Article Transport Facility with Elevated Receiving Surface
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing article transport facilities require a large horizontal distance to soften the impact of articles dropped from a transport vehicle, leading to increased facility size.
Innovation Solution
An article transport facility with a transport vehicle that supports articles from below and includes a dropping mechanism, and an article receiving apparatus with a receiving surface disposed higher than the travel surface, allowing for a shortened vertical distance between the supporting and receiving surfaces to soften the impact without increasing horizontal space.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a chute sloping downward is used to guide articles from the supporting surface to the receiving surface, then the impact of dropped articles is softened, but a large horizontal distance is required which increases facility size
Solution Approach 1:
The invention transitions from a horizontal chute arrangement to a vertical arrangement by positioning the receiving surface at a higher elevation than the supporting surface. This dimensional change allows the article to travel vertically downward, softening impact through the height difference while eliminating the need for extensive horizontal space.
2Ease of operation
If the receiving surface is positioned lower than the supporting surface, then articles can be guided down a chute, but the horizontal distance between transfer means and unloading part must be large
Solution Approach 1:
The invention inverts the conventional arrangement by positioning the receiving surface higher than the supporting surface rather than lower. This inversion allows articles to be guided downward vertically, eliminating the need for long horizontal chutes while maintaining ease of article guidance through gravity-assisted descent.
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
The impact of articles dropped from the transport vehicle is softened, and space savings are achieved by shortening the vertical distance between the supporting and receiving surfaces.
Implementation Method 1
the impact of the article when dropped onto the receiving surface of the article receiving apparatus from the transport vehicle to be softened
Data Source
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AI summary
Provided is an article transport facility including a transport vehicle (1) that transports articles (G) by traveling on a travel surface (Fa), and an article receiving apparatus (2) that receives the articles (G) from the transport vehicle (1). The transport vehicle (1) includes a supporting surface (11f) that supports the articles (G) from below, and a dropping mechanism (12) that drops the articles (G) supported on the supporting surface (11f). The article receiving apparatus (2) includes a receiving surface (20f) that receives the articles (G) dropped by the transport vehicle (1). The receiving surface (20f) is disposed higher than the travel surface (Fa).