Container Lifting Frame Guide for Earlier Rail Movement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing container handling vehicles with cantilevered sections experience inefficiencies due to the need to wait until the lifting frame is fully raised and in contact with the cantilevered section before moving on the rail system, which can lead to delays in the automated storage and retrieval system.
Innovation Solution
A container handling vehicle with a lifting frame guide assembly that includes a first guide device on the lifting frame and a second guide device slidably connected to the sidewall via a vertically extending rail, allowing the lifting frame to be restricted from horizontal movement relative to the vehicle body, enabling movement on the rail system as soon as the lifting frame is in a lower position.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If the lifting frame is fully raised and in contact with the cantilevered section before moving on the rail system, then the stability and positioning of the lifting frame is improved, but the operational time and productivity of the container handling vehicle deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The guide devices are positioned and pre-configured on the lifting frame and sidewall respectively, so that when the lifting frame is in the lower position, the guide devices are already in place to restrict horizontal movement. This eliminates the need to wait for the lifting frame to reach the fully raised position, allowing the vehicle to move on the rail system sooner while maintaining stability through the guide device restriction mechanism.
2Manufacturing precision
If the lifting frame is restricted from horizontal movement using guide devices, then the positioning precision and stability of the lifting frame is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The horizontal movement restriction function is segmented into two separate guide devices: one on the lifting frame and one on the sidewall. This segmentation allows each guide device to be simpler in design, as they only need to provide partial constraint rather than full constraint. The first guide device on the lifting frame and the second guide device on the sidewall work together to restrict horizontal movement, but each individual component is less complex than a single integrated constraint mechanism.
Data Source
AI summary
A container handling vehicle for lifting a storage container from an underlying framework structure includes a container lifting assembly and a vehicle body. The container lifting assembly includes a lifting frame for releasable connection to a storage container, a lifting shaft assembly, and a plurality of lifting bands. The lifting bands are connected to the lifting frame and the lifting shaft assembly such that the lifting frame may be raised or lowered by operating the lifting shaft assembly. The vehicle body includes a sidewall and a cantilevered section from which the lifting frame depends. The cantilevered section extends laterally from an upper end of the sidewall. The container lifting assembly features a lifting frame guide assembly comprising a first guide device and a cooperating second guide device. The first guide device is provided on the lifting frame. The second guide device is slidably connected to the sidewall via at least one vertically extending rail, such that the second guide device can move in a vertical direction relative to the sidewall. The first guide device and the second guide device are arranged to interact with each other when the lifting frame is adjacent the sidewall, such that horizontal movement of the lifting frame relative to the vehicle body is restricted.