Rotatable Container Carrier for Cross-Orientation Container Transfer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing automated storage and retrieval systems face challenges in handling storage containers with different orientations and transferring them between systems with varying orientations, as well as between systems and external conveyors, due to the need for precise alignment and potential misalignment issues.
Innovation Solution
A remotely operated delivery vehicle with a container carrier that can rotate relative to its base, allowing it to receive and transfer storage containers from above or the side, and a rotational drive to align the container carrier with different orientations, enabling transfer between systems with varying rail system orientations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If storage containers are transferred between systems with varying orientations, then transfer capability between diverse systems is improved, but alignment precision deteriorates due to orientation mismatches
Solution Approach 1:
The container carrier is made rotatable relative to the vehicle base through a rotational drive mechanism, allowing dynamic adjustment of the container carrier's orientation to match different system orientations during transfer operations, thereby maintaining alignment precision across diverse systems
Solution Approach 2:
The orientation parameter of the container carrier is changed by rotating it relative to the vehicle base, enabling the container carrier to adapt to different orientation requirements when transferring between systems with varying orientations while preserving alignment precision
2Adaptability or versatility
If container carrier is made rotatable to handle different orientations, then versatility is improved, but device complexity increases due to additional rotational drive mechanism
Solution Approach 1:
The delivery vehicle is designed with a universal container carrier that can perform multiple functions: receiving containers from different orientations, rotating to match target system orientations, and transferring to various destinations including external conveyors, thereby achieving multi-functionality without proportionally increasing complexity
3Reliability
If precise alignment is maintained during container transfer, then transfer reliability is improved, but transfer speed decreases due to alignment adjustments
Solution Approach 1:
The container carrier is rotated to the required orientation in advance before the container transfer operation begins, so that when the transfer actually occurs, precise alignment is already established and no time-consuming alignment adjustments are needed during the transfer itself, thus maintaining both reliability and speed
Data Source
AI summary
A remotely operated delivery vehicle for transport of a storage container includes a vehicle base, rolling device motors, a power source, a container carrier, and a rotational drive. The vehicle base includes rolling devices configured to move the remotely operated delivery vehicle in a horizontal plane along tracks of a rail system. The rail system includes a first set of parallel rails arranged in a first direction and a second set of parallel rails arranged in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. The rolling device motors drive the rolling devices. The power source is configured to provide propulsion power to the rolling device motors. The container carrier is supported by the vehicle. The container carrier is configured to receive the storage container from above and/or from a side and onto or at least partly into the container carrier. The rotational drive is configured to rotate the container carrier, and any storage container supported thereon, relative the vehicle base.