Flexible Container Pod Structure for Robotic Order Consolidation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Fulfillment centers face inefficiencies in processing and shipping orders due to large volumes and complexities in product location management, leading to bottlenecks in sorting and packing processes, especially when items from different locations need to be consolidated for multi-item orders.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of flexible container pods that can be used with robotic systems, allowing for improved storage, transportation, and sorting of containers, reducing the weight and increasing tolerances for robotic manipulators, thereby enhancing the throughput and efficiency of order consolidation and packaging processes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If rigid container structures are used for storage and transport, then structural strength and stability are improved, but weight increases and tolerances for robotic manipulators decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies flexible container structures with thin-walled designs that can deform elastically under robotic manipulation. The flexible material allows the container to absorb manipulation errors through elastic deformation, maintaining structural integrity without requiring heavy rigid walls. This resolves the contradiction by providing sufficient strength through material properties rather than thickness, thereby reducing weight.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the structural parameter from rigid to flexible, allowing the container to dynamically adapt its shape during robotic manipulation. This parameter change enables the container to tolerate positional and orientational errors without requiring precise robotic control, effectively reducing the impact of weight reduction on manipulation precision.
2Manufacturing precision
If rigid container structures are used, then manufacturing precision and tolerance requirements are improved, but adaptability to different container sizes decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible container structure can elastically deform to accommodate various container sizes and shapes during robotic manipulation. This flexibility allows the same robotic system to handle diverse container types without requiring extremely tight manufacturing tolerances, as the flexible material absorbs dimensional variations through elastic deformation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces dynamic flexibility to the container structure, allowing it to adapt its shape in real-time during manipulation. This dynamic characteristic enables the container to adjust to different sizes and manipulation forces, reducing the need for high manufacturing precision while maintaining adaptability across various container types.
3Measurement precision
If manual labor and camera systems are used for container handling, then measurement precision and control are improved, but device complexity and processing speed decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible container structure provides self-alignment capabilities through elastic deformation, automatically compensating for positional errors during manipulation. This self-correcting property reduces or eliminates the need for external camera systems and manual intervention, thereby maintaining measurement precision while significantly increasing processing speed and automation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces optical measurement systems (cameras) and manual control mechanisms with a mechanically flexible container structure that passively compensates for positioning errors. This substitution eliminates complex sensing and control systems, reducing device complexity while maintaining or improving processing speed through the inherent mechanical compliance of the flexible material.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods are disclosed for flexible container pods for use with robotic systems. In one embodiment, an example flexible container pod may include a center plate having a plurality of apertures, a first member coupled to an upper end of the center plate, a second member coupled to the upper end of the center plate, and a base coupled to the center plate. The flexible container pod may include a first net extending from the first member to the base, a second net extending from the second member to the base, a first shelf member coupled to the first net, and a second shelf member coupled to the second net. A container can be removably positioned on the first shelf member and the second shelf member.