Portal Trolley Coupling for Moving Heavy Vehicles With Ultra-Flat AGVs
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for moving heavy industrial vehicles during assembly, such as using overhead cranes or AGVs, are either impractical due to size and weight constraints or excessively costly, limiting their applicability.
Innovation Solution
An ultra-flat AGV is coupled with a trolley that holds the load, using a removable pin for propulsion and brake disengagement, allowing synchronous operation of multiple AGVs to move heavy vehicles without redesigning the AGV, enabling efficient movement and height adjustment along the assembly line.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a complete AGV is designed to support heavy industrial vehicles, then the load-bearing capacity is sufficient, but the cost increases hugely and the AGV becomes specialized for a single application
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the heavy vehicle transport function into two separate components: a standardized ultra-flat AGV for propulsion and a dedicated trolley for load support. This segmentation allows the AGV to remain versatile and reusable across different applications while the trolley handles the vehicle-specific load requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The trolley acts as an intermediary component between the AGV and the heavy industrial vehicle. It receives the AGV's propulsion force through the pin connection while supporting the full weight of the vehicle, thereby protecting the AGV from excessive structural demands and enabling the AGV to remain a general-purpose platform.
2Strength
If an AGV is designed with sufficient strength to support heavy loads, then the load capacity is adequate, but the AGV size becomes large and costly
Solution Approach 1:
The system separates the load support function (handled by the trolley) from the propulsion function (handled by the AGV). This allows the AGV to be designed as a compact, cost-effective unit with modest power requirements, while the trolley assumes the structural role of supporting heavy loads.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of designing a completely new heavy-duty AGV for each vehicle type, the system uses a standardized ultra-flat AGV platform that can be coupled with different trolleys. This copying approach reduces development costs and allows rapid adaptation to different vehicle configurations.
3Ease of operation
If the AGV pin is extracted to couple with the trolley, then the connection is established, but trajectory errors during coupling may cause the trolley to move
Solution Approach 1:
The trolley brake is engaged in advance before the AGV pin insertion. This preliminary braking action prevents the trolley from moving during the coupling process, ensuring precise alignment and successful connection even if there are minor trajectory deviations during the AGV's approach.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides automatic feedback control during coupling: when the pin is fully inserted into the trolley, this position signal automatically triggers the brake disengagement. This closed-loop control ensures that the brake is released at the precise moment when coupling is complete, preventing premature movement while enabling smooth operation thereafter.
4Strength
If multiple AGVs are used to move a heavy vehicle, then the load capacity is sufficient, but the coordination and synchronization become complex
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple AGVs are merged into a coordinated system that operates as a single unit. They simultaneously propel the same trolley-vehicle assembly, with their movements synchronized to maintain proper spacing and avoid conflicts. This combining approach distributes the heavy load across multiple platforms while maintaining unified control.
Solution Approach 2:
The standardized ultra-flat AGV design enables multiple units to perform the same propulsion function interchangeably. Each AGV follows the same operational protocol and can be controlled by the same master device, allowing flexible deployment of different numbers of AGVs based on load requirements without increasing system complexity.
Data Source
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AI summary
System for moving a semi-finished product, in particular a heavy or commercial vehicle, comprising - a trolley (1) equipped with three or more wheels (1.2), a self-driving vehicle (2), equipped with a pin (2.1) removable from a body of the vehicle to assume an extracted configuration and a retracted configuration; the trolley (1) being configured in the form of a portal to allow the vehicle (2) to fit under the trolley and attach the trolley using the pin (2.1), the trolley being characterized by the fact that it includes a braking system (1.10) arranged to automatically disengage when said pin (2.1) is inserted into the trolley.