US 12,272,582 B2
Overhead conveyance system
Yasuhisa Ito, Ise (JP)
Assigned to MURATA MACHINERY, LTD., Kyoto (JP)
Appl. No. 17/922,807
Filed by MURATA MACHINERY, LTD., Kyoto (JP)
PCT Filed Feb. 15, 2021, PCT No. PCT/JP2021/005480
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Nov. 2, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/235029, PCT Pub. Date Nov. 25, 2021.
Claims priority of application No. 2020-087270 (JP), filed on May 19, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0170238 A1, Jun. 1, 2023
Int. Cl. H01L 21/60 (2006.01); B66C 19/00 (2006.01); H01L 21/677 (2006.01); B65G 1/04 (2006.01)
CPC H01L 21/67733 (2013.01) [B66C 19/00 (2013.01); H01L 21/67724 (2013.01); B65G 1/0464 (2013.01); H01L 21/6773 (2013.01)] 5 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An overhead transport system comprising:
an overhead transport vehicle including a conveyor to travel on rails arranged at least partially in a grid pattern, and a body suspended from the conveyor to hold articles below the rails; and
a controller configured or programmed to control operations of the overhead transport vehicle; wherein
the conveyor includes wheels each being steerable at each of four corners of the body;
the rails include a plurality of straight rails and a plurality of intersection rails;
the straight rails and the intersection rails are alternately arranged with a gap in each of a first direction and a second direction perpendicular to the first direction;
the controller is configured or programmed to execute steering control to steer the wheels in a state in which each of the wheels is positioned on one of the intersection rails different from one another; and
a steering center of the wheel under the steering control is on the intersection rail and inward of the body from a ground contact point of the wheel on the intersection rail.