Article transfer apparatus and article transfer method
AssigneeSemes Co., Ltd.
InventorNo Jae Park
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Provided is an article transfer apparatus and article transfer method capable of autonomously loading or unloading an article by accurately checking a correct position in an article storage without a teaching process, the article transfer apparatus including a carriage body travelling along travel rails to transfer an article, and a position detection device mounted in the carriage body to detect position information related to a correct position from a detection target mounted in an article storage capable of storing the article in order to place the article at the correct position in the article storage where the article is to be stored.
Claims18
An article transfer apparatus comprising:
- a carriage body travelling along travel rails to transfer an article;
- a position detection device mounted in the carriage body and detecting position information related to a correct position from a detection target mounted in an inner space of an article storage configured to store the article in order to place the article at the correct position in the article storage where the article is to be stored;
- and
- a controller for determining a distance by using a focal length of an image captured by the position detection device.
An article transfer method comprising:
- (a) travelling, by a carriage body, along travel rails to transfer an article;
- (b) detecting, by a position detection device mounted in the carriage body, position information related to a correct position in an article storage where the article is to be stored, from a detection target mounted in an inner space of the article storage configured to store the article;
- and
- (c) moving, by the carriage body, the article to the correct position in the article storage to place the article in the article storage, wherein, in step (b), a controller determines a distance by using a focal length of an image captured by the position detection device.
An article transfer apparatus comprising:
- a carriage body travelling along travel rails to transfer an article;
- a position detection device mounted in the carriage body and detecting position information related to a correct position from a detection target mounted in an inner space of an article storage configured to store the article in order to place the article at the correct position in the article storage where the article is to be stored;
- and
- a controller for recognizing a reference position based on an image captured by or information recognized by the position detection device, and recognizing a position spaced apart from the reference position by a first distance in a first direction and by a second distance in a second direction or by a third distance in a third direction, as the correct position in the article storage serving as a center of alignment of the article,
- wherein the position detection device comprises a camera configured to capture an image of the detection target,
- wherein the position detection device comprises a variable camera mounted in a portion of the carriage body and having a beam angle variable between a horizontal direction and a vertically downward direction to capture an image of the detection target which stands vertically in a STB and an image of the detection target which lies horizontally on a UTB or an apparatus stage or port,
- wherein the carriage body comprises:
- a vehicle travelling along the travel rails;
- and
- a hoist device mounted under the vehicle to support the article, and
- wherein the hoist device comprises:
- a hoist housing for providing an accommodation space for the article and having the position detection device mounted therein;
- a hand unit for gripping or ungripping the article;
- and
- a hand moving unit for moving the hand unit from the accommodation space to the correct position in the article storage.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.