Adjustable Conveyor Tracks for Freight Loading Density
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing freight carrier loading systems face inefficiencies in handling freight units of varying dimensions and properties, leading to suboptimal capacity usage and ergonomic challenges for manual loading, as they often rely on fixed conveyor widths that do not accommodate different sizes and stability, resulting in gaps and reduced loading density.
Innovation Solution
The system adjusts the distance between conveyor tracks based on the properties of freight units, allowing for reliable support and orientation, filling gaps between units and the loading aid, and enabling ergonomic handling by adjusting the conveyor tracks to match the width of the freight units, ensuring stable and dense stacking.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a fixed width positioning conveyor unit is used to accommodate the biggest freight units, then large freight units can be handled, but gaps are left between smaller freight units and the conveyor or walls, reducing capacity usage
Solution Approach 1:
The positioning conveyor unit's width is made dynamically adjustable through movable lateral guides that can be positioned at different distances from the conveyor centerline. This allows the conveyor width to adapt to the actual size of each freight unit being loaded, eliminating fixed gaps and maximizing loading density while maintaining versatility across different freight unit dimensions.
2Ease of operation
If manual loading is performed without adjustable conveyor support, then operational flexibility is maintained, but ergonomics deteriorate due to difficulty in accessing and handling freight units
Solution Approach 1:
The lateral guides are designed to be movable along the conveyor, allowing operators to adjust the support position to match the width of different freight units. This dynamic adjustment capability improves ergonomic conditions by providing proper support and accessibility for manual handling, while the relatively simple mechanical adjustment mechanism keeps device complexity manageable.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a consignment system and method for loading a freight carrier (2) with freight units (4) forming a freight stack (3), either manually or on an automated basis. The consignment system comprises a device (1) with a positioning conveyor unit (16) which has conveyor tracks (50a, 50b) which can be adjusted by means of a displacement device (52) to a distance (53) determined on the basis of the conveying property of the freight unit (4) to be stacked and/or from a gap width (81) of a stack gap in a stack position of the freight stack (3).