Article Transport Facility

An article transport facility including a transport vehicle configured to transport an article, the article transport facility comprising:

• at least one first rail having a first travel surface;
• and
• at least one second rail having a second travel surface,
• wherein:
• the at least one second rail is spaced upward relative to the at least one first rail and intersects the at least one first rail in a view in an up-down direction, and
• the transport vehicle comprises:
• a vehicle body disposed between the at least one first rail and the at least one second rail in the up-down direction;
• a first traveling unit configured to cause the vehicle body to travel along a first direction corresponding to a direction in which the at least one first rail extends;
• a second traveling unit configured to cause the vehicle body to travel along a second direction corresponding to a direction in the at least one second rail extends;
• and
• a control unit configured to control operations of the first traveling unit and the second traveling unit,
• wherein:
• the first traveling unit comprises a first wheel and a first orientation changing mechanism configured to change an orientation of the first wheel relative to the vehicle body, and the first traveling unit is configured to perform an orientation change between a first wheel placement orientation in which the first wheel is placed on the first travel surface, and a first wheel retraction orientation, in which the first wheel is separated from the first travel surface,
• the second traveling unit comprises a second wheel and a second orientation changing mechanism configured to change an orientation of the second wheel relative to the vehicle body, and the second traveling unit is configured to perform an orientation change between a second wheel placement orientation in which the second wheel is placed on the second travel surface, and a second wheel retraction orientation in which the second wheel is separated from the second travel surface, and
• the control unit is configured to change in mode between (i) a first mode of causing the vehicle body to travel along the at least one first rail with the first traveling unit in the first wheel placement orientation and the second traveling unit in the second wheel retraction orientation, and (ii) a second mode of causing the vehicle body to travel along the at least one second rail with the second traveling unit in the second wheel placement orientation and the first traveling unit in the first wheel retraction orientation.