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US 9,177,844 B2Granted
Transport system
AssigneeDenso Corporation
InventorsMasaaki Kuroyanagi, Toshihiro Okumura, Keisuke Yoshida
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A process-line-to-process-line transport apparatus transports a transport subject between corresponding two of process lines. A first transport vehicle transports the transport subject in a first process line, and a second transport vehicle transports the transport subject in a second process line. A relay stocking apparatus is placed in a corresponding location, at which the relay stocking apparatus receives the transport subject from one of the first transport vehicle and the second transport vehicle and passes the received transport subject to the other one of the first transport vehicle and the second transport vehicle.
Claims15
A transport system comprising:
- a process-line-to-process-line transport apparatus that transports a transport subject between corresponding two of a plurality of process lines, which includes a first process line and a second process line, each of the plurality of process lines includes a plurality of manufacturing apparatuses;
- a first transport vehicle that transports the transport subject between a first stocking apparatus and one of the plurality of manufacturing apparatuses of the first process line and between each corresponding two of the plurality of manufacturing apparatuses of the first process line, the first stocking apparatus receives the transport subject from the process-line-to-process-line transport apparatus when the transport subject is transported by the process-line-to-process-line transport apparatus to the first process line;
- a second transport vehicle that transports the transport subject between a second stocking apparatus and one of the plurality of manufacturing apparatuses of the second process line and between each corresponding two of the plurality of manufacturing apparatuses of the second process line, the second stocking apparatus receives the transport subject from the process-line-to-process-line transport apparatus when the transport subject is transported by the process-line-to-process-line transport apparatus to the second process line;
- and
- a relay stocking apparatus that receives the transport subject from one of the first transport vehicle and the second transport vehicle and passes the received transport subject to the other one of the first transport vehicle and the second transport vehicle,
- the relay stocking apparatus is placed between a transport path of the first transport vehicle and a transport path of the second transport vehicle;
- a receiving surface of the relay stocking apparatus receives thereon the transport subject when the transport subject is supplied from the one of the first transport vehicle and the second transport vehicle to the relay stocking apparatus;
- and
- the relay stocking apparatus rotates a plane of the receiving surface with the transport subject thereon about a single rotational axis with respect to the receiving surface, the single rotational axis intersects the receiving surface, the receiving surface rotates about the rotational axis for at least 180 degrees.
6 more elements
A transport system that transports a transport subject between at least a first process line and a second process line, each of which include a plurality of manufacturing apparatuses, the transport system comprising:
- a process-line-to-process-line transport apparatus;
- a first transport vehicle;
- a second transport vehicle;
- and
- a relay stocking apparatus,
- the first transport vehicle transports, along a first transport path, the transport subject between a first stocking apparatus associated with the first process line and one of the plurality of manufacturing apparatuses of the first process line and between each corresponding two of the plurality of manufacturing apparatuses of the first process line,
- the second transport vehicle transports, along a second transport path, the transport subject between a second stocking apparatus associated with the second process line and one of the plurality of manufacturing apparatuses of the second process line and between each corresponding two of the plurality of manufacturing apparatuses of the second process line,
- the process-line-to-process-line transport apparatus is disposed to transport the transport subject between at least the first process line and the second process line;
- the relay stocking apparatus is disposed between the first transport path of the first transport vehicle and the second transport path of the second transport vehicle;
- the relay stocking apparatus includes a receiving surface, the receiving surface is adapted to receive the transport subject thereon, the relay stocking apparatus rotates a plane of the receiving surface with the transport subject thereon about a single rotational axis with respect to the receiving surface, the single rotational axis intersects the receiving surface, the receiving surface rotates about the rotational axis for at least 180 degrees;
- (i) the process-line-to-process-line transport apparatus transports the transport subject to the first process line via the first stocking apparatus associated with the first process line;
- (ii) the process-line-to-process-line transport apparatus transports the transport subject to the second process line via the second stocking apparatus associated with the second process line;
- and
- (iii) the relay stocking apparatus (a) receives, on the receiving surface, the transport subject from one of the first transport vehicle and the second transport vehicle, and rotates, in the plane of the receiving surface, the receiving surface with the transport subject;
- and (b) passes the received transport subject which is rotated, from the receiving surface, to the other one of the first transport vehicle and the second transport vehicle, so as to transport the transport subject between the first process line and the second process line via the first transport vehicle, the second transport vehicle, and the relay stocking apparatus.
12 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.