Article transport apparatus and article transport method

Abstract

An article transport apparatus is provided with a path that is arranged along a plurality of article transferring locations and that has a first end and a second end, a plurality of article transporting vehicles that run along the path, and a controller that controls movement of the plurality of article transporting vehicles, and that processes transport request data that includes information specifying an article transfer location for transfer among the plurality of article transfer locations. The controller selects an article transporting vehicle for a transport process from the plurality of article transporting vehicles based on the transport request data, and moves the selected article transporting vehicle for a transport process to the article transferring location for transfer. Also, when the transport request data is processed while there is an article transporting vehicle currently performing a transport process, the controller moves the selected article transporting vehicle for a transport process to the article transferring location for transfer as long as a run range of the selected article transporting vehicle for a transport process does not interfere with an interference range, of a set length in the lengthwise direction of the path, that originates from the article transferring location for transfer corresponding to the article transporting vehicle currently performing a transport process.