Elevator-based tool loading and buffering system

Abstract

An exemplary embodiment a substrate transport system is provided. The system has a guideway and at least one transport vehicle. The transport vehicle is adapted for holding at least one substrate and capable of being supported from and moving along the guideway. The guideway comprises at least one travel lane for the vehicle and at least one access lane offset from the travel lane allowing the vehicle selectable access on and off the travel lane.

1 . A substrate transport system comprising:
 a guideway; and   at least one transport vehicle adapted for holding at least one substrate and capable of being supported from and moving along the guideway;   wherein the guideway comprises at least one travel lane for the at least one vehicle and at least one access lane extending substantially along and offset from the travel lane and configured to define selectable access on and off the travel lane for the vehicle, the selectable access being arranged so that the travel lane, access lane and selectable access define a selectable substantially restrictionless path along the guideway for the vehicle to have a substantially unrestricted selectably variable transport rate along the guideway independent of impediments to the vehicle transport rate disposed along the travel lane.   
     
     
         2 . The system according the  claim 1 , wherein the at least one travel lane and the at least one access lane are arranged to allow the at least one vehicle substantially unconstrained on and off access between the travel lane and access lane. 
     
     
         3 . The system according the  claim 1 , further comprising a controller communicably connected to the guideway and the at least one vehicle, and arranged to effect selection of the transport rate. 
     
     
         4 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the selectable access on and off the travel lane decouples the transport rate of the at least one vehicle along the at least one access lane from a guideway transport rate of at least another transport vehicle positioned serially adjacent to, and traveling along the guideway in a common direction with the at least one vehicle. 
     
     
         5 . The system according to  claim 4 , wherein the guideway transport rate is substantially constant along the guideway, and wherein the at least one travel lane and the at least one access lane are arranged so that the at least one vehicle and the at least other transport vehicle travel along the travel lane at the substantially constant guideway transport rate. 
     
     
         6 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one travel lane and the at least one access lane are arranged so that the at least one transport vehicle and another serially adjacent transport vehicle traveling along the at least one travel lane in a common direction and serial sequence, can change positions relative to each other to change the serial sequence. 
     
     
         7 . The system according to  claim 6 , wherein one of the at least one transport vehicle or the other transport vehicle travel along the at least one travel lane at a guideway transport rate that is substantially constant along the guideway, when the relative positions of the transport vehicles are changed to change the serial sequence. 
     
     
         8 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one transport vehicle is capable of being stopped on the at least one access lane without affecting transport rate of an immediately adjacent transport vehicle traveling along the guideway in a common direction with the at least one vehicle. 
     
     
         9 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one travel lane or the at least one access lane define a bypass lane relative to each other. 
     
     
         10 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one transport vehicle has a drive arranged to effect substantially holonomic movement of the vehicle on the guideway. 
     
     
         11 . A substrate transport system comprising:
 a guideway; and   transport vehicles, each of which is adapted for holding at least one substrate and capable of being supported from and moving along the guideway;   wherein a section of the guideway, defining a predetermined travel direction for the transport vehicles on the guideway, comprises at least one travel lane for the transport vehicles in the predetermined travel direction and at least one access lane offset from the travel lane and extending substantially along the travel lane in the predetermined travel direction allowing the vehicles selectable access on and off the travel lane;   the travel lane and access lane being arranged to enable transport vehicles serially and proximally positioned on the travel lane and having different transport rates in the predetermined direction, so that one of the transport vehicles is overtaking another, to avoid each other by accessing the access lane substantially without restriction to the transport rate of the overtaking transport vehicle.   
     
     
         12 . The system according the  claim 11 , wherein the at least one travel lane and the at least one access lane are arranged to allow the transport vehicles substantially unconstrained on and off access between the travel lane and access lane. 
     
     
         13 . The system according the  claim 11 , further comprising a controller communicably connected to the guideway and the transport vehicles, and arranged to effect selection of the transport rate. 
     
     
         14 . The system according to  claim 11 , wherein a transport rate of the at least one transport vehicle along the at least one access lane is decoupled from a guideway transport rate of at least another transport vehicle positioned serially adjacent to, and traveling along the guideway in a common direction with the at least one transport vehicle. 
     
     
         15 . The system according to  claim 14 , wherein the guideway transport rate is substantially constant along the guideway, and wherein the at least one travel lane and the at least one access lane are arranged so that the at least one transport vehicle and the at least other transport vehicle travel along the travel lane at the substantially constant guideway transport rate. 
     
     
         16 . The system according to  claim 11 , wherein the at least one travel lane and the at least one access lane are arranged so that at least one transport vehicle and another serially adjacent transport vehicle traveling along the at least one travel lane in a common direction and serial sequence, can change positions relative to each other to change the serial sequence. 
     
     
         17 . The system according to  claim 16 , wherein one of the at least one transport vehicle or the other transport vehicle travel along the at least one travel lane at a guideway transport rate that is substantially constant along the guideway, when the relative positions of the at least one transport vehicle and the other transport vehicle are changed to change the serial sequence. 
     
     
         18 . The system according to  claim 11 , wherein at least one transport vehicle is capable of being stopped on the at least one access lane without affecting transport rate of an immediately adjacent transport vehicle traveling along the guideway in a common direction with the at least one vehicle. 
     
     
         19 . The system according to  claim 11 , wherein at least one travel lane or the at least one access lane define a bypass lane relative to each other. 
     
     
         20 . The system according to  claim 11 , wherein at least one transport vehicle has a drive arranged to effect substantially holonomic movement of the vehicle on the guideway. 
     
     
         21 . A substrate transport system comprising:
 a guideway; and   at least one transport vehicle adapted for holding at least one substrate and capable of being supported from and moving along the guideway at a selectably variable transport rate;   wherein the guideway comprises at least one travel lane for the at least one vehicle and at least one access lane extending substantially along and offset from the travel lane allowing the vehicle selectable access on and off the travel lane so that the selectably variable transport rate of the vehicle along the guideway is selectable substantially without restriction substantially everywhere along the guideway.   
     
     
         22 . A substrate transport system comprising:
 a guideway; and   at least one transport vehicle, adapted for holding at least one substrate and capable of being supported from and moving along the guideway;   wherein a section of the guideway, defining a predetermined travel direction for the at least one vehicle on the guideway, comprises at least one travel lane for the at least one vehicle in the predetermined travel direction and at least one access lane extending substantially along the travel lane in the predetermined travel direction and being arranged to allow the at least one vehicle selectable access on and off the travel lane so that the at least one vehicle traveling in the predetermined travel direction along the guideway has a predetermined travel rate substantially independent of another transport vehicle positioned serially and proximally to the at least one vehicle on the travel lane.