IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,522,254
Granted Patent B2
US 12,522,254 · App. 18/119,876 · Granted Jan 13, 2026

Overhead transport vehicle system

Inventor: Makoto Kobayashi (Ise, JP)
Assignee: MURATA MACHINERY, LTD.
B61B3/00H01L21/6773H01L21/67733
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,522,254
App. No.
18/119,876
Granted
Jan 13, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

An overhead transport vehicle system includes an overhead transport vehicle including a traveler and a body supported by the traveler via a suspension to hold an object to be transported, and a traveling rail including a slit, through which the suspension is movable when the traveler travels, and rolling portions along which traveling wheel rolls, and having a tubular shape including an internal space through which the traveler travels. In the internal space in a curved section, above a passing area through which the traveling wheel rolling on the rolling portion on an outer side of a curve passes, a rising restriction portion, with which the traveling wheel having risen by a predetermined amount from the rolling portion comes into contact, extends along an extending direction of the traveling rail.

Claims (14)

1 . An overhead transport vehicle system comprising:

an overhead transport vehicle including a traveler and a body, the traveler including a traveling wheel, the body being supported by the traveler via a suspension to hold an object to be transported; and

a traveling rail including a slit through which the suspension is movable when the traveler travels, and a rolling portion along which the traveling wheel rolls, and having a tubular shape with an internal space through which the traveler travels; wherein

the internal space of the traveling rail in a curved section is provided with a rising restriction portion along an extending direction of the traveling rail above a passing area through which the traveling wheel rolling on the rolling portion on an outer side of a curve passes, the rising restriction portion have a structure such that the traveling wheel having risen by a predetermined amount from the rolling portion comes into contact therewith;

the traveling rail includes a side portion intersecting the rolling portion;

the rising restriction portion protrudes from the side portion toward the internal space;

the overhead transport vehicle further includes a branching roller to branch at a branch point of the traveling rail;

the branching roller of the overhead transport vehicle traveling on the traveling rail and the rising restriction portion are opposite to each other in a width direction perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to both the extending direction of the traveling rail and a vertical direction;

the rising restriction portion includes an end surface facing the branching roller; and

the internal space in a straight section includes a tapered surface connecting the end surface and the side portion in plan view when viewed from the vertical direction.

2 . The overhead transport vehicle system according to claim 1 , wherein

the overhead transport vehicle includes a controller configured or programmed to control each component of the traveler;

the branching roller is movable in the width direction; and

the controller is configured or programmed to control the branching roller to move to an inner side of the curve in the width direction before or simultaneously when the traveler enters the curved section.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 10, 2023
From: KOBAYASHI, MAKOTO
To: MURATA MACHINERY, LTD.
Reel/Frame 062941/0382 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2022-039457 · Mar 14, 2022 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230286551A1 · Sep 14, 2023
References Cited (71)
US 3233556A · Mcdonald · 1966 [cited by examiner]
US 9758310B2 · Murao · 2017 [cited by examiner]
US 9895977B2 · Wada · 2018 [cited by examiner]
US 10192764B2 · Kobayashi · 2019 [cited by examiner]
US 10604899B2 · Horii · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 10714368B2 · Kobayashi · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 10822205B2 · Kobayashi · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 10964573B2 · Kobayashi · 2021 [cited by examiner]
US 11066284B2 · Tomida · 2021 [cited by examiner]
US 11084505B2 · Kobayashi · 2021 [cited by examiner]
US 11276597B2 · Kobayashi · 2022 [cited by examiner]
US 11474143B2 · Kobayashi · 2022 [cited by examiner]
US 11858539B2 · Kobayashi · 2024 [cited by examiner]
US 11891245B2 · Wada · 2024 [cited by examiner]
US 11961751B2 · Kobayashi · 2024 [cited by examiner]
US 12057338B2 · Kobayashi · 2024 [cited by examiner]
US 12084093B2 · Otsuka · 2024 [cited by examiner]
US 12106990B2 · Kobayashi · 2024 [cited by examiner]
US 12110188B2 · Kobayashi · 2024 [cited by examiner]
US 12139176B2 · Kobayashi · 2024 [cited by examiner]
US 12208963B2 · Han · 2025 [cited by examiner]
US 12286296B2 · Kobayashi · 2025 [cited by examiner]
US 12351405B2 · Kobayashi · 2025 [cited by examiner]
US 12406868B2 · Kobayashi · 2025 [cited by examiner]
US 20140144859A1 · Fujiwara et al. · 2014 [cited by applicant]
US 20160332523A1 · Wada · 2016 [cited by examiner]
US 20170197795A1 · Murao · 2017 [cited by examiner]
US 20170243775A1 · Kobayashi · 2017 [cited by examiner]
US 20180100274A1 · Horii · 2018 [cited by examiner]
US 20190016574A1 · Tomida · 2019 [cited by examiner]
US 20190241406A1 · Kobayashi · 2019 [cited by examiner]
US 20200013652A1 · Kobayashi · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 20200020559A1 · Kobayashi · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 20200182923A1 · Kobayashi · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 20200223455A1 · Kobayashi · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 20200269882A1 · Kobayashi · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 20200331503A1 · Kobayashi · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 20210292089A1 · Han · 2021 [cited by examiner]
US 20220041189A1 · Otsuka · 2022 [cited by examiner]
US 20220144557A1 · Kobayashi · 2022 [cited by examiner]
US 20220157630A1 · Kobayashi · 2022 [cited by examiner]
US 20220324494A1 · Atake · 2022 [cited by examiner]
US 20220402694A1 · Kobayashi · 2022 [cited by examiner]
US 20220415686A1 · Kobayashi · 2022 [cited by examiner]
US 20230134312A1 · Kobayashi · 2023 [cited by examiner]
US 20230140218A1 · Kobayashi · 2023 [cited by examiner]
US 20230286551A1 · Kobayashi · 2023 [cited by examiner]
US 20230294917A1 · Kobayashi · 2023 [cited by examiner]
US 20230365332A1 · Wada · 2023 [cited by examiner]
US 20230416018A1 · Kobayashi · 2023 [cited by examiner]
US 20240002148A1 · Kobayashi · 2024 [cited by examiner]
US 20240116545A1 · Jaegle · 2024 [cited by examiner]
US 20240300736A1 · Kobayashi · 2024 [cited by examiner]
US 20240351782A1 · Kobayashi · 2024 [cited by examiner]
US 20240353213A1 · Kobayashi · 2024 [cited by examiner]
US 20240375690A1 · Kobayashi · 2024 [cited by examiner]
US 20250022735A1 · Kobayashi · 2025 [cited by examiner]
US 20250229810A1 · Kobayashi · 2025 [cited by examiner]
CN 106012715A · 2016 [cited by examiner]
CN 111891143A · 2020 [cited by examiner]
CN 112519804A · 2021 [cited by examiner]
CN 115339475A · 2022 [cited by examiner]
JP 6481174B2 · 2019 [cited by applicant]
KR 1020140141827A · 2014 [cited by applicant]
KR 1020220023395A · 2022 [cited by applicant]
KR 20230099556A · 2023 [cited by examiner]
WO WO9520704A1 · 1995 [cited by examiner]
WO 2012157319A1 · 2012 [cited by applicant]
WO WO2021074230A1 · 2021 [cited by examiner]
WO WO2023140019A1 · 2023 [cited by examiner]
WO WO2023218818A1 · 2023 [cited by examiner]