# US 11,027,918 B2 · Transfer device and stacker crane

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- Number: US 11,027,918 B2
- Document ID: US11027918B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/748,988
- Filed: 2020-01-22
- Published: 2020-08-27
- Granted: 2021-06-08
- Earliest claimed: 2019-02-22
- Assignees: Murata Machinery, Ltd.
- Applicants: Murata Machinery, Ltd.
- Inventors: Jun Sai; Kazuhiro Ishikawa
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11027918B2

## CPC

- B65G 1/0435: {with pulling or pushing means on either stacking crane or stacking area}
- H10P 72/3402: {Mechanical parts of transfer devices}
- H10P 72/3404: {Storage means}
- H10P 72/7602: {the wafers being placed on a robot blade or gripped by a gripper for conveyance}
- B65G 2207/08: Adjustable and/or adaptable to the article size
- B65G: TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS (packaging B65B; handling thin or filamentary materials, e.g. paper sheets or thread, B65H; cranes B66C; portable mobile or lifting or hauling appliances, e.g. hoists, B66D; devices for lifting or lowering goods for loading or unloading purposes, e.g. fork-lift trucks, B66F9/00; emptying bottles, jars, casks, barrels or similar containers, not otherwise provided for, B67C9/00; delivering or transferring liquids B67D; filling or discharging vessels for liquefied, solidified or compressed gases F17C; pipe-line systems for fluids F17D)
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10

## Abstract

A transfer device and a stacker crane can stabilize the posture of a conveyed object on a placement portion in a horizontal direction even when the conveyed object is conveyed at high speed. The transfer device transfers the storage container by advancing and retreating the hand on which the storage container is placed. The transfer device is provided with a gripper that grips the storage container placed on a hand in the X direction that is the horizontal direction.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A transfer device for transferring a conveyed object by advancing and retreating a placement portion on which the conveyed object is placed, the transfer device comprising
a gripper that grips the conveyed object placed on the placement portion in a horizontal direction, and is configured to be able to open and close between an open state in which the conveyed object is not gripped and a closed state in which the conveyed object is gripped, and
an interlocking mechanism that interlocks advancing and retreating of the placement portion with opening and closing of the gripper,
wherein the interlocking mechanism includes a cam configured to rotate in accordance with advancing and retreating of the placement portion, a follower in contact with the cam and follows along a horizontal direction, and a coupling unit that couples the follower to the gripper.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The transfer device according to claim 1, wherein the cam has a cam shape in which the gripper has a selected opening width when the placement portion has advanced a selected distance or more.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The transfer device according to claim 1,
wherein the conveyed object includes a narrow portion having a width narrower than a maximum width in a horizontal direction as a gripping direction of the gripper, and
the gripper grips the narrow portion of the conveyed object.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The transfer device according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of positioning pins erected on the placement portion and support the conveyed object.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

A stacker crane comprising:
a transfer device according to claim 1;
a turning unit that turns the transfer device; and
an elevating unit that elevates and lowers the transfer device.

### Claim 6 (depends on 2)

A stacker crane comprising:
a transfer device according to claim 2;
a turning unit that turns the transfer device; and
an elevating unit that elevates and lowers the transfer device.

### Claim 7 (depends on 3)

A stacker crane comprising:
a transfer device according to claim 3;
a turning unit that turns the transfer device; and
an elevating unit that elevates and lowers the transfer device.

### Claim 8 (depends on 4)

A stacker crane comprising:
a transfer device according to claim 4;
a turning unit that turns the transfer device; and
an elevating unit that elevates and lowers the transfer device.