Warehouse Rack Stopper With Viscoelastic Damping for Earthquake Shaking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional automated warehouse racks fail to absorb shock during earthquakes, leading to potential falls of articles such as cardboard boxes and stacked items from shelves.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a stopper mechanism with a viscoelastic member that generates damping force through shear deformation, connecting a base member and a projection member within a hollow placement member, to restrict vibration and prevent articles from falling during rack shaking.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional stopper is attached to the shelf part by welding or screwing, then the article can be stopped during rack shaking, but the shock is not absorbed and articles may still fall off
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies beforehand cushioning by incorporating a viscoelastic member within the stopper structure that deforms under shear force during rack shaking, absorbing shock energy before it can transmit to the article and cause it to fall. The viscoelastic member is pre-positioned to cushion impacts in the direction of shaking.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses composite materials by combining the viscoelastic member with the rigid stopper structure (base member and projection member). This composite construction allows the stopper to provide both mechanical stopping function and shock absorption function simultaneously, resolving the contradiction between article retention and shock transmission.
2Reliability
If the stopper protrudes significantly from the placement member end, then it can effectively stop articles, but the amount of protrusion increases the device complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies nesting by placing the viscoelastic member inside the hollow placement member, between the base member and projection member. This nested configuration allows the shock absorption function to be integrated within the existing stopper structure without increasing external dimensions or protrusion distance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a flexible viscoelastic member that deforms under shear force to provide shock absorption. This flexible element is integrated within the rigid stopper structure, allowing the stopper to maintain its simple external form while incorporating advanced shock absorption functionality through the flexible viscoelastic material.
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 stopper effectively dampens the shaking of articles, preventing them from falling off the rack and reducing the risk of damage during seismic events.
Implementation Method 1
The viscoelastic member is configured to generate a damping force when the viscoelastic member is deformed by the shear in the first horizontal direction
Implementation Method 2
The viscoelastic member is configured to generate a damping force when the viscoelastic member is deformed by the shear in the first horizontal direction
Implementation Method 3
The viscoelastic member generates the damping force by undergoing shear deformation in the first horizontal direction
Data Source
AI summary
Shelf parts of a rack apparatus for an automated warehouse include a hollow placement member and a stopper. The placement member is fixed to a rack main body and has a placement surface onto which an article is placed. The stopper is disposed at an end part of the placement member and restricts vibration of the article in a first horizontal direction. The stopper includes a base member fixed to the placement member, a projection member having a projection extending higher than the placement surface, and a viscoelastic member connecting the base member and the projection member within the placement member. The viscoelastic member generates a damping force when the viscoelastic member is deformed by the shear in the first horizontal direction.