Changing Cubicles With Integrated Rack Storage And Manipulator Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing changing areas in thermal baths, public swimming pools, fitness studios, and industrial plants require significant space and generate unnecessary pedestrian traffic, increasing the risk of infection transmission and being costly and complex.
Innovation Solution
A changing area design with integrated rack storage units and a manipulator system that allows users to access their storage boxes directly from the changing room, eliminating the need for separate lockers and reducing unnecessary movement, while using a manipulator to manage storage box placement and retrieval efficiently.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If separate lockers are located outside the changing room, then storage security is improved, but user convenience deteriorates and pedestrian traffic increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the locker and changing room into a single integrated unit. The locker is positioned inside the changing room with direct access through an opening in the wall, eliminating the need for users to travel between separate locations. This merging maintains security through the integrated design while dramatically improving convenience by allowing users to access their lockers immediately upon entering the changing room.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediate area with a conveyor belt system that acts as a mediator between the storage area and changing rooms. This automated intermediary transports lockers to the front of changing rooms, allowing users to access their storage without leaving the changing room, thus resolving the contradiction between security and convenience.
2Ease of operation
If wide aisles and hallways are provided for pedestrian traffic, then user movement is facilitated, but space consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the pedestrian traffic function from the changing area by implementing automated conveyor belts that transport lockers autonomously. This eliminates the need for users to walk between lockers and changing rooms, allowing aisles to be narrowed significantly while maintaining ease of access.
Solution Approach 2:
The conveyor belt system provides self-service by automatically transporting lockers to the appropriate changing rooms without requiring user intervention or movement through corridors. This reduces pedestrian traffic to minimal levels while preserving user accessibility.
3Productivity
If automated conveyor belts and storage retrieval machines are used, then storage efficiency is improved, but system complexity and manufacturing costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the automated storage system into modular units, with each changing room having its own integrated locker and conveyor interface. This segmentation allows for simpler, more manageable system architecture compared to a centralized complex system, reducing overall manufacturing and operational costs while maintaining storage efficiency.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a changing area comprising a plurality of changing cubicles, wherein each changing cubicle comprises a plurality of walls and a door, wherein one wall of the changing cubicle has an opening which exposes a storage space for a storage box, wherein a plurality of changing cubicles are arranged in a row next to one another, wherein a shelving system for storage boxes is arranged behind the changing cubicle walls that have openings, and wherein a plurality of storage locations for storage boxes are arranged next to one another and one above the other in the shelving system, wherein the shelving system is arranged directly behind the changing cubicle walls that have openings, the storage locations assigned to the changing cubicles are integrated into the shelving system, a manipulator with an effector is provided behind the shelf storage, and all storage locations of the shelf storage, including the intermediate storage locations, can be reached by the effector of the manipulator.