US 12,110,177 B2
Carrier system
Naohisa Ito, Inuyama (JP); and Eijiro Aoki, Inuyama (JP)
Assigned to MURATA MACHINERY, LTD., Kyoto (JP)
Appl. No. 17/045,787
Filed by MURATA MACHINERY, LTD., Kyoto (JP)
PCT Filed Jan. 30, 2019, PCT No. PCT/JP2019/003247
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Oct. 7, 2020,
PCT Pub. No. WO2019/211933, PCT Pub. Date Nov. 7, 2019.
Claims priority of application No. 2018-088283 (JP), filed on May 1, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2021/0155406 A1, May 27, 2021
Int. Cl. B65G 1/04 (2006.01); G05D 1/00 (2024.01); H01L 21/677 (2006.01)
CPC B65G 1/0492 (2013.01) [G05D 1/0289 (2013.01)] 16 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A transport system comprising:
a plurality of transport vehicles to travel along a track and convey a load; and
a controller configured or programmed to control traveling of the transport vehicles; wherein
the track includes a first main track, a plurality of junction points provided on the first main track and spaced apart from each other, and a plurality of branch tracks each connected to the first main track via the junction points different from one another;
the respective junction points are spaced apart from each other on the first main track;
on each of the branch tracks, a stop position corresponding to a delivery port for each transport vehicle to deliver and receive a load is provided;
the controller is configured or programmed to control the respective transport vehicles stopping at the stop positions corresponding to the respective delivery ports of the branch tracks to control a transport vehicle on a downstream branch track to start simultaneously with or before a transport vehicle on an upstream branch track;
the track further includes a second main track and a plurality of branch points provided on the second main track and spaced apart from each other;
the respective branch tracks are connected to the second main track via the branch points different from one another; and
the controller is configured or programmed to perform entering control to cause the respective transport vehicles traveling on the second main track to enter the respective branch tracks sequentially in order from downstream to upstream.