Independent Cart Pin Interface for Single-Vehicle Load Distribution
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicles in manufacturing environments face challenges in efficiently supporting and maneuvering large products, particularly when multiple vehicles are required to distribute weight and navigate obstacles, leading to increased costs and operational complexity.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle with a cart interface that includes a frame, tractive elements, and a cart coupling mechanism with actuators to engage and disengage pins, allowing for flexible attachment and detachment of carts, enabling efficient weight distribution and maneuverability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If multiple vehicles are used to distribute weight and maneuver large products, then the load capacity and maneuverability are improved, but the operational complexity and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The cart interface is divided into independent pin assemblies (first pin assembly, second pin assembly, third pin assembly) that can operate independently. Each pin assembly has its own actuator, allowing selective engagement and disengagement of individual pins without requiring coordination of multiple actuators, thus reducing operational complexity while maintaining the ability to handle heavy loads through distributed pin engagement
Solution Approach 2:
The pin assemblies are designed with movable pins that can be dynamically positioned between engaged and disengaged states. The actuators enable dynamic reconfiguration of the cart-vehicle connection, allowing the system to adapt to different maneuvering requirements without requiring multiple vehicles to be coordinated simultaneously
2Force
If multiple vehicles are used to distribute weight, then the weight distribution is improved, but the costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The weight distribution function is segmented across multiple independent pin assemblies rather than requiring multiple vehicles. Each pin assembly independently supports a portion of the cart weight, enabling a single vehicle to distribute and bear the total load through multiple engagement points, thereby eliminating the need for additional vehicles while maintaining proper weight distribution
3Reliability
If a cart interface with multiple pins is used to engage the cart, then the reliability of cart attachment is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cart interface is segmented into multiple independent pin assemblies, each with its own actuator. This segmentation allows each pin to be controlled independently, so that if one pin or actuator fails, the other pins remain functional, thereby maintaining cart attachment reliability while keeping each individual component relatively simple and manageable
Solution Approach 2:
Each pin assembly is equipped with its own actuator, enabling self-contained operation without requiring external coordination. The actuators can independently move their respective pins between engaged and disengaged states, allowing the system to maintain reliable attachment through redundant independent units rather than through a single complex interconnected mechanism
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 allows for reduced vehicle load and enhanced maneuverability, minimizing costs by optimizing weight distribution and facilitating the movement of large products with minimal vertical load transmission.
Implementation Method 1
an actuator coupled to the first pin and configured to move the first pin from the first lowered position to the first raised position
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle includes a chassis, a frame, a tractive element, a drive motor, and a cart interface. The cart interface includes a base frame coupled to the frame assembly of the vehicle, and a first and second pin assembly. The first and second pin assembly each include first pin configured to engage a cart and a actuator configured to raise the pin relative to the frame. The first pin assembly also includes a first linear actuator configured to bias the first pin relative to the first linear actuator and to permit relative movement between the first pin and first linear actuator. The cart interface includes a first actuator to reposition the first pin independently of the second pin and is configured to hold the pin in either of a lowered position, a raised position above a lowered position and an intermediate position between the raised and lowered positions.