Container Transport With Adjustable Support For Vertical Storage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Inventory systems face inefficiencies in space and equipment utilization, leading to lower throughput, long response times, and increased costs due to capacity constraints, making it difficult to accommodate additional items without expensive expansions or relocations.
Innovation Solution
A container management system that includes a robotic manipulator and container transport with a conveyor and manipulation assembly, enabling automated movement and positioning of containers within a warehouse environment, allowing for efficient loading, unloading, and repositioning of containers to optimize storage and processing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If inventory storage location is filled to capacity with items and equipment, then storage capacity is maximized, but the cost of adding additional space or moving items to secondary location increases prohibitively
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts container storage capacity by stacking containers vertically to different heights based on real-time inventory needs. The support structure includes adjustable support members that can be positioned at different heights, allowing the system to expand storage capacity vertically rather than requiring expensive horizontal expansion or relocation to secondary facilities.
2Productivity
If traditional manual container handling is used, then equipment complexity is minimized, but throughput and system performance deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs automated robotic manipulators that autonomously handle container stacking, retrieval, and repositioning operations. The robotic system self-manages inventory organization by automatically adjusting container positions and heights based on stored instructions, eliminating the need for manual handling while significantly improving throughput and system performance.
3Adaptability or versatility
If fixed-height container stacking is used, then structural simplicity is maintained, but adaptability to different inventory needs is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The support structure is segmented into multiple adjustable support members that can be independently positioned at different heights. This segmentation allows the system to create variable-height storage zones within the container stack, enabling flexible accommodation of different inventory requirements while maintaining a relatively simple overall structural design.
Solution Approach 2:
The support members are designed to be adjustable and repositionable, transforming the static support structure into a dynamic system. This allows the container stacking height and configuration to be adaptively changed based on inventory needs, providing versatility without requiring complete structural redesign.
Data Source
AI summary
A container transport can receive and move a container between positions along a container passage defined by the container transport. The container transport can include a manipulation device for engaging with the container and moving the container onto a conveyance surface of the container transport. The conveyance surface can convey the container along the container passage, and the manipulation device can move the container off of the conveyance surface.