Rotatable Dividers for Variable Slot Conveyor
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current item delivery systems are inefficient due to time-intensive sorting and packaging processes, frequent item handling, and limited capacity of delivery vehicles, leading to slow and costly delivery methods, with packaging often being discarded after use.
Innovation Solution
An item delivery system featuring conveyors with rotatable dividers that adjust based on item dimensions to prevent sliding and maintain items in place during transport, allowing for efficient movement and unloading of items directly to a user, and a packaging area for recycling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If items are sorted and packaged in a warehouse facility using traditional methods, then items can be prepared for delivery, but the process is time intensive and requires frequent handling
Solution Approach 1:
Items are sorted and grouped by delivery location in advance at the warehouse facility before being loaded onto the conveyor system. This preliminary sorting action eliminates the need for repeated handling and re-sorting during transit, as items remain organized in their final delivery sequences throughout the entire journey.
Solution Approach 2:
The delivery system segments items into groups based on their destination locations, with each group remaining together in a designated section of the conveyor. This segmentation allows multiple items bound for the same area to be transported together without requiring individual handling, thereby reducing overall processing time.
2Quantity of substance
If items are transported using traditional delivery vehicles with limited capacity, then items can be delivered to customers, but the vehicle capacity limits the number of items that can be delivered in one trip
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from traditional ground-based vehicle delivery to aerial drone delivery, utilizing three-dimensional space for transport. This dimensional change allows items to be delivered directly to locations without being constrained by road networks or vehicle capacity limitations, effectively increasing the quantity of items that can be delivered per trip.
Solution Approach 2:
The conveyor system is designed to accommodate multiple item types and sizes simultaneously, with adjustable dividers that can configure the cargo space to fit various delivery scenarios. This multi-functionality allows the system to optimize capacity for different delivery needs, maximizing the number of items that can be transported in each trip.
3Reliability
If rotatable dividers are used to prevent item sliding during transport, then items remain securely in place, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The dividers are designed to be rotatable rather than fixed, allowing them to dynamically adjust to different item sizes and shapes. During normal transport, the dividers remain in position to prevent sliding. When items need to be loaded or unloaded, the dividers can rotate out of the way, providing ease of operation without compromising item stability during transit.
Solution Approach 2:
The rotatable divider system is designed to be manually operable by delivery personnel without requiring complex mechanical assistance. The dividers rotate freely when needed, allowing users to easily access items for loading or unloading without activating complex locking or unlocking mechanisms, thereby reducing overall system complexity while maintaining reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
An item delivery system can include a conveyor. The conveyor can be positioned in a delivery vehicle, for example. The conveyor can include a conveyance surface for receiving items and dividers. While remaining coupled with the conveyance surface, the dividers can move between a storage configuration and an operating configuration. In the operating configuration, the dividers can be positioned between the items. The conveyor can move the items to a position for removal. The removal position may correspond to an area accessible from an operator area of the delivery vehicle, for example.