AGV Shaft Alignment for Electrode Reel Core Transport

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional methods for transporting electrode reel cores in battery production require excessive manpower, leading to inefficiencies and risks of injury due to the heavy weight of the cores, as they rely on manual handling and skilled operators for precise movement.

Innovation Solution

An automated guided vehicle (AGV) equipped with a position adjustment module that decodes identifiers on facilities to align the shaft, a pusher for moving objects, and a fixing unit to prevent objects from falling, allowing for automated and efficient transport of multiple objects to facilities with varying heights.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Extent of automation

If manual handling is used to transport electrode reel cores, then flexibility and adaptability are maintained, but excessive manpower is consumed and injury risks increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveautomation of transportVSAvoidcomplexity of transport system
Core Design Contradiction:
Extent of automationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The AGV autonomously navigates to facilities, identifies shaft positions using cameras and identifiers, adjusts its own shaft alignment, and transports objects without continuous human intervention, enabling the system to serve itself

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

Manual mechanical handling by human operators is replaced with an automated guided vehicle system that uses cameras, identifier decoding, and automated shaft position adjustment mechanisms to perform transport tasks

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Productivity

If skilled operators manually transport electrode reel cores, then precise control is achieved, but productivity decreases and labor costs increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetransport efficiencyVSAvoidoperational simplicity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system autonomously performs navigation, identification, alignment adjustment, and transport execution without requiring skilled operators, thereby improving productivity while maintaining operational capability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The camera captures identifier images, the decoder processes them to determine shaft positions, and the position adjustment module uses this feedback information to automatically align the shaft, creating a closed-loop control system that improves both productivity and operational simplicity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Reliability

If manual pushing is used to move objects between facilities, then adaptability to varying facility positions is maintained, but safety risks increase due to heavy object weights

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetransport safetyVSAvoidlevel of automated handling
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSExtent of automation

Solution Approach 1:

The AGV autonomously performs the entire transport process including navigating to facilities, aligning shafts, and moving objects, eliminating the need for manual handling and thereby improving safety while maximizing automation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The AGV acts as an intermediary between facilities, automatically transporting objects without requiring direct human contact with heavy objects, thereby improving safety while maintaining high levels of automation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

4Loss of time

If multiple transport stages are used to move electrode reel cores through the facility, then flexibility in routing is maintained, but loss of time increases due to multiple handling steps

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetotal transport timeVSAvoidnumber of transport stages
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of timeVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Multiple separate transport stages and handling operations are merged into a single automated guided vehicle that can transport objects directly between facilities, reducing total transport time while managing system complexity through integration

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentEP4001204B1Automated guided vehicle for transporting electrode reel core
Publication Date: 2024.08.28 SAMSUNG SDS CO LTD
  • EP4001204B1 patent drawingFigure 1(a)~1(b)
  • EP4001204B1 patent drawingFigure 2(a)~2(b)
  • EP4001204B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

An automated guided vehicle for transporting an object to a facility according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a main body, a shaft provided in the main body for guiding movement of the object to the facility and to face a front direction of the main body, a camera provided at one end of the shaft for photographing a front direction of the main body, and a position adjustment module for decoding an identifier when an image photographed by the camera includes the identifier displayed on the facility, and using a result of the decoding to adjust a position, toward which the one end of the shaft is directed.