Perforated Storage Shelf Ceiling for Even Clean Room Air Flow

Solution Overview

Problem

In clean rooms, uneven air flow from fan filter units can lead to air stagnation and reduced cleanliness around storage shelves, particularly where fan filter units are not uniformly distributed across the ceiling, causing uneven air distribution and potential contamination.

Innovation Solution

Incorporating a storage facility with a perforated plate at the ceiling level of the storage shelf, allowing clean air to flow through and ensuring even air distribution, supplemented by an exhaust system and cover to guide clean air effectively.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Volume of stationary object

If fan filter units are not uniformly distributed across the ceiling, then the area above the storage shelf can accommodate more storage space, but uneven air flow and air stagnation occur in the storage shelf

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestorage spaceVSAvoidair cleanliness

Core Design Contradiction:

Volume of stationary objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The storage shelf ceiling is designed with multiple holes forming a perforated structure. This porous configuration allows clean air to pass through the ceiling into the storage shelf, ensuring uniform air distribution and preventing stagnation while maintaining storage capacity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #31Porous materials

2Area of stationary object

If fan filter units are sparsely provided on the ceiling, then the ceiling area is more available for storage shelf placement, but clean air feeding becomes uneven

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveceiling areaVSAvoidair flow uniformity

Core Design Contradiction:

Area of stationary objectVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The storage shelf ceiling incorporates a perforated plate structure with multiple holes distributed across its surface. This allows the limited clean air from sparsely distributed fan filter units to be evenly distributed throughout the storage shelf, ensuring uniform air flow despite the reduced number of fan filter units.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #31Porous materials

3Stability of the object's composition

If the storage shelf has a solid ceiling, then storage integrity is maintained, but air stagnation occurs when clean air is unevenly fed

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestorage shelf integrityVSAvoidair cleanliness

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The storage shelf ceiling is designed with multiple holes forming a perforated structure. This porous configuration allows clean air to pass through the ceiling into the storage shelf, ensuring uniform air distribution and preventing stagnation while maintaining storage capacity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #31Porous materials

4Reliability

If multiple holes are provided in the storage shelf ceiling, then clean air distribution is improved, but the ceiling structure becomes more complex

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveair cleanlinessVSAvoidceiling structure

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The storage shelf ceiling incorporates a perforated plate structure with multiple holes distributed across its surface. This allows the limited clean air from sparsely distributed fan filter units to be evenly distributed throughout the storage shelf, ensuring uniform air flow despite the reduced number of fan filter units.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #31Porous materials

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

This configuration ensures even air flow and reduces stagnation, maintaining cleanliness by evenly distributing clean air and preventing oxygen concentration drops, thus enhancing the storage environment's integrity.

Implementation Method 1

a plurality of holes provided at least in a position where a ceiling of the storage shelf (2) is constituted, allowing the clean air fed from the fan filter unit (FFU) into the clean room (CR) to pass therethrough so that the clean air flows in the storage facility (1)

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectAir flow: Convection

Data Source

PatentUS20240392981A1Storage facility

Publication Date: 2024.11.28 DAIFUKU CO LTD

AI summary

An object is to keep cleanliness in a storage facility even in a case where clean air is unevenly fed to the storage facility from above the storage facility. A storage facility (1) that is to be provided in a clean room (CR) into which clean air is fed from a fan filter unit (FFU) provided to a ceiling (100) so that cleanliness in the clean room is kept, the storage facility (1) including: a storage shelf (2) in which a container (50) is to be placed; and a plurality of holes (4) provided at least in a position (P) where a ceiling of the storage shelf (2) is constituted, the plurality of holes (4) allowing the clean air fed from the fan filter unit (FFU) into the clean room (CR) to pass therethrough so that the clean air flows in the storage facility (1).