An apparatus for storage of a carrying material, includes: a body frame; a plurality of loading members installed on the body frame and disposed such that a carrying material forms a plurality of layers in upper and lower directions; a driving unit connected to at least one of the plurality of loading members; and an auxiliary coupling unit provided in a portion of the plurality of loading members for attachment and detachment to and from a neighboring loading member, wherein the plurality of loading members are provided with a plurality of first loading members fixedly installed at a lower end portion of the body frame, and a plurality of second loading members disposed above the first loading member and movably installed on the body frame, wherein the driving unit is connected to at least one of the plurality of second loading members, wherein the auxiliary coupling unit includes an electromagnet installed at one end of the second loading members, and a magnetic body installed at the other end of the second loading members and the body frame to correspond to the electromagnet.

Provided are an interface apparatus for resolving congestion through a non-stop interface between a transporting device and a logistics automation storage device, and a container transporting system having the same. The interface apparatus includes a saddle for receiving a container from a container transporting device; and a circulating path for providing a route for transporting the container seated on the saddle to a container storage device, wherein the saddle receives the container while moving together with the container transporting device.

An accommodation device for accommodating storage containers of pre-assorted goods, including at least one holding frame and a plurality of storage containers for accommodating pre-assorted goods. The holding frame includes a plurality of spaced-apart holders, and each storage device includes a suspension device made to fit one of the holders. Each suspension device is adapted to be attached to one of the holders for suspendingly arranging the respective storage device at the holding frame. At least some of the holders respectively include a safety device which cooperates with the suspension device when the suspension device is attached to a holder and, in a locking position, prevents the suspension device from detaching itself from the respective holder.

Detecting, locating, identifying, engaging, and/or shifting objects in automated or semi-automated fashion as well as methods, systems, apparatuses, and computer-program products therefor. Embodiments used for shifting objects in automated or semi-automated fashion may be implemented in stationary environments, and/or in moving, e.g., in-transit, environments, and may be used to transfer, route, and/or organize objects based on their designated destinations. The embodiments may further be implemented in a logistics network, thereby increasing the efficiency and capacity of the logistics network, among other benefits.

An article transport facility includes article transport vehicles that travel along a specified travelable path, and a control device that controls the article transport vehicles. The travelable path includes nodes and links each connecting a pair of the nodes. The control device sets a setting path based on a link cost that is set for each of the links. The link cost includes a reference cost and a variable cost. The reference cost is a value that is set based on a reference passage time that is required for a target vehicle to pass through a target link in a state in which another vehicle is not present in the target link. The variable cost is a value that is set based on a vehicle count-related increased time by which an actual passage time is increased relative to the reference passage time according to the number of the other vehicles present in the target link, the actual passage time being a time required for the target vehicle to pass through the target link.

A system for guiding the movement of one or more load handling devices in operation includes: a) a first set of parallel tracks and a second set of parallel tracks, the first and second sets of parallel tracks sharing a common track, each track of the first and second set of parallel tracks providing a track surface; and b) a first load handling device and a second load handling device, each having a wheel assembly engaging with the track surface and with the track surface of the common track; wherein each track of the first and second sets of parallel tracks include only two guide surfaces extending from the track surface for guiding the first and second load handing devices along their respective first and second sets of parallel tracks.

An overhead transport vehicle includes a gripper unit that grips an article, a hoist unit that lifts and lowers the gripper unit, and a hoist support unit supporting the hoist unit. The hoist unit is vertically movably mounted on the hoist support unit, and an anti-vibration member is interposed between the hoist support unit and the hoist unit.

A suspension conveyor system for sorting products, having a plurality of conveyor bags for at least one product. The conveyor bags may be moved along a continuous closed conveyor path, wherein the suspension conveyor system comprises conveyor means, configured to move the conveyor bags, at least one loading source, configured to load the conveyor bags with the at least one product, a control unit, configured to control the conveyor means, and at least one first unloading line having a plurality of unloading positions along a first closed conveyor path. At least one further unloading line is arranged having a plurality of unloading positions along at least one further closed conveyor path, wherein the at least two closed conveyor paths are connected to one another via at least two gates, wherein the conveyor bags may be controlled, independently from one another, in regard to the conveyor path using the conveyor means.

In an article transport vehicle that is able to transport a plurality of types of articles, the efficiency of operations is improved in accordance with the type of article, while suppressing an increase in the size of the article transport vehicle. If a control device determines that an article held by a holding portion is a first-type article, the control device controls the transfer mechanism so as to cause the turning mechanism to perform a turning mechanism and cause a sliding mechanism to perform a sliding operation such that operation periods of these operations do not overlap. If the control device determines that the article held by the holding portion is a second-type article, the control device controls the transfer mechanism so as to perform the turning operation and the sliding operation such that the operation periods of these operations overlap.

A travel path of an article transport facility provided with a plurality of article transport vehicles that travel along the travel path and transport articles, and a control device that controls operation of the article transport vehicles includes a path set in an inspection area for causing a target transport vehicle designated as an inspection target from among the plurality of article transport vehicles to travel along. The target transport vehicle includes a sensor that detects behavior of the target transport vehicle during travel. The control device controls the plurality of article transport vehicles such that only the one target transport vehicle is present in the inspection area, and causes the target transport vehicle to travel in the inspection area in an inspection travel pattern prescribed in advance.