehicles 3 that are in a standby state while increasing the number of buffers by narrowing the interval between the first buffer 17A and the second buffer 17B.

(8-2)
The transport vehicle controller 27 manages the plurality of first buffers 17A to 8H 17H arranged in the traveling direction as a group B (FIGS. 7 to 10). In addition, the transport vehicle controller 27 assigns a transport command so that the transport vehicle 3 travels uniformly on the first normal line 11a and the first bypass line 12a in the group B.

  In this system, since the transport vehicle 3 is equally distributed to the first normal line 11a and the first bypass line 12a, traffic congestion is prevented. More specifically, a situation where the transport vehicle 3 is concentrated on one of the first normal line 11a and the first bypass line 12a is prevented.

(8-3)
The transport vehicle controller 27 manages the plurality of first buffers 17A to 8H 17H arranged in the traveling direction as a group B, and issues a transport request within the group B to a transport request generated within the group B. The travel command to the uppermost stream buffer or the upstream position is output to the transport vehicle 3 (FIGS. 7 to 10). The transport vehicle controller 27 further assigns a transport command for the buffer that has issued the transport request in order from the transport vehicle 3 that has arrived at the position.

  In this system, even if the arrival order of the transport vehicle 3 is changed at the branching unit 13 or the junction unit 14, a plurality of buffers can be accessed simultaneously by the front and rear transport vehicles 3.

(9) Other Embodiments Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

In the embodiment, the type of the transport vehicle is an overhead traveling vehicle, but it may be an automatic guided vehicle or a tracked cart that travels without a track.
In the above embodiment, the lateral movement device of the transport vehicle uses a scalar arm, but it may be a belt mechanism.
In the above embodiment, a plurality of types of control operations have been individually described, but these may be arbitrarily combined.
In the above embodiment, the same allocation control operation as that in the case of unloading may be performed on the load gripper. In this case, since the above-described control is performed at both the unloading and the grasping, the transport efficiency in the transport vehicle system is further improved.

  The present invention can be widely applied to a transport vehicle system in which a plurality of transport vehicles travel separately on a pair of routes arranged side by side on a plurality of luggage storage locations.

The partial top view which shows the layout of the carrier system which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. The block diagram which shows the control system of a conveyance vehicle system. The front view of a ceiling conveyance vehicle. The layout schematic diagram for demonstrating the control operation | movement which performs simultaneous unloading to the adjacent buffer. The layout schematic diagram for demonstrating the control operation | movement which performs simultaneous unloading to the adjacent buffer. The flowchart for demonstrating the control operation | movement which performs simultaneous unloading to the adjacent buffer. The layout schematic diagram for demonstrating the control operation | movement which performs unloading from the conveyance vehicle of right and left both sides with respect to the buffer of 1 row. The layout schematic diagram for demonstrating the control operation | movement which performs unloading from the conveyance vehicle of right and left both sides with respect to the buffer of 1 row (1st Example). The layout schematic diagram for demonstrating the control operation | movement which performs unloading from the conveyance vehicle of right and left both sides with respect to the buffer of 1 row (2nd Example). The flowchart for demonstrating control operation which performs unloading from the conveyance vehicle of right and left both sides with respect to the buffer of 1 row. The layout schematic diagram for demonstrating the control operation | movement which forcibly switches an access direction.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Transfer vehicle system 3 Transfer vehicle 3a 1st transfer vehicle 3b 2nd transfer vehicle 3c 3rd transfer vehicle 3d 4th transfer vehicle 3e 5th transfer vehicle 3f 6th transfer vehicle 3g 7th transfer vehicle 3h 8th transfer vehicle 3i 9th Transport vehicle 3j 10th transport vehicle 3k 11th transport vehicle 5 Transport track (route)
9 1st processing apparatus 9a 1st load port 10 2nd processing apparatus 10a 2nd load port 11 Normal line (path | route)
11a 1st normal line 11b 2nd normal line 12 Bypass line (path | route)
12a 1st bypass line 12b 2nd bypass line 13 Branch part 13A Branch point 14 Merge part 14A Merge point 15 1st side buffer (luggage storage place)
16 Second side buffer (luggage storage location)
17 Third side buffer (luggage storage location)
17A 1st buffer 17B 2nd buffer 17C 3rd buffer 17D 4th buffer 17E 5th buffer 17F 6th buffer 17G 7th buffer 17H 8th buffer 18 4th side buffer (package storage place)
19 Fifth side buffer (luggage storage location)
20 control system 21 production controller 23 logistics controller 27 carrier controller 28 branch road 30 traveling rail 31 support 32 traveling rail body 33 feeding rail 34 body base 35 traveling drive section 36 power receiving section 38 lateral movement mechanism 38a upper section 38b lower section 39 Swivel unit 40 Elevating drive unit 41 Elevating table 42 Fall prevention cover 43 Post

Claims (2)

A pair of paths arranged side by side;
A plurality of transport vehicles traveling separately on the pair of routes;
A plurality of luggage storage places provided side by side in the traveling direction between the pair of routes;
The transport vehicle can be controlled , and comprises a controller that assigns a travel command to the luggage storage in the transport vehicle in response to a transport request from the luggage storage ,
The controller manages the plurality of luggage storage locations as a group,
The controller is configured to determine which of the pair of routes is a route traveled by the transport vehicle to which a travel command according to the transport request is assigned when a luggage storage in the group issues a transport request. In addition, if the luggage storage area that issued the transportation request is adjacent to another luggage storage area that is the destination of another transport vehicle, a travel command to the adjacent luggage storage area is assigned. A first determination that prioritizes a route that is different from the route traveled by the transported vehicle and a second determination that prioritizes a route that has a small number of travels of other transport vehicles;
Transport vehicle system. The controller, with respect to the transport request generated within the group, allocating a travel command to the carry requirements of the most upstream luggage storage location or upstream issued position within the group to the transport vehicle, the transport The transport vehicle system according to claim 1, wherein a travel command for a luggage storage location for which a request has been made is assigned in order from a transport vehicle that has arrived at the position.

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