Height-Adjustable Shelf for Transport Trolley Ergonomics
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Solution Overview
Problem
Transport trolleys face inefficiencies in handing over consignments due to laborious and unreliable processes, particularly with small or insufficiently labeled items, leading to incorrect delivery and incomplete handovers.
Innovation Solution
The transport trolley features a height-adjustable shelf that can be moved from a non-use position within the load compartment to various use positions between 1.0 m and 1.7 m above the contact plane, facilitated by a drive mechanism, allowing ergonomic and efficient access to consignments regardless of the deliverer's height, and equipped with sensors and control systems for autonomous operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If consignments are stored in a load compartment with shelves at fixed low positions, then the transport trolley can carry multiple consignments, but the consignment deliverer must bend down or reach into the compartment to access them, making the handing over process laborious and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The shelf is made height-adjustable through a drive mechanism that can move the shelf between a lowered non-use position inside the load compartment and an elevated use position outside the compartment at heights between 1.0 m and 1.7 m above the contact plane. This dynamic adjustment allows the shelf to adapt to different operational requirements, enabling easy access to consignments when needed while maintaining compact storage when not in use.
2Ease of operation
If the shelf is positioned at elevated heights for easy access, then the consignment deliverer can efficiently hand over consignments, but the transport trolley occupies more vertical space and the shelf may interfere with the load compartment when not in use
Solution Approach 1:
The shelf system is divided into distinct operational states: a non-use position where the shelf is lowered inside the load compartment to minimize vertical space occupation, and use positions where the shelf is elevated outside the compartment for easy access. The drive mechanism enables seamless transition between these segmented states, allowing the system to optimize for either storage compactness or operational efficiency depending on the situation.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the shelf height is fixed, then the transport trolley structure is simpler, but it cannot accommodate deliverers of different heights or provide ergonomic access for all users
Solution Approach 1:
The shelf height parameter is made variable rather than fixed. A drive mechanism is provided to adjust the vertical position of the shelf, enabling it to reach different heights between 1.0 m and 1.7 m above the contact plane. This parameter change allows the system to adapt to deliverers of different heights and provide ergonomic access, while the automated drive reduces the operational complexity for the user.
Data Source
AI summary
A transport trolley for consignments having wheels which define a contact plane for moving the trolley, having a load compartment for receiving consignments during transport, and having a shelf for carrying consignments. The shelf can be adjusted from a lower non-use position arranged in the load compartment into an upper, moderate use position arranged outside the load compartment, and back. The shelf can be adjusted from a lower non-use position arranged in the load compartment into an upper, elevated use position arranged outside the load compartment, and back. The moderate use position and the elevated use position are arranged in a range between 1.0 m and 1.7 m above the contact plane. The elevated use position is arranged above the moderate use position, and a drive is provided for at least partially adjusting the height of the shelf above the contact plane.