Automatic warehouse and transfer system using the same

Details Automatic warehouse and transfer system using the same Automatic warehouse and transfer system using the same

2000-04-10

2001-12-25

Ellis, Christopher P. (Department: 3651)

Material or article handling

Plural, static structures for supporting discrete loads and...

Load-underlying members

C414S940000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06332744

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an automatic warehouse for a clean room and a transfer system using this automatic warehouse.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In a clean room, an automatic warehouse is used to store unfinished products, and unmanned carriers or tracked carts connect the automatic warehouse and a processing device or the like. Such unmanned carriers or tracked carts, however, require a relatively large running space, so that available running paths and transfer capability are limited. Consequently, the transfer capability available between the automatic warehouse and the processing device or the like is likely to be insufficient.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to enable a space under a floor or a space above a ceiling to be used for transferring articles and to enable a loading station of an automatic warehouse to be easily installed under the floor or above the ceiling.
The present invention provides an automatic warehouse comprising shelves, a mast, and elevating loading means for loading an article on a shelf by elevating and lowering along the mast, which are all provided in a floor space in a clean room, characterized in that the automatic warehouse has an extension section obtained by extending the mast through at least one of an underfloor space and a space above a ceiling in the clean room, and an article-loading station provided at a position corresponding to the extension section of the mast to load an article on the elevating loading weans.
The present invention is also characterized in that the shelves are arranged only in the floor space in the clean room in a generally cylindrical form.
In addition, the present invention is a transfer system characterized by comprising an automatic warehouse including shelves arranged only in a floor space in a clean room, elevating loading means for loading an article on the shelf by elevating and lowering along a mast, an extension section obtained by extending the mast through a space under a floor or a space above a ceiling in the clean room, and an article-loading station provided at a position corresponding to the extension section of the mast to load an article on the elevating loading means, and also comprising transfer means provided in the space under the floor or the space above the ceiling to transfer an article to the loading station.
According to the present invention, the mast is extended to a position under the floor or above the ceiling, where the loading station is provided, so that the station can be provided under the floor or above the ceiling with almost no working of beams of the floor or ceiling compared to an automatic warehouse entirely penetrating through the floor or ceiling. Thus, the loading station can be easily connected to the transfer means provided in the space under the floor or in the space above the ceiling.
If the shelves are arranged in a generally cylindrical form so that the elevating loading means can elevate and lower within this circle, no running section or rail needs to be provided in the automatic warehouse, thereby simplifying the elevation or lowering of the elevating loading means to the space under the floor or the space above the ceiling along the extension section. In addition, providing the shelves only in the floor space enables the mast to be easily extended through the space under the floor or the space above the ceiling, thereby eliminating the need to work beams of the floor or ceiling.
By providing transfer means, preferably tracked transfer means in the space under the floor or the space above the ceiling, article bypass transfer paths are obtained for transfer under the floor or above the ceiling in addition to floor transfer.


REFERENCES:
patent: 5048164 (1991-09-01), Harima
patent: 5525106 (1996-06-01), Iizuka et al.
patent: 5749693 (1998-05-01), Hanaya
patent: 5788447 (1998-08-01), Yonemitsu et al.
patent: 10-98094 (1998-04-01), None
patent: 11-191582 (1999-07-01), None

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