TW201820517A - Overhead transport vehicle and method for controlling overhead transport vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an overhead transport vehicle configured so as to reduce time required for transferring an article to a position to which the article is to be transferred, the position being located below a track on a side thereof; and a method for controlling the overhead transport vehicle. This overhead transport vehicle 10 is provided with: a traveling section 5 traveling on a track 6; a body section 3 provided to the underside of the traveling section 5; an article holding section 13 for holding an article while suspending the article; a vertically driving section 14 for vertically moving the article holding section 13; a traverse mechanism 11 for moving the vertically driving section 14 between a stowed position 14R and a protruding position 14P; and a controller 20 for either actuating the traverse mechanism 11, causing the vertically driving section 14 to start moving toward the protruding position 14P before the traveling section 5 stops relative to a position (31, 32) to which the article is to be transferred, the position (31, 32) being located offset laterally from a position below the track 6, or actuating the traverse mechanism 11, causing the traveling section 5 stopped corresponding to the position (31, 32) to start traveling before the vertically driving section 14 returns to the stowed position 14R.

Description

   Elevated transport vehicle and control method of elevated transport vehicle   

The invention relates to an overhead transport vehicle and a control method for the overhead transport vehicle.

In manufacturing plants such as semiconductor manufacturing plants, for example, in order to transfer items such as a semiconductor container (FOUP; front-open wafer transfer box) or a mask transfer box (POD) for mask transfer, An overhead transport vehicle moving on a track (rail) laying on or near the ceiling. The overhead transport vehicle includes a transition section that travels along the track, and a main body section below the transition section. The main body portion is provided with an elevating driving portion for elevating an article holding portion such as a gripper for holding an article, and a lateral extension mechanism for projecting the elevating driving portion in a lateral direction of the main body portion in the direction of movement.

The transfer destination of the aforementioned overhead transport vehicle is the transfer position (loading port) of the processing device, etc., and it may be arranged downwardly and laterally. After the overhead transport vehicle is stopped corresponding to the transfer position, the lifting drive unit is protruded laterally by the lateral extension mechanism, and then the article holding unit is lifted by the lifting drive unit, thereby transferring the articles at the transfer position. . In such an overhead transport vehicle, it is required to shorten the time required for the transfer of articles. Patent Document 1 describes a stacker crane that stores pallets as articles in a scaffold. The stacker crane has a retractable fork on the lifting platform, and shortens the load transfer time of the pallet by performing an over lap operation of lifting and lowering the lifting platform while moving.

    [Prior technical literature]         [Patent Literature]    

[Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-114320

However, the stacker crane of Patent Document 1 only raises and lowers the lifting platform, and the lifting driving portion for driving the lifting platform does not protrude toward the side of the rail. Moreover, the lifting platform did not hold the article in a suspended state. Compared with the stacker crane, the overhead transport vehicle moves the vicinity of the ceiling while holding the article in a suspended state, and extends the lifting drive part laterally relative to the transfer position arranged below the track and in the lateral direction. Exit and lift items. Therefore, in an overhead transport vehicle, in order to shorten the time required for the transfer of articles, it is necessary to perform an overlapping operation different from that of a stacker crane.

An object of the present invention is to provide an overhead transport vehicle and a control method for the overhead transport vehicle. The overhead transport vehicle can move on a track near a ceiling or a ceiling, which can shorten the transfer of articles to a transfer position arranged below the track and in a lateral direction. The time required.

The overhead transport vehicle of the present invention is provided with: a moving part that moves on a track laid on the ceiling or near the ceiling; a main body part that is provided below the moving part; and an article holding part that suspends items The state is maintained; the lifting driving part lifts the article holding part; the lateral extension mechanism moves the lifting driving part between a storage position stored in the main body part and a protruding position protruding from the main body part toward the side of the track; And a controller that starts the movement of the elevating drive unit toward the protruding position by the lateral extension mechanism before the moving part stops from the transfer position of the article disposed laterally offset from below the track, or Before the elevating drive unit returns to the storage position by the lateral extension mechanism, the movement of the movement unit that is stopped corresponding to the transfer position is started.

In addition, the controller may also be arranged in such a way that the lifting drive unit is placed in the protruding position at a point in time when the moving unit stops corresponding to the transfer position, and instructs the start of the driving of the lateral extension mechanism during the movement of the moving unit. In addition, the controller may also instruct the lateral extension mechanism to start the driving of the lifting driving part of the protruding position toward the storage position at a point in time when the moving part starts moving from a position corresponding to the transfer position. In addition, the controller may be in a situation where at least one of the lifting driving unit, the article holding unit, and the object held by the article holding unit may come into contact with each other when there is a protruding state in the movement of the moving unit. The driving of the lateral extension mechanism is not performed during the movement of the moving part.

In addition, the controller may be in a situation where at least one of the lifting driving unit, the article holding unit, and the object held by the article holding unit may come into contact with each other when there is a protruding state in the movement of the moving unit. The drive of the lateral extension mechanism is indicated within a predetermined range that will not come in contact with an obstacle. In addition, the controller may instruct the start of the driving of the lateral extension mechanism from the position where the moving portion exceeds the obstacle. In addition, the controller may also request an obstacle in which at least one of the lift driving unit, the article holding unit, and the article held by the article holding unit may come into contact with each other when there is a protruding state in the movement of the moving unit. The subtraction time obtained by subtracting the time taken by the moving part stopping at the position corresponding to the transfer position to reach the obstacle minus the time when the lifting drive part located at the protruding position moves to the storage position, and extending laterally during the stopping of the moving part The mechanism starts the driving of the elevating driving part in the protruding position toward the storage position, and instructs the start of the movement of the moving part at the timing of the subtraction time from the start of the driving of the laterally extending mechanism.

In addition, the obstacle may also be a hanging accessory used to suspend a structure arranged below the track from an overhead. In addition, the structure may be a storage device capable of placing articles, and the obstacle may be an article placed on the storage device. In addition, the structure may be a storage device capable of placing articles, and the obstacle may be an article placed on the storage device. In addition, the controller may have a storage section that stores a position where the protruding action of the lateral extension mechanism is started during the movement of the movement section, or a timing related to the start of the movement of the movement section during the storage operation of the lateral extension mechanism. Information.

The control method of the overhead transport vehicle of the present invention, the overhead transport vehicle is provided with: a moving part that moves on a track laid on the ceiling or near the ceiling; a main body part that is provided below the moving part; an article holding part , Which holds the article in a suspended state; an elevating drive unit that elevates the article holding unit; and a lateral extension mechanism that causes the elevating drive unit to be stored in the storage position in the body portion and to the side of the track from the body portion Moving between protruding positions protruding in the direction; such a control method includes: before the moving part stops moving with respect to an item placed laterally offset from below the track, the lifting driving part is extended in the lateral direction Before the movement of the mechanism toward the protruding position is started, or before the elevating drive unit returns to the storage position by the lateral extension mechanism, the movement of the movement unit that stops corresponding to the transfer position starts.

In the control method of the overhead transport vehicle or the overhead transport vehicle of the present invention, the movement of the lifting driving part and the movement of the moving part by the lateral extension mechanism can be overlapped. By this overlap, compared with the case where the elevating driving part is extended laterally after the overhead conveyance vehicle is stopped, or the case where the elevating driving part is housed in the body part and the movement of the moving part is started, the transfer of articles can be shortened The time needed.

In addition, in the configuration in which the controller instructs the start of the drive of the lateral extension mechanism during the movement of the movement unit so that the lifting drive unit is arranged in the protruding position at the time when the movement unit stops corresponding to the transfer position, it is not necessary Waiting for the stop of the moving part will start the driving of the lateral extension mechanism, and the movement of the lifting driving part toward the protruding position is completed or substantially completed at the stage where the moving part stops corresponding to the transfer position, so the transfer place of the article can be shortened time needed. Further, in the configuration where the controller instructs the lateral extension mechanism to start the driving of the lifting drive section of the protruding position toward the storage position at the time point when the shift section starts to move from the position corresponding to the transfer position, the controller and the shift section The movement of the lifting driving section toward the storage position starts at the same time or substantially simultaneously, so the moving section can be moved without waiting for the lifting driving section to be stored in the main body section, thereby reducing the time required for transferring the articles.

In addition, when the controller has the aforementioned obstacles in the movement of the moving part, in the structure in which the driving of the lateral extension mechanism is not performed during the movement of the moving part, it is possible to prevent the lifting drive part or article and the obstacles from being blocked. Interference. In addition, when the aforementioned obstacle exists in the movement of the controller in the moving part, in the structure that instructs the drive of the lateral extension mechanism within a predetermined range that will not come in contact with the obstacle, it is possible to avoid lifting the driving part or Objects and other objects interfere with obstacles and shorten the time required to transfer the objects. In addition, in the configuration in which the controller instructs the start of the driving of the lateral extension mechanism from the position where the moving portion exceeds the obstacle, the driving of the lateral extension mechanism can be started efficiently, so that it is possible to reduce the number of items required to transfer the article. time. In addition, when the controller has the aforementioned obstacle during the movement of the moving part, the time from when the moving part stopped at the position corresponding to the transfer position to the obstacle is subtracted from the lifting drive at the protruding position The subtraction time obtained from the time when the moving part moves to the storage position, when the moving part is stopped, the drive of the lateral extension mechanism to move the lifting driving part of the protruding position toward the storage position starts, and the drive from the lateral extension mechanism starts to pass through the phase. The time-decreasing time sequence indicates the start of the movement of the movement unit, because the movement of the movement unit starts at the time sequence when the raising and lowering drive unit does not contact the obstacle, and the movement unit moves without waiting for the raising and lowering drive unit to return to the storage position. Therefore, the time required for transferring the articles can be shortened.

Furthermore, in the case where the obstacle is a storage device that is placed in a state of being suspended from the ceiling and can be placed on the storage device, or an article placed on the storage device, it is possible to suppress the lifting drive unit, the article, and the storage device or the storage device. Interference with articles placed in storage devices. Further, in the case where the obstacle is a suspension fitting used to suspend the structure formed below the track from the overhead, it is possible to suppress the interference between the lifting drive unit or the article and the suspension fitting. The controller has a storage unit that stores a position at which the protruding movement of the lateral extension mechanism is started during the movement of the movement unit, or a timing related to the start timing of the movement of the movement unit during the storage operation of the lateral extension mechanism. In the configuration of the information, the movement of the lateral extension mechanism or the movement of the movement unit is performed based on the information from the storage unit, so that the protrusion of the lifting drive unit or the movement of the movement unit can be easily and reliably performed.

P1, P4‧‧‧‧Positive start position

P3, P10‧‧‧stop position

2‧‧‧ items

2a‧‧‧ The body of the article

2c‧‧‧ cover

2d‧‧‧Ditch

2g‧‧‧ flange

3‧‧‧Body

5‧‧‧Transition Department

6‧‧‧ track

6A‧‧‧track

7‧‧‧travel wheel

9‧‧‧ support shaft

10‧‧‧ Overhead Transporter

11‧‧‧ horizontal extension mechanism

12‧‧‧ movable plate

13‧‧‧Item holding department

13a‧‧‧Claw

13b‧‧‧ Suspension member

14‧‧‧Elevation drive unit

14P‧‧‧ protruding position

14R‧‧‧Storage position

16‧‧‧ Cover

18‧‧‧ ceiling

20, 120‧‧‧ Controller

21‧‧‧Export Department

22‧‧‧Storage Department

25‧‧‧pin

30‧‧‧Processing device

31‧‧‧ loading port (transfer position)

32‧‧‧ buffer unit (storage device)

33, 132‧‧‧Frame (structure)

34, 134‧‧‧ hanging accessories

100, 200‧‧‧ Overhead Transporter System

P2, P5, P8‧‧‧ shift position

P6, P9, P11‧‧‧Position

S01 ~ S08, S11 ~ S14, S21 ~ S27‧‧‧steps

T0, T1, T2‧‧‧ timing

X, Y, Z‧‧‧ directions

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of an overhead transport vehicle system according to the embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of transferring articles from an overhead transport vehicle to a buffer unit.

Fig. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the overhead transport vehicle system.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of lateral extension during the movement of the overhead transport vehicle.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example in which no lateral protrusion is performed during the movement of the overhead transport vehicle.

Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing another example of the operation of the overhead transport vehicle system.

Fig. 7 is a diagram showing another example of lateral extension during the movement of the overhead transport vehicle.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing another example of the operation of the overhead transport vehicle system.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of storage in which the lateral transport is carried out when the overhead transport vehicle starts moving.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of storage without lateral extension when the overhead transport vehicle starts moving.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of storage in which the horizontally extended projection is carried out during the movement of the overhead transport vehicle.

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing another example of storage in which the horizontally-extended storage is performed during the movement of the overhead transport vehicle.

FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of an overhead transport vehicle system according to another embodiment.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below. In addition, in the drawings, in order to explain the embodiment, a part is enlarged or emphasized and described, and the scale is appropriately changed to represent it. In the following figures, the directions in the figures are explained using the XYZ coordinate system. In this XYZ coordinate system, a plane parallel to the horizontal plane is set as the XY plane. The direction perpendicular to the XY plane is referred to as the Z direction. The X direction, Y direction, and Z direction will be described with the direction of the arrow in the figure as the + direction, and the direction opposite to the direction of the arrow as the-direction. In the present embodiment, the moving direction of the overhead transport vehicle 10 will be described as the X direction.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of an overhead transport vehicle system 100 according to the embodiment. Fig. 2 is a view showing a state in which the articles 2 are transferred from the overhead transport vehicle 10 toward the buffer portion 32, or from the buffer unit 32 toward the overhead transport vehicle 10. The overhead transport vehicle system 100 includes a track (traveling rail) 6, an overhead transport vehicle 10, and a controller 20. The overhead transport vehicle system 100 is installed in, for example, a semiconductor device manufacturing plant.

The article 2 includes, for example, a wafer or a mask used for manufacturing a semiconductor device. Article 2 is, for example, a FOUP (front opening unified pod), a SMIF (Standard Mechanical Interface) transfer box, and a mask transfer box that can be flushed inside. In FIGS. 1 and 2, an example in which the article 2 is a FOUP is shown. The article 2 includes a main body portion 2a, a cover 2c, and a flange 2g. Articles such as wafers are contained inside the main body portion 2a. The cover 2c is detachably provided on one side surface of the main body portion 2a. On the bottom surface side of the main body portion 2a, a plurality of positioning groove portions 2d formed radially are formed.

As shown in FIG. 1, the overhead transport vehicle 10 includes a moving section 5 and a main body section 3. The traveling unit 5 travels along the rail 6 by a driving force of a traveling driving unit (not shown). As the movement driving unit, for example, a transfer motor or a linear motor is used, and the movement driving unit 5 may be mounted on the movement unit 5. The track 6 is, for example, laid from the ceiling 18 of the equipment in the clean room building via a hanging fitting, and extends along the X direction in FIG. 1.

The traveling unit 5 includes a traveling wheel 7 arranged so as to be in contact with the rail 6. The traveling wheel 7 is connected to, for example, an encoder (not shown). The encoder detects the number of revolutions of the traveling wheel 7 and the like, and outputs the detection result to the controller 20. The controller 20 controls a traveling drive unit (not shown) according to the detection result of the encoder, and controls the speed or stop position of the overhead transport vehicle 10. As shown in FIG. 1, a support shaft 9 extending downward from the traveling portion 5 is attached to the overhead transport vehicle 10. A main body portion 3 is mounted below the support shaft 9.

The main body portion 3 includes an article holding portion 13 that holds the article 2, an elevating driving portion 14 that raises and lowers the article holding portion 13 in the up-down direction (Z direction, vertical direction), and a lateral protrusion that moves the elevating driving portion 14 to the side direction. Agency 11. The article holding unit 13 holds the flange 2 g of the article 2 and suspends and holds the article 2. The article holding portion 13 is, for example, a jig having a claw portion 13a that can move in the horizontal direction. The article holding portion 13 is suspended by moving the claw portion 13a under the flange 2g of the article 2 and raising the article holding portion 13. The state is maintained. The article holding portion 13 is connected to a suspension member 13b such as a wire or a belt.

The elevating drive unit 14 is, for example, a crane, and the article holding unit 13 is lowered by successively rolling out the suspension member 13b, and the article holding unit 13 is raised by winding the suspension member 13b. The lift driving unit 14 is controlled by the controller 20 to lower or raise the article holding unit 13 at a predetermined speed. The lift driving unit 14 is controlled by the controller 20 to hold the article holding unit 13 at a target height.

The lateral extension mechanism 11 includes, for example, a plurality of movable plates 12 which are arranged to be overlapped in the vertical direction (Z direction). The movable plate 12 can be moved in the Y direction by a Y-direction guide (not shown). A lift driving unit 14 is mounted on the lower movable plate 12. The lateral extension mechanism 11 includes a Y-direction driving portion such as an electric motor (not shown), and the movable plate 12 can be slid by the driving force from the Y-direction driving portion, thereby raising and lowering the driving portion 14 at the protruding position 14P and the storage position. Move between 14R. The protruding position 14P is a position at which the elevating driving portion 14 protrudes from the main body portion 3 in the lateral direction (Y direction) of the rail 6. The accommodating position R is a position below the rail 6 and the elevating driving section 14 is accommodated in the main body section 3.

Furthermore, a rotation portion (not shown) may be provided between the lateral extension mechanism 11 and the elevating driving portion 14. The rotating portion includes, for example, a rotating member and a rotating driving portion. By driving the rotating driving portion, the elevating driving portion 14 can be rotated about the direction of the axis in the vertical direction (Z direction). By rotating the elevating driving section 14 with the rotating section, the article holding section 13 (article 2) suspended from the elevating driving section 14 can be rotated, and the orientation of the cover 2c of the article 2 can be changed. The operation of such a rotating unit is controlled by the controller 20, for example. Moreover, in the overhead conveyance vehicle 10, whether to provide the said rotation part is arbitrary, and it may not be provided.

The main body portion 3 including the aforementioned lateral extension mechanism 11, the article holding portion 13, and the elevating driving portion 14 is integrated with the moving portion 5 and moves along the rail 6. Further, a cover 16 is provided on the -X side and the + X side (front side and rear side in the movement direction) of the main body portion 3, respectively. The covers 16 are supported by the overhead transport vehicle 10 via the support shafts 9, respectively, and move integrally with the moving portion 5.

The overhead transport vehicle 10 can deliver articles 2 to storage devices such as the loading port 31 (see FIG. 1) of the processing device 30 or the buffer unit 32 (see FIG. 2). In addition, the overhead transport vehicle 10 can receive the articles 2 from the loading port 31 or the buffer portion 32 and the like. In addition, the loading port 31 and the buffer portion 32 are arranged at a position lower than the lower end of the article 2 held by the article holding portion 13 which is raised to the uppermost position by the elevation driving portion 14. Here, the processing device 30 is, for example, a film forming device, a coating and developing machine, an exposure device, or an etching device, and performs various processes in the process of manufacturing a device (for example, a semiconductor device). As shown in FIG. 1, the loading port 31 is a portion on which a container (item 2) for storing an object to be processed by the processing device 30 is placed.

As shown in FIG. 2, the buffer portion 32 is disposed in a lateral direction below the track 6 (-Z side) and on the + Y side. The buffer portion 32 may be arranged not only on the + Y side but also on the -Y side, and may also be arranged on both sides of the + Y side and the -Y side. The buffer section 32 is a side track buffer (sidetrack buffer) disposed below the track 6 in a lateral direction. The buffer portion 32 is arranged in a state where the lifting driving portion 14 is arranged at the protruding position 14P by projecting the article holding portion 13 and the lifting driving portion 14 in the Y direction by the lateral extension mechanism 11, and using the lifting driving portion 14 The article holding portion 13 is lowered and can be placed at a position of the article 2 held by the article holding portion 13.

The buffer portion 32 includes a frame 33. The frame 33 is held in a state where it is suspended from the ceiling 18 by using a plurality of hanging fittings 34 and is arranged near the ceiling 18. The frame 33 is arranged to extend in the X direction along the rail 6. The buffer portion 32 can place one article 2 or a plurality of articles 2. The number of the articles 2 placed in one buffer section 32 can be arbitrarily set. When a plurality of articles 2 can be placed on the buffer unit 32, the plurality of articles 2 are placed in a row along the rail 6 (toward the X direction).

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a plurality of pins 25 are provided on the loading port 31 and the buffer portion 32 to position the article 2 to be placed. For example, three pins 25 are provided. Each pin 25 is arrange | positioned according to the position of the several radial groove part 2d provided in the bottom part of the article 2, and can be fitted in this groove part 2d. When the article 2 is placed on the loading port 31 and the buffer portion 32, the pin 2 is positioned by being fitted into the groove portion 2 d of the article 2. In addition, the shape and number of the groove portions 2d and the pins 25 are not limited to those described above, and any structure capable of positioning the article 2 can be applied.

The controller 20 controls operations of the various parts of the overhead transport vehicle 10. For example, the controller 20 controls the lateral extension operation or the accommodating operation (that is, the movement of the elevating driving section 14) performed by the lateral extension mechanism 11, the operation of the moving section 5, and the like. In addition, the controller 20 can overlap the operation of the moving portion 5 and the operation of the lateral extension mechanism 11. Therefore, the controller 20 can stop at the moving part 5 in the overhead transport vehicle 10 and can move the stopping position of the article 2 to the loading port 31 or the buffer part 32 which is the transfer position of the article 2 (the lifting driving part protruding to the protruding position 14P) 14 becomes the stop position just above the loading port 31 or the buffer portion 32), the movement of the elevating driving portion 14 toward the protruding position 14P is started by the lateral extension mechanism 11. In addition, the controller 20 may start the movement of the movement unit 5 corresponding to the transfer position before the elevating drive unit 14 returns to the storage position 14R from the protruding position 14P by the lateral extension mechanism 11.

The controller 20 can arbitrarily set the control for overlapping the operation of the movement section 5 with the operation of the lateral extension mechanism 11. For example, the controller 20 may lift and lower the drive unit 14 to move in the movement unit 5 when the movement unit 5 stops when the movement unit 5 corresponds to the transfer position (for example, the aforementioned loading port 31, etc., the same below). The middle indicates that the driving of the lateral extension mechanism 11 is started. In addition, the controller 20 may instruct the lateral extension mechanism 11 to start the driving of the elevating driving portion 14 of the protruding position 14P toward the storage position 14R when the moving portion 5 starts moving from a position corresponding to the transfer position.

In addition, the controller 20 can determine whether there is an obstacle in the aforementioned overlapping control. For example, when there is an obstacle that may come into contact with at least one of the lift driving unit 14, the article holding unit 13, and the article 2 held by the article holding unit 13 during the movement of the moving unit 5, It may be assumed that the driving of the lateral extension mechanism 11 is not performed during the movement of the movement section 5. In addition, the controller 20 may have an obstacle in which at least one of the lift driving unit 14, the article holding unit 13, and the article 2 held by the article holding unit 13 may come into contact with each other during the movement of the traveling unit 5. In the case of an object, the driving of the lateral extension mechanism 11 is instructed within a predetermined range where it will not come in contact with an obstacle.

In this case, examples of the obstacle include a storage device such as the buffer unit 32 shown in FIG. 2 or the article 2 placed on such a storage device. Moreover, as an obstacle, the hanging attachment 34 etc. which suspend the structure, such as the frame 33 which comprises the buffer part 32, are mentioned. In addition, as an obstacle, piping in a facility, a beam of a building, and a processing apparatus 30 (refer FIG. 1) arrange | positioned in a facility are also included.

As shown in FIG. 1, the controller 20 may include a lead-out section 21 and be connected to the storage section 22. The lead-out portion 21 derives the position at which the protruding operation of the lift driving portion 14 by the lateral extension mechanism 11 is started. Further, the derivation unit 21 derives the timing of starting the storage operation of the storage lifting drive unit 14 by the lateral extension mechanism 11. The storage unit 22 stores, for example, position information (map data) of a buffer portion 32 or the like that becomes an obstacle when the lifting drive unit 14 is protruded by the lateral extension mechanism 11 on the track 6 of the overhead transport vehicle 10. The position information of the obstacles stored in the storage unit 22 is managed by, for example, coordinate values.

The derivation unit 21 derives the coordinates of the obstacles stored in the storage unit 22 from the coordinates of the obstacles stored in the storage unit 22 according to the time required for the lateral extension mechanism 11 to move between the storage position 14R and the protruding position 14P. The position of the protruding operation of the lateral extension mechanism 11, or the timing of starting the movement of the migration section 5 during the storage operation of the lateral extension mechanism 11, and the like. The deriving unit 21 may store the derived results in the storage unit 22. Therefore, the storage section 22 stores information related to the position at which the protruding operation of the lateral extension mechanism is started during the movement of the traveling section 5 or the timing of starting the movement of the migration section 5 during the storage operation of the lateral extension mechanism 11. In addition, the storage unit 22 may store, for example, information related to the transfer positions of the articles 2 such as the loading port 31 and the buffer unit 32. In addition to using the position information (map data) of the buffer unit 32 and the like, the controller 20 can also detect the distance to an obstacle by a sensor installed on the overhead transport vehicle 10, etc. The output of the measuring device indicates the driving of the lateral extension mechanism 11. In addition, the transportation instructions to the controller 20 by the upper controller MCS (Material Control System) and MES (Manufacturing Execution System) include coordinates related to obstacles, and the controller 20 may also The coordinates of the obstacle obtained by the host controller indicate the driving of the lateral extension mechanism 11.

In the present embodiment, the controller 20 is described by taking, for example, an in-vehicle controller mounted on the moving section 5 or the main body section 3 of the overhead transport vehicle 10 as an example, but it is not limited to this configuration. For example, the controller 20 may be a ground controller provided on the ground side. In the case of the ground controller, the controller 20 for controlling the plurality of overhead transport vehicles 10 in an integrated manner may also be used. The storage unit 22 may be mounted on the traveling unit 5 or the main unit 3 of the overhead transport vehicle 10, or may be installed on the ground side together with the ground-side controller 20.

Next, the operation of the overhead transport vehicle system 100 will be described. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the overhead transport vehicle system 100. In the following example, the operation of the overhead transport vehicle 10 moving toward the transfer position such as the loading port 31 or the buffer portion 32 and the transfer of the articles 2 to the transfer position from the overhead transport vehicle 10 will be described.

As shown in FIG. 3, the controller 20 first instructs the overhead transport vehicle 10 for a transfer position (step S01). In step S01, the controller 20 extracts, for example, the information on the transfer position as the transfer destination of the article 2 from the information on the transfer position stored in the storage unit 22. The controller 20 controls the operation of the shifting unit 5 based on the extracted information, so that the overhead transport vehicle 10 moves to the transfer position. Moreover, the information related to the transfer position may be indicated by, for example, a higher-level controller connected to the controller 20.

Next, the controller 20 determines whether the transfer position is below and in the side direction of the track 6 (step S02). The controller 20 determines step S02 based on the information of the transfer position extracted from the storage unit 22, for example. When the transfer position is below the track 6 in the lateral direction (YES in step S20), the lead-out portion 21 derives the position at which the protruding operation of the lifting driving portion 14 by the lateral extension mechanism 11 is started (step S03).

In step S03, the derivation unit 21 calculates the position from the start of the protruding operation to the completion of the protruding operation, for example, based on the length of the protruding driving portion 14 protruding and the protruding speed of the lifting driving portion 14 performed by the lateral protruding mechanism 11. Take time. Next, the derivation unit 21 calculates, for example, the travel distance of the travel unit 5 during the required time period based on the calculated required time and the travel speed of the travel unit 5. The derivation unit 21 derives the protruding operation start position P1 (refer to the following figure) to start the protruding operation of the lifting drive unit 14 based on the calculated travel distance and the stop position P3 corresponding to the transfer position (see FIG. 4 below). 4).

Next, the controller 20 determines whether there is an obstacle in the moving direction of the overhead transport vehicle 10, for example, from the calculated protruding operation start position P1 to the transfer position (step S04). When the controller 20 determines that there is no obstacle (NO in step S04), the self-protruding operation start position P1 during the movement of the traveling section 5 starts the protruding operation of the elevating driving section 14 (step S05).

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the operation in step S05. As shown in FIG. 4, the controller 20 performs the self-protruding operation starting position when the overhead transport vehicle 10 reaches the protruded operation starting position P1 derived by the lead-out section 21 or before reaching, while maintaining the movement of the moving section 5. P1 is an instruction to start the protruding operation of the lifting drive unit 14 by the lateral extension mechanism 11. According to this instruction, the overhead transport vehicle 10 performs the protruding operation of the lifting drive unit 14 while moving in the moving direction at the stage when the protruding operation start position P1 is reached.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4, at the transition position P2 between the projection operation start position P1 and the stop position P3, the overhead transport vehicle 10 is in a state in which the elevating driving unit 14 is projected toward the projection position 14P while moving. Then, when the controller 20 reaches the stop position P3, the controller 20 stops the operation of the moving part 5 to stop the overhead transport vehicle 10 at the stop position P3. At the timing when the overhead transport vehicle 10 is stopped at the stop position P3, the elevating drive unit 14 reaches the protruding position 14P, and the protruding operation is completed.

In the case where the transfer position is not below the track 6 and in the side direction in step S02 in FIG. 3 (No in step S02), the controller 20 does not cause the lateral extension mechanism 11 during the movement of the overhead transport vehicle 10 The operation is performed (step S06). For example, when the transfer position is set below the rail 6, the article 2 may be transferred without extending the lifting drive unit 14 and the like laterally. When it is determined in step S04 that there is an obstacle in the moving direction (YES in step S04), the controller 20 does not operate the lateral extension mechanism 11 during the movement of the overhead transport vehicle 10 (step S06). The controller 20 moves the overhead transport vehicle 10 without moving the lateral extension mechanism 11 during the movement of the overhead transport vehicle 10.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the operation in step S06. In step S04, when the controller 20 determines that there are obstacles such as the buffer portion 32, the frame 33, the hanging accessory 34, or the article 2 on the buffer portion 32, the overhead transport vehicle 10 reaches the protruding operation start position. At P1 or before arrival (ie, until arrival), an instruction is issued to the overhead transport vehicle 10 not to perform a protruding action. In addition, the instruction of not performing the protruding action may be instructed by the controller 20 or may be implemented by not using the controller 20 to instruct the protruding action.

According to this instruction (or no instruction), the overhead transport vehicle 10 passes the protrusion operation start position P1 without performing the protrusion operation in a state where the lift driving unit 14 is arranged in the storage position 14R. Then, the controller 20 stops the overhead transport vehicle 10 at the transfer position at the stop position P3, and then causes the elevating drive unit 14 to protrude toward the protruding position 14P by the lateral extension mechanism 11.

Next, the controller 20 stops the operation of the traveling unit 5, and then drives the elevating driving unit 14 to lower the article holding unit 13 (step S07). In FIG. 4, at the stage when the overhead transport vehicle 10 stops at the stop position P3, since the lift driving unit 14 reaches the protruding position 14P, the controller 20 makes the elevator drive unit just after the overhead transport vehicle 10 stops at the stop position P3. 14 is driven to lower the article holding portion 13. In FIG. 5, after the overhead transport vehicle 10 stops at the stop position P3, the lateral extension mechanism 11 is driven, and after the elevation drive portion 14 reaches the protruding position 14P, the elevation drive portion 14 is driven to lower the article holding portion 13.

The controller 20 stops the driving of the lifting drive unit 14 when the article 2 is lowered to the transfer position (loading port 31, etc.), and releases the grip of the article 2 by the article holding unit 13, thereby placing the article 2 in the transfer position. (Load port 31 in FIG. 4) (step S08). Thereby, the transfer of the article 2 from the overhead transport vehicle 10 toward the transfer position is completed. Furthermore, when the overhead transport vehicle 10 receives the article 2 at the transfer position, the controller 20 can drive the article holding section 13 to the height of the flange 2g of the article 2 by driving the lift driving section 14 and drive the article holding The portion 13 holds the flange 2 g to receive the article 2. Furthermore, when the controller 20 receives the goods 2 at the transfer position in the overhead transport vehicle 10, the controller 20 can similarly apply the drive control of the lateral extension mechanism 11 shown in Figs. 3 to 5 described above.

As shown in FIG. 4, when there is no obstacle in the moving direction, the protruding operation is performed during the movement of the overhead transport vehicle 10, and the protruding operation is completed or substantially completed when the overhead transportation vehicle 10 stops at the stop position P3. In this way, since the movement of the overhead transport vehicle 10 can be overlapped with the protrusion operation of the elevating drive unit 14, the time required for the transfer of the article 2 can be shortened compared with the case where the protrusion operation is performed after the overhead transport vehicle 10 stops.

As shown in Fig. 5, when there is an obstacle in the moving direction, the protruding operation of the elevating driving unit 14 is not performed until the overhead transport vehicle 10 stops at the stop position P3. Therefore, the overhead transport vehicle 10 passes the side of the obstacle in a state where the lifting drive unit 14 is disposed at the storage position 14R. By disposing the elevation driving section 14 in the storage position 14R, it is possible to prevent the elevation driving section 14 and the like from interfering with an obstacle.

Next, other operations of the overhead transport vehicle system 100 will be described. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing another example of the operation of the overhead transport vehicle system 100. In FIG. 6, the operation subsequent to the determination in step S04 is different from the flowchart shown in FIG. 3. FIG. 7 shows an example of the operation of FIG. 6. The following description focuses on differences from the operation example of FIG. 3.

As shown in FIG. 6, when the controller 20 determines that there is an obstacle in the moving direction in step S04 (YES in step S04), the deriving unit 21 derives the position exceeding the obstacle as the protruding operation start position ( Step S11). In step S11, the derivation unit 21 positions the protruding operation start position P1 to the stop position P3 and exceeds the position of the obstacle in the moving direction according to the coordinate values and the like of the obstacle stored in the storage unit 22, as shown in FIG. P4 is derived as the start position of the highlight operation. In this case, since the protruding operation is not started at the position P1 in the side direction of the obstacle, the overhead transport vehicle 10 passes the side direction of the obstacle in a state where the lift driving unit 14 is stored in the storage position 14R.

There is no obstacle between the protruding operation start position P4 and the stop position P3. Therefore, when the overhead transport vehicle 10 reaches the protruding operation start position P4 obtained in the aforementioned step S11, the controller 20 starts the protruding operation of the elevating driving section 14 during the movement of the moving section 5 (step S12). Therefore, as shown in Fig. 7, at the transition position P5 between the projection start position P4 and the stop position P3, the overhead transport vehicle 10 is in a state in which the elevating drive unit 14 is projected toward the projection position 14P while moving.

In the case where the protruding operation is performed in step S12, the distance between the protruding operation start position P4 and the stop position P3 is shorter than the distance between the protruding operation start position P1 and the stop position P3 obtained initially. Therefore, before the elevating drive unit 14 reaches the protruding position 14P, the overhead transport vehicle 10 reaches the stop position P3. In this case, after the controller 20 stops the overhead transport vehicle 10 at the stop position P3, the controller 20 continues to perform the protruding operation until the lift driving unit 14 reaches the protruding position 14P (step S13). After the elevation driving section 14 reaches the protruding position 14P, the controller 20 drives the elevation driving section 14 to lower the article holding section 13 (step S14). After step S14, as shown in step S08 shown in FIG. 3, transfer of the article 2 toward the transfer position or reception of the article 2 is performed.

As shown in FIG. 7, since the protruding operation of the lifting drive unit 14 is not performed when the overhead transport vehicle 10 passes the position in the side direction of the obstacle, interference between the lifting drive unit 14 and the obstacle can be avoided. In addition, since the movement of the overhead transport vehicle 10 and the protrusion of the lifting drive unit 14 can be overlapped at a position where the overhead transport vehicle 10 exceeds an obstacle, it is possible to perform the protrusion operation in comparison with the case where the overhead transportation vehicle 10 is stopped. Reduce the time required to transfer item 2.

Next, other operations of the overhead transport vehicle system 100 will be described. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing another example of the operation of the overhead transport vehicle system 100. In the following example, the overhead transport vehicle 10 starts to move after holding the article 2 placed in the transfer position such as the loading port 31 or the buffer unit 32 by the article holding unit 13 or the overhead transport vehicle 10 in The operation of moving the item 2 to the transfer position and then starting the movement will be described.

As shown in Fig. 8, the controller 20 drives the elevating driving section 14 to raise the article holding section 13 (step S21). Furthermore, the controller 20 receives information related to the next moving destination (transfer destination) under the overhead transport vehicle 10 before or after executing step S21. Next, the controller 20 determines whether there is an obstacle in the moving direction (step S22). The timing for the controller 20 to determine step S22 may be any one of when the ascent of the article holding unit 13 starts, before the ascent starts, or after the ascent starts. Therefore, step S21 and step S22 may be performed simultaneously, or step S22 may be performed earlier than step S21.

The controller 20 calculates, for example, the distance traveled by the moving section 5 during the storage time until the lateral extension mechanism 11 returns from the protruding position 14P to the storage position 14R, and judges whether or not it is based on the coordinates of the obstacle stored in the storage section 22 or the like. Whether there are obstacles within this travel distance. When the controller 20 determines that there is no obstacle in the moving direction (No in step S22), the derivation unit 21 derives a timing for starting the storage operation of the lifting drive unit 14 by the lateral extension mechanism 11 (step S23).

In step S23, the derivation unit 21 derives the time sequence, for example, in such a manner that the storage operation of the elevating drive unit 14 is started when the migration of the migration unit 5 is started. The controller 20 starts the accommodating operation of the elevating drive unit 14 at the timing derived by the derivation unit 21 together with the start of the migration of the transition unit 5 (step S24). In addition, step S24 may be performed after the lifting of the article holding section 13 by the elevating driving section 14 is completed, or may be performed during the rising of the article holding section 13.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of the operation in step S24. As shown in FIG. 9, the controller 20 instructs the storage unit 21 to start the storage sequence at the timing derived by the derivation unit 21 in step S23 (at the beginning of the migration of the migration unit 5 in FIG. 9). According to this instruction, the storage operation of the elevating drive unit 14 is started at the same time or substantially simultaneously with the start of the movement of the overhead transport vehicle 10 from the stop position P3 in the movement direction (+ X direction). Therefore, as shown in FIG. 9, at the position P6 after moving forward from the stop position P3 in the moving direction, the moving operation of the lifting driving unit 14 is performed by the lateral extension mechanism 11 while moving by the moving unit 5.

Then, the elevating drive unit 14 reaches the storage position 14R during the travel performed by the travel unit 5, and the storage operation is completed (step S25). After the storage operation is completed, the controller 20 moves the overhead transport vehicle 10 toward the next stop position, for example.

When it is determined in step S22 that there is an obstacle in the moving direction (YES in step S22), the controller 20 starts the storage operation while the overhead transport vehicle 10 is stopped (step S26). FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the operation in step S26. As shown in FIG. 10, the controller 20 moves the elevating driving unit 14 from the protruding position 14P to the storage position 14R by the lateral extension mechanism 11 in a state where the overhead transport vehicle 10 is stopped at the stop position P3. After the storage operation is completed, the controller 20 causes the travel unit 5 to start a travel operation (step S27). The overhead transport vehicle 10 starts moving in a state where the elevating driving unit 14 is arranged in the storage position 14R.

As shown in FIG. 9, when there is no obstacle in the moving direction of the overhead transport vehicle 10, the storage operation is performed at the beginning of the movement of the overhead transport vehicle 10, and the storage operation is completed during the movement of the overhead transport vehicle 10. As shown in the example shown in FIG. 9, since the movement of the overhead transport vehicle 10 can be overlapped with the storage operation of the lifting drive unit 14, compared with the case where the storage operation is started after the overhead transport vehicle 10 is stopped, the movement is started. In this case, the start time of the transfer of the overhead transport vehicle 10 can be earlier, and the time required for the transfer of the article 2 can be shortened.

As shown in FIG. 10, when there is an obstacle in the moving direction of the overhead transport vehicle 10, since the movement of the overhead transport vehicle 10 is started after the storage operation is completed, the overhead transport vehicle 10 is lifted by the driving unit 14. The state arranged in the storage position 14R passes through the side of the obstacle. Since the elevation driving section 14 is arranged in the storage position 14R, interference between the elevation driving section 14 and an obstacle can be avoided.

Further, in the operation shown in FIG. 10, when it is determined that there is an obstacle in the moving direction in step S22, the controller 20 completes the storage operation while the overhead transport vehicle 10 is stopped, but it is not limited to this. In this case. For example, when it is determined that there is an obstacle in the moving direction in step S22, the derivation unit 21 may derive the accommodating operation of starting the accommodating drive unit 14 using the lateral extension mechanism 11 without interfering with the obstacle. Timing.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing another operation of the overhead transport vehicle system 100. As shown in FIG. 11, the derivation unit 21 calculates the distance between the stop position P3 and the position P9 when it reaches the obstacle, and calculates the time (travel time) required for the overhead transport vehicle 10 to travel this distance. The derivation unit 21 calculates, for example, the distance from the protruding position 14P to the storage position 14R when the lifting drive unit 14 is stored, and the storage speed of the lifting drive unit 14 of the lateral extension mechanism 11 from the start of the storage operation to the end of the storage operation. The time required (the storage time).

The derivation unit 21 compares the obtained storage time with the travel time, and, when the storage time is short, performs the storage operation of the elevating drive unit 14 at the start of the travel of the overhead transport vehicle 10. Further, when the accommodating time is long, for example, the derivation unit 21 calculates the time (subtraction time) obtained by subtracting the travel time from the accommodating time to derive the elapsed time from the timing T0 when the accommodating operation of the lateral extension mechanism 11 is started. Decrement time timing T1. The controller 20 starts the storage operation in a state where the overhead transport vehicle 10 is stopped at the stop position P3, and instructs the start of the migration at the time sequence T1 when the aforementioned subtraction time elapses from the time sequence T0 when the storage operation starts.

As shown in FIG. 11, when the overhead transport vehicle 10 stops at the stop position P3, the storage operation of the lifting drive unit 14 by the lateral extension mechanism 11 is started, and at the timing T1, the storage unit 5 continues to perform the storage operation while the moving unit 5 The migration begins. Further, as shown in FIG. 11, the storage operation of the elevating driving unit 14 using the lateral extension mechanism 11 is performed at the shift position P8 which is an intermediate position between the stop position P3 and the position P9. In addition, when the overhead transport vehicle 10 reaches the obstacle position P9, the storage operation of the lifting drive unit 14 is completed. Therefore, even when there is an obstacle in the movement direction, the movement of the overhead transport vehicle 10 and the storage operation of the elevating drive unit 14 can be partially overlapped. According to this example, while avoiding interference between the elevating drive unit 14 and an obstacle, the moving start time of the overhead transport vehicle 10 can be made earlier, and the time required for transferring the article 2 can be shortened.

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing another operation of the overhead transport vehicle system 100. Further, the buffer section (storage device) 32 shown in FIG. 12 can be arranged between the hanging accessories 34 on the + X side and the -X side along the moving direction of the overhead transport vehicle 10 to place a plurality of articles 2 . As shown in FIG. 12, the overhead transport vehicle 10 stops at the stop position P10 and transfers the article 2 to the front side (-X side) of the traveling direction of the overhead transport vehicle 10 of the buffer portion 32. At this time, the controller 20 determines whether the article 2 is placed on the front side (+ X side) of the overhead transport vehicle 10 in the movement direction of the buffer portion 32, and when the article 2 is placed, the article 2 is regarded as an obstacle. As in FIG. 10, there is an obstacle (item 2) in the moving direction of the overhead transport vehicle 10, and the movement of the overhead transport vehicle 10 is started after the storage operation is completed.

When the controller 20 determines that the article 2 is not placed on the downstream side (+ X side) of the buffer section 32, the lead-out section 21 calculates the position of the stop position P10 and the position P11 of the suspension attachment 34 as an obstacle. The distance is calculated as the time required for the overhead transport vehicle 10 to travel the distance (travel time). The derivation unit 21 calculates the time (storage time) required from the start of the storage operation of the lifting drive unit 14 to the end of the storage operation in the same manner as in Fig. 11.

The derivation unit 21 obtains the time (subtraction time) obtained by subtracting the travel time from the storage time, and derives the time sequence T2 of the subtraction time from the time sequence T0 when the storage operation of the lateral extension mechanism 11 is started. The controller 20 starts the accommodating operation in a state where the overhead transport vehicle 10 is stopped at the stop position P10, and instructs the start of the transition at the time sequence T2 when the aforementioned subtraction time elapses from the time sequence T0 when the accommodating operation starts.

As shown in FIG. 12, when the overhead transport vehicle 10 stops at the stop position P3, the storage operation of the lifting drive unit 14 by the lateral extension mechanism 11 is started, and at the timing T2, the storage unit 5 continues to perform the storage operation while the moving unit 5 The migration begins. Further, as shown in FIG. 12, in the intermediate position between the stop position P10 and the position P11, the storage operation of the lifting driving section 14 of the lateral extension mechanism 11 is performed. In addition, when the overhead transport vehicle 10 reaches the position P11 of the hanging attachment 34, the storage operation of the lifting drive unit 14 is completed. Therefore, even after the article 2 transfers the buffer portion 32, the movement of the overhead transport vehicle 10 and the storage operation of the elevating driving portion 14 can be partially overlapped. According to this example, while avoiding interference between the lifting drive unit 14 and the hanging attachment 34, the moving start time of the overhead transport vehicle 10 can be made earlier, and the time required for transferring the articles 2 can be shortened. In addition, although FIG. 12 shows the form in which two articles 2 are placed on the buffer section 32, the form in which three or more articles 2 are placed as the buffer section 32 is the same as described above.

FIG. 13 is a diagram showing another example of the overhead transport vehicle system 200. Note that in FIG. 13, the same components as those in the above embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof are omitted or simplified. As shown in FIG. 13, in the overhead transport vehicle system 200, the tracks 6 and 6A are arranged in two upper and lower stages, and are arranged side by side (side by side in the Y direction) in two rows. The overhead transport vehicle 10 can move along each track 6, 6A.

The tracks 6 and 6A in the upper two columns are respectively installed on the ceiling 18. The lower rail 6A is mounted on a frame 132 suspended from the ceiling 18 by a suspension fitting 134. The frame 132 is a structure arranged below the rail 6. In addition, the buffer portion 32 is a frame 33 as a structure, which is suspended from the frame 132 via a suspension fitting 34. The frame 33 is suspended from the ceiling by the hanging fitting 134, the frame 132, and the hanging fitting 34.

The overhead transport vehicle system 200 includes a controller 120 that integrally controls each unit. The controller 120 may be installed on the ground or mounted on each of the overhead transport vehicles 10. The controller 120 determines whether the protruding or accommodating operation of the lifting drive unit 14 is performed during the movement of the overhead transport vehicle 10 in the same manner as the controller 20 described above. In addition, the controller 120 acquires information about obstacles in the same way as the controller 20 described above, but in the overhead transport vehicle system 200, the overhead transport vehicle 10 traveling on the upper track 6 serves as an obstacle. And there are hanging accessories 134. In addition, the overhead transport vehicle 10 traveling on the lower (left-side) track 6A in the lower stage is the same as the overhead transport vehicle system 100, and the suspension fitting 34 serving as the obstacle buffer portion 32 becomes an obstacle.

The controller 120 can determine whether the hanging accessory 34, the items on the buffer portion 32, and the hanging accessory 134 will become obstacles. Therefore, regarding the overhead transport vehicle 10 traveling on the track 6 in the upper 2 rows, the controller 120 is configured to prevent the lifting drive unit 14 from protruding or moving during the movement of the overhead transport vehicle 10 at the position where the hanging accessories 134 are provided. The manner in which the storage operations overlap is controlled.

Moreover, regarding the overhead transport vehicle 10 traveling on the lower (+ Y side) track 6A, since there are no obstacles such as the hanging accessories 34 and 134, the controller 120 can use the overhead transport vehicle 10 during its movement. The projecting or accommodating operation of the elevating driving section 14 overlaps. Further, regarding the overhead transport vehicle 10 traveling on the lower section (left side (-Y side)) of the track 6A, the controller 120 is configured not to drive the elevator 10 during the movement of the overhead transport vehicle 10 at the position where the hanging accessories 34 are provided. The protruding or accommodating action of the section 14 is controlled in such a manner that it overlaps. Further, in the configuration shown in FIG. 13, the overhead transport vehicle 10 traveling on the upper track 6 does not need to perform the aforementioned overlapping control because the hanging accessories 134 become obstacles. In addition, regarding the overhead transport vehicle 10A traveling on the lower rail 6A (+ Y rail 6A), since there are no obstacles such as hanging accessories 34 and 134 on the side (+ Y side) where the loading port 31 is provided, Therefore, it is also possible to determine whether there is an obstacle (for example, step S04 in FIG. 3 or step S22 in FIG. 8) without the controller 20 judging or accommodating the lifting or driving portion 14 toward the side provided with the loading port 31. Instead, the aforementioned overlapping control is always performed.

In this way, according to the control method of the overhead transport vehicle system 100 or 200 or the overhead transport vehicle 10 of this embodiment, the movement of the elevating driving unit 14 by the lateral extension mechanism 11 and the movement of the traveling unit 5 can be overlapped. According to this example, it can be shortened compared to the case where the elevating drive unit 14 is extended laterally after the overhead transport vehicle 10 is stopped, or the movement of the moving unit 5 is started after the elevating drive unit 14 is housed in the main body unit 3. The time required for item 2 to be transferred.

Although the embodiments have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the foregoing description, and various changes can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention. For example, in the aforementioned embodiment, the configuration of the overhead transport vehicle 10 is an example, and any configuration capable of moving and transporting the articles 2 near the ceiling 18 and extending the raising and lowering driving section 14 of the raising and lowering articles 2 laterally can be applied. In addition, to the extent permitted by law, the contents of all documents cited in Japanese Patent Application No. 2016-217839, which is a Japanese patent application, and this specification are used as part of the description in this specification.

Claims (11)

    An overhead transport vehicle is provided with: a moving part which moves on a track laid on a ceiling or near the ceiling; a main body part which is provided below the moving part; an article holding part which suspends an article The state is maintained; a lifting drive unit that lifts the article holding unit; a lateral extension mechanism that allows the lifting drive unit to be stored in the main body portion in a storage position and a projecting direction from the main body portion to the side of the rail. Moving between protruding positions; and a controller that causes the lifting drive portion to protrude in the lateral direction before the moving portion of the moving portion is stopped relative to a transfer position of an article disposed laterally from below the rail. The movement of the mechanism toward the protruding position is started, or the movement of the moving part stopped corresponding to the transfer position is started before the elevating driving part returns to the storage position by the lateral extension mechanism.         For example, the overhead transport vehicle of claim 1, wherein the controller instructs in the movement of the moving unit in such a manner that the lifting driving unit is arranged in the protruding position at a point in time when the moving unit stops corresponding to the transferring position. The driving of the above-mentioned lateral extension mechanism is started.         For example, in the overhead transport vehicle of claim 1, wherein the controller instructs the lateral extension mechanism to make the lifting driving unit of the protruding position toward the above at the time point when the moving portion starts moving from a position corresponding to the transfer position. The drive of the storage position starts.         For example, the overhead transport vehicle of claim 1, wherein the controller has at least one of the lifting drive unit, the article holding unit, and the article held by the article holding unit in a state of being prominent in the movement of the movement unit. In the case of an obstacle that a person may be in contact with, the driving of the lateral extension mechanism is not performed during the movement of the moving part.         For example, the overhead transport vehicle of claim 1, wherein the controller has at least one of the lifting drive unit, the article holding unit, and the article held by the article holding unit in a state of being prominent in the movement of the movement unit. In the case of an obstacle that a person may be in contact with, the drive of the lateral extension mechanism is instructed within a predetermined range that will not contact the obstacle.         For the overhead transport vehicle of claim 5, wherein the controller instructs the driving of the lateral extension mechanism to start from a position where the moving portion exceeds the obstacle.         For example, the overhead transport vehicle of claim 1, wherein the controller has at least one of the lifting drive unit, the article holding unit, and the article held by the article holding unit in a state of being prominent in the movement of the movement unit. In the case of an obstacle that a person may come in contact with, find the time from when the moving part stopped at the position corresponding to the transfer position to the obstacle minus the lifting drive part located in the protruding position and moving to the storage The subtraction time obtained by the time of the position is such that the driving of the laterally extending mechanism to move the lifting driving portion of the protruding position toward the storage position starts when the moving portion is stopped, and the driving from the laterally extending mechanism starts. The timing of the elapse of the above-mentioned subtraction time indicates that the migration of the above-mentioned migration section is started.         The overhead transport vehicle according to any one of claims 4 to 7, wherein the obstacle is a hanging accessory for hanging a structure arranged below the above track from an overhead.         For example, the overhead transport vehicle of claim 8, wherein the structure is a storage device capable of placing articles, and the obstacle is an article placed on the storage device.         The overhead transport vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the controller has a storage portion stored in a position where the movement of the lateral extension mechanism is started during the movement of the movement portion, or in Information related to the timing of starting the movement of the moving part in the accommodating operation of the lateral extension mechanism.         A control method for an overhead transport vehicle, the overhead transport vehicle is provided with: a moving part that moves on a track laid on a ceiling or near the ceiling; a body part that is provided below the moving part; an article holding part, It holds articles in a suspended state; a lifting drive unit that lifts the article holding unit; and a lateral extension mechanism that allows the lifting drive unit to be stored in a storage position in the main body unit and toward the main body unit. The track is moved between protruding positions protruding in the lateral direction of the track; such a control method for an overhead transport vehicle includes a transfer position of the moving part with respect to an article disposed laterally offset from below the track. Before the stop, the movement of the lifting drive unit toward the protruding position by the lateral extension mechanism is started, or before the lifting drive unit returns to the storage position by the lateral extension mechanism, corresponding to the transfer position. The migration of the stopped migration section is started.