# US 8,770,111 B2 · Transport vehicle and transport system

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 8,770,111 B2
- Document ID: US8770111B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 13/877,278
- Filed: 2011-09-08
- Published: 2013-08-22
- Granted: 2014-07-08
- Earliest claimed: 2010-10-04
- Assignees: Murata Machinery, Ltd.
- Applicants: Taro Yamamoto; Yusuke Fujiwara
- Inventors: Taro Yamamoto; Yusuke Fujiwara
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8770111B2

## CPC

- H10P 72/30: for conveying, e.g. between different workstations
- B61B 3/02: with self-propelled vehicles
- H10P 72/3218: {Conveying cassettes, containers or carriers}
- H10P 72/3221: {Overhead conveying}
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10
- B61B: RAILWAY SYSTEMS; EQUIPMENT THEREFOR NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR (lifts or hoists, elevators, escalators, moving walkways B66B)

## Abstract

A transport vehicle that reduces shaking of a transport article includes a travelling unit, a transport unit, a fall prevention member, and a shaking reduction member. The travelling unit travels along a rail provided on a ceiling. The transport unit transports a transport article. The fall prevention member is rotatably supported such that it can rotate between a fall prevention position and a retracted position. The fall prevention member is, at the fall prevention position, below the transport article. A pushing portion of the shaking reduction member pushes against a side surface of the transport article with a pushing surface thereof in conjunction with the rotating of the fall prevention member from the retracted position to the fall prevention position. A lever portion of the shaking reduction member has one end supporting the pushing portion and the other end rotatably supported in a manner coaxial with the fall prevention member.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A transport vehicle comprising:
a travelling unit configured to travel along a rail provided on a ceiling;
a transport unit attached to the travelling unit, the transport unit being configured to transport a transport article while having the transport article stored in a storage space thereof;
a fall prevention member provided around a lower end of the transport unit, the fall prevention member being rotatably supported so as to rotate between a retracted position in which the fall prevention member allows the transport article to be accommodated into the storage space and a fall prevention position in which the fall prevention member prevents the transport article from falling from the storage space, the fall prevention member being disposed under the transport article when the fall prevention member is positioned at the fall prevention position; and
a shaking reduction member including a pushing portion and a lever portion, the pushing portion being provided higher than the fall prevention member and pushing against a side surface of the transport article with a pushing surface thereof in conjunction with the rotating of the fall prevention member from the retracted position to the fall prevention position, the lever portion having one end supporting the pushing portion and the other end rotatably supported in a manner coaxial with the fall prevention member.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The transport vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the pushing portion gets into contact with the transport article in a way that an axial line of the lever portion in a longitudinal direction is inclined relative to the side surface of the transport article.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The transport vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the shaking reduction member includes a projection control member, the projection control member being configured to prevent the shaking reduction member from projecting toward the transport article by pushing against the shaking reduction member when the fall prevention member is positioned at the retracted position and to allow the shaking reduction member to project toward the transport article by releasing the pushing against the shaking reduction member when the fall prevention member is positioned at the fall prevention position.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The transport vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the shaking reduction member includes an urging member urging the one end of the lever portion toward the side surface of the transport article.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The transport vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the pushing portion is rotatably supported by the lever portion.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The transport vehicle according to claim 5, wherein the lever portion includes a rotating restriction member configured to restrict the rotating of the pushing portion at or below a predetermined amount.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

A transport system comprising the transport vehicle according to claim 1.