Mobile Carriage Rack Storage for High-Density Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional high density storage facilities for large items like intermodal containers and boats face inefficiencies due to wasted space and difficulty in accessing stored objects, leading to time-consuming and costly repositioning and searching operations.
Innovation Solution
A modular storage system featuring independently movable carriage racks that can be arranged and rearranged within a facility to maximize space utilization, allowing for efficient access to storage slots through selective movement along the floor, with motorized mechanisms and adjustable tracks enabling flexible configuration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional stationary racks are used with wide aisles for forklift access, then ease of operation is maintained, but storage density and space utilization deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The rack system transitions from stationary to mobile, allowing racks to be moved on demand rather than requiring permanent wide aisles. Mobile racks can be repositioned to create access paths temporarily, then returned to storage positions to maximize space utilization.
Solution Approach 2:
A control system serves as an intermediary between the forklift operator and the mobile racks. The control system coordinates rack movement, positioning, and alignment automatically, enabling efficient access without requiring wide manual maneuvering spaces.
2Ease of operation
If multiple access doors are provided along the facility walls, then ease of operation for retrieving items is improved, but device complexity and construction costs worsen
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of providing multiple static access doors along the walls, the system uses mobile racks that can be dynamically repositioned to create access points. This dynamic approach allows single or few fixed doors to serve the entire facility by moving storage units to door locations as needed.
3Ease of operation
If containers are randomly placed and widely spaced in conventional terminals, then ease of maneuvering forklifts is improved, but productivity deteriorates due to time-consuming searching and repositioning operations
Solution Approach 1:
The storage facility is divided into multiple independent mobile rack units, each capable of autonomous or coordinated movement. This segmentation allows selective positioning of only the required rack units, minimizing disruption to other storage operations and reducing searching time.
Solution Approach 2:
The control system implements feedback mechanisms to track rack positions, monitor storage locations, and optimize movement sequences. This coordination enables efficient retrieval operations by automatically planning optimal paths and timing, reducing both searching and repositioning time.
Data Source
AI summary
A high density storage facility including a plurality of rows of independently movable carriage racks, each row having a plurality of the independently movable carriage racks. Each carriage rack has a height, a length and a width, and defines a plurality of tiers, each tier defining at least one storage slot, the slots extending substantially the length of the carriage racks and being substantially open and accessible for inserting and removing objects into and from the width ends of the carriage racks. The carriage racks are disposed within the floor area and are independently movable along the floor in a direction consistent with the width of the floor area. Preferably, the carriage racks are arranged in the rows within the floor area with the lengthwise sides of the carriage racks being arranged substantially parallel to the lengthwise sides of the floor area.