Floor Foundation Gap Covering for Safe Pallet Transfer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing floor slab foundation systems in production plants for precast concrete components lack a safe and effective solution for covering gaps above transverse conveyor devices, which pose safety hazards and disrupt the smooth operation of pallet circulation systems.
Innovation Solution
A gap covering device with height-adjustable cover plates or a flexible belt, guided by a traction mechanism, is integrated to cover and lift pallets above the gap, ensuring safe and continuous pallet transport across transverse conveyors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a gap covering device is installed to cover the gap above the transverse conveyor device, then safety hazards are eliminated and operational safety is improved, but device complexity increases due to the additional covering mechanism
Solution Approach 1:
The gap covering device employs a dynamic cover plate that can move between a retracted position (when not in use) and a covering position (when a pallet is being lifted). The cover plate is height-adjustable and can be raised by the lifting means to cover the gap during pallet transfer operations, then retracted to allow the transverse conveyor carriage to pass freely. This dynamic behavior provides safety only when needed while maintaining operational freedom during normal conveyor movement.
Solution Approach 2:
The cover plate is designed to replicate or mirror the contour and height of the lifting means, ensuring that when the cover plate is in the covering position, it perfectly matches the shape and elevation of the lifting mechanism below. This copying approach allows the cover plate to provide complete gap coverage and safety protection while maintaining aesthetic continuity with the surrounding floor surface.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the lifting means is made height-adjustable to lift pallets and cover plates, then pallet transport functionality is improved, but device complexity and control difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The lifting means serves a dual function: it simultaneously lifts the pallet from the longitudinal conveyor and raises the cover plate to cover the gap. By merging these two lifting actions into a single mechanical mechanism, the system achieves adaptability for both pallet handling and gap coverage without requiring separate control systems. The cover plate is mechanically coupled to the lifting means so that activation of the lifting mechanism automatically performs both functions in unison.
Solution Approach 2:
The cover plate is designed to be passively lifted by the lifting means without requiring its own independent actuation mechanism. When the lifting means activates to lift a pallet, the cover plate automatically rises along with it due to the mechanical coupling between them. This self-service approach allows the cover plate to follow the lifting motion naturally, reducing control complexity while maintaining full adaptability for different pallet heights and positions.
3Area of stationary object
If the cover plates are arranged in a recirculating manner below the carriage, then the covering mechanism becomes more space-efficient and compact, but ease of operation and maintenance difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The recirculating cover plates are arranged in a nested configuration where multiple cover plates are stacked or layered within the vertical space of the transverse conveyor carriage path. The cover plates follow a circular trajectory, with some plates positioned above the gap and others below the carriage, creating a compact nested arrangement that maximizes space utilization. This nesting allows the covering mechanism to be integrated within the existing conveyor structure without requiring additional floor space.
Solution Approach 2:
The recirculating cover plate system is divided into multiple independent segments or individual plates rather than a single continuous cover. Each cover plate can move independently along the recirculating path, and they are spaced at intervals to allow the carriage to pass through. This segmentation provides several benefits: it reduces the overall size of the covering mechanism, allows selective maintenance of individual plates without shutting down the entire system, and enables easier access to each plate for inspection and repair by positioning them at convenient locations along the recirculating path.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a floor slab foundation system for production plants with pallets (3) to be conveyed, in particular a pallet circulation system (1) for the production of precast concrete components, comprising a gap covering device (13) which has at least one circumferential covering element (15) which is guided at the gap (14) such that a section of the covering element (15) extending above the gap (14) is arranged to rest on the floor (5) in a height-adjustable manner, covering the gap (14) from above, and a section of the covering element (15) located below the gap (14) is guided in a recirculating manner under the carriage (7), wherein the height-adjustable lifting element (8) is designed to lift the section of the covering element (15) extending above the gap (14) in order to lift it upwards away from the floor (5).so that a pallet (3) positioned over this raised section of the covering material (15) rests on the section of the covering material (15) extending above the gap (14) and is lifted by the lifting means (8).