Patent ID: 9359138
Filing Date: 2016-06-07
CPC Classification: B65G

Claim Text:
1. An assembly/transport apparatus comprising: a carrier on which a transport object is mounted; a transport track that extends in a transport direction and allows the carrier to travel, the transport direction being the direction in which the transport object is transported; a return track that extends in a return direction and overlies the transport track in a top/bottom direction and allows the carrier to travel, the return direction being the direction opposite to the transport direction; a first transfer device movable in the top/bottom direction between a position at which the first transfer device is connected with a starting end of the transport track and a position at which the first transfer device is connected with a terminating end of the return track, the first transfer device including a first transfer track that allows the carrier to travel, the first transfer device capable of transferring the carrier from the return track to the transport track; a second transfer device movable in the top/bottom direction between a position at which the second transfer device is connected with a terminating end of the transport track and a position at which the second transfer device is connected with a starting end of the return track, the second transfer device including a second transfer track that allows the carrier to travel, the second transfer device capable of transferring the carrier from the transport track to the return track; and a frame that supports the transport track, the return track, the first transfer device and the second transfer device, the transport track including: one or more transport stop positions that are defined as positions at which the carrier can stop; a transport driving device provided to correspond to each transport stop position, the transport driving device driving the carrier in the transport direction and stopping the carrier at the transport stop position; and a transport driving source provided for each transport driving device, the return track including: one or more return stop positions that are defined as positions at which the carrier can stop; a return driving device provided to correspond to each return stop position, the return driving device driving the carrier in the return direction and stopping the carrier at the return stop position; and a return driving source provided for each return driving device, the first transfer device including: a first transfer driving device that drives the carrier in the transport direction and the return direction and stops the carrier on the first transfer track; and a first transfer driving source provided for the first transfer driving device, the second transfer device including: a second transfer driving device that drives the carrier in the transport direction and the return direction and stops the carrier on the second transfer track; and a second transfer driving source provided for the second transfer driving device.