Modular Grocery Storage Device with Lift Modules
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current automated storage and retrieval systems for groceries are limited in their ability to handle multiple transactions simultaneously and are not adaptable to changing storage needs, particularly in urban areas where space is constrained, leading to inefficiencies in throughput and increased overhead costs.
Innovation Solution
A modular storage and retrieval device that allows for adjustable capacity, seamless attachment of modules, and integration of a conveyor system with multi-level shuttle systems and lifts to optimize the movement of crates, enabling continuous insertion and retrieval of crates without bottlenecks, and accommodating multiple users simultaneously.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a single mast and loader serve one grocery tote at a time, then the system can be operated by one person at a time, but the flow of crates is limited to the moving speed of the mast and loader, preventing continuous loading and unloading
Solution Approach 1:
The system is divided into multiple independent loading areas (first and second loading areas), each with its own mast and loader. This segmentation allows multiple transactions to occur simultaneously, increasing throughput while keeping each individual loading area relatively simple in structure.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple loading areas are combined within a single automated grocery terminal, allowing parallel operations. The first and second loading areas work simultaneously, merging their capacities to achieve continuous loading and unloading of totes without bottlenecking.
2Quantity of substance
If large multilevel storage/retrieval systems are used, then storage capacity increases, but the systems are designed for large warehouses and require unmanned shuttle vehicles moving along rails, increasing device complexity
Solution Approach 1:
Storage is organized into multiple levels with shelving units arranged to create aisles. Each level can be independently accessed by loaders moving on masts, segmenting the storage function from the retrieval mechanism. This avoids the need for complex unmanned shuttle vehicles while maintaining high storage capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system utilizes vertical space with multi-level shelving units stacked vertically. Loaders move vertically on masts to access different levels, transitioning from horizontal to vertical movement. This dimensional change increases storage capacity within the same footprint without requiring complex horizontal rail systems.
3Adaptability or versatility
If modular storage modules are seamlessly attached horizontally and vertically, then storage capacity becomes adjustable and flexible, but the complexity of coordinating multiple modules increases
Solution Approach 1:
Storage modules are designed as standardized, interchangeable units that can be configured in various horizontal and vertical arrangements. Each module serves multiple functions: storage, structural support, and integration with the conveyor system. This universality allows flexible adaptation to different space requirements while simplifying coordination through standardization.
Solution Approach 2:
The modular design allows the storage system to be dynamically reconfigured by adding or removing modules based on changing storage needs. The standardized interfaces enable easy assembly and disassembly, making the system adaptable without requiring complex recoordination of existing modules.
4Area of stationary object
If conveyor modules are assembled underneath storage modules, then space utilization is optimized, but the integration complexity between conveyor and storage systems increases
Solution Approach 1:
Conveyor modules are nested underneath storage modules, with the conveyor system forming the base layer and storage modules stacked above. This nested arrangement maximizes vertical space utilization while keeping the conveyor and storage systems functionally separate but structurally integrated.
Solution Approach 2:
The mast and loader system acts as an intermediary between the conveyor modules below and the storage modules above. Loaders move vertically on masts to transfer totes between conveyor levels and storage levels, mediating the interaction between these two subsystems and simplifying their integration.
Data Source
AI summary
A modular automated storage device and a method to operate the device is disclosed. The device can be built to different sizes and capacities depending on the number and type of modules used. A typical device has a multitude of storage modules connected to each other in one or more stories, one or more lift modules each having one or more lifts and each lift module being connected to at least one storage module. Underneath the storage modules there is a conveyor system comprising one or more conveyor modules. Each of the lift modules is configured to connect a conveyor module and one or more storage modules. Each lift in the lift modules is configured to move crates between the conveyor modules and the storage modules. The device has at least one console for loading crates and at least one console to receive the crates. The flow of the crates from a loading point, through the conveyor module(s), via the lift module(s) to the storage modules and further to the receiving console is computer-controlled in such a manner that uploading crates can be a continuous process and the receiving the crates can take place simultaneously.