Reconfigurable Totes for Automated Each-Pick Handling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current automated material handling systems face limitations in spatial optimization of storage areas, transport mechanisms for material throughput, and automated sorting of materials, particularly due to the complexity of handling diverse items with varying dimensions and colors, leading to high costs and low throughput.
Innovation Solution
A system utilizing reconfigurable containers with automated assembly devices that customize containment areas based on item size and volume, allowing for optimal storage and transport, and a network of smart stations for configuration, release, and recycling of containers to facilitate efficient 'each picking' operations without the need for robotic grasping.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If traditional fixed containers are used for storage and transport, then container structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but spatial optimization of storage areas is poor and storage density is low
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic container structures where partition walls can be repositioned and reconfigured based on the dimensions and quantity of items being stored. This allows the container internal volume to adapt dynamically to different storage needs, maximizing storage density while maintaining manageable structural complexity through modular design elements.
Solution Approach 2:
The container is divided into multiple modular partition sections that can be independently adjusted. This segmentation allows flexible reconfiguration of internal space to accommodate items of varying sizes, improving storage optimization while keeping each modular component relatively simple in structure.
2Extent of automation
If automated robotic grasping systems are used for each picking operations, then automation level is high, but device complexity increases significantly and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs self-service mechanisms where containers are automatically configured and sorted based on pre-programmed parameters without requiring complex robotic manipulation. The containers themselves perform the sorting function through their reconfigurable structure, eliminating the need for sophisticated robotic grasping systems while maintaining high automation levels.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces complex mechanical robotic grasping systems with a simplified mechanism based on reconfigurable container structures and automated positioning. This substitution reduces device complexity while achieving the same automation objective through a different technical approach.
3Productivity
If reconfigurable containers with automated assembly are used, then storage density is maximized and throughput increases, but device complexity and manufacturing costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary configuration of container partitions based on advance knowledge of item dimensions and storage requirements. This pre-planning allows the automated assembly system to operate more efficiently, reducing the complexity of real-time decision-making while maximizing throughput and storage density.
Solution Approach 2:
The reconfigurable container system is designed with universal components that can serve multiple functions and accommodate various item types. This multi-functionality reduces the need for specialized equipment for different storage scenarios, thereby controlling device complexity while maintaining high productivity across diverse applications.
4Area of moving object
If containers are customized for each order basis, then spatial optimization is improved, but manufacturing time and operational complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The container system utilizes dynamic reconfiguration capabilities that can be quickly adjusted between orders. The modular partition design allows rapid transformation from one configuration to another, minimizing the time lost during customization while maximizing space utilization for each specific order requirement.
Solution Approach 2:
The system optimizes container configurations by changing key parameters such as partition positions and container dimensions based on order specifications. These parameter changes are implemented through automated mechanisms that reduce the time required for customization while achieving optimal space utilization for each order.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided herein are solutions to automated material handling comprising systems that allow automated “each pick handling” without requiring the complexity of robotic grasping. Numerous examples of pre-configurable and reconfigurable transport containers, partitioning devices, and automated container configuration stations are described in addition to methods of use and associated material handling systems that utilize such containers. Further described are containers that are individually configured or customized according to specific lot sizes to more efficiently and optimally contain, store and distribute articles as a component of a picking system. Configurable containers or “totes” may be customized on a per-order basis to create optimally configured containers that maximize the use of space in a container, on a single-item-per-space basis, regardless of item quantity, size or volume, by customizing the size of each space within a container or tote. Still further, each containment area comprises a releasable surface that allows for picking of an item by utilizing gravity in lieu of a robotic gripper.