Overhead Traveling Vehicle Dual-Side Buffer Storage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing overhead traveling vehicle systems have limited storage capacity and efficiency due to the lack of buffers on both sides of the travel rail, which restricts the number of articles that can be stored and transported efficiently.
Innovation Solution
The system includes lateral movement means for the elevation frame to move articles to both sides of the travel rail, allowing buffers to be provided on both left and right sides, enabling the use of overhead space for storage and facilitating the transfer of articles between normal and overtaking lanes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If buffers are provided on only one side of the travel rail, then the system structure is simpler, but the storage capacity and transportation efficiency are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The invention transitions from a single-side buffer configuration to a dual-side buffer configuration, utilizing the three-dimensional space around the travel rail. By placing buffers on both the left and right sides of the travel rail, the system effectively doubles the available storage capacity without significantly increasing structural complexity, as the buffers are positioned in previously underutilized lateral spaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The buffer system is segmented into multiple independent buffer units distributed on both sides of the travel rail. This segmentation allows for flexible article storage and retrieval operations, where different buffers can be independently accessed by overhead traveling vehicles, thereby increasing overall storage capacity while maintaining manageable system complexity through modular design.
2Quantity of substance
If overhead space above processing equipment is utilized for buffers, then storage capacity increases, but space utilization planning becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The invention exploits the vertical overhead space above processing equipment by positioning buffers in this previously underutilized three-dimensional zone. This vertical dimension utilization allows the system to expand storage capacity upward rather than outward, converting idle overhead volume into functional storage space without occupying additional floor area.
Solution Approach 2:
The overhead buffers serve multiple functions: they provide temporary storage for articles, act as transfer points between different travel rails, and utilize otherwise wasted overhead space. This multi-functionality maximizes the utility of the overhead region while the standardized buffer design keeps planning complexity manageable through reuse of proven configurations.
3Productivity
If a common buffer is shared between normal lane and overtaking lane, then buffer utilization efficiency increases, but article transfer coordination becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The common buffer is designed to serve dual purposes: it functions as a storage buffer for the normal lane and as a transfer buffer for the overtaking lane. This universal buffer design allows a single buffer unit to support multiple operational modes, increasing overall utilization efficiency while the coordinated control system manages the complexity of article transfers between lanes through centralized scheduling.
Solution Approach 2:
The common buffer acts as an intermediary between the normal lane and overtaking lane, facilitating article transfers without requiring direct interaction between the two lanes. This mediator buffer simplifies coordination by providing a standardized interface for article exchange, where the buffer management system handles the complexity of timing and sequencing, thereby improving overall system productivity.
Data Source
AI summary
Buffers 6, 8 are provided on both sides of a travel rail 10. An overhead traveling vehicle 4 has a SCARA arm movable back and forth to both of the left and right so that a rotation unit 22 and an elevation drive unit 4 can move to a position above either of the buffers 6, 8.