Overhead traveling vehicle system and article storage method in the overhead traveling vehicle system

Abstract

Buffers 6, 8 are provided on both sides of a travel rail 10. An overhead traveling vehicle 4 has a SCARA arm movable back and forth to both of the left and right so that a rotation unit 22 and an elevation drive unit 4 can move to a position above either of the buffers 6, 8.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front view showing main components of an overhead traveling vehicle system according to an embodiment, in which dashed dotted lines denote a state in which a SCARA arm has moved forward to a side opposite to processing equipment, and dashed double dotted lines denote a state in which the SCARA arm has moved forward to the processing equipment.

FIG. 2 is a front view showing main components of an overhead traveling vehicles according to a modified embodiment, in which dashed dotted lines denote a state in which a two-stage double speed belt has moved forward to a side opposite to processing equipment, and dashed double dotted lines denote a state in which the double speed belt has moved forward to the processing equipment.

FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the layout of main components of the overhead traveling vehicle system according to the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view as viewed upwardly from the bottom side along a line IV-IV in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart showing an algorithm for successively transporting articles from a load port, by transfer of the articles from a normal line to a bypass line.

FIG. 6 is a front view showing the layout of main components, in which the number of buffers is the maximum in the overhead traveling vehicle system according to the embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a front view showing the layout of main components, suitable for a case in which processing equipment having a low speed are used in the overhead traveling vehicle system according to the embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a plan view showing the layout of main components in FIG. 7.

Claims

1. An overhead traveling vehicle system including a travel rail provided along a processing equipment having a load port for an overhead traveling vehicles, the overhead traveling vehicles having lateral movement means for moving an elevation frame for support and transfer of an article in a left-right direction of the travel rail, wherein the lateral movement means can laterally move the elevation frame to both of the left and right sides of the travel rail; andbuffers for temporarily storing the article are provided in respective spaces on both of the left and right sides of the travel rail.

2. The overhead traveling vehicle system according to claim 1, wherein the travel rail is provided to pass over the load port, and the buffers are provided at both of a position above the processing equipment, and a position opposite to the processing equipment as viewed from the travel rail.

3. The overhead traveling vehicle system according to claim 1, wherein the travel rail is a travel rail in a normal lane, and the overhead traveling vehicle system further includes a travel rail in an overtaking lane, and buffers to which the article can be transferred from the overhead traveling vehicle traveling along either of the travel rail in the normal lane and the travel rail in the overtaking lane.

4. A method of storing an article using an overhead traveling vehicle system including a travel rail provided along processing equipment having a load port for an overhead traveling vehicles, the overhead traveling vehicles having an elevation frame which can be elevated/lowered for support and transfer of the article, wherein the overhead traveling vehicles have lateral movement means capable of laterally moving the elevation frame to both of left and right sides of the travel rail;buffers for temporarily storing the article are provided in respective spaces on both of the left and right sides of the travel rail; andthe overhead traveling vehicle laterally moves the elevation frame to a position above the buffer using the lateral movement means, and elevates/lowers the elevation frame for transferring the article from/to the buffer.