Rotating Tray Support Cart for Multi-Station Product Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing assembly and integration processes for commercial products involve excessive movement of components and products, leading to potential material damage, worker injury, and inefficiencies in production flow, as well as limitations in handling and assembling multiple products simultaneously.
Innovation Solution
An adjustable cart with a support frame, rotatable arm, and trays that allow for the product to be assembled, transported, and positioned at various heights, enabling reduced movement, safer handling, and simultaneous assembly of multiple products while maintaining ergonomic working conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If components and products are moved multiple times through the assembly process, then they can be transported between different workstations, but the potential for material damage and worker injury increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple workstations (assembly, testing, packaging) into a single integrated cart system. The cart includes multiple levels and stations where components can be assembled, tested, and packaged without being removed and relocated. This merging of functions eliminates the need for multiple separate movements between different workstations, thereby reducing material damage risk while maintaining ease of operation.
2Ease of operation
If components and products are moved multiple times through the assembly process, then they can be transported between different workstations, but worker injury risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The integrated cart system combines multiple workstations into one mobile unit, allowing workers to perform assembly, testing, and packaging operations at different levels of the same cart without physically moving the product between separate workstations. This reduces the frequency of handling and transportation operations, thereby minimizing worker injury risk while maintaining operational ease.
3Ease of operation
If excessive movement is performed during assembly process, then components can be transported to different locations, but cycle time to assemble, test, and package product increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cart integrates assembly, testing, and packaging operations at different levels within a single mobile workstation. Components can be assembled on an upper level, then tested and packaged on lower levels of the same cart without being removed. This eliminates the time required for repeated loading, unloading, and transportation between separate workstations, significantly reducing assembly cycle time while maintaining ease of component transport.
4Ease of manufacture
If traditional separate workstations are used for assembly, testing, and packaging, then each process can be performed independently, but production flow is not maximized
Solution Approach 1:
The cart merges assembly, testing, and packaging processes into a single integrated mobile workstation with multiple levels. Each process can still be performed independently on different levels, but the integration allows for continuous workflow where components move vertically between levels rather than being horizontally transported between separate workstations. This maximizes production flow by eliminating idle time and improving workflow continuity.
Data Source
AI summary
A support device includes a support frame, an arm, a first tray, and a second tray. The support frame is configured to rest on a support surface. The arm is coupled to the support frame and configured to rotate between at least a first position and a second position about a central axis substantially parallel to the support surface. The first tray is coupled to the arm and configured to rotate about a first axis substantially parallel to the central axis as the arm rotates between the first and second positions. The second tray is coupled to the arm and configured to rotate about a second axis substantially parallel to the central axis as the arm rotates between the first and second positions.