Side-Engaging Lifting Tools for Stable Server Robot Handling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing machines, such as robots for automated server handling, are difficult to move within data centers due to narrow aisles and tight corners, and lifting from the bottom surface can be unstable, potentially damaging sensors or components and preventing movement.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising a lifting tool and caboose tool that engage opposing sides of the target object, using brackets and protrusions to lift and move the object, allowing stable maneuverability through narrow spaces and tight corners.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a forklift is used to lift the machine from the bottom surface, then the machine can be lifted, but the lifting is unstable and may damage sensors or components
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of lifting the machine from the bottom surface (conventional approach), the invention uses lifting mechanisms that engage with the top or side surfaces of the machine. The lifting tool includes a bracket that engages with a lifting mechanism on the top/side of the machine, inverting the traditional forklift approach of lifting from the bottom. This avoids damage to sensors and components on the bottom surface while providing stable lifting.
2Ease of operation
If the machine is lifted from the bottom surface, then lifting can be achieved, but the machine cannot be moved through narrow aisles and tight corners
Solution Approach 1:
The invention inverts the lifting approach by engaging the machine at the top/side rather than the bottom. This allows the machine to be lifted and moved through narrow aisles and tight corners without the clearance issues associated with bottom-surface lifting. The lifting tool can be positioned and maneuvered in confined spaces to engage the machine's lifting mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from vertical lifting (bottom-to-top) to a combination of horizontal and vertical engagement. The bracket engages with the machine's lifting mechanisms on the top/side, allowing the machine to be lifted and maneuvered in a different dimensional approach that enables navigation through narrow spaces.
3Ease of operation
If the bottom surface of the machine is accessed for lifting, then lifting can be performed, but the machine cannot be moved off pallets upon initial delivery
Solution Approach 1:
The invention inverts the lifting approach by engaging the machine at the top/side surfaces rather than the bottom. This allows the machine to be lifted off pallets during initial delivery without requiring forklift access to the bottom surface. The lifting tool can be positioned to engage the machine's lifting mechanisms regardless of the machine's position on the pallet.
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B
Figure 2A
AI summary
Aspects of the disclosure relate to a system for lifting and moving a target lift object. A lifting tool and caboose tool may each engage opposing and parallel sides of the target lift object. To engage the target lift object, the lifting tool may have a bracket with a series of holes configured to receive a series of shafts on one side of the target lift object, and the caboose tool may have a series of lifting protrusions configured to be received within holes on the opposing side of the target lift object. To lift the target lift object, the lifting and caboose tools may have lifting mechanisms that translate along a vertical axis. To move the target lift object, the lifting tool may be manually or autonomously manipulated.