IP Library Granted Patent US 11,027,949
Granted Patent B2
US 11,027,949 · App. 16/301,277 · Granted Jun 8, 2021

Transport vehicle and transport method

Inventor: Eiji Wada (Inuyama, JP)
Assignee: Murata Machinery, Ltd.
B66C13/06B66C1/16B66C13/18H01L21/677H01L21/68B65G2201/0297
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,027,949
App. No.
16/301,277
Granted
Jun 8, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

A transport vehicle includes a body; a lift platform that includes a holder to hold an article, the lift platform being ascendable and descendable with respect to the body; a lift driver that raises or lowers the lift platform by feeding out or taking up a flexible suspension support; a sensor provided in the lift driver and emits a detection wave having directivity toward a certain lower position; a lateral extender that causes the lift driver to project laterally from the body while providing cantilever support for the lift driver; and a corrector that corrects a shift in an emission direction of the detection wave that arises from bending of the lateral extender in a state in which the lift driver is caused to project laterally from the body by the lateral extender.

Claims (34)

1. A transport vehicle comprising:

a body;

a lift platform that includes a holder to hold an article, the lift platform being ascendable and descendable with respect to the body;

a lift driver that raises or lowers the lift platform by feeding out or taking up a flexible suspension support;

a sensor provided in the lift driver and emits a detection wave having directivity toward a certain lower position;

a lateral extender that causes the lift driver to project laterally from the body while providing cantilever support for the lift driver; and

a corrector that corrects a shift in an emission direction of the detection wave that arises from bending of the lateral extender in a state in which the lift driver is caused to project laterally from the body by the lateral extender.

2. The transport vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the corrector changes an angle of the sensor with respect to the lift driver.

3. The transport vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein the corrector includes an actuator that changes the angle of the sensor.

4. The transport vehicle according to claim 3 , wherein the sensor is at least one of:

a swing detection sensor that detects whether the detection wave is emitted to a certain range of the lift platform when the lift platform is raised or lowered; and

a lookdown sensor that emits the detection wave to a vicinity of a lowering destination of the lift platform to detect whether a foreign matter is present.

5. The transport vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein the corrector changes the angle of the sensor by gravity.

6. The transport vehicle according to claim 5 , wherein the sensor is at least one of:

a swing detection sensor that detects whether the detection wave is emitted to a certain range of the lift platform when the lift platform is raised or lowered; and

a lookdown sensor that emits the detection wave to a vicinity of a lowering destination of the lift platform to detect whether a foreign matter is present.

7. The transport vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein the corrector changes the angle of the sensor in conjunction with projecting movement of the lift driver by the lateral extender.

8. The transport vehicle according to claim 7 , wherein the sensor is at least one of:

a swing detection sensor that detects whether the detection wave is emitted to a certain range of the lift platform when the lift platform is raised or lowered; and

a lookdown sensor that emits the detection wave to a vicinity of a lowering destination of the lift platform to detect whether a foreign matter is present.

9. The transport vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein the sensor is at least one of:

a swing detection sensor that detects whether the detection wave is emitted to a certain range of the lift platform when the lift platform is raised or lowered; and

a lookdown sensor that emits the detection wave to a vicinity of a lowering destination of the lift platform to detect whether a foreign matter is present.

10. The transport vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the sensor is at least one of:

a swing detection sensor that detects whether the detection wave is emitted to a certain range of the lift platform when the lift platform is raised or lowered; and

a lookdown sensor that emits the detection wave to a vicinity of a lowering destination of the lift platform to detect whether a foreign matter is present.

11. A transport method that transports an article by a transport vehicle, the transport vehicle including:

a body;

a lift platform that includes a holder to hold the article, the lift platform being ascendable and descendable with respect to the body;

a lift driver that raises or lowers the lift platform by feeding out or taking up a flexible suspension support;

a sensor provided in the lift driver and emits a detection wave having directivity toward a certain lower position; and

a lateral extender that causes the lift driver to project laterally from the body while providing cantilever support for the lift driver,

the transport method comprising:

when the lateral extender causes the lift driver to project laterally from the body, correcting a shift in an emission direction of the detection wave that arises from bending of the lateral extender.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 13, 2018
From: WADA, EIJI
To: MURATA MACHINERY, LTD.
Reel/Frame 047488/0505 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP JP2016-101338 · May 20, 2016 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20200270102A1 · Aug 27, 2020