Patents by Inventor Hideo Yoshioka

Hideo Yoshioka has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 10486903
    Abstract: A first guiding body and a second guiding body are arranged in a positional relationship according to which the position in the vertical direction of the upper end portion of a first movement path of a first moving body and the position in the vertical direction of the lower end portion of a second movement path of a second moving body are overlapped with each other. The first moving body includes a first transfer apparatus, and the second moving body includes a second transfer apparatus. Relay support platforms that can support articles are arranged at positions that are not overlapped with the first movement path or the second movement path, and that enable the articles to be transferred from both the first transfer apparatus and the second transfer apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignee: Daifiki Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hideo Yoshioka, Kenichi Tanaka, Ryoji Morishita
  • Patent number: 10287096
    Abstract: An article support rack is disclosed having a plurality of rack portions. Each shelf row includes one or more main body portions and rib portions, and is supported by shelf support members in a cantilever fashion from a back-face side. Each of the rib portions is located, in plan view, between two articles that are adjacent to each other along a first direction and that are supported by a lower level shelf row which is one of the shelf rows that is located one level below a shelf row to which the rib portion is provided. Each of the rib portions has a first portion located higher than lower level articles each of which is an article supported by the lower level shelf row, and a second portion located lower than the first portion. Each second portion is so located that the second portion does not overlap with the maximum width areas of a lower level article as seen along the first direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2019
    Assignee: Daifuku Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tadahiro Yoshimoto, Hideo Yoshioka, Takeshi Abe
  • Publication number: 20190002200
    Abstract: An article support rack is disclosed having a plurality of rack portions. Each shelf row includes one or more main body portions and rib portions, and is supported by shelf support members in a cantilever fashion from a back-face side. Each of the rib portions is located, in plan view, between two articles that are adjacent to each other along a first direction and that are supported by a lower level shelf row which is one of the shelf rows that is located one level below a shelf row to which the rib portion is provided. Each of the rib portions has a first portion located higher than lower level articles each of which is an article supported by the lower level shelf row, and a second portion located lower than the first portion. Each second portion is so located that the second portion does not overlap with the maximum width areas of a lower level article as seen along the first direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2018
    Publication date: January 3, 2019
    Inventors: Tadahiro Yoshimoto, Hideo Yoshioka, Takeshi Abe
  • Patent number: 10159860
    Abstract: An article transport facility is provided in which, when a fire breaks out on a floor below, smoke etc. can be prevented from entering floors above through an opening. An opening, which a raised and lowered member can move through in a vertical direction, is formed in an intermediate floor portion located between the floor above and the floor below. A fire door for opening and closing the opening is provided. A gas ejection device having an ejecting portion for ejecting gas is provided at a lower position than the fire door. The ejecting portion ejects gas horizontally toward an area directly below a gap formed at an edge of the fire door when the opening is closed by the fire door.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignee: Daifuku Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hideo Yoshioka
  • Patent number: 10081494
    Abstract: A support member includes a first positioning portion for properly positioning a small container, and a second positioning portion for properly positioning a large container. The first positioning portion includes one or more first support members for supporting the small container, and first engaging members for engaging first engaged portions. The second positioning portion includes one or more second support members for supporting the large container at a height at which the bottom surface of the large container is located at a higher position than the upper ends of the first engaging members, a second engaging member provided outside the first supporting area for engaging a second engaged portion, and one or more contact members provided outside the first supporting area for contacting the large container from one or more sides.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2018
    Assignee: Daifuku Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hideo Yoshioka, Takafumi Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 9815624
    Abstract: An inter-floor transport facility in which a raising and lowering transport device is provided for each of the raising and lowering paths that are adjacent to each other. Receiving platforms include a carry in article receiving platform for supporting an article that is being carried in to the floor, a carry out article receiving platform for supporting an article that is being carried out from the floor, and a storage-purpose receiving platform for storing a transported article. On each floor, the carry in article receiving platform and the carry out article receiving platform are so located that the article can be transferred between one transfer device and both of the carry in article receiving platform and the carry out article receiving platform, and the storage-purpose receiving platform is so located that all of the transfer devices can transfer the article to or from the storage-purpose receiving platform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Assignee: Daifuku Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hideo Yoshioka
  • Publication number: 20170183156
    Abstract: A first guiding body and a second guiding body are arranged in a positional relationship according to which the position in the vertical direction of the upper end portion of a first movement path of a first moving body and the position in the vertical direction of the lower end portion of a second movement path of a second moving body are overlapped with each other. The first moving body includes a first transfer apparatus, and the second moving body includes a second transfer apparatus. Relay support platforms that can support articles are arranged at positions that are not overlapped with the first movement path or the second movement path, and that enable the articles to be transferred from both the first transfer apparatus and the second transfer apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2016
    Publication date: June 29, 2017
    Inventors: Hideo Yoshioka, Kenichi Tanaka, Ryoji Morishita
  • Patent number: 9685361
    Abstract: A support body includes a protrusion that protrudes in the horizontal direction from a base and passes through a notch in the vertical direction when a container is transferred, and the lateral width of the protrusion is formed to be narrower than the lateral width of the container. A small container and a large container configured to be wider than the small container in the lateral width direction exist as the container. The support body includes, as support body-side supporting parts, three support body-side small container supporting parts that support three small container supported parts located on the bottom surface of the small container, and a support body-side edge supporting part that supports an edge of the outer periphery of the bottom surface of the large container near the base.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2017
    Assignee: Daifuku Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hideo Yoshioka
  • Patent number: 9682821
    Abstract: An article transport facility comprises storage sections, a transport device, a controller, and a learning module. The transport device has a transfer device having a support portion, and a light-emitter-receiver. The controller is caused to store information that indicates a second target position at which the transfer device is located when transferring an article, and information that indicates a first target position to which the support portion is moved. Each of a plurality of storage sections is provided with a reflector. A learning control performed by the controller is a control in which a first target position and a second target position are learned based on information of an image of the reflector captured by the imaging device of the learning module and pre-learning position information. Each reflector has a first area which forms the periphery of the reflector, and a second area in the first area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2017
    Assignee: Daifuku Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Junichi Sakamoto, Hideo Yoshioka
  • Publication number: 20170137220
    Abstract: An article transport facility comprises storage sections, a transport device, a controller, and a learning module. The transport device has a transfer device having a support portion, and a light-emitter-receiver. The controller is caused to store information that indicates a second target position at which the transfer device is located when transferring an article, and information that indicates a first target position to which the support portion is moved. Each of a plurality of storage sections is provided with a reflector. A learning control performed by the controller is a control in which a first target position and a second target position are learned based on information of an image of the reflector captured by the imaging device of the learning module and pre-learning position information. Each reflector has a first area which forms the periphery of the reflector, and a second area in the first area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 16, 2016
    Publication date: May 18, 2017
    Inventors: Junichi Sakamoto, Hideo Yoshioka
  • Publication number: 20160336209
    Abstract: A support member includes a first positioning portion for properly positioning a small container, and a second positioning portion for properly positioning a large container. The first positioning portion includes one or more first support members for supporting the small container, and first engaging members for engaging first engaged portions. The second positioning portion includes one or more second support members for supporting the large container at a height at which the bottom surface of the large container is located at a higher position than the upper ends of the first engaging members, a second engaging member provided outside the first supporting area for engaging a second engaged portion, and one or more contact members provided outside the first supporting area for contacting the large container from one or more sides.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 11, 2016
    Publication date: November 17, 2016
    Inventors: Hideo Yoshioka, Takafumi Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 9457955
    Abstract: An article storage facility includes a measuring jig for measuring an amount of tilt of a support body. A controller for controlling operation of an article transport device performs a tilt measurement control for controlling operation of the article transport device to transport the measuring jig sequentially to each of a plurality of measurement target storage sections which is all or part of the plurality of storage sections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: Daifuku Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuya Omori, Hiromichi Aoki, Hideo Yoshioka, Sadato Matsuki
  • Publication number: 20160214831
    Abstract: An article transport facility is provided in which, when a fire breaks out on a floor below, smoke etc. can be prevented from entering floors above through an opening. An opening, which a raised and lowered member can move through in a vertical direction, is formed in an intermediate floor portion located between the floor above and the floor below. A fire door for opening and closing the opening is provided. A gas ejection device having an ejecting portion for ejecting gas is provided at a lower position than the fire door. The ejecting portion ejects gas horizontally toward an area directly below a gap formed at an edge of the fire door when the opening is closed by the fire door.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2016
    Publication date: July 28, 2016
    Inventor: Hideo Yoshioka
  • Publication number: 20160130084
    Abstract: An article storage facility includes a measuring jig for measuring an amount of tilt of a support body. A controller for controlling operation of an article transport device performs a tilt measurement control for controlling operation of the article transport device to transport the measuring jig sequentially to each of a plurality of measurement target storage sections which is all or part of the plurality of storage sections.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 10, 2015
    Publication date: May 12, 2016
    Inventors: Kazuya Omori, Hiromichi Aoki, Hideo Yoshioka, Sadato Matsuki
  • Patent number: 9272844
    Abstract: A vertically moving device includes a spool mechanism for spooling at least two wires that are fed out to form loops and a vertically movable platform suspended by looped portions of the at least two wires fed out from the spool mechanism. The vertically movable platform includes at least four wire-guiding rotating bodies over which the looped portions of the wires are run.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignee: Daifuku Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hideo Yoshioka
  • Patent number: 9245782
    Abstract: An article storage facility includes a storage rack configured to store a semiconductor wafer and a reticle, and a storage and retrieval transport apparatus. The storage rack includes a first accommodation unit configured to store a wafer container for containing the semiconductor wafer, and a second accommodation unit configured to store a reticle container for containing the reticle. The storage and retrieval transport apparatus includes a holding unit configured to hold a top flange formed at an upper portion of the wafer container to support the wafer container in a hanging state. A flange portion configured to allow the storage and retrieval transport apparatus to hold the reticle container using the holding unit to support the reticle container in a hanging state is formed at an upper portion of the reticle container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Assignee: Daifuku Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hideo Yoshioka, Takamichi Kanno
  • Publication number: 20160013087
    Abstract: An inter-floor transport facility in which a raising and lowering transport device is provided for each of the raising and lowering paths that are adjacent to each other. Receiving platforms include a carry in article receiving platform for supporting an article that is being carried in to the floor, a carry out article receiving platform for supporting an article that is being carried out from the floor, and a storage-purpose receiving platform for storing a transported article. On each floor, the carry in article receiving platform and the carry out article receiving platform are so located that the article can be transferred between one transfer device and both of the carry in article receiving platform and the carry out article receiving platform, and the storage-purpose receiving platform is so located that all of the transfer devices can transfer the article to or from the storage-purpose receiving platform.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 13, 2015
    Publication date: January 14, 2016
    Inventor: Hideo Yoshioka
  • Patent number: 9187300
    Abstract: An article storage facility includes an elevating scaffold capable of ascending/descending in a movement space across a withdrawal height that is set on an upper side and a plurality of working heights that are set in intermediate locations in the movement space in the vertical direction. A plurality of support bodies that support the elevating scaffold are provided in the vertical direction so as to respectively correspond to the plurality of working heights, and at least a support body other than the lowermost support body of the plurality of support bodies is configured to be movable to an acting position at which the support body protrudes toward the movement space so as to support the elevating scaffold and a withdrawal position at which the support body retracts toward the article storage shelf so as not to come into contact with the elevating scaffold moving up and down.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2015
    Assignee: Daifuku Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hideo Yoshioka, Atsushi Fujiwara, Ryou Yamashita
  • Patent number: 9169066
    Abstract: A work platform on which a worker can ride includes a suspended portion supported above a floor surface, the suspended portion being movable by a movement rail provided upwardly of a movement path, and a platform portion provided in the form of a plate on which the worker can ride, the platform portion having a base end connected to a lower end portion of the suspended portion to be pivotable about an axis along the direction of lateral width of the movement path. With pivotal movements about the axis, the platform portion can selectively assume a riding posture wherein the platform portion extends along the movement path so that the worker riding on this platform portion can move along the longitudinal direction of the movement path and a folded posture wherein the platform portion is folded toward the suspended portion to extend along the vertical direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2015
    Assignee: Daifuku Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasushi Morikawa, Hideo Yoshioka
  • Publication number: 20150262855
    Abstract: A support body includes a protrusion that protrudes in the horizontal direction from a base and passes through a notch in the vertical direction when a container is transferred, and the lateral width of the protrusion is formed to be narrower than the lateral width of the container. A small container and a large container configured to be wider than the small container in the lateral width direction exist as the container. The support body includes, as support body-side supporting parts, three support body-side small container supporting parts that support three small container supported parts located on the bottom surface of the small container, and a support body-side edge supporting part that supports an edge of the outer periphery of the bottom surface of the large container near the base.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2015
    Publication date: September 17, 2015
    Inventor: Hideo Yoshioka