Autonomous Cart Pin Coupling for Heavy Load Maneuvering
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicles in manufacturing environments face challenges in efficiently supporting and maneuvering large or heavy products, particularly when multiple vehicles are required to distribute the weight and navigate obstacles autonomously.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle system with a chassis, drivetrain, and actuator assembly that can couple with a cart via movable pins, allowing for controlled engagement and disengagement, and a controller that manages the drivetrain and actuators to facilitate autonomous navigation and load support.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If multiple vehicles are used to distribute weight and maneuver heavy products, then the ability to handle large loads is improved, but the device complexity and operational coordination requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple vehicle units into a coupled formation where vehicles connect via cart interfaces to share load-bearing responsibilities. The coupling mechanism allows vehicles to function as a unified system for handling heavy products that exceed the capacity of individual vehicles, thereby improving load handling capability while maintaining manageable system complexity through standardized coupling protocols.
Solution Approach 2:
The vehicle system is segmented into modular units that can independently operate or couple together based on load requirements. Each vehicle unit maintains its own propulsion and control systems, allowing the system to scale from single-vehicle operations to multi-vehicle formations, optimizing the balance between load capacity and system complexity.
2Productivity
If autonomous navigation is implemented for vehicles maneuvering products, then operational efficiency is improved, but the measurement precision and control requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The autonomous navigation system incorporates feedback mechanisms where vehicles continuously monitor their position, orientation, and coupling status with other vehicles. This feedback enables real-time adjustments to maintain precise positioning during maneuvers, ensuring accurate navigation while optimizing operational efficiency through automated control loops.
Solution Approach 2:
Vehicles perform self-positioning and self-alignment when coupling with other vehicles or navigating to destinations. The autonomous systems automatically adjust vehicle parameters and trajectories without external intervention, improving operational efficiency while managing measurement precision requirements through onboard sensing and control algorithms.
3Reliability
If pins are raised to engage the cart, then the cart coupling reliability is improved, but the vertical load on the vehicle increases
Solution Approach 1:
The pin engagement system transitions from a static to a dynamic configuration. Pins are raised only when needed for cart coupling, and the system allows for dynamic adjustment of pin positions based on operational requirements. This dynamic approach ensures reliable cart coupling when engaged while minimizing vertical load on the vehicle when pins are retracted, optimizing the balance between coupling reliability and load management.
Data Source
AI summary
A system includes a cart including a plurality of tractive elements and a platform configured to support a load and a vehicle including: a chassis, a drivetrain configured to propel the vehicle, a pin movably coupled to the chassis and configured to engage the cart to couple the cart to the chassis, an actuator assembly including at least one actuator, wherein the actuator assembly is configured to raise the pin relative to the chassis; and a controller operatively coupled to the actuator assembly and the drivetrain, wherein the controller is configured to: control the drivetrain to propel the vehicle to a position in which the pin is positioned beneath the cart; and control the actuator assembly to raise the pin until the pin engages the cart to couple the cart to the chassis.