Retractable Forks for Pallet-Accessible Floor Elevators
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing load elevators require ramps or large spaces for access by pallet trucks, leading to inefficiencies and safety hazards, and are not compatible with all pallet truck designs, limiting their usability in smaller areas and increasing operational costs.
Innovation Solution
A floor-mounted load elevator with retractable forks that eliminate the need for ramps, allowing direct access from the front or sides, featuring a vertical mast, carriage, and telescopic fork assemblies with motor-driven chains and cables for efficient extension and retraction, minimizing space requirements and obstructions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If ramps are added to enable pallet jack access, then pallet truck compatibility is improved, but floor space requirement increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the ramp structure entirely from the load elevator design. Instead of adding a ramp to enable pallet jack access, the invention extracts this requirement by designing the forks to be retractable behind the carriage, allowing the pallet jack to approach from the front without needing to climb a ramp. This directly resolves the contradiction by eliminating the space-consuming ramp while maintaining pallet truck compatibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs dynamic fork positioning where the forks can extend forward to engage the pallet and then retract behind the carriage during the lifting operation. This dynamic reconfiguration allows the system to adapt to different operational phases: forks extended for pallet engagement, forks retracted for compact storage and access. This dynamic behavior enables pallet jack compatibility without requiring permanent ramp structures.
2Power
If forklifts are used instead of pallet jacks, then lifting capability is improved, but safety risks and operational costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs a load elevator that can be accessed and operated by pallet jacks, which are safer and more widely available than forklifts. The system maintains sufficient lifting capability by using a robust hydraulic or mechanical lift mechanism that can handle heavy pallets without requiring forklift-level power. This universal design allows the use of safer pallet jack equipment while achieving the necessary lifting function.
3Ease of operation
If the elevator platform is made accessible to pallet jacks, then ease of operation is improved, but the equipment width increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the loading function from the lifting function. The pallet jack approaches from the front and pushes the pallet onto the forks, which then retract behind the carriage to lift the load. This segmentation allows the platform to remain compact while maintaining ease of operation, as the loading action occurs in front of the carriage and the lifting action occurs with the forks retracted behind it.
4Power
If scissor-lift mechanisms are used for lifting, then lifting function is improved, but worker access to pallet center becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the scissor-lift mechanism and its enclosing pan structure from the design. Instead of using a scissor-lift that requires the worker to reach over the mechanism, the invention uses a different lifting approach where the forks lift the pallet from underneath. This allows the worker to stand on the platform and access the pallet center directly without reaching over any lifting mechanism.
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
Enables safe, ergonomic, and efficient loading and unloading of pallets and skids with minimal floor space, accommodating various pallet truck designs, and reducing operator effort and safety risks by providing unobstructed access and a compact footprint.
Implementation Method 1
featuring a vertical mast, carriage, and telescopic fork assemblies with motor-driven chains and cables for efficient extension and retraction
Data Source
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AI summary
A pallet- truck-compatible load elevator (10) includes a vertical mast (14) and a carriage (16) coupled to the mast for vertical motion of the carriage along the mast. The retractable forks (12) are housed in assemblies (18) connected to the carriage and are beyond the front face of the carriage when in retracted position, such that access to the front face of the carriage is unobstructed to a pallet truck carrying a pallet (P). Each fork assembly (18) includes an outer fork (64) coupled to a support attached to the carriage (16) and an inner fork (66) coupled to the outer fork, the outer fork (64) being horizontally movable with respect to the carriage and the inner fork (66) being similarly movable with respect to the outer fork (64) to provide telescopic extension and retraction of the fork assemblies.