Workstation Shaft Locking for Safer Container Retrieval
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing storage and retrieval systems pose a safety risk due to the potential for operators to accidentally reach into the shaft access opening, leading to injuries from falling containers or objects.
Innovation Solution
A storage and retrieval system equipped with a light barrier or light grid at the access opening, combined with a locking device featuring folding or insertable locking elements, such as hinged fingers, to prevent unintentional movement of containers within the shaft.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a robotic arm is used to transport containers in a container terminal, then labor intensity is reduced and operational consistency is improved, but the initial investment cost and system complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The container terminal is divided into multiple storage areas (first storage area, second storage area, third storage area) with different container type configurations. Each area can be independently managed and operated, allowing the robotic arm to service different zones separately. This segmentation reduces the overall system complexity by breaking down the large-scale automation into manageable modular units.
Solution Approach 2:
The robotic arm is designed with universal functionality to handle multiple container types (twenty-foot containers and forty-foot containers) and perform various operations (picking up, placing, transporting) across different storage areas. This multi-functionality reduces the need for specialized equipment for each container type, thereby reducing overall system complexity while maintaining high automation.
2Adaptability or versatility
If storage areas are configured with different container types (twenty-foot and forty-foot containers), then storage flexibility and adaptability are improved, but the complexity of managing and coordinating robotic operations increases
Solution Approach 1:
Each storage area is configured with specific container type arrangements optimized for its function. The first storage area stores twenty-foot containers, the second storage area stores forty-foot containers, and the third storage area stores both types. This local optimization allows the robotic arm to adapt to different storage configurations without requiring complete system redesign, reducing operational coordination complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the robotic arm's operation parameters based on the container type and storage area configuration. The control system can switch between different operational modes (handling twenty-foot containers vs. forty-foot containers) and optimize movement paths, gripper positions, and stacking patterns according to the specific local requirements of each storage area.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the robotic arm is designed to handle both twenty-foot and forty-foot containers, then equipment versatility is improved, but the mechanical complexity and design requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic arm is pre-configured with adjustable mechanical components (such as extendable arms, adjustable grippers, and configurable base positions) that can be set in advance to match the specific container type requirements. This preliminary configurability allows the same robotic arm to handle both twenty-foot and forty-foot containers without requiring complex real-time mechanical transformations.
Solution Approach 2:
The robotic arm utilizes parameter changes in its operational configuration to adapt to different container types. By adjusting parameters such as arm extension length, gripper opening width, base positioning coordinates, and lifting height, the robotic arm can efficiently handle both twenty-foot and forty-foot containers. This parameter-based adaptability reduces mechanical complexity compared to designing entirely separate handling systems for each container type.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A storage and removal system for containers (4) comprising a latticework structure (3) with a multiplicity of latticework cells, wherein each latticework cell defines a storage column (5) of a container-storage structure arranged beneath the latticework structure (3), wherein the storage columns (5) are designed so that they each accommodate a vertical stack of containers (4), and wherein the latticework structure (3) defines longitudinal transporting paths in a longitudinal direction and transverse transporting paths in a transverse direction, also comprising at least one transport vehicle for containers (4), the vehicle being designed to travel along the longitudinal transporting paths and/or transverse transporting paths, and further comprising a workstation (1) for providing access to at least one container (4), wherein the workstation (1) has a vertical shaft (6) with an access opening leading from or to the shaft (6), wherein a container (4) can be moved along the shaft (6), by means of a gripper assigned to the transport vehicle or the latticework structure (3), in the direction from a transport vehicle towards the access opening or, in the opposite direction, towards the transport vehicle, wherein the shaft (6) is assigned a locking device (12) for preventing unwanted movement of a container (4), or of other items, in the shaft (6).