Movable Support Shuttle for Rollable Goods
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Solution Overview
Problem
Automated warehouse shuttles face challenges in safely transporting rollable goods like barrels and drums without occupying excessive space, as these items can easily fall off due to their cylindrical or spherical shape, requiring additional support structures that compromise storage space.
Innovation Solution
An automated warehouse shuttle with a movable support surface and clamping system that automatically adjusts to secure rollable goods, using a pair of tiltable clamps that move from a resting to a clamping position when the support surface is raised, ensuring stable transport without significant space loss or structural redesign.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If preformed stuts are used on the warehouse shuttle to stabilize rollable goods, then the goods can be securely transported, but the shuttle requires considerable loading space which results in loss of storage space
Solution Approach 1:
The clamping system is designed to be movable between a resting position (when not in use) and a clamping position (when loading/unloading rollable goods). This dynamic adjustment allows the shuttle to maintain compact dimensions for storage while providing stable transport capability when needed, resolving the contradiction between reliability and storage space.
2Reliability
If the support surface is raised to support rollable goods, then the goods are stabilized during transport, but the shuttle height increases which may interfere with storage locations
Solution Approach 1:
The support surface is made movable between a low position (when moving under rollable goods) and a high position (when supporting rollable goods). This dynamic height adjustment allows the shuttle to maintain low profile for storage compatibility while providing adequate support height for stable goods transport, resolving the contradiction between stabilization and shuttle height.
3Device complexity
If manual repositioning of clamps is required, then the clamping system can be simple, but the loading and unloading process becomes time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The clamping system is designed to automatically move between resting and clamping positions through the weight of the rollable goods themselves. When goods are placed on the support surface, their weight automatically activates the clamps without requiring manual intervention, achieving both simplicity and automation, thus resolving the contradiction between device complexity and loading time.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables safe and compact transportation of rollable goods along warehouse tracks, minimizing space requirements and allowing seamless loading and unloading without manual repositioning of the clamps, thus optimizing storage and movement efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
loading of rollable goods on the support surface causes the clamping system, in particular the at least one pair of clamps, to move from the resting position to the clamping position. In particular, by moving the support surface from the low position to the high position under the rollable goods, a weight of the rollable goods exerts a downward force on the clamping system
Data Source
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AI summary
An automated warehouse shuttle for automatically carrying rollable goods on a track along at least one direction in a warehouse, the shuttle including a support surface configured to support said rollable goods, wherein the support surface is movable between a low position in which the shuttle is configured to move under the rollable goods, and a high position in which the support surface is configured to support the rollable goods.