Container Door Latch State Indicators for Safe Transport
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Solution Overview
Problem
Containers and carts with movable doors or closures often pose a risk of items falling out during transport due to being in the open position, leading to potential damage or inefficiencies in material handling operations.
Innovation Solution
Integration of state identifiers on cart closure systems to indicate whether doors are in a closed or open position, using visible and scannable indicators that prevent movement when doors are unlocked, ensuring safe and efficient operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If doors and closures are kept open to facilitate loading and unloading operations, then ease of operation is improved, but safety and operational efficiency deteriorate due to risk of items falling out during transport
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses color-coded state identifiers (e.g., green for closed/locked, red for open/unlocked) on door closure systems to provide immediate visual indication of door status. This allows operators to quickly assess whether doors are properly secured before transport, eliminating the need to physically check each door while maintaining safety through clear visual cues that prevent transport of carts with open doors.
2Reliability
If state identifiers are added to cart closure systems to indicate door status, then safety and operational efficiency are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The closure system is divided into functional components: the door, the closure mechanism (latch/clamp), and the state identifier element. Each component performs a specific function, and the state identifier is segmented into simple visual indicators that can be independently viewed or scanned. This modular segmentation allows the safety function to be added without requiring complete system redesign.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using complex electronic sensors or automated detection systems, the patent uses simple visual copies or representations of door status through state identifiers. These identifiers are essentially visual copies of the actual door state (open/closed, locked/unlocked) that can be quickly interpreted by operators or scanning systems, providing safety information without the complexity of electronic monitoring.
3Productivity
If visual and scannable state identifiers are implemented on closures, then operational efficiency is improved through faster detection, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The state identifier elements are designed to serve multiple functions simultaneously: they provide visual indication for operators, machine-readable information for scanning systems, and durable marking that withstands manufacturing and usage conditions. By making the state identifier multi-functional, the patent achieves fast detection capabilities without requiring separate components for visual and electronic identification, thereby simplifying manufacturing.
Data Source
AI summary
Container closure systems may include various types of latches to secure doors. The latches may present one or more state identifiers, such as open state identifiers and closed state identifiers. Different state identifiers may be presented and scannable based on a state of the door and latch. For example, an open state identifier may be presented and scannable if a door is open and unlocked, and a closed state identifier may be presented and scannable if a door is closed and locked. By scanning and identifying the state identifiers, safe and efficient operations of containers may be facilitated.