Article storage facility

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional article storage facilities with blower devices between flow path spaces and storage sections incur high running costs, leading to imbalances in gas flow rates, causing backflow of gas into storage sections and inadequate dust removal on upstream sections.

Innovation Solution

The facility includes a gas supply portion above the transport and flow path spaces, with a guide portion that directs gas flow from high-pressure flow path spaces to low-pressure transport spaces, eliminating the need for blower devices between storage sections and ensuring balanced gas flow and effective dust removal.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If blower devices are provided between flow path spaces and storage sections to achieve uniform gas flow rate, then gas flow uniformity is improved, but running cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvegas flow uniformityVSAvoidrunning cost

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSUse of energy by stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The invention extracts and removes the blower devices from the system between flow path spaces and storage sections. By eliminating these energy-consuming devices, the patent achieves cost reduction while maintaining gas flow uniformity through alternative structural design of the partition bodies with optimized ventilation openings.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The partition bodies are designed to automatically regulate gas flow distribution without external mechanical assistance. The ventilation openings in the partition bodies enable the system to self-balance gas flow rates across different storage sections through passive pressure equalization, eliminating the need for active blower control.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

2Use of energy by stationary object

If blower devices are omitted to reduce running cost, then running cost decreases, but gas flow balance deteriorates causing backflow into storage sections

Engineering Contradiction:

Improverunning costVSAvoidgas flow balance

Core Design Contradiction:

Use of energy by stationary objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The partition bodies are designed with locally optimized ventilation openings at specific positions to control gas flow characteristics. By adjusting the location, size, and distribution of these openings in different partition bodies, the system achieves balanced gas flow across all storage sections without requiring active control devices.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The invention changes the physical parameters of the partition bodies, specifically the configuration of ventilation openings (size, position, number), to optimize gas flow distribution. This passive parameter adjustment replaces active mechanical control, maintaining gas flow balance while reducing energy consumption.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Use of energy by stationary object

If blower devices are omitted to reduce running cost, then running cost decreases, but dust removal capability on upstream sections becomes insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:

Improverunning costVSAvoiddust contamination

Core Design Contradiction:

Use of energy by stationary objectVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The partition bodies are pre-configured with ventilation openings positioned to establish proper gas flow patterns before dust generation occurs. This preliminary structural arrangement ensures that gas flows in a direction that naturally carries dust particles away from upstream storage sections, preventing contamination without requiring additional energy input.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This configuration inhibits backflow of gas into storage sections, enhances dust removal on upstream sections, and reduces operational costs by eliminating the need for blower devices between storage sections.

Implementation Method 1

a guide portion that guides a gas that has flowed in from the flow inlet to an upper end portion of the flow path space and an upper end portion of the transport space so that an air pressure inside the transport space is smaller than an air pressure inside the flow path space

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPressure gradient: Pressure Gradient

Data Source

PatentUS10804128B2Article storage facility

Publication Date: 2020.10.13 DAIFUKU CO LTD

AI summary

A transport space Si is formed in front of an article storage rack 1, and a plurality of up-down partition bodies that partition storage sections 1a adjacent to each other in an up-down direction are provided in the article storage rack 1. A flow path space S2 extending in the up-down direction is formed between a wall portion 43 and the plurality of storage sections 1a, and each of the plurality of storage sections 1a is located between the flow path space S2 and the transport space S1, and is in communication with the flow path space S2 and the transport space S1. A gas supply portion 51 includes a flow inlet 53 into which a gas from the outside flows, and is in communication with an upper end portion of the transport space S1 and an upper end portion of the flow path space S2. The gas supply portion 51 includes a guide portion that guides the gas that has flowed in from the flow inlet 53 to the flow path space S2 and the transport space Si such that the air pressure inside the transport space S1 is smaller than the air pressure inside the flow path space S2.