Abstract: An overhead transport vehicle temporarily places a FOUP at a ceiling suspended shelf while transporting the FOUP to a target position by traveling along a rail on a ceiling of a building from which the ceiling suspended is suspended. The ceiling suspended shelf includes an upper shelf including an upper support surface that supports the FOUP. A level of the upper support surface is the same or substantially the same as a level of the rail.

Abstract: An overhead transport vehicle travels along a rail on a ceiling of a building to transport a FOUP. The overhead transport vehicle includes a holding base and an upper shelf transfer device. The holding base holds at least one of a side surface and a bottom surface of the FOUP. The upper shelf transfer device moves the holding base at least upwardly while holding the FOUP. The upper shelf transfer device moves the holding base from the holding position in which the holding base holds and transfers the FOUP to the upper transfer position to transfer the FOUP, which is a different position from the holding position in a plan view and higher than the holding position.

Abstract: A traveling vehicle system may include a traveling vehicle and a track including first tracks, second tracks, and a partial track. The traveling vehicle may include a traveler to travel on an upper side of the track, a main body below the track, and a coupler to couple the traveler and the main body. A gap through which the coupler passes when the traveling vehicle travels may be between the first track and the partial track, and between the second track and the partial track. The traveler may include a direction changer to change a traveling direction of the traveling vehicle by turning wheels respectively around four turning axes perpendicular to respective axles of the wheels. In a plan view, none of sides of a quadrilateral with the turning axes defining vertices thereof is parallel to the first or second track.

Abstract: In a wafer storage container, a first ring and a second ring are stacked alternatively in a vertical direction. A wafer delivery device is provided with a first ring support and a second ring support. The first ring support includes a first support piece fixed at the vertical position and a first driving mechanism to drive the first support piece. The first driving mechanism is selectively switchable among a first state, a second state, and a third state. In the first state, the first support piece overlaps with the first position in a plan view. In the second state, the first support piece overlaps with the second position in a plan view. In the third state, the first support piece does not overlap with the first and the second positions in a plan view.

Abstract: A conveyance system includes a traveling area and a suspension traveling vehicle. The traveling area includes a grid area and a linear area. In the grid area, since first tracks are disposed side by side and second tracks are disposed side by side so that the first tracks and the second tracks intersect, the grid area includes unit blocks of the same shape or substantially the same shape surrounded by the first tracks and the second tracks. Both the first tracks and the second tracks surrounding the unit blocks are provided with an interstice that allows a supporting body to pass, and the interstice is perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of each track. A traveling direction is the same or substantially the same as the first direction or the second direction in the linear area, and the interstice perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the traveling direction is not provided in the linear area.

Abstract: A traveling vehicle system includes a track and a ceiling traveling vehicle. The track includes a first track, a second track, and a connection track. The ceiling traveling vehicle includes a direction changer that turns a coupler, which couples a traveling wheel and a main body to each other and passes through a gap D-between the first track or the second track and the connection track. A guider is provided in the coupler, moves along a first guide surface in a first state in which the traveling wheel rolls on the first track, and moves along a second guide surface in a second state in which the traveling wheel rolls on the second track.

Abstract: An overhead transport vehicle travels along a rail on a ceiling of a building to transport a FOUP. The overhead transport vehicle includes a holding base and an upper shelf transfer device. The holding base holds at least one of a side surface and a bottom surface of the FOUP. The upper shelf transfer device moves the holding base at least upwardly while holding the FOUP. The upper shelf transfer device moves the holding base from the holding position in which the holding base holds and transfers the FOUP to the upper transfer position to transfer the FOUP, which is a different position from the holding position in a plan view and higher than the holding position.

Abstract: An overhead transport vehicle temporarily places a FOUP at a ceiling suspended shelf while transporting the FOUP to a target position by traveling along a rail on a ceiling of a building from which the ceiling suspended is suspended. The ceiling suspended shelf includes an upper shelf including an upper support surface that supports the FOUP. A level of the upper support surface is the same or substantially the same as a level of the rail.

Abstract: A conveyance system includes a traveling area and a suspension traveling vehicle. The traveling area includes a grid area and a linear area. In the grid area, since first tracks are disposed side by side and second tracks are disposed side by side so that the first tracks and the second tracks intersect, the grid area includes unit blocks of the same shape or substantially the same shape surrounded by the first tracks and the second tracks. Both the first tracks and the second tracks surrounding the unit blocks are provided with an interstice that allows a supporting body to pass, and the interstice is perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of each track. A traveling direction is the same or substantially the same as the first direction or the second direction in the linear area, and the interstice perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the traveling direction is not provided in the linear area.

Abstract: A transfer device includes a first engaging member to be inserted between a first engagement receiving portion, which is spaced away from a first surface portion of an article toward an outside in a transfer direction by a predetermined distance, and the first surface portion, due to rotation of the first engaging member about a first axis of rotation along the transfer direction. The first engaging member includes a first push-up portion which lifts the first surface portion by making contact with a first jaw portion in a state in which the first jaw portion protrudes toward the outside from the first surface portion.

Abstract: A transfer device includes a first engaging member to be inserted between a first engagement receiving portion, which is spaced away from a first surface portion of an article toward an outside in a transfer direction by a predetermined distance, and the first surface portion, due to rotation of the first engaging member about a first axis of rotation along the transfer direction. The first engaging member includes a first push-up portion which lifts the first surface portion by making contact with a first jaw portion in a state in which the first jaw portion protrudes toward the outside from the first surface portion.