Handling Vehicle Layout for Shelf-Free Floor Stack Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional handling vehicles are large, heavy, and difficult to maneuver, limiting their ability to navigate freely within storage areas and requiring them to turn outside the storage area, while existing indoor vehicles can only move in one direction and have limited intralogistics applications.
Innovation Solution
A handling vehicle with all wheels capable of synchronous rotation, particularly by 90°, allowing it to access any storage location within a floor storage area without leaving the area, and featuring a frame in the upper part for simultaneous handling of multiple loads, with integrated drive and control units, and sensors for navigation and identification.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional handling vehicles are used to transport goods in storage areas, then goods can be moved between locations, but the vehicles are large and heavy making them difficult to maneuver and requiring them to turn outside the storage area
Solution Approach 1:
The vehicle is divided into modular components including a chassis, frame, legs, and interchangeable end effectors. This segmentation allows the vehicle to be compact yet functional, enabling easy maneuverability within storage areas while maintaining adequate lifting and handling capabilities through modular attachments.
Solution Approach 2:
The vehicle incorporates vertical movement capability through extendable legs and frame sections, allowing it to clear stacked goods by moving above them rather than requiring lateral turning space. This dimensional change from purely horizontal operation to vertical-clearance operation enables tight maneuverability within the storage area footprint.
2Adaptability or versatility
If indoor handling vehicles are designed to move in one direction only, then the vehicle structure can be simplified, but the intralogistics applications are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The vehicle employs dynamically adjustable components including extendable and retractable legs, movable frame sections, and interchangeable end effectors. These dynamic features allow the vehicle to adapt its configuration for different tasks and directions of movement, greatly expanding application range while keeping the base structure relatively simple.
Solution Approach 2:
The vehicle is designed as a universal platform capable of performing multiple intralogistics functions including picking, stacking, transporting, and placing goods. The interchangeable end effectors and adjustable chassis configuration enable the same vehicle to handle diverse applications without requiring specialized vehicles for each function.
3Adaptability or versatility
If storage facilities are used in floor storage systems, then goods can be stored vertically in stacks, but the system flexibility and planning freedom are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the storage function from fixed facilities and relocates it to the vehicle itself through the frame and leg structure. The vehicle becomes a mobile storage and retrieval platform, eliminating the need for permanent racking or shelving infrastructure and thereby maximizing system flexibility and planning freedom.
Solution Approach 2:
The vehicle performs its own storage and retrieval operations by using its frame and leg mechanism to pick up, hold, and deposit goods directly at various locations. This self-service capability eliminates dependence on fixed storage facilities and enables flexible, on-demand storage operations throughout the workspace.
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 2~3B
Figure 4A~4D
AI summary
The invention relates to a storage and picking system (10) with a shelf-free floor storage system (12) and at least one handling vehicle (14), wherein stacks (16) of a plurality of stored goods (18) arranged vertically one above the other can be stored in the floor storage system (12), the stacks (16) being arranged on a floor (20) of the floor storage system (12), distanced horizontally from one another without storage equipment; the vehicle (14) comprising: a chassis (30) with a frame (32) and with multiple legs (34), which are coupled to the frame (32) and are of a height such that a plurality of the stored goods (18) stacked vertically one above the other can be raised vertically at the same time and in a raised state can be moved horizontally, the chassis (30) being designed to travel over each of the stored stacks (30) for raising; a lifting unit (36), which is mounted on the chassis (30) and which is designed to vertically raise one or more of the stored goods (18) stacked one above the other from each of the stacks (16); a gripping unit (38), which is connected to the lifting unit (36) and which is designed to grip, to hold, and to release the stored goods (18); at least one travel unit (40), which is designed to move the vehicle (14) and raised stored goods (18) horizontally and which is designed to change a direction of travel, preferably by 90°, whilst the vehicle (14) is standing still; and a control unit (42), which is connected to the at least one travel unit (40) to move the vehicle (14) horizontally and which is connected to the lifting unit (36) in order to vertically lift and lower the stored goods (18).