Parallel Elevation Rails for Multi-Level Article Transport
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing article transport facilities in multi-level buildings are inefficient as they transport vehicles one by one between levels, leading to poor efficiency in transporting articles between multiple levels.
Innovation Solution
An article transport facility is designed with multiple transport vehicles that travel on rails at different levels, and an inter-level transport apparatus that includes parallel elevation rails and an elevation mechanism to move vehicles vertically between levels, allowing for simultaneous transport of multiple vehicles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a single elevation rail is used to transport transport vehicles between levels, then the device complexity is reduced, but the productivity decreases because only one vehicle can be transported at a time
Solution Approach 1:
The elevation rail system is segmented into multiple parallel elevation rails (first elevation rail and second elevation rail) that operate independently. Each elevation rail can transport transport vehicles simultaneously, dividing the transport function into separate channels to increase overall productivity while keeping each individual rail relatively simple in structure.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple elevation rails are merged into a single integrated inter-level transport apparatus, sharing common support structures and control systems. This combining approach allows simultaneous transport of multiple vehicles while avoiding the full complexity of completely separate systems.
2Productivity
If multiple parallel elevation rails are used to transport multiple vehicles simultaneously, then the productivity improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The parallel elevation rails are designed with universal characteristics, using identical structures and components for both the first and second elevation rails. This multi-functionality approach allows the system to handle different transport scenarios (single vehicle, multiple vehicles, different directions) while maintaining structural simplicity and reducing overall complexity through standardization.
3Speed
If the elevation mechanism moves elevation rails continuously, then the speed of transport is improved, but the reliability decreases due to lack of precise stopping positions
Solution Approach 1:
The elevation mechanism is designed to pre-position the elevation rails at specific stop positions (first stop position and second stop position) before transport operations begin. This preliminary positioning action ensures that vehicles are always transferred at the correct locations, maintaining reliability while allowing high-speed movement between stops.
Solution Approach 2:
The elevation mechanism incorporates feedback control to monitor and adjust the position of elevation rails during movement. This feedback system ensures that despite high-speed operation, the rails accurately reach and stop at the predetermined first stop position and second stop position, maintaining both speed and positioning reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
An article transport facility includes a transport vehicle, a first level rail, a second level rail, and an inter-level transport apparatus. The inter-level transport apparatus includes a first elevation rail, a second elevation rail, and an elevation mechanism. The first level rail includes a first rail portion connected to the first elevation rail present at a first stop position, and a second rail portion connected to the second elevation rail present at the first stop position. The second level rail includes a third rail portion connected to the first elevation rail present at a second stop position, and a fourth rail portion connected to the second elevation rail present at the second stop position.