Double-Decker Industrial Cart with Adjustable Height
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional carts are inadequate for efficiently transporting multiple loaded crates or pallets in manufacturing environments, lacking the capacity to support dual levels and flexible attachment options for manual and automated movement.
Innovation Solution
A heavy-duty industrial cart with a lower and upper frame, vertical posts for adjustable height, and hitch assemblies for attachment to utility vehicles, enabling dual-level support and flexible movement of crates or pallets, along with corner supports and rotatable arms for manual handling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If conventional single-level carts are used, then the cart structure is simple, but the cart cannot support multiple loaded crates or pallets simultaneously
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from a single-level horizontal arrangement to a dual-level vertical arrangement by adding an upper frame above the lower frame. This vertical dimension allows the cart to carry multiple crates or pallets stacked one above another, effectively doubling the carrying capacity without significantly increasing the horizontal footprint of the cart.
Solution Approach 2:
The cart is divided into distinct functional segments: a lower frame for supporting the first level of loads, an upper frame for the second level, vertical posts connecting the frames, and hitch assemblies for attachment. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently while working together to achieve the dual-level carrying capability.
2Adaptability or versatility
If fixed-height upper frame is used, then the structure is stable, but the cart cannot adapt to different crate or pallet heights
Solution Approach 1:
The upper frame is designed with adjustable height capability through vertical posts that can be positioned at different heights above the lower frame. This dynamic adjustment allows the cart to adapt to various crate and pallet heights, ensuring optimal stability and load distribution for different loading configurations without requiring multiple fixed-height cart designs.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the cart is designed for manual pushing, then the cart can be easily maneuvered, but it cannot be efficiently pulled by automated vehicles
Solution Approach 1:
The cart incorporates universal hitch assemblies that enable it to function in multiple operational modes: it can be manually pushed by workers, pulled by automated warehouse vehicles, or connected to other carts in a train configuration. The hitch assemblies provide standardized attachment points that accommodate different operational requirements, making the cart versatile for both automated and manual logistics environments.
4Productivity
If the cart carries more loads, then transportation efficiency improves, but the cart occupies more space
Solution Approach 1:
By utilizing the vertical dimension through the upper frame, the cart increases its load-carrying capacity without proportionally increasing its horizontal footprint. The stacked configuration allows multiple crates or pallets to be carried in a compact vertical arrangement, improving transportation efficiency while minimizing the space the cart occupies when not in use.
Data Source
AI summary
Carts, dollies, heavy-duty industrial carts, pull carts, push carts, platform carts, etc., which are typically designed to move along a substantially horizontal surface, are provided herein. An industrial cart, according to one implementation, includes a lower frame having sufficient dimensions so as to support a lower crate (or pallet) having a known size. The industrial cart also includes a plurality of wheel assemblies connected to an underside of the lower frame. Also, the industrial cart includes an upper frame having sufficient dimensions so as to support an upper crate (or pallet) having a known size. Furthermore, the industrial cart includes a plurality of vertical posts configured to support the upper frame at any of a plurality of fixed heights above the lower frame.