Modular Storage System for Cargo Units Using Active Cell and Shuttle Mechanisms
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing automated parking systems are complex and inflexible, limiting their ability to efficiently utilize available space, particularly in densely populated areas where land is scarce, and there is a need for cost-effective, modular solutions that can accommodate any number of cargo units in 2D or 3D structures.
Innovation Solution
A modular storage system comprising interconnected active cell units and shuttle units, each equipped with transporting mechanisms, controlled by a central controller to form a multi-dimensional structure that can adapt to any space, allowing for efficient storage and retrieval of cargo units, including vehicles, using pallets that can move in various directions and orientations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If traditional automated parking systems are used, then vehicles can be stored and retrieved, but the system complexity increases and flexibility decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system is divided into independent modular units (pallets, storage positions, transport mechanisms) that can be individually configured and assembled. Each module operates semi-autonomously, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining flexibility through modular reconfiguration.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs dynamic, reconfigurable transport paths and movable storage positions rather than fixed rigid structures. This allows the system to adapt its configuration based on demand, improving flexibility without requiring complete system redesign.
2Productivity
If traditional automated parking systems are used, then vehicles can be stored, but space utilization efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from traditional two-dimensional ground-level parking to three-dimensional vertical storage with multiple levels. Pallets are transported vertically and horizontally through the structure, enabling efficient use of vertical space and dramatically increasing storage capacity within the same footprint.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple storage levels are nested vertically within the same horizontal footprint. The system employs layered pallet positions where upper levels are accessible through vertical transport, allowing compact nesting of storage spaces that maximizes volume utilization.
3Adaptability or versatility
If modular design is implemented, then system flexibility and adaptability improve, but manufacturing and assembly complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Standardized modular components (pallets, transport mechanisms, storage positions) are designed with universal interfaces and interchangeable parts. This universality allows the same components to be used across different system configurations, simplifying manufacturing and assembly despite the modular design.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses replicated identical modules throughout the structure, where each pallet, transport unit, and storage position is a copy of standardized designs. This replication simplifies manufacturing through economies of scale and reduces assembly complexity through repeatable installation patterns.
Data Source
AI summary
A modular system for storage of cargo units, comprises: a plurality of pallets; a plurality of interconnected active cell units; each cell unit comprises an cell transporting mechanism; at least one active shuttle unit moveable between the plurality of cell units; each shuttle unit comprises a shuttle transporting mechanism adapted to transport at least one pallet of the plurality of pallets to and from one of the plurality of cell units and to and from the at least one shuttle unit; a central controller adapted to control the operation of the cell and the shuttle transporting mechanisms, the operation of which is performed in an independent manner via the central controller such that a construction of any arrangement of the cell units is performed to effectively exploit a designated space.