Dual-Row Cart Connector Assembly for Shorter Cart Trains
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current motorized cart collectors are inefficient in managing long lines of nested carts, leading to reduced control, increased accident likelihood, and obstruction of pedestrian and vehicle traffic, as they typically push a single row of carts.
Innovation Solution
A motorized cart collector with a mobile body and a cart connector assembly that allows for the simultaneous attachment and pulling of two rows of carts, featuring pivotally connected cart connectors and a cart separator to maintain distance between carts, enhancing maneuverability and reducing traffic obstruction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If a motorized cart collector pushes a single line of nested carts, then the collection process can be automated, but the line of carts becomes long and cumbersome making maneuvering difficult and increasing accident likelihood
Solution Approach 1:
The cart collection system is segmented into two separate rows instead of one long line. The collector vehicle has two independent cart connectors that can attach to and pull two separate rows of carts simultaneously, dividing the single long line into two shorter, more manageable rows that are easier to control and maneuver.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from a single-dimensional (one-line) cart arrangement to a two-dimensional (two-row) configuration. By utilizing the lateral dimension and positioning carts in parallel rows, the system reduces the effective length of each cart line while maintaining capacity, improving maneuverability without sacrificing automation.
2Extent of automation
If a motorized cart collector pushes a single line of nested carts, then automation is achieved, but pedestrian and vehicle traffic are blocked leading to customer frustration
Solution Approach 1:
By dividing the cart collection into two separate rows pulled simultaneously, the system reduces the length of each individual cart line. This segmentation allows the collector to navigate through parking lots more efficiently, blocking traffic for shorter periods and reducing the overall impact on pedestrian and vehicle flow while maintaining automated operation.
3Productivity
If the line of nested carts gets long, then more carts can be collected at once, but operator control is reduced and accidents become more likely
Solution Approach 1:
The system maintains high productivity by collecting two rows of carts simultaneously, effectively doubling the collection capacity. However, it segments each row into manageable lengths that are easier to control, reducing the risk of accidents while maintaining or increasing overall cart collection efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the structural parameter of cart arrangement from a single long line to two shorter parallel rows. This parameter change maintains the total number of carts collected (productivity) while reducing the length parameter of each individual line, thereby improving control and safety.
Data Source
AI summary
A motorized cart collector for pulling two rows of carts in a forward direction over a surface includes a mobile body having a frame and a cart connector assembly. The cart connector assembly is pivotally connected to a rear end of the frame for pivotal movement about a vertical axis that is approximately perpendicular to the surface. The cart connector assembly includes first and second cart connectors that respectively configured to simultaneously attach to first and second lead carts. Also disclosed is a method of pulling two rows of carts using the cart collector.