Granular Rack Damping Element With Self-Fastening Housing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Vibrations on storage racks cause undesired movements of stored goods, leading to collisions, damage, and operational disruptions in storage systems.
Innovation Solution
A damping element with a housing and grain-like damping means, fastened securely to the storage rack using force-fitting and form-fitting methods, reduces vibrations by transferring them to the damping means within the housing, where grain interaction dampens the motion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If additional fastening means are used to attach the damping element to the storage rack, then the fastening reliability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is designed to fasten to the storage rack autonomously through its own shape and material properties without requiring additional fastening components. The housing material exhibits viscoelastic behavior that enables it to deform and lock onto the rack structure, providing self-fastening capability that eliminates the need for separate fastening means.
Solution Approach 2:
The housing material's mechanical properties are specifically tailored to enable force-fitting and form-fitting fastening. By controlling the material's elasticity, viscosity, and deformation characteristics, the housing can adapt to the storage rack geometry and create a secure connection through material property optimization rather than additional mechanical fasteners.
2Ease of operation
If the housing material has high elasticity and low bending stiffness for fastening, then the ease of operation is improved, but the strength decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is made from a composite material system combining thermoplastic and elastomeric components, or a viscoelastic polymer compound, that exhibits both elastic deformation for easy fastening and sufficient structural strength for vibration damping. The composite structure allows the housing to be compliant during installation yet rigid enough to provide mechanical support and damping functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the housing have different material properties optimized for their specific functions. The fastening regions are designed with lower bending stiffness and higher elasticity to enable easy attachment, while the main body and vibration-contact regions maintain higher strength and rigidity to effectively dampen vibrations and support the damping means.
3Device complexity
If the damping element is designed to fasten exclusively by shape and material without additional fastening means, then the device complexity is reduced, but the reliability of fastening may worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is designed to fasten to the storage rack autonomously through its own shape and material properties without requiring additional fastening components. The housing material exhibits viscoelastic behavior that enables it to deform and lock onto the rack structure, providing self-fastening capability that eliminates the need for separate fastening means.
Solution Approach 2:
The housing material's mechanical properties are specifically tailored to enable force-fitting and form-fitting fastening. By controlling the material's elasticity, viscosity, and deformation characteristics, the housing can adapt to the storage rack geometry and create a secure connection through material property optimization rather than additional mechanical fasteners.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Prevents goods from slipping or turning, minimizing damage and operational disruptions, enhancing system throughput and safety by effectively damping vibrations.
Implementation Method 1
The movement of the grain-like damping means in the housing and in particular rubbing of the individual damping means grains against each other produces a damping effect
Implementation Method 2
The grain-like damping means is used to damp the vibrations occurring on the storage rack
Implementation Method 3
The material of the housing has, in particular in the regions provided for fastening the damping element, a comparatively low bending stiffness and a preferably high level of elasticity
Data Source
AI summary
A damping element for damping vibrations on a storage rack, where the damping element has a housing and a granular damping means filled into the housing The damping element may be frictionally and/or interlockingly fastened to the storage rack solely by virtue of a shape and/or a material of the housing. Also disclosed is an arrangement and a storage system comprising such a damping element.