Bidirectional Trolley with Retractable Hook for Tight Access
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing trolleys used in industrial settings for transporting containers are too tall, making it difficult for operators to load and unload materials easily, and they lack bidirectional movement capabilities, restricting maneuverability and access in tight spaces.
Innovation Solution
A lowered bidirectional trolley with a rotary rear system and a retractable hook allows for easy access from three sides, reducing the number of handling maneuvers by enabling tight turns and connection to other trolleys, while maintaining a low profile and easy operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the trolley height is reduced to improve operator accessibility, then loading and unloading becomes easier, but the hook height may become insufficient for connection operations
Solution Approach 1:
The hook is designed to be movable relative to the trolley body, capable of extending vertically when needed for connection operations and retracting when not in use. This dynamic adjustment allows the hook to reach sufficient height for coupling with other trolleys while maintaining a low profile during transport, thus resolving the contradiction between accessibility and connection capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The hook mechanism is nested within the trolley structure, allowing it to be stored compactly when not in use. The hook can be extended from its nested position to achieve the required height for connection operations, enabling the trolley to maintain a low overall height while still providing sufficient hook reach when needed.
2Productivity
If the trolley is designed for bidirectional movement to improve maneuverability, then the number of handling maneuvers is reduced, but the steering mechanism becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The steering system is segmented into multiple independent wheel units, each capable of rotation around a vertical axis. This segmentation allows each wheel to be controlled independently, enabling the trolley to change direction by adjusting the rotation of individual wheels, thus achieving bidirectional movement without requiring a complex centralized steering mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The wheel units are designed with dynamic rotation capability, allowing them to adjust their orientation in real-time based on steering requirements. Each wheel can rotate to different angles to enable the trolley to move in various directions, providing flexible bidirectional movement while keeping the overall steering mechanism relatively simple through distributed control.
3Productivity
If the trolley is lowered to improve accessibility from three sides, then loading and unloading efficiency increases, but the structural stability may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The trolley employs a rotary system with wheels arranged in a circular pattern around the container. This circular configuration distributes the load evenly across multiple contact points, providing stable support even at reduced height. The curved geometry of the wheel arrangement enhances structural rigidity and balance, preventing instability that might result from lowering the trolley profile.
Solution Approach 2:
The structural reinforcement is applied locally at critical areas such as the wheel mounting points and container support regions. By strengthening these specific locations rather than uniformly increasing overall height, the trolley maintains structural stability and load-bearing capacity while keeping the overall profile low for improved accessibility.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
Bidirectional trolley (1) comprising a drawbar (2), two pivoting front wheels (6, 6') a push handle (3), a loading and unloading plan (4) for a box (5) for moving items. The bidirectional trolley comprises a rotary system (10), placed in the rear portion of the trolley (1), and comprising two non-pivoting wheels (8', 8' ' ) placed on the same horizontal axis, a pivoting wheel (8) placed at 45° with respect to the other two non-pivoting wheels (8', 8'') and a hook (12), configured for assuming a resting position in which it is completely retracted under the plan (4) between the two non-pivoting wheels (8' and 8''), in order to permit to an operator to approach the most to the box (5) for moving items, for an easy unloading and loading of the box (5) itself.