Murata Kikai Kabushiki Kaisha

Murata Machinery, Ltd.

Shinmaywa Industries, Ltd.

Masazumi Fukushima

Yasuhisa Ito

Tatsuji Ota

Makoto Yamamoto

Tamotsu Shiwaku

Masahiro Ikeda

Keiji Katou

Hiroshi Fukazawa

Masatomi Kawaguchi

A temporary storage system has a large capacity and loads and unloads articles promptly. The temporary storage system includes a grid-shaped travelling rail and buffers over processing equipment except for an area over a load port, and local vehicles travel along the rail. The carriage of the local vehicles is provided with at least a longitudinal travelling unit, at least a lateral travelling unit, and at least an advancement and retraction mechanism selectively advancing one of the longitudinal travelling unit and the lateral travelling unit to a position supported by the travelling rail, and travels along the travelling rail longitudinally and laterally, and the transfer unit of the local vehicles is provided with a hoist and an arm moving the hoist horizontally. The local vehicles stop at a position corresponding to the load port, advances the arm towards the load port, and transfers an article between the load port.

Temporary storage system, conveyance system using same, and temporary storage method

In a transport system, a local track is disposed so as to be below an overhead travelling vehicle track in parallel or substantially in parallel therewith, and furthermore above a loading port of a processing device from upstream of the loading port to downstream of the loading port. A local vehicle including a hoist travels along the local track. Below the local track, a first buffer is disposed upstream of the loading port of the processing device, and a second buffer is disposed downstream of the loading port of the processing device, and the overhead travelling vehicle and the local vehicle can both perform delivery and receipt of the article with the first buffer and the second buffer.

Transport system and transport method

In a transport system, overhead travelling vehicles each including a hoist travel along an overhead travelling vehicle travelling route. A local vehicle travelling route is disposed under the overhead travelling vehicle travelling route and over load ports at a position higher than the load ports. Local vehicles each including hoist travel along the local vehicle travelling route. Buffers are disposed along the local vehicle travelling route. The local vehicle travelling route includes a plurality of local vehicle travelling routes that are provided in parallel, and the local vehicles are configured to diverge and merge from one local vehicle travelling route to another local vehicle travelling route. The local vehicles transport articles between a load port and a buffer under control of a controller. The overhead travelling vehicles, under control of the controller, transfer articles to and from a load port or a buffer and transport articles between a load port or a buffer and a section other than the local vehicle travelling routes.

A storage unit includes carousels each including a plurality of levels and including a plurality of spaces for storing containers on each level, the carousels rotating around a vertical shaft; a loading port for loading and unloading the containers; transport units for transporting the containers between the loading port and the storage spaces; and pipes for feeding clean gas such that feeding is turned on and off for each storage space, the pipes being configured to be connected to an intake port provided for each container.

Storage device and storage method

A system for transporting an article between a plurality of processing devices includes a track extending above load ports of the processing devices, and an overhead travelling vehicle that travels along the track and has a hoist. A local track disposed lower than the track extends at least to a position under the track, and is oriented perpendicular to the track when viewed from above. A local carriage travels along the local track and has a hoist for vertically moving the article. A buffer disposed below the local track delivers and receives the article to and from the local carriage, and extends at least to a position under the track.

Conveying system and conveying method

The present invention provides a conveying system that performs efficient conveyance by using trays each accommodating one workpiece, as a basic conveyor, and fully utilizing this advantage of the trays to allow its conveyance form to be changed as required. The conveying system includes a single-pod conveyorfor conveying podsone by one, a pod stackerfor stacking a plurality of pods, a stacked pod conveyorfor conveying the stacked pods, and a pod destackerfor destacking the stacked pods.

Conveying system

With a rail which is used by both a linear conveyor vehicle and a track guided vehicle, the traveling loops the short-cuts and the access routes are provided. The traveling loops are arranged in a rail for a track guided vehicle, and are connected to the traveling loops at the diverging/converging point A linear conveyor vehicle system and a track guided vehicle system are integrated to convey articles efficiently.

Carrying system

A mast,of an automatic warehouse,is extended to a position under a floor,in a clean room in such a manner as to penetrate the floor,and a turn table,is installed under the floor. In addition, two types of stations, that is, a floor station,and an underfloor station,are provided, and shelves,are provided only in a floor space. The floor station,is connected to an unmanned carrier,while the underfloor station,is connected to a tracked cart,This automatic warehouse is easy to install and allows an underfloor space to be used to transfer articles.

Automatic warehouse and transfer system using the same

To supply clean air throughout entire racks even if the height of the racks in an automatic warehouse is increased. A blower motor,is provided at the bottom of racks,and,to suck air in a loading space,and supply it to a clean air path,In addition, air flows from a ceiling clean fan unit,to the racks,and,via an air intake port,and the air flowing from the racks,and,to the loading space,is sucked by means of a blower motor

Automatic warehouse for supplying air to a clean air space

To provide an automatic warehouse that can elevate and lower an elevating rail stably even if racks are high, and that allows effective use of the space between the racks for maintenance. Elevation drive sections for an elevating rail,are provided near the respective ends of one of racks,and,a rope,attached to a rail-supporting member,is wound around a drum,and a counterweight,is used to balance the effect of gravity in order to elevate and lower a rail,A travelling cart,travels on the rail,and the rotation of a turntable,and the rotation of arms,and,and a hand,are used to load and unload an article on and from the rack,or

Automatic warehouse

A traveling rail 8 is provided in a clean room at slightly above head height, and arms 44, 46 placed atop one another and a fork 56 are used to allow a tracking cart to travel along the rail to load a workpiece 20. A fork elevating section 54 is provided at the tip of the lower arm 46 to elevate and lower the fork 56. A loop can be constructed without obstructing personnel in the area and faster loading times can be obtained.

Tracking cart system

To allow an elevating body (17) in a clean robot (RB) installed in a clean room (R) to be located outside frames (4) without protruding from a swivel base (2) in order to enable the elevating body to be assembled and maintained easily and to ensure a wide elevating stroke. Two hollow frames (4, 4) extend vertically from the right and left sides of the rear of a swivel base (2) so as to be approximately symmetrical, a cover (9) is mounted between the frames (4, 4) and an elevating body (17) having a robot body (20) at its tip is accommodated in an elevating space (13) in the cover (9) and supported by rails (15) in the frames (4) so as to travel upward and downward. A blower (39) for air suction is located on the swivel base (2) and in front of each frame (4) to suck and exhaust the air in the elevating space (13) in the cover 9 via a suction port (36) allowing the elevating space (13) and the space in each frame (4) to communicate mutually and an exhaust port (40) to be opened in the front surface of the lower end of each frame (4).

Growing community of inventors

Inuyama, Japan

Masazumi Fukushima