Ceiling-Mounted Conveyor Lift With Retractable Segments
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Solution Overview
Problem
Manual loading and unloading of items in material handling environments is costly, inefficient, and often requires complex and space-consuming devices, posing challenges due to their design and large footprint.
Innovation Solution
A ceiling-mounted item conveying apparatus with a lift device and conveyor system, comprising pivotable conveyor segments and an inverted scissor lift, allowing for adjustable height and position to facilitate automated loading and unloading of items without obstructing the environment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual loading and unloading methods are used, then labor costs and time consumption increase, but the device complexity and space requirements remain low
Solution Approach 1:
The conveyor system employs dynamically adjustable components including height-adjustable conveyor sections and rotatable conveyor segments that can adapt their position and orientation during operation. This dynamic capability allows the system to optimize its configuration for different loading scenarios while maintaining automated efficiency, resolving the contradiction between productivity and device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The conveyor system is divided into multiple independent segments including height-adjustable sections, rotatable segments, and movable conveyor parts. Each segment can be independently controlled and positioned, allowing the system to achieve complex handling operations through coordinated simple segments, thereby improving productivity without proportionally increasing overall system complexity.
2Productivity
If complex automated handling devices are deployed, then loading and unloading efficiency improves, but the device footprint and installation space increase
Solution Approach 1:
The conveyor system utilizes vertical dimension through height-adjustable sections that can raise and lower conveyor segments. This vertical mobility allows the system to clear obstacles and adapt to different loading heights without requiring additional horizontal space, thereby maintaining high automated handling efficiency while minimizing the footprint of the equipment.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates movable and rotatable components that can change position during operation. The rotatable conveyor segments and height-adjustable sections dynamically reconfigure the conveyor path, enabling the system to perform complex handling operations within a compact stationary footprint, thus resolving the contradiction between automated efficiency and space requirements.
3Adaptability or versatility
If fixed-height conveyor systems are used, then installation is simpler, but adaptability to different loading heights is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The conveyor system incorporates height-adjustable sections with mechanisms that allow vertical positioning changes. These dynamic height adjustment capabilities enable the conveyor to adapt to different loading heights and vehicle types, providing high versatility while the modular nature of the adjustment mechanisms keeps the added complexity manageable and localized to specific sections rather than the entire system.
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 apparatus reduces operational space, minimizes manual intervention, and enhances efficiency by providing a lightweight, easy-to-install solution that adapts to varying heights and positions, thus optimizing material handling operations.
Implementation Method 1
a lift device through which the conveyor is suspended, the lift device configured to manipulate a positioning of the conveyor
Implementation Method 2
an inverted scissor lift, allowing for adjustable height and position
Implementation Method 3
The plurality of conveyor segments define a conveying surface for movement/conveyance of items
Data Source
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AI summary
Various example embodiments described herein relate to an item conveying apparatus. The item conveying apparatus can include a lift device suspended from a ceiling. Further, the item conveying apparatus can include a conveyor. The conveyor can be at least partially engaged with the lift device. The lift device can cause manipulation of a position of the conveyor. Further, the conveyor can include a conveyor frame and multiple conveyor segments. The multiple conveyor segments can define a conveying surface for conveying an item. In this aspect, in an example, at least one conveyor segment can be adapted to (a) extend outwards from the conveyor frame to move the conveyor into an operational position and (b) retract, inwards within the conveyor frame to move the conveyor into a parking position.