Carrier vehicle system

{
  "publication_number": "US12148643B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "Carrier vehicle system",
  "abstract": "A transport vehicle system includes a transport vehicle having a first travel unit configured to travel on a track and a transfer unit configured to move in a horizontal direction with respect to the first travel unit to transfer an article and a buffer vehicle having a second travel unit configure to travel on the track on which the transport vehicle travels and an article placement unit provided to be movable integrally with the second travel unit and to be able to deliver the article with the transfer unit of the transport vehicle.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A transport vehicle system comprising: a transport vehicle including a first travel unit configured to travel on a track, and a transfer unit configured to move in a horizontal direction with respect to the first travel unit to transfer an article with respect to a placement part; and a buffer vehicle including a second travel unit configured to travel on the track on which the transport vehicle travels, and an article placement unit provided to be integrally movable with respect to the second travel unit and capable of delivering the article by the transfer unit of the transport vehicle.",
    "2. The transport vehicle system according to claim 1, wherein the article is a plurality of the articles, and the article placement unit is provided to be capable of placing the plurality of articles.",
    "3. The transport vehicle system according to claim 1, further comprising: a first rotation unit configured to rotate the article placement unit in a horizontal direction.",
    "4. The transport vehicle system according to claim 3, further comprising: a guide having a jump-out preventing function configured to prevent the article from jumping out from the article placement unit, wherein the first rotation unit rotates the article placement unit between a first state in which the guide is not arranged between the article placement unit and the outside and the jump-out preventing function is disabled, and a second state in which the guide is arranged between the article placement unit and the outside and the jump-out preventing function is enabled.",
    "5. The transport vehicle system according to claim 4, further comprising: a controller configured or programmed to control the buffer vehicle, wherein the controller prohibits the second travel unit from traveling when the article placement unit is in the first state and permits the second travel unit to travel when the article placement unit is in the second state.",
    "6. The transport vehicle system according to claim 1, wherein the transfer unit has an article holding unit configured to hold the article, an elevating drive unit configured to change an elevation of the article holding unit, a sliding mechanism configured to slide the elevating drive unit in a horizontal direction, a second rotation unit configured to rotate the sliding mechanism in a horizontal direction, and a third rotation unit configured to rotate one of the article holding unit and the elevating drive unit in a horizontal direction.",
    "7. The transport vehicle system according to claim 2, further comprising: a first rotation unit configured to rotate the article placement unit in a horizontal direction.",
    "8. The transport vehicle system according to claim 2, wherein the transfer unit has an article holding unit configured to hold the article, an elevating drive unit configured to change an elevation of the article holding unit, a sliding mechanism configured to slide the elevating drive unit in a horizontal direction, a second rotation unit configured to rotate the sliding mechanism in a horizontal direction, and a third rotation unit configured to rotate one of the article holding unit and the elevating drive unit in a horizontal direction.",
    "9. The transport vehicle system according to claim 3, wherein the transfer unit has an article holding unit configured to hold the article, an elevating drive unit configured to change an elevation of the article holding unit, a sliding mechanism configured to slide the elevating drive unit in a horizontal direction, a second rotation unit configured to rotate the sliding mechanism in a horizontal direction, and a third rotation unit configured to rotate one of the article holding unit and the elevating drive unit in a horizontal direction.",
    "10. The transport vehicle system according to claim 4, wherein the transfer unit has an article holding unit configured to hold the article, an elevating drive unit configured to change an elevation of the article holding unit, a sliding mechanism configured to slide the elevating drive unit in a horizontal direction, a second rotation unit configured to rotate the sliding mechanism in a horizontal direction, and a third rotation unit configured to rotate one of the article holding unit and the elevating drive unit in a horizontal direction.",
    "11. The transport vehicle system according to claim 5, wherein the transfer unit has an article holding unit configured to hold the article, an elevating drive unit configured to change an elevation of the article holding unit, a sliding mechanism configured to slide the elevating drive unit in a horizontal direction, a second rotation unit configured to rotate the sliding mechanism in a horizontal direction, and a third rotation unit configured to rotate one of the article holding unit and the elevating drive unit in a horizontal direction.",
    "12. The transport vehicle system according to claim 7, wherein the transfer unit has an article holding unit configured to hold the article, an elevating drive unit configured to change an elevation of the article holding unit, a sliding mechanism configured to slide the elevating drive unit in a horizontal direction, a second rotation unit configured to rotate the sliding mechanism in a horizontal direction, and a third rotation unit configured to rotate one of the article holding unit and the elevating drive unit in a horizontal direction."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "This disclosure relates to a transport vehicle system.\n\nA transport vehicle system including a plurality of transport vehicles and controller to control the plurality of transport vehicles is known. As this type of system, for example, International Publication WO 2019/101725 discloses a system in which a vehicle transports an article (container) on a grid-patterned travel path. In recent years, for such a transport vehicle system, improvement of transport efficiency of article is desired according to an increase in amount of throughput of articles. Therefore, it could be helpful to provide a transport vehicle system capable of improving transport efficiency of article.\n\nWe thus provide a transport vehicle system including a transport vehicle and a buffer vehicle. The transport vehicle includes a first travel unit configured to travel on a track and a transfer unit configured to move in a horizontal direction with respect to the first travel unit to transfer an article with respect to a placement part. The buffer vehicle includes a second travel unit configured to travel on the track on which the transport vehicle travels, and an article placement unit provided to be integrally movable with respect to the second travel unit and to be capable of delivering the article by the transfer unit of the transport vehicle.",
  "cpc": [
    "H10P 72/3214",
    "B65G 1/0464",
    "B66C 19/00",
    "H01L 21/67715",
    "H01L 21/67724",
    "H01L 21/6773",
    "H01L 21/67733",
    "H10P 72/3208",
    "H10P 72/3218",
    "H10P 72/3221",
    "H10P 72/3222",
    "H10P 72/3404"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "B65G 1/04",
    "B66C 19/00",
    "H01L 21/677"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "MURATA MACHINERY LTD"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "ITO YASUHISA"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2021-03-08",
  "publication_date": "2024-11-19",
  "grant_date": "2024-11-19",
  "priority_date": "2020-04-30",
  "application_number": "US-202117920958-A",
  "family_id": "78373607",
  "citations": [
    "US2012114453A1",
    "US2017200626A1",
    "US2019189488A1",
    "WO2013183384A1",
    "WO2015174181A1",
    "WO2016039023A1",
    "WO2019086237A1",
    "WO2019101725A1",
    "WO2019206672A2"
  ]
}