TRANSPORT SYSTEM AND TRANSPORT METHOD

• US 20200130931A1
• Filed: 05/28/2018
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Murata Machinery Limited (Muratec)
• Original Assignee: Murata Machinery Limited (Muratec)
• Inventors: MOTOORI, Yoichi
• Granted Patent: US 11,072,493 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/04 mechanical
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/0407 using stacker cranes constructional features of stacker cranes B66F9/06
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/0457 with suspended load carriers
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/06 with means for presenting articles for removal at predetermined position or level B65G1/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67727 using a general scheme of a conveying path within a factory
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67733 Overhead conveying
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67736 Loading to or unloading from a conveyor

Abstract

A transport system includes a stocker including a crane overhead track and a suspension crane that transports an article between storages and a delivery port, an overhead-transport-vehicle overhead track outside of a stocker area and alongside the delivery port and a load port of a processing tool and extending to a stocker area, an overhead transport vehicle to transport the article between the delivery port and the load port, and a joint track. A crane runner can enter the overhead-transport-vehicle overhead track from the crane overhead track via the joint track to the stocker area.

Claims

1-10. -10. (canceled)

11. :

A transport system comprising;

a stocker including a plurality of storages each arranged in a vertical direction to store therein an article, a delivery port to which the article is passed or from which the article is received, a crane overhead track disposed alongside the storages and the delivery port, and a suspension crane including a crane runner that runs along the crane overhead track, a mast hanging down from the crane runner, and an article transferor movable upward or downward by being guided by the mast, the suspension crane being capable of transporting the article between the storages and the delivery port, the stocker being disposed in a stocker area;

an overhead-transport-vehicle overhead track disposed outside of the stocker area and extending along the delivery port and a load port of a processing tool to a predetermined area;

an overhead transport vehicle including a transport vehicle runner that runs along the overhead-transport-vehicle overhead track and an article holder that holds the article and moves upward or downward to transport the article between the delivery port and the load port; and

a joint track that connects the crane overhead track with the overhead-transport-vehicle overhead track;

wherein

the crane runner is able to enter the overhead-transport-vehicle overhead track from the crane overhead track via the joint track and run on the overhead-transport-vehicle overhead track to the predetermined area, or able to enter the overhead-transport-vehicle overhead track from the predetermined area and run to the joint track and enter and run on the crane overhead track via the joint track.

12. :

The transport system according to claim 11, wherein shapes of cross-sections across the crane overhead track, the overhead-transport-vehicle overhead track, and the joint track and perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to directions in which the crane runner runs, respectively, are identical or substantially identical to each other.

13. :

The transport system according to claim 11, wherein the crane runner and the transport vehicle runner include an identical wheel and an identical runner main body to which the wheel is mounted.

14. :

The transport system according to claim 11, wherein, when the overhead transport vehicle starts running by driving the transport vehicle runner after a period of stopping, the overhead transport vehicle raises the article holder to an uppermost position and starts running.

15. :

The transport system according to claim 14, wherein

the crane overhead track is disposed above a worker prohibited area through which the mast of the suspension crane passes and into which workers are prohibited from entering;

the overhead-transport-vehicle overhead track is disposed above a worker passage in which workers are permitted to walk; and

when the suspension crane enters the overhead-transport-vehicle overhead track, workers are prohibited from entering the worker passage through which the mast passes.

16. :

The transport system according to claim 11, wherein the predetermined area is another stocker area in which another stocker different from the stocker is disposed.

17. :

The transport system according to claim 16, wherein

the overhead-transport-vehicle overhead track includes a first intrabay circling track, a second intrabay circling track, a first interbay track connected to first ends of the first intrabay circling track and the second intrabay circling track, and a second interbay track connected to second ends of the first intrabay circling track and the second intrabay circling track; and

the crane overhead track of the stocker is connected to the first interbay track via a first one of the joint track and the crane overhead track of the other stocker is connected to the second interbay track via a second one of the joint track.

18. :

The transport system according to claim 11, wherein the predetermined area is a maintenance area.

19. :

The transport system according to claim 11, wherein the predetermined area includes an initial entrance for the suspension crane.

20. :

A transport method for a transport system comprising;

providing the transport system with a stocker including a plurality of storages arranged in a vertical direction to store therein an article, a delivery port to which the article is passed or from which the article is received, a crane overhead track disposed along the storages and the delivery port, and a suspension crane including a crane runner that runs along the crane overhead track, a mast hanging down from the crane runner, and an article transferor that moves upward or downward by being guided by the mast, the suspension crane being capable of transporting the article between the storages and the delivery port, the stocker being disposed in a stocker area, an overhead-transport-vehicle overhead track disposed outside of the stocker area and extending along the delivery port and a load port of a processing tool to a predetermined area, an overhead transport vehicle including a transport vehicle runner that runs along the overhead-transport-vehicle overhead track and an article holder that holds the article and moves upward or downward to transport the article between the delivery port and the load port, and a joint track connecting the crane overhead track with the overhead-transport-vehicle overhead track; and

causing the crane runner to enter the overhead-transport-vehicle overhead track from the crane overhead track via the joint track and run on the overhead-transport-vehicle overhead track to the predetermined area, or causing the crane runner to enter the overhead-transport-vehicle overhead track from the predetermined area and run to the joint track, and enter and run on the crane overhead track via the joint track.