Patent ID: 8231324
Filing Date: 2012-07-31
Classification: B65G,H01L

Abstract:
1. An article storage facility comprising: an article storage rack in which a plurality of article storage units for storing articles is provided so as to be arranged in a horizontal direction and a vertical direction; an article transporter configured to move along a path via an article transfer location for said article storage rack; and an article loader for bringing articles into and taking articles out of said article storage rack, said article loader is supported by said article storage rack so as to be able to project and retract between a protruding position for article transfer that projects to an outside of said article storage rack, and a retracted position for retracting toward said article storage rack, wherein said article transporter is configured to deliver an article to or receive an article from said article loader in said protruding position when said article transporter is at said article transfer location; and protrusion and retraction operating means provided to said article transporter for operating said article loader between said protruding position and said retracted position when said article transporter is at said article transfer location, wherein said article transporter is configured to move along a path that is above said article loader, and an article holder is provided that is configured to move vertically in order to deliver an article to and receive an article from said article loader, wherein said article loader is configured to move the article supported thereon to inside of said article storage rack when said article loader retracts to said retracted position and to outside of said article storage rack when said article loader projects to said protruding position, wherein said article loader is operatively connected by a link mechanism to an operated body that is directly operated by a protruding and retracting operation of said protrusion and retraction operating means, and wherein said protrusion and retraction operating means is configured to project with respect to said article transporter to cause said article loader to project from said retracted position to said protruding position and to retract with respect to said article transporter to cause said article loader to retract from said protruding position to said retracted position.