Rotary Table Picking Device with Mechanical Tilting Guide

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing order-picking devices often result in cumbersome access to container contents, leading to prolonged operation times and health risks for operators, as they require manual tilting or complex hydraulic systems.

Innovation Solution

An order-picking device with a container holder that tilts along a closed travel path, featuring a mechanical guide and a tilting axis spaced horizontally from the guide, allowing for automatic tilting during movement, reducing the need for manual intervention and enhancing accessibility.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If container holders are tilted using hydraulic systems, then accessibility to container contents is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaccessibility to container contentsVSAvoidhydraulic system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces complex hydraulic tilting systems with a purely mechanical guide system. The guide's geometry directly converts the rotational motion into container holder tilting, eliminating the need for hydraulic components while achieving the same accessibility improvement.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The container holder automatically tilts as it moves along the guide path. The tilting action is self-generated through the mechanical interaction between the container holder and the guide, without requiring separate actuation systems.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

2Ease of operation

If container holders are tilted manually by operators, then accessibility is improved, but productivity decreases due to prolonged operation times

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaccessibility to container contentsVSAvoidorder picking speed
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The container holder is tilted automatically during its movement along the guide path, so that by the time it reaches the picking position, it is already in the optimal tilted state for access. This eliminates the need for manual tilting operations at the picking station.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs the tilting action automatically through the mechanical guide design, without requiring operator intervention. The container holder self-tilts as a natural consequence of moving along the guide path.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

3Manufacturing precision

If tilting and movement are performed in separate operations, then control precision is improved, but productivity decreases due to sequential operations

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetilting control precisionVSAvoidcontainer holder access speed
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines the tilting function and movement function into a single integrated mechanical guide system. As the container holder moves along the guide, the guide's geometry simultaneously produces the tilting motion, merging two operations into one continuous action.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The mechanical guide serves multiple functions simultaneously: it defines the travel path, controls the tilting angle, and ensures precise positioning. This multi-functionality allows both movement and tilting to occur together without sacrificing control precision.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentEP3250483B1Picking device in the form of a rotary table
Publication Date: 2021.10.13 KARDEX PRODN DEUTLAND
  • EP3250483B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3250483B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3250483B1 patent drawingFigure 3~5

AI summary

The invention relates to a picking device (1) for arranging between at least one automatic placement point (95) and at least one picking workstation (91), comprising at least one container holder (3) movable along a travel path (V) from the picking workstation (91) to the placement point (95), and comprising a rotation unit (5) for moving the at least one container holder (3) along the travel path (V). The invention further relates to a storage system (89). According to the invention, in order to provide a picking device (1) and a storage system (89) which enable a fast picking of goods and simultaneously increase safety and ergonomics for an operator (93), the picking device (1) has a tilt device (13) for the at least one container holder (3) by means of which the at least one container holder (3) can be tilted toward the at least one picking workstation (91) during a movement along the travel path (V).