Patent ID: 8690509
Filing Date: 2014-04-08
Classification: B65G,Y10S

Abstract:
1. An article storage facility comprising: a storage rack that includes a plurality of storage units that store articles and that are aligned in vertical and horizontal directions; a first article transport that includes a first vertically movable body guided by a first vertical guide extending in the vertical direction to allow the first vertically movable body to move vertically and a first transit body configured to move along a path defined along said storage rack, the first vertical guide being provided in said first article transport so as to be positioned on one side of a lateral direction of the path, the first transit body being configured to move while being guided by a first guide rail provided on said one side of the lateral direction of the path; and a second article transport that includes a second vertically movable body guided by a second vertical guide extending in the vertical direction to allow the second vertically movable body to move vertically and a second transit body configured to move along the path, the second vertical guide being provided in said second article transport so as to be positioned on the other side of the lateral direction of the path, the second transit body being configured to move while being guided by a second guide rail provided on said the other side of the lateral direction of the path; wherein said first transit body and said second transit body are configured so as to be able to pass each other; when viewed in the lengthwise direction of the path, said first vertical guide has a first surface that opposes said second vertical guide, said second vertical guide has a second surface that opposes said first vertical guide, and a distance between the first surface and the second surface when viewed in the lengthwise direction of the path is a set distance; when the first vertically movable body is supported by the first vertical guide in an article transfer orientation for transferring one or more articles to or from one of the storage units, and the second vertically movable body is supported by the second vertical guide in its article transfer orientation, a first dimension at which the first vertically movable body protrudes with respect to the first surface of the first vertical guide is less than the set distance, and a second dimension at which the second vertically movable body protrudes with respect to the second surface of the second vertical guide is less than the set distance; a sum of the first dimension and the second dimension is greater than the set distance; the first vertical guide has a width in the lateral direction which is smaller than a width of the first transit body in the lateral direction; the center of the first vertical guide in the lateral direction is disposed on a side away from the second vertical guide with an offset relative to the center in the lateral direction of the first guide rail in the lateral direction; the second vertical guide has a width in the lateral direction which is smaller than a width of the second transit body in the lateral direction; and the center of the second vertical guide in the lateral direction is disposed on a side away from the first vertical guide with an offset relative to the center in the lateral direction of the second guide rail in the lateral direction.