AGV Luggage Storage with Vertical Stacked Containers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current luggage storage and sequencing systems are labor-intensive, prone to errors, and inefficient, requiring substantial space and capital investment, with limited flexibility to handle individual or smaller groups of bags, especially when itinerary changes occur.
Innovation Solution
A system and method utilizing automatic guided vehicles and vertically stacked containers with loading and unloading assemblies, controlled by a wireless control system, to efficiently store and sequence luggage items, minimizing space and labor costs while allowing for flexible expansion and reduction of components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual handling methods are used to store luggage items, then labor intensity and error rates increase, but the system requires minimal capital investment
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs automatic guided vehicles that autonomously navigate, locate, and transport luggage containers without human intervention. The AGVs self-direct to storage locations, retrieve containers, and deliver them to loading areas, enabling the system to serve itself and eliminating manual handling errors while maintaining operational efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical handling with an automated electromechanical system. Automatic guided vehicles use sensors, controllers, and automated navigation to substitute human operators, while robotic loading assemblies use automated mechanisms to transfer luggage between containers and conveyors, eliminating manual labor and improving reliability
2Area of stationary object
If conventional belt conveyor systems are used to store luggage, then substantial floor space and capital investment are required, but the system can handle large groups of bags
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from horizontal floor-space-based storage to vertical three-dimensional storage. Containers are stacked vertically on elevated platforms, utilizing the vertical dimension rather than consuming floor space. Multiple shelves and stacked containers maximize space utilization upward, reducing the horizontal footprint while maintaining or increasing handling capacity through automated vertical access
Solution Approach 2:
The storage system is divided into modular containers that can be independently stacked, moved, and managed. Each container serves as a discrete unit that can be handled by individual AGVs, allowing flexible configuration and efficient space utilization. This segmentation enables the system to handle luggage in manageable units rather than requiring continuous conveyor belts across large areas
3Adaptability or versatility
If entire belt sections are used to store luggage groups, then the system can accumulate large numbers of bags, but flexibility to process individual bags is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides luggage storage into discrete, independently manageable containers rather than continuous belt sections. Each container can be individually retrieved, transported, and processed by separate AGVs, enabling the system to handle individual bags or small groups without requiring reconfiguration of entire storage sections. This granular segmentation provides maximum flexibility for various processing scenarios
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs dynamically controllable AGVs that can adapt their routes, speeds, and destinations in real-time based on individual luggage processing requirements. The automated guided vehicles can be dynamically reassigned to different containers and locations, allowing the system to flexibly respond to changing processing needs without physical reconfiguration, maintaining adaptability while managing complexity through software control
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for storing and sequencing a plurality of luggage items. The method includes receiving at least one of the luggage items into a loading area from an entrance conveyor disposed in the loading area. Once received, the luggage items are moved from the entrance conveyor onto a shelf of a container with a loading assembly. The method continues with transporting the container from the loading area to the storage area with an automatic guided vehicle with the luggage item disposed on the shelf of the container. When the luggage items are ready to be processed, the method continues with transporting the first container from the storage area to the unloading area with the automatic guided vehicle with the received luggage item disposed on the shelf of the container. Different embodiments of the loading and unloading assemblies are provided.