# US 12,600,565 B2 · Ceiling depository system

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- Number: US 12,600,565 B2
- Document ID: US12600565B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/269,581
- Filed: 2021-12-08
- Published: 2024-02-22
- Granted: 2026-04-14
- Earliest claimed: 2021-01-05
- Assignees: Murata Machinery, Ltd.
- Applicants: Murata Machinery, Ltd.
- Inventors: Yasuhisa Ito; Yu Kusama
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12600565B2

## CPC

- B65G 1/0464: {with access from above}
- H10P 72/3221: {Overhead conveying}
- B65G 1/0492: {with cars adapted to travel in storage aisles}
- H10P 72/3202: {Mechanical details, e.g. rollers or belts}
- H10P 72/3218: {Conveying cassettes, containers or carriers}
- H10P 72/3404: {Storage means}
- 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 ceiling storage system includes an overhead transport vehicle and a storage rack. The overhead transport vehicle has a traveling section traveling on rails arranged in a grid pattern, and a body section suspended from the traveling section and configured to hold an article on an underside of the rails. The storage rack has a plurality of suspension members extending in an up-down direction, and having a middle portion provided with a rail support and a bottom end provided with a unit support, and a shelf unit and a scaffolding unit supported by the unit support of the suspension members. The corner portion of the shelf unit and the corner portion of the scaffolding unit are supported by the unit support.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A ceiling storage system comprising:
an overhead transport vehicle having a traveling section traveling on rails arranged at least partly in a grid pattern, and a body section suspended from the traveling section and holding an article on an underside of the rails; and
a storage rack arranged below the rails and storing the article, wherein
the storage rack has
a plurality of suspension members extending in an up-down direction, and having a middle portion provided with a rail support and a bottom end provided with a unit support, and
a shelf unit and a scaffolding unit supported by the unit support of the suspension members, and
a corner portion of the shelf unit and a corner portion of the scaffolding unit are supported by the unit support;
wherein the scaffolding unit is arranged between a shelf unit and another shelf unit.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The ceiling storage system according to claim 1, wherein the shelf unit and the scaffolding unit are rectangularly shaped in plan view.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The ceiling storage system according to claim 1, wherein the suspension member includes an upper suspension member having a lower end protruding from the rail support and a lower suspension member having an upper end connected to the upper suspension member.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The ceiling storage system according to claim 1, wherein
the rail includes
a plurality of first rails extending along a first direction and a plurality of second rails extending along a second direction intersecting the first direction, and
a plurality of intersection rails arranged with a gap to an end of each first rail and to an end of each second rail, the gap allowing a coupling section coupling the traveling section to the body section to pass through the gap,
each cell is defined by a pair of the corresponding first rails aligned in the second direction and a pair of the corresponding second rails aligned in the first direction to form a matrix in a grid pattern, and
the shelf unit and the scaffolding unit each have a shape and a size corresponding to the cells of integer pieces aligned in plan view.

### Claim 5

A ceiling storage system comprising:
an overhead transport vehicle having a traveling section traveling on rails arranged at least partly in a grid pattern, and a body section suspended from the traveling section and holding an article on an underside of the rails; and
a storage rack arranged below the rails and storing the article, wherein
the storage rack has
a plurality of suspension members extending in an up-down direction, and having a middle portion provided with a rail support and a bottom end provided with a unit support, and
a shelf unit and a scaffolding unit supported by the unit support of the suspension members, and
a corner portion of the shelf unit and a corner portion of the scaffolding unit are supported by the unit support;
wherein the suspension member includes an upper suspension member having a lower end protruding from the rail support and a lower suspension member having an upper end connected to the upper suspension member.

### Claim 6

A ceiling storage system comprising:
an overhead transport vehicle having a traveling section traveling on rails arranged at least partly in a grid pattern, and a body section suspended from the traveling section and holding an article on an underside of the rails; and
a storage rack arranged below the rails and storing the article, wherein
the storage rack has
a plurality of suspension members extending in an up-down direction, and having a middle portion provided with a rail support and a bottom end provided with a unit support, and
a shelf unit and a scaffolding unit supported by the unit support of the suspension members, and
a corner portion of the shelf unit and a corner portion of the scaffolding unit are supported by the unit support;
wherein
the rail includes
a plurality of first rails extending along a first direction and a plurality of second rails extending along a second direction intersecting the first direction, and
a plurality of intersection rails arranged with a gap to an end of each first rail and to an end of each second rail, the gap allowing a coupling section coupling the traveling section to the body section to pass through the gap,
each cell is defined by a pair of the corresponding first rails aligned in the second direction and a pair of the corresponding second rails aligned in the first direction to form a matrix in a grid pattern, and
the shelf unit and the scaffolding unit each have a shape and a size corresponding to the cells of integer pieces aligned in plan view.