Granted Patent B2

US 12,735,268 · App. 18/229,301 · Granted Sep 15, 2026

Inventor: Tadashi Nishikawa (Hino-cho, JP)

Assignee: DAIFUKU CO., LTD.

B65G43/00B65G2203/041

Abstract

Claims (49)

1 . A conveying apparatus, comprising:

a processing device configured to process an object, the processing device comprising:

a platform on which the object to be processed is placed; and

a cover positioned above the platform;

a support configured to support the object and convey the object along a vertical direction between a position above the processing device and a position on the platform of the processing device by moving through the cover;

a non-restricted area and a restricted area narrower than the non-restricted area, the non-restricted area and the restricted area being defined along a vertical movement path of the support in the processing device, and the restricted area being located inside the cover;

a first detection device configured to detect whether a runout of the object supported and conveyed by the support from a normal position of the object is within or outside the non-restricted area, the runout being a positional deviation of the object supported and conveyed by the support from the normal position in a direction intersecting the vertical direction;

a second detection device configured to detect whether the runout of the object supported and conveyed by the support from the normal position of the object is within or outside the restricted area;

a controller configured to control a conveying operation of the object to-be-conveyed by the support based on the detection results of the first detection device and the second detection device;

a carrier configured to hold the support such that the support is movable in the vertical direction;

a light emitting device provided on the carrier and configured to emit a light beam toward the support;

a reflective member provided on the support and/or the object and configured to reflect the light beam from the light emitting device; and

a light intensity detecting device installed on the carrier and configured to detect an intensity of light reflected from the reflective member,

wherein the first detection device is configured to detect a first physical quantity that changes between when the runout of the object from the normal position is within the non-restricted area and when the runout of the object from the normal position is outside the non-restricted area,

wherein the second detection device is configured to detect a second physical quantity that changes between when the runout of the object from the normal position is within the restricted area and when the runout of the object from the normal position is outside the restricted area,

wherein the reflective member includes a first reflector and a second reflector having different reflectances,

wherein the first reflector has a first size corresponding to the non-restricted area,

wherein the second reflector has a second size corresponding to the restricted area,

wherein the first detection device is configured to detect whether the runout of the object from the normal position is within or outside the non-restricted area by a first difference in the intensity of reflected light detected by the light intensity detecting device, and

wherein the second detection device is configured to detect whether the runout of the object from the normal position is within or outside the restricted area by a second difference in the intensity of reflected light detected by the light intensity detecting device.

2 . The conveying apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein:

the controller is configured to control the conveying operation of the object by the support based on the detection result of the first detection device when the support conveys the object in the non-restricted area, and

the controller is configured to control the conveying operation of the object by the support based on the detection result of the second detection device when the support conveys the object in the restricted area.

3 . The conveying apparatus according to claim 2 , further comprising a position detection device to detect a position of the support along a movement path thereof.

4 . The conveying apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the

carrier is further configured to travel horizontally at a position above the processing device while holding the support.

5 . The conveying apparatus according to claim 4 , further comprising a further processing device that does not include the restricted area.

6 . The conveying apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein at least one of the controller, the carrier and the support is configured to store map information indicating at least one of a location of the restricted area and a location of the non-restricted area in the processing device.

7 . The conveying apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the map information includes a location of at least one of the restricted area and the non-restricted area along a movement path of the support.

8 . The conveying apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to control a speed of movement of the support along a movement path thereof.

9 . The conveying apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the controller is configured to reduce the speed of movement of the support when the second detection device detects that the runout of the object supported by the support from the normal position is outside the restricted area more than when the runout of the object supported by the support from the normal position is within the restricted area.

10 . The conveying apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein:

the first reflector is larger in size than the second reflector, and the second reflector is installed inside an area where the first reflector is installed.

11 . The conveying apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the carrier includes a driver configured to move the support in the vertical direction.

12 . A conveying method, comprising:

providing a processing device configured to process an object, the processing device including a platform on which the object to be processed is placed and a cover positioned above the platform;

holding, by a carrier, a support such that the support is movable in a vertical direction;

supporting the object by the support;

conveying the object by the support along the vertical direction between a position above the processing device and a position on the platform of the processing device by moving the support through the cover, in which a non-restricted area and a restricted area narrower than the non-restricted area are defined along a vertical movement path of the support in the processing device, and the restricted area is located inside the cover;

detecting, by a first detection device, whether a runout of the object supported and conveyed by the support from a normal position of the object is within or outside the non-restricted area, the runout being a positional deviation of the object supported and conveyed by the support from the normal position in a direction intersecting the vertical direction;

detecting, by a second detection device, whether the runout of the object supported and conveyed by the support from the normal position of the object is within or outside the restricted area;

controlling, by a controller, a conveying operation of the object by the support based on detection results of the first detection device and the second detection device;

emitting, by a light emitting device provided on the carrier, a light beam toward the support;

reflecting, by a reflective member provided on the support and/or the object, the light beam from the light emitting device, the reflective member including a first reflector and a second reflector having different reflectances, and the first reflector having a first size corresponding to the non-restricted area, the second reflector having a second size corresponding to the restricted area;

detecting, by a light intensity detecting device installed on the carrier, an intensity of light reflected from the reflective member;

detecting, by the first detection device, a first physical quantity that changes between when the runout of the object from the normal position is within the non-restricted area and when the runout of the object from the normal position is outside the non-restricted area;

detecting, by the second detection device, a second physical quantity that changes between when the runout of the object from the normal position is within the restricted area and when the runout of the object from the normal position is outside the restricted area;

detecting, by the first detection device, whether the runout of the object from the normal position is within or outside the non-restricted area by a first difference in the intensity of reflected light detected by the light intensity detecting device; and

detecting, by the second detection device, whether the runout of the object from the normal position is within or outside the restricted area by a second difference in the intensity of reflected light detected by the light intensity detecting device.

Assignments (1)

Priority Claims (1)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (12)