Robotic Tire Unloader for Tight Storage Spaces
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The process of unloading large quantities of materials, such as tires, is inefficient in terms of time and manpower due to the tight packing in storage or transport vehicles, and existing methods fail to adequately reduce these inefficiencies.
Innovation Solution
A tire unloading system comprising a mobile support structure, a robotic device, and a drive system that maneuvers the robotic device to engage, lift, and unload tires, utilizing a boom with rotational and extendable capabilities to adapt to tight spaces, along with a conveyor system and a transporting cart for efficient material handling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If tires are tightly packed to maximize storage space, then storage capacity is improved, but unloading efficiency deteriorates due to limited access and headroom
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic device divides the unloading task into segmented actions: positioning the end effector, extending gripper fingers to engage tires individually or in small groups, lifting, and transferring to conveyor. This segmentation allows the system to handle tightly packed tires without requiring large headroom for manual operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical unloading operations with an automated robotic system that uses controlled motor movements. The robotic device substitutes human labor with automated mechanisms that can access tight spaces and perform precise manipulation of tightly packed tires, thereby maintaining high storage capacity while improving unloading efficiency.
2Ease of operation
If traditional unloading methods are used, then simplicity of operation is maintained, but time consumption increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic device is designed to autonomously perform unloading operations once positioned. The end effector automatically engages with tires using extending gripper fingers, and the system self-regulates the lifting and transferring process to the conveyor without continuous manual intervention, thereby reducing unloading time while maintaining operational simplicity through automated self-service mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The robotic device enables continuous unloading operation by seamlessly transitioning between engaging, lifting, and transferring actions without interruption. The automated system maintains constant productive action on the tire stack, eliminating the stop-start nature of manual unloading and significantly reducing total unloading time while keeping the operation simple through continuous automated execution.
3Ease of operation
If pallets are used for unloading, then handling organization is improved, but space waste increases and unloading inefficiency remains
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the pallet from the unloading process entirely. Instead of using pallets to organize and facilitate unloading, the system directly engages with individual tires or small groups of tires using the robotic end effector. This extraction removes the source of space waste associated with pallets while maintaining handling organization through automated robotic control, thereby improving both space utilization and unloading efficiency.
Data Source
AI summary
A tire unloader includes a mobile support structure, a robotic device supported by the mobile support structure, and a drive system. The drive system maneuvers the robotic device. The robotic device includes an engagement mechanism. The mobile support structure positions the robotic device to allow for engagement, lifting, and unloading stacks of tires. A remote user optionally controls the movement of the mobile support structure and the operational actions of the robotic device. A material conveyer optionally receives the unloaded material. A second robotic device located near the second end of the material conveyer optionally engages the unloaded tires on the conveyer and transfers the unloaded tires onto the transporting cart, which transports the unloaded material to a predetermined location.