Container Handling Vehicle With Self-Centring Lift for Grid Alignment
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The top level of automated storage and retrieval systems becomes congested with container-handling vehicles, impeding operation, and existing solutions with lifting devices above the grid level risk errors due to deviation or inclination when retrieving or introducing containers, leading to potential sticking or failure in entering storage columns.
Innovation Solution
A container handling vehicle with a lifting device featuring a container centring device that extends around the lifting frame, with edge elements interacting with storage column rails to centre the container, ensuring accurate alignment and preventing horizontal movement during lowering, thus reducing the risk of deviation and improving retrieval accuracy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If container-handling vehicles operate on the top level of the grid, then container retrieval and storage operations can be performed, but congestion occurs impeding vehicle operation
Solution Approach 1:
The lifting device is positioned above the top level of the grid, utilizing a higher vertical dimension to perform container operations. This elevates the operating plane away from the congested top level, allowing vehicles to access containers without interfering with or being impeded by other vehicles moving on the top level rails.
2Productivity
If lifting devices are positioned above the grid level, then container operations can be performed, but alignment errors occur due to deviation or inclination
Solution Approach 1:
The container centring device performs preliminary alignment actions before the container is fully lowered into the storage column. The edge elements of the centring device interact with the peripheral parts of the storage column to centre the container horizontally, ensuring proper alignment is established in advance to prevent deviation and sticking during the lowering operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The container centring device acts as an intermediary mechanism between the lifting device and the storage column. It provides a mediating function by centreing the container relative to the storage column through interaction between its edge elements and the peripheral parts of the column, thereby ensuring accurate alignment without requiring perfect precision from the lifting device itself.
3Speed
If containers are lowered into storage columns without centring, then operation speed increases, but horizontal movement causes deviation and entry failure
Solution Approach 1:
The container centring device performs the centring action during the lowering process itself, rather than requiring a separate preliminary positioning step. The edge elements interact with the storage column peripheral parts to continuously centre the container as it descends, maintaining reliable alignment throughout the operation without significantly reducing lowering speed.
Solution Approach 2:
The container centring device enables the container to centre itself relative to the storage column through the interaction between the edge elements and the peripheral parts of the column. This self-centring mechanism ensures reliable horizontal alignment without requiring external intervention or complex control systems, maintaining both speed and reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
A container handling vehicle for an automated storage and retrieval system includes a three-dimensional grid having multiple storage columns, in which containers are stored one on top of another in vertical stacks. The container handling vehicle is arrangeable above a top level of the grid for retrieving a container from, and storing a container in, at least some of the storage columns, and/or for transporting a container horizontally across the top level of the grid. The container handling vehicle has a lifting device including a lifting frame for releasable connection to a container, and lifting bands arranged to lower and raise the lifting frame relative to the storage columns. The lifting device includes a container centring device arranged to extend around portions of the lifting frame. The container centring device having a lower open end including at least one edge element for interaction with a peripheral part of the upper end of a storage column. The edge element is arranged such that a container connected to the lifting frame is centred relative said upper end when the edge element interacts with the peripheral part.