# US 9,520,313 B2 · Conveyance system and temporary storage method of articles in conveyance system

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- Number: US 9,520,313 B2
- Document ID: US9520313B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/404,661
- Filed: 2013-04-22
- Published: 2015-04-23
- Granted: 2016-12-13
- Earliest claimed: 2012-06-08
- Assignees: Murata Machinery, Ltd.
- Applicants: Murata Machinery, Ltd.
- Inventors: Tatsuji Ota
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9520313B2

## CPC

- H10P 72/3402: {Mechanical parts of transfer devices}
- B65G 1/0457: {with suspended load carriers}
- H10P 72/3221: {Overhead conveying}
- H10P 72/3404: {Storage means}
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10
- B65G: TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS (packaging B65B; handling thin or filamentary materials, e.g. paper sheets or thread, B65H; cranes B66C; portable mobile or lifting or hauling appliances, e.g. hoists, B66D; devices for lifting or lowering goods for loading or unloading purposes, e.g. fork-lift trucks, B66F9/00; emptying bottles, jars, casks, barrels or similar containers, not otherwise provided for, B67C9/00; delivering or transferring liquids B67D; filling or discharging vessels for liquefied, solidified or compressed gases F17C; pipe-line systems for fluids F17D)

## Abstract

In a transport system, a track for a local carriage is provided directly below a track for overhead traveling vehicles, and the overhead traveling vehicles and the local carriage both transfer an article to and from the same transfer destination. A buffer is connected to the track for the transport local carriage to deliver and receive the article to and from the local carriage and includes a transport in/out cell below the track for the overhead traveling vehicles to deliver and receive the article to and from the overhead traveling vehicles, the buffer being provided in a location not directly below the track of the local carriage.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A transport system in which overhead traveling vehicles and a local carriage both transfer articles to and from a same transfer destination, the transport system comprising:
a track for the overhead traveling vehicles;
a track for the local carriage that is located directly below the track for the overhead traveling vehicles;
a transfer destination located directly below both the track for the overhead traveling vehicles and the track for the local carriage;
overhead traveling vehicles configured to travel on the track for the overhead traveling vehicles and including an elevating platform configured to move vertically while supporting an article;
a local carriage configured to travel on the track for the local carriage and including an elevating platform configured to move vertically while supporting an article; and
a buffer being connected to the track for the local carriage and being configured to deliver and receive the articles to and from the local carriage; wherein
the buffer includes:
a plurality of cells configured to accommodate an article, the plurality of cells are aligned in the buffer along an up-down direction to define a plurality of columns of the buffer and along a horizontal direction to define a plurality of rows of the buffer;
a transport in/out cell to which the overhead traveling vehicles transport articles to and from, the transport in/out cell being provided below the track for the overhead traveling vehicles, the transport in/out cell being provided in an uppermost row of the plurality of rows of the buffer; and
a transport apparatus configured to transport an article between the plurality of cells;
the track for the local carriage extends into one cell of the plurality of cells included in the buffer, or the track for the local carriage is directly connected to the one cell of the plurality of cells included in the buffer without extending into the buffer; and
at least one column of the plurality of columns of the buffer is not directly below the track for the local carriage.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The transport system according to claim 1, wherein
the transfer destination is a load port of a processing equipment configured to process the articles; and
the track for the local carriage extends into the one cell of the plurality of cells.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The transport system according to claim 2, wherein
the plurality of cells include first rails configured to be traveled on by the local carriage, and the track for the local carriage includes second rails;
the buffer includes an elevator that includes a rail configured to be traveled on by the local carriage and the local carriage is configured to move between the plurality of cells via the elevator; and
the transport apparatus includes the first rails, the elevator, and the local carriage.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The transport system according to claim 2, wherein
the buffer includes a horizontal guide configured to move up and down along a vertical guide and a fork configured to move along the horizontal guide; and
the transport apparatus includes the horizontal guide and the fork.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The transport system according to claim 3, wherein the one cell of the plurality of cells is located below the transport in/out cell.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

The transport system according to claim 4, wherein the one cell of the plurality of cells is located below the transport in/out cell.

### Claim 7

A method for temporarily storing articles in a transport system including a track for overhead traveling vehicles, a track for a local carriage that is located directly below the track for the overhead traveling vehicles,
a transfer destination located directly below both the track for the overhead traveling vehicles and the track for the local carriage, overhead traveling vehicles configured to travel on the track for the overhead traveling vehicles and including an elevating platform configured to move vertically while supporting an article, and the local carriage configured to travel on the track for the local carriage and include an elevating platform configured to move vertically while supporting an article, wherein the overhead traveling vehicles and the local carriage both transport articles to the transfer destination in common, a buffer being connected to the track for the local carriage and delivering and receiving articles to and from the local carriage, the buffer including a plurality of cells aligned in the buffer along an up-down direction to define a plurality of columns of the buffer and along a horizontal direction to define a plurality of rows of the buffer, and a transport apparatus configured to transport articles in the buffer, the overhead traveling vehicles transport articles to and from an article transport in/out cell in the buffer, the transport in/out cell being provided in an uppermost row of the plurality of rows of the buffer, the transport apparatus in the buffer transports articles between the plurality of cells in the buffer, and the local carriage transports articles between the plurality of cells in the buffer and the transfer destination, the track for the local carriage extends into one cell of the plurality of cells included in the buffer, or the track for the local carriage is directly connected to the one cell of the plurality of cells included in the buffer without extending into the buffer, and at least one column of the plurality of columns of the buffer is not directly below the track for the local carriage.