Abstract: An article transport facility includes a transport vehicle and a segment controller. When the transport vehicle is to travel on a first route section, the transport vehicle requests first passage permission, which is passage permission to travel past a first passage location, from the segment controller. When the transport vehicle is to travel on a second route section, the transport vehicle requests second passage permission, which is passage permission to travel past a second passage location, from the segment controller. In response to the request for both the first passage permission and the second passage permission, the segment controller, if the first passage location and the second passage location are both unoccupied by preceding transport vehicles, permits the transport vehicle to travel from the first route section or second route section into a connecting route section and to occupy both the first passage location and the second passage location.

Abstract: A normal control mode and a substitute control mode are set, as control modes that are executed by a control system including a higher-level control device and a section control device. The normal control mode is a mode in which control of a transport vehicle in a specific section is performed by the section control device responsible for the specific section, and the substitute control mode is a mode in which control of the transport vehicle in a specific section is performed by the higher-level control device instead of the section control device responsible for the specific section. The substitute control mode is executed in response to at least one of an anomaly occurring in communication between the section control device and the higher-level control device and an anomaly occurring in communication between the section control device and the transport vehicle.

Abstract: An update processing section distributes update data for section control software to a target section control device targeted for update from among a plurality of section control devices. Upon receipt of the update data, the target section control device executes software update to update the section control software by use of the update data. During the execution of the software update by the target section control device, the superior control device executes alternative control to control a carrier traveling in a specific section corresponding to the target section control device, instead of the target section control device.

Abstract: A control device that performs control to manage the passage of article transport vehicles in a management zone can execute: basic processing for permitting a first article transport vehicle to enter the management zone if no article transport vehicle is present in the management zone, and prohibiting a second article transport vehicle from entering the management zone if the first article transport vehicle is present in the management zone; and first exception processing for permitting the second article transport vehicle to enter the management zone in a case where, even if the first article transport vehicle is present in the management zone, the first article transport vehicle is an article transport vehicle that stops at a station provided in the first path, and the second article transport vehicle passes through a second path and a third path but does not pass through the first path.

Abstract: A flow rate measurement system measures, by using a flow rate measurement device, a flow rate of cleaning gas in a container storage facility including: a storage rack including supporting portions; a transport device that transports a container to the supporting portions; and a gas supply device that supplies the cleaning gas to the container supported by the supporting portions. The transport device and the flow rate measurement device are connected via a power line communicatively by wire or wireless. The flow rate measurement device measures the flow rate of the cleaning gas in a state in which the transport device has transported the flow rate measurement device and the flow rate measurement device is placed on a target supporting portion.

Abstract: Before a moving member that moves along a moving path stops, an article transport facility starts protrusion control by which a moving support portion that is provided on the moving member is moved so as to protrude toward a fixed support portion, and thereafter the article transport facility appropriately determines whether or not to continue the protrusion control. Upon the moving member reaching a protrusion start position, the protrusion control is started so that the moving support portion is moved to protrude, even if the moving member has not stopped. After the moving member has reached a position at which a detection unit that is fixed to the moving member can detect a detection target member that is provided on the fixed support portion, the execution of the protrusion control is continued as long as the detection unit is detecting the detection target member.

Abstract: An inactive gas introducing facility for a storage rack is provided in which supply of inactive gas to a container is stopped if an open state of an inspection door is detected while in a normal stop state in which a stop nullifying command is not issued and in which the supply of the inactive gas based on the immediately preceding supply pattern is continued and any changes, through manual operation, to a parameter that defines the immediately preceding supply pattern are prohibited, if an open state of an inspection door is detected while in a stop nullifying state in which the stop nullifying command is issued.

Abstract: A plurality of transport controls selectively performed by a transport control device include a second transport control performed on a selected one of a first article transport device and a second article transport device as a target article transport device such that the target article transport device is moved only in a first path portion to transport articles when the target article transport device is the first article transport device, and that the target article transport device is moved only in a second path portion to transport the articles when the target article transport device is the second article transport device.

Abstract: In an article storage facility, a door pivotable about a door pivot axis extending in a second direction is provided in an opening which is formed in a path-dividing wall portion that divides a traveling path and through which a transport movable body can pass. The door is configured such that its position is switchable between a closed position in which the door extends along the path-dividing wall portion and blocks the opening and an open position in which the door is located on an internal space side and opens the opening so that the transport movable body can pass through the opening.

Abstract: A flow rate measurement system measures, by using a flow rate measurement device, a flow rate of cleaning gas in a container storage facility including a storage rack including supporting portions; a transport device that transports a container to the supporting portions; and a gas supply device that supplies the cleaning gas to the container supported by the supporting portions. The transport device and the flow rate measurement device are connected via a power line communicatively by wire or wireless. The flow rate measurement device measures the flow rate of the cleaning gas in a state in which the transport device has transported the flow rate measurement device and the flow rate measurement device is placed on a target supporting portion.

Abstract: Before a moving member that moves along a moving path stops, an article transport facility starts protrusion control by which a moving support portion that is provided on the moving member is moved so as to protrude toward a fixed support portion, and thereafter the article transport facility appropriately determines whether or not to continue the protrusion control. Upon the moving member reaching a protrusion start position, the protrusion control is started so that the moving support portion is moved to protrude, even if the moving member has not stopped. After the moving member has reached a position at which a detection unit that is fixed to the moving member can detect a detection target member that is provided on the fixed support portion, the execution of the protrusion control is continued as long as the detection unit is detecting the detection target member.

Abstract: When a transport start condition, which includes at least a condition that the controller is receiving a closed state signal, is satisfied, a controller allows a transport operation by an article transport device, and suspends the transport operation by the article transport device when the controller stops continually receiving the closed state signal after the transport operation by the article transport device is started, and further, allows the transport operation by the article transport device to continue while the controller is receiving the closed state signal after the transport operation by the article transport device is started, even if an object to be detected is detected by a monitoring detector.

Abstract: A first control device executes, if it is determined that a second control device has become unable to output an operation instruction, continued operation processing for operating an inactive gas supply portion based on the operation instruction that was last output by the second control device. The first control device further executes, if it is determined during execution of continued operation processing that a stop condition is satisfied, operation stop processing for stopping the inactive gas supply portion by suspending the continued operation processing.

Abstract: A storage facility includes a controller for monitoring a supply state of the inactive gas for the plurality of storage sections and for controlling the plurality of supply amount adjusting devices. The controller is configured to monitor the supply state of the inactive gas for the plurality of storage sections by dividing the plurality of storage sections into a plurality of monitoring areas, and to control a plurality of supply amount adjusting devices such that the supply state of the inactive gas supplied to the storage sections belonging to each of the plurality of monitoring areas satisfies a set restricting condition defined in advance.

Abstract: An inactive gas introducing facility includes an introducing device disposed in a support portion supporting a container accommodating a substrate and configured for introducing inactive gas to the inside of the container through a gas feed opening of the container with discharging gas present inside the container to the outside through a gas discharge opening of the container and a controller for controlling operation of the introducing device. The introducing device is capable of varying the feed rate of the inactive gas. The controller is configured to control the operation of the introducing device such that in the feeding of the inactive gas to the container supported to the support portion, the feed rate is increased progressively to a target feed rate.

Abstract: An inactive gas introducing facility for a storage rack is provided in which supply of inactive gas to a container is stopped if an open state of an inspection door is detected while in a normal stop state in which a stop nullifying command is not issued and in which the supply of the inactive gas based on the immediately preceding supply pattern is continued and any changes, through manual operation, to a parameter that defines the immediately preceding supply pattern are prohibited, if an open state of an inspection door is detected while in a stop nullifying state in which the stop nullifying command is issued.

Abstract: A plurality of transport controls selectively performed by a transport control device include a second transport control performed on a selected one of a first article transport device and a second article transport device as a target article transport device such that the target article transport device is moved only in a first path portion to transport articles when the target article transport device is the first article transport device, and that the target article transport device is moved only in a second path portion to transport the articles when the target article transport device is the second article transport device.

Abstract: When a transport start condition, which includes at least a condition that the controller is receiving a closed state signal, is satisfied, a controller allows a transport operation by an article transport device, and suspends the transport operation by the article transport device when the controller stops continually receiving the closed state signal after the transport operation by the article transport device is started, and further, allows the transport operation by the article transport device to continue while the controller is receiving the closed state signal after the transport operation by the article transport device is started, even if an object to be detected is detected by a monitoring detector.

Abstract: An inactive gas introducing facility for a storage rack is provided in which supply of inactive gas to a container is stopped if an open state of an inspection door is detected while in a normal stop state in which a stop nullifying command is not issued and in which the supply of the inactive gas based on the immediately preceding supply pattern is continued and any changes, through manual operation, to a parameter that defines the immediately preceding supply pattern are prohibited, if an open state of an inspection door is detected while in a stop nullifying state in which the stop nullifying command is issued.

Abstract: Proper article storage management is made possible in the article storage facility which stores articles in containers and in an inactive gas environment. The article storage facility includes a storage rack having storage sections, a transport portion which transports containers to the storage sections, gas supplying portions each of which supplies inactive gas to the container stored in the storage section, and a display. The display displays display sections such that the arrangement of the display sections corresponds to the arrangement of the storage sections in the storage rack and displays a supply state of inactive gas in each of the display sections.