US 2006/0032685 A1 · Transport apparatus

Abstract

A transport apparatus that includes, a travel route having a plurality of retrieval locations that are continuous with the travel route; a plurality of article transporting vehicles that move along the travel route; control means for managing the plurality of article transporting vehicles; and connecting means, for each retrieval location, that can connect one of the article transporting vehicles to a fixed portion provided near the retrieval location, and that is provided with connection detection means that detects whether or not one of the article transporting vehicles and the fixed portion are connected. Each article transporting vehicle is provided with connected members that are capable of connecting to the connecting means; vehicle-side communication means capable of communicating with control-side communication means provided in the control means; a detachable member that can be freely attached to and detached from each of the article transporting vehicles; and a coupled portion that can be coupled with the detachable member of another article handling vehicle, and that is provided with coupling detection means that detects whether or not the detachable member of another article transporting vehicle has been coupled thereto. The control means manages the plurality of article transporting vehicles through communication between the control-side communication means and the vehicle-side communication means. The control means, based on information detected by the connection detection means and information detected by the coupling detection means, determines that all of the plurality of the article transporting vehicles are capable of moving along the travel route in the case of a first state, in which the detachable member of one article transporting vehicle is not coupled to the coupled portion of any of the other article transporting vehicles, and the connecting means is not connected to the connected member of any of the article transporting vehicles; and determines that article transporting vehicles other than those vehicles that are positioned in the retrieval locations are capable of moving along the travel route in the case of a second state, in which the connecting means is connected to the connected member of the article transporting vehicle that is positioned in the retrieval location, and the detachable member of the article handling vehicle that is positioned in the retrieval location is coupled to the coupled portion of another article transporting vehicle.

Claims7

Dependent claims

A transport apparatus, comprising:

a travel route having a plurality of retrieval locations that are continuous with the travel route;
a plurality of article transporting vehicles that move along the travel route;
control means for managing the plurality of article transporting vehicles;
and
connecting means, for each retrieval location, for selectively connecting one of the article transporting vehicles to a fixed portion provided near the retrieval location, the connecting means provided with connection detection means for detecting whether or not one of the article transporting vehicles and the fixed portion are connected;
wherein each article transporting vehicle is provided with:
connected members that are capable of connecting to the connecting means;
vehicle-side communication means for communicating with control-side communication means provided in the control means;
a detachable member that can be freely attached to and detached from each of the article transporting vehicles;
and
a coupled portion that can be coupled with the detachable member of another article handling vehicle, and that is provided with coupling detection means for detecting whether or not the detachable member of another article transporting vehicle has been coupled thereto;
wherein the control means manages the plurality of article transporting vehicles through communication between the control-side communication means and the vehicle-side communication means;
wherein the control means, based on information detected by the connection detection means and information detected by the coupling detection means, determines that all of the plurality of the article transporting vehicles are allowed to move along the travel route in the case of a first state, in which the detachable member of one article transporting vehicle is not coupled to the coupled portion of any of the other article transporting vehicles, and the connecting means is not connected to the connected member of any of the article transporting vehicles;
and
determines that article transporting vehicles other than those vehicles that are positioned in the retrieval locations are allowed to move along the travel route in the case of a second state, in which the connecting means is connected to the connected member of the article transporting vehicle that is positioned in the retrieval location, and the detachable member of the article handling vehicle that is positioned in the retrieval location is coupled to the coupled portion of another article transporting vehicle.

12 more elements

A transport apparatus comprising:

a travel route having a first end and a second end, wherein a first retrieval location is provided in a region of the first end of the travel route and a second retrieval location is provided in a region of the second end of the travel route;
a first article transporting vehicle and a second article transporting vehicle that move along the travel route;
control means for managing movement of the first article transporting vehicle and the second article transporting vehicle;
a first fixed portion provided near the first retrieval location;
a second fixed portion provided near the second retrieval location;
first connecting means for selectively connecting the first article transporting vehicle positioned in the first retrieval location with the first fixed portion, said first connecting means having first connection detection means for detecting whether or not the first article transporting vehicle and the first fixed portion are connected;
second connecting means for selectively connecting the second article transporting vehicle positioned in the second retrieval location with the second fixed portion, said second connecting means having second connection detection means for detecting whether or not the second article transporting vehicle and the second fixed portion are connected;
a first connected member that is provided in the first article transporting vehicle and that can connect to the first connecting means;
a second connected member that is provided in the second article transporting vehicle and that can connect to the second connecting means;
first vehicle-side communication means provided in the first article transporting vehicle for communicating with control-side communication means provided in the control means;
second vehicle-side communication means provided in the second article transporting vehicle for communicating with the control-side communication means provided in the control means;
a first detachable member that can be attached to and detached from the first article transporting vehicle and the second article transporting vehicle, and that corresponds to the first article transporting vehicle;
a second detachable member that can be attached to and detached from the first article transporting vehicle and the second article transporting vehicle, and that corresponds to the second article transporting vehicle;
a first coupled portion that is provided in the first article transporting vehicle, that can be coupled to the second detachable member, and that is provided with first coupling detection means for detecting whether or not the second detachable member is coupled;
and
a second coupled portion that is provided in the second article transporting vehicle, that can be coupled to the first detachable member, and that is provided with second coupling detection means for detecting whether or not the first detachable member is coupled;
wherein the control means controls movement of the first and the second article transporting vehicles through communication between the control-side communication means and the first and the second vehicle-side communication means;
wherein the control means, based on information detected by the connection detection means and information detected by the coupling detection means, also determines that both of the first and the second article transporting vehicles are allowed to move along the travel route in the case of a first state, in which the second detachable member is not coupled to the first coupled portion and the first detachable member is not coupled to the second coupled portion, and the first connecting means is not connected to the first connected member and the second connecting means is not connected to the second connected member;
and
determines that the second article transporting vehicle is allowed to move along the travel route in the case of a second state, in which the first connecting means is connected to the first connected member of the first article transporting vehicle positioned in the first retrieval location, and the first coupling member is coupled to the second coupled portion of the second article transporting vehicle.

17 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Transport apparatus

Life of this patent

Transport apparatus

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims7