Article transport facility

An article transport facility comprising:

• a plurality of transport vehicles configured to transport an article;
• a travel route travelable by the transport vehicles;
• and
• a zone control device configured to control the transport vehicles by giving a first passage permission or a second passage permission to the transport vehicles traveling in a specified zone in the travel route, and
• wherein:
• the specified zone comprises:
• a first route and a second route not intersecting each other;
• and
• a connection route connecting a first connecting section in the first route to a second connecting section in the second route,
• the first route and the second route are each a route along which the transport vehicles travel in one direction from an upstream side toward a downstream side,
• the first route comprises a first passing point downstream of the first connecting section,
• the second route comprises a second passing point downstream of the second connecting section,
• the first route further comprises, upstream of the first connecting section, a first stopping point at which the transport vehicles stop in response to not obtaining the first passage permission,
• in response to giving the first passage permission to a transport vehicle among the plurality of transport vehicles, the zone control device gives permission to occupy the first passing point to the transport vehicle that obtained the first passage permission,
• in response to giving the second passage permission to a transport vehicle among the plurality of transport vehicles, the zone control device gives permission to occupy the second passing point to the transport vehicle that obtained the second passage permission,
• in order to travel from the first route or the second route to the connection route, the transport vehicles request both the first passage permission and the second passage permission from the zone control device,
• in response to the zone control device receiving a request for both the first passage permission and the second passage permission from a transport vehicle among the plurality of transport vehicles, in a case where both the first passing point and the second passing point are in a non-occupied state, in which occupation permission has not been given to a preceding transport vehicle, the zone control device gives permission to occupy both the first passing point and the second passing point to the transport vehicle that requested both the first passage permission and the second passage permission,
• each of the transport vehicles comprises a travel distance detector configured to detect a travel distance,
• the travel distance detector has set therein a first set distance and a second set distance as travel distances from the first stopping point, and
• in a case where a specified transport vehicle, which is one of the plurality of transport vehicles, receives both the first passage permission and the second passage permission and is to pass through the second passing point, (i) in response to the travel distance of the specified transport vehicle from the first stopping point reaching the first set distance, the specified transport vehicle issues, to the zone control device, a first occupation revocation request for revoking permission to occupy the first passing point, and (ii) in response to the travel distance of the specified transport vehicle from the first stopping point reaching the second set distance, the specified transport vehicle issues, to the zone control device, a second occupation revocation request for revoking permission to occupy the second passing point.