Fork Carriage Cart Acquisition for Precise Warehouse Engagement

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current materials handling vehicles in warehouse environments lack adaptability, efficiency, and utility in navigating and engaging with mobile storage carts, leading to suboptimal storage and retrieval operations.

Innovation Solution

A materials handling vehicle system equipped with a fork carriage assembly, cart engagement subsystem, navigation subsystem, and vehicular controllers that navigate to a localized engagement position and engage mobile storage carts using a cart engagement field of view, enabling efficient storage and retrieval operations in multilevel warehouse racking systems.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If materials handling vehicles use traditional navigation and engagement methods, then the system structure remains simple, but the adaptability and efficiency in warehouse operations deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveadaptabilityVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The materials handling vehicle is equipped with multiple subsystems (navigation subsystem with sensors, cart engagement subsystem with detection devices, fork carriage assembly) that enable it to perform multiple functions: autonomous navigation, cart detection, positioning, and engagement. This multi-functionality allows the vehicle to adapt to various warehouse operations and mobile cart types, resolving the contradiction between adaptability and system complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The vehicle uses its own navigation subsystem and cart engagement subsystem to autonomously navigate to cart home positions and detect/engage mobile storage carts without external intervention. The system self-manages the complex tasks of navigation, positioning, and engagement, which resolves the contradiction by making the system self-sufficient despite its increased complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

2Productivity

If materials handling vehicles use traditional navigation and engagement methods, then the device structure remains simple, but the efficiency in storage and retrieval operations deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveefficiencyVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces traditional mechanical navigation and engagement methods with automated systems. The navigation subsystem uses sensors and controllers to autonomously navigate the vehicle, while the cart engagement subsystem uses detection devices to automatically detect, position, and engage carts. This substitution of mechanical operations with automated control systems significantly improves operational efficiency despite increasing system complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Measurement precision

If materials handling vehicles navigate to localized engagement positions for cart engagement, then the precision of cart engagement improves, but the navigation time and energy consumption increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveengagement precisionVSAvoidnavigation time

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The navigation subsystem continuously monitors the vehicle's position and calculates the optimal engagement position in advance. The cart engagement subsystem detects the cart's position and prepares the fork carriage assembly for engagement before the vehicle arrives at the precise location. This preliminary action allows the vehicle to navigate efficiently while ensuring precise engagement, reducing both navigation time and energy consumption.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

4Extent of automation

If automated navigation and cart engagement systems are implemented, then manual intervention is reduced, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveautomation levelVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Extent of automationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the navigation subsystem, cart engagement subsystem, and fork carriage assembly into an integrated automated system. These subsystems work together as a unified whole, with the vehicular controller coordinating their operations. By merging these functions into a single automated system rather than separate manual operations, the patent achieves high automation levels while managing system complexity through integration.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentUS11897693B2Systems and methods for home position and cart acquisition with a materials handling vehicle

Publication Date: 2024.02.13 CROWN EQUIP CORP

AI summary

A variety of vehicle-based and warehouse-based solutions are provided to increase the adaptability, utility, and efficiency of materials handling vehicles in the warehouse environment, such as a goods storage and retrieval system, comprising a multilevel warehouse racking system, a mobile storage cart, a cart home position, and a materials handling vehicle disposed on a vehicle transit surface and comprising a fork carriage assembly, a navigation subsystem, a cart engagement subsystem, and one or more vehicular controllers to use the navigation subsystem to navigate the materials handling vehicle along the vehicle transit surface to a localized engagement position where the cart home position is within a cart engagement field of view, and use the cart engagement subsystem to engage the mobile storage cart in the cart home position with the fork carriage assembly.