Patent ID: 9415934
Filing Date: 2016-08-16
CPC Classification: B65G,B66C,H01L

Claim Text:
1. A transport system in which overhead travelling vehicles transport articles between load ports provided in individual pieces of processing equipment, comprising: an overhead travelling vehicle travelling route; a plurality of overhead travelling vehicles each including a hoist; a local vehicle travelling route that is disposed at least under the overhead travelling vehicle travelling route and over a plurality of load ports at a position higher than the load ports; a plurality of local vehicles configured to travel along the local vehicle travelling route and each including a hoist; a plurality of buffers that are provided along the local vehicle travelling route and configured to store articles; and a controller configured and programmed to control the overhead travelling vehicles and the local vehicles; wherein the local vehicle travelling route includes a plurality of local vehicle travelling routes that are provided in parallel or substantially in parallel, and the local vehicles are configured to diverge and merge from one local vehicle travelling route to another local vehicle travelling route; the local vehicles are configured to transport articles between load ports and buffers under control of the controller; the overhead travelling vehicles are configured to, under control of the controller, transfer articles to and from load ports or buffers and transport articles between load ports or buffers and a section other than the local vehicle travelling routes; the local vehicle travelling routes include a plurality of local tracks that are arranged with a space interposed therebetween; the local vehicles are configured to travel while being guided by the plurality of tracks; the buffers are disposed under the space between the tracks; a plurality of tracks extending in a first direction are provided, the plurality of tracks being arranged with a space interposed therebetween; a plurality of tracks extending in a second direction that is perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the first direction are provided, the plurality of tracks being arranged with a space interposed therebetween; and the local vehicles each include a first running portion configured to travel in the first direction, a second running portion configured to travel in the second direction, and a switching portion configured to selectively operate one of the first and second running portions, and are configured to travel longitudinally and transversely in the first and second directions.