Mechanical Arm Packing Box Release for Automated Goods Delivery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing automatic distribution systems face challenges in efficiently handling and managing goods at the front and rear ends, particularly in scenarios like automatic takeaway delivery, where goods grabbing and movement are not adequately addressed, leading to asset management and utilization issues.
Innovation Solution
A device comprising a container with retractable and extendable moving parts, such as roller blinds, and a mechanical arm with an end actuator to grab and move packing boxes, ensuring standardized container design and automatic delivery by retracting the moving parts to release goods at the delivery position, while using a chain wheel to drive the roller blinds and a Hall sensor for precise positioning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If mechanical hands are used to grab and move goods in automatic takeaway delivery, then goods handling can be automated, but asset management and utilization issues arise due to inadequate handling at front and rear ends
Solution Approach 1:
The container is designed with standardized packing boxes that can be universally used for different types of goods (takeout meals, groceries, etc.). The packing boxes serve multiple functions: they contain goods during transport, facilitate automated mechanical arm handling, and enable standardized storage in rack cabinets. This multi-functionality resolves the asset management issue by creating a reliable, reusable container system that works across different delivery scenarios.
Solution Approach 2:
The delivery system is segmented into distinct functional modules: the container with standardized packing boxes for goods storage, the mechanical arm for automated grabbing and movement, and the rack cabinet for organized storage. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently while maintaining reliable asset management through standardized interfaces and protocols.
2Adaptability or versatility
If non-standardized containers are used for different goods types, then flexibility in handling various goods is maintained, but device complexity and management difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
A single standardized packing box design is used for all goods types, eliminating the need for different container designs. The universal packing box maintains adaptability by accommodating various goods through its open-top design and standardized dimensions, while simplifying management through uniformity across the entire fleet of containers.
Solution Approach 2:
The packing box design uses adjustable parameters such as the extendable/retractable bottom wall and flexible positioning within the container to adapt to different goods types and delivery scenarios. This allows one standardized container design to handle diverse goods without increasing overall system complexity.
3Ease of operation
If manual goods handling is used at front and rear ends, then operational simplicity is maintained, but labor intensity and distribution efficiency are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service automated handling where the mechanical arm automatically grabs packing boxes from the container and places them in the rack cabinet without human intervention. The standardized interfaces and automated control systems maintain operational simplicity while dramatically improving distribution efficiency and reducing labor intensity.
Solution Approach 2:
Manual mechanical handling by human workers is replaced with an automated mechanical arm system that performs grabbing, moving, and positioning of packing boxes. This substitution maintains ease of operation through centralized control while significantly enhancing productivity and distribution efficiency.
4Reliability
If standardized packing boxes with retractable bottom walls are used, then automated delivery and asset management are improved, but device complexity increases due to additional mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The packing box incorporates a dynamic extendable/retractable bottom wall mechanism that transitions between extended (for goods containment during transport) and retracted (for automated mechanical arm access and delivery) states. This dynamic feature enables automated delivery operations while the mechanism is designed to be integrated into the standardized container structure, managing complexity through functional necessity.
Solution Approach 2:
The extendable bottom wall mechanism is merged with the packing box structure itself, combining the containment function with the automated delivery interface. This integration reduces overall system complexity by eliminating separate components and simplifying the interface between the packing box and the mechanical arm system.
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
The solution enables efficient automatic delivery with improved asset management by standardizing the circulation process, reducing labor intensity, and enhancing distribution efficiency by ensuring accurate and reliable handling of various goods types without accidental falling, thus optimizing container use.
Implementation Method 1
a Hall sensor for precise positioning
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
The present disclosure relates to a device for automatically delivering goods and a distribution vehicle. The device for automatically delivering goods includes a container and a mechanical arm. The container includes a rack and packing boxes arranged on the rack. The packing boxes have bottom walls used to bear goods, and the bottom walls are retractable and extendable moving parts. The mechanical arm is used to move the packing boxes between a specified position and the container. The mechanical arm includes a mechanical arm body and an end actuator mounted at an end of the mechanical arm body. The end actuator is used to grab the packing boxes and drive, when the packing boxes are moved to the specified position, the moving parts to be retracted, so as to release the goods.