Robotic Cargo Handling Grid with Rail Gaps
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current road-rail intermodal transport systems are inefficient and costly, particularly in transferring shipping containers and semi-trailers between different forms of transport, due to time-consuming and labor-intensive processes, leading to congestion and low productivity.
Innovation Solution
A robotic cargo handling system featuring a grid structure with perpendicular rails and independently movable wheels, allowing robotic load handling devices to efficiently transfer containers between rail cars and other transport vehicles, with a method that includes lifting and moving containers between locations using a grid structure with missing sections to align with vehicles and prevent derailing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional road-rail intermodal transport systems are used to transfer containers between different forms of transport, then the transfer process is simple in concept, but it is time-consuming and labor-intensive leading to low productivity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical crane-based container handling systems with an automated robotic system. The robotic load handling device uses independently movable wheels to engage with perpendicular rails, enabling automated container transfer between rail cars and road vehicles without human intervention, thereby increasing productivity and reducing transfer time
Solution Approach 2:
The robotic load handling device is equipped with independently movable wheels that can autonomously engage and disengage from the perpendicular rail sets. The system self-regulates its positioning and container handling operations without requiring external mechanical assistance or manual operation, enabling continuous automated container transfer
2Ease of operation
If a complete grid structure with rails in all directions is used, then the robotic device has full mobility, but it increases the risk of derailing when vehicles are positioned beneath the grid
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts or removes sections of rails from the complete grid structure in areas where vehicles are positioned beneath the grid. This creates gaps in the rail network that prevent the robotic device's wheels from engaging with rails in those zones, thereby eliminating the risk of derailing while the robotic device maintains full mobility in the remaining rail areas
Solution Approach 2:
The rail grid structure has non-uniform characteristics where certain sections have rails and other sections have gaps. The presence or absence of rails is locally optimized based on the positioning of vehicles beneath the grid, creating a spatially varying structure that simultaneously enables robotic mobility where needed and prevents derailing where vehicles are present
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for robotic container storage, handling, and transfer system and method includes a grid structure formed of two substantially perpendicular sets of rails above a portion of at least one transport network, a robotic load handling device operating on the grid structure, a vehicle means located on the at least one transport network below the grid structure configured to receive a container, the robotic load handling device being provided with an engaging means for engaging the container and a lifting means configured for lifting the container from the vehicle means for movement to an alternative location, wherein one or more portions of the rails above the vehicle means of the transport network are missing in a direction transverse to a direction of the transport network forming one or more open grid spaces enabling alignment of the robotic load handling device above the vehicle means.