Container Transport Facility

A container transport facility, comprising:

• a transport moving body configured to transport a container by moving along a movement route;
• a storage portion configured to store the container;
• and
• an inert gas supply apparatus configured to supply an inert gas to an interior of the container stored in the storage portion,
• wherein:
• the container has a bottom surface portion including a connected portion,
• the storage portion includes a first support portion that supports a first supported portion on the bottom surface portion of the container from below,
• the inert gas supply apparatus includes a connection portion that is connected to the connected portion of the container in a state in which the container is supported by the first support portion, and the inert gas supply apparatus supplies an inert gas from the connection portion to the interior of the container via the connected portion,
• the storage portion includes:
• a second support portion configured to support, from below, a second supported portion, which is a portion that is different from the first supported portion on the bottom surface portion of the container and is a portion at which the connected portion does not exist;
• and an elevation driving portion configured to raise and lower the second support portion, the storage portion being configured to be able to change to a first state and a second state due to the second support portion being raised and lowered by the elevation driving portion, with a height of the container supported by the first support portion being a first height, and a height of the container supported at a height higher than the first height being a second height,
• the first state is a state in which the second support portion is lowered to be below the second supported portion of the container at the first height and the container can be supported by the first support portion at the first height,
• the second state is a state in which the second supported portion is raised to be above the second supported portion of the container at the first height and the container can be supported by the second support portion at the second height,
• the inert gas supply apparatus includes the connection portion at a height at which, in a state in which the storage portion has been changed to the first state, the connection portion is connected to the connected portion of the container at the first height, and in a state in which the storage portion has been changed to the second state, the connection portion is located away from and below the connected portion of the container at the second height and a transfer space is formed between the bottom surface portion of the container and the connection portion,
• the transport moving body includes:
• a third support portion that supports, from below, a third supported portion, which is a portion that is different from the second supported portion on the bottom surface portion of the container;
• and a protrusion/retraction driving portion configured to cause the third support portion to protrude and retract along an alignment direction in which the transport moving body and the storage portion are aligned in a state in which the transport moving body is stopped at a transfer stopping position set on a lateral side of the storage portion, a movement path at the time when the third support portion is moved so as to protrude or retract by the protrusion/retraction driving portion overlaps with the connection portion in a view in the vertical direction, and
• the transport moving body causes the third support portion to move so as to protrude or retract using the protrusion/retraction driving portion, causing the third support portion to enter the transfer space of the storage portion in the second state, and the transport moving body takes the container from the storage portion with the container supported by the third support portion, or the transport moving body stores the container in the storage portion with the container supported by the second support portion.