Automatic Frame Locking Hook for Driverless Transport Vehicles
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing locking systems for driverless transport vehicles and movable frames require manual operation and additional components, leading to inefficiencies and increased process time, especially when securing frames at stationary workstations to prevent unintentional movement.
Innovation Solution
A locking apparatus with a pivoting latching hook and latching apparatus that automatically locks and unlocks the frame without manual intervention, utilizing gravitational or spring forces for movement, and a sensor for frame detection, allowing for compact and flexible alignment and operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual operation of locking apparatus is used, then reliability of locking is improved, but productivity and process time deteriorate due to additional manual steps required
Solution Approach 1:
The locking apparatus is designed to lock and unlock automatically without manual intervention. The latching hook pivots autonomously between locking and unlocking positions based on the presence or absence of a frame, and the latching apparatus blocks or releases the hook automatically, enabling the system to serve itself and eliminate the need for manual operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The latching apparatus is positioned and configured in advance to engage with the latching hook at the precise moment when the frame reaches the locking position. The blocking position is prepared beforehand, so that when the frame is pushed onto the apparatus, the locking action occurs automatically without requiring subsequent manual steps.
2Productivity
If additional components such as springs or drives are added to enable automatic locking, then productivity is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The latching hook is designed with a specific weight distribution and geometry such that gravitational force naturally causes it to pivot into the locking position when a frame is present and into the unlocking position when the frame is removed. This eliminates the need for additional springs or motorized drives to provide the pivoting motion.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the frame's own weight and the gravitational field to drive the locking and unlocking actions. The frame, when placed on the rollers, automatically triggers the latching hook to pivot and engage, and when removed, gravity causes the hook to return to its unlocked position without requiring external power sources or additional mechanical components.
3Ease of manufacture
If latching hook geometry is optimized for compact arrangement, then ease of manufacture is improved, but adaptability to different frame alignments deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The latching portion of the hook extends perpendicular to the control portion, creating a two-dimensional configuration that allows the hook to engage frames from different directions. This orthogonal arrangement enables the same compact structure to accommodate various frame alignments while maintaining ease of manufacture.
Solution Approach 2:
The latching hook is designed with a universal geometry that can engage with frames in multiple orientations. The capturing contour and perpendicular arrangement allow the single hook structure to perform multiple locking functions for different frame positions and alignments, eliminating the need for multiple specialized components.
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 solution enables automatic locking and unlocking of movable frames, reducing process time and eliminating the need for manual operation, while ensuring secure frame alignment and detection, thus enhancing the efficiency and reliability of driverless transport operations.
Implementation Method 1
a pivoting movement of the latching hook from the locking position into the unlocking position is effected by a gravitational force acting on the latching hook, e.g., on the latching portion
Implementation Method 2
a pivoting movement of the latching hook from the locking position into the unlocking position is effected by a spring force acting on the latching hook
Data Source
AI summary
A locking apparatus for locking to a movable frame includes a base, a latching hook which is pivotable relative to the base about a pivot pin extending in a transverse direction between a locking position and an unlocking position, and a latching apparatus for blocking the latching hook on the base in the locking position. The latching hook has a latching portion and a control portion, and the latching portion has a capturing contour for receiving a profile of a frame in the locking position. The latching hook is arranged such that, when a locking force is applied to the control portion, the latching hook is pivoted from the unlocking position into the locking position, and the latching apparatus is configured and arranged such that the latching hook is blocked automatically by the latching apparatus when the locking position is reached, in which the latching apparatus comes into a blocking position. A driverless transport vehicle includes a drive device, an electrical energy store for supplying power to the drive device, and a control unit for controlling the drive device, at least one locking apparatus.