Inclined Container Corner for Stable Article Stacking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing article transfer facilities face challenges in maintaining the stability of articles on the second support member and efficiency in storing articles, as they often result in articles falling or collapsing, and gaps forming between them.
Innovation Solution
An article transfer facility with a transfer device that performs operations on both first and second support members, and a support mechanism that inclines the second support member with a target corner lower than others, stabilizing articles by supporting their bottom and side surfaces, allowing for efficient storage by minimizing gaps between articles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If articles are loaded onto the second support member in a stacked state, then storage efficiency is improved, but the articles become unstable and may fall or collapse
Solution Approach 1:
The second support member is configured with an asymmetric inclined surface instead of a flat horizontal surface. The inclination angle varies across the surface, creating asymmetric support for stacked articles. This asymmetric geometry allows articles to interlock more effectively and distribute loads unevenly in a controlled manner, preventing collapse while maintaining high storage density.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the geometric parameter of the support surface from flat to inclined. By adjusting the inclination angle parameter of the second support member, the system optimizes both article stability and storage efficiency. The specific inclination angle is selected to prevent article sliding while maximizing vertical stacking capability.
2Stability of the object's composition
If articles are loaded to avoid interference between them, then article stability is improved, but gaps form between articles reducing storage efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The inclined surface creates asymmetric positioning for each article in the stack. Articles naturally settle into asymmetric positions relative to one another, eliminating uniform gaps while maintaining stability through the inclined geometry. This asymmetric arrangement allows tighter packing without requiring precise positioning mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The inclined surface introduces a curved geometric element to the otherwise rectangular container. This curvature in the form of an inclined plane allows articles to nestle together more efficiently, reducing void spaces between them while the inclination provides stabilizing contact surfaces.
3Ease of operation
If the second support member is kept horizontal, then article loading is simple, but articles are prone to falling or collapsing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the orientation parameter of the second support member from horizontal (0 degrees) to a specific inclination angle. This parameter change fundamentally improves article stability by creating a self-supporting geometry where articles rest at angles that prevent toppling, while the loading process remains straightforward as articles are simply placed on the inclined surface.
Data Source
AI summary
An article transfer facility (100) includes a transfer device (3) that performs a first operation to take out an article (W) that are supported by a first container (C1), from the first container (C1), and a second operation to load the article (W) taken out from the first container (C1), onto a second container (C2); and an inclination device (5) that supports the second container (C2) at a predetermined position (P2), wherein the second container (C2) has a rectangular mounting surface (S) onto which the articles (W) are to be mounted, and is formed in a box shape with an open upper surface, and the inclination device (5) supports the second container (C2) in an inclined state such that a target corner portion (Sct) that is one of a plurality of corner portions (Sc) of the mounting surface (S) is located lower than the other corner portions (Sc).