Stackable Inventory Storage Modules With Vertical Lift Automation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional shelving systems in inventory storage facilities lack the efficiency and density needed for high-capacity storage, leading to increased space requirements and operational inefficiencies.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of stackable storage modules with automated item movement management systems, utilizing conveyor segments and vertical lifts to create high-density storage systems that enable automated item storage and retrieval with minimal human intervention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If conventional shelving units are used for inventory storage, then ease of operation is maintained, but storage density and space utilization deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The storage system is divided into multiple independent storage modules that can be stacked vertically. Each module contains container carriers with inventory storage containers arranged in rows, allowing the system to achieve high storage density through vertical stacking while maintaining modular simplicity for ease of deployment and management
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from traditional horizontal shelving to vertical stacking of storage modules. Multiple storage modules are stacked one on top of another, utilizing the vertical dimension to dramatically increase storage density without proportionally increasing the floor space required
2Productivity
If manual item handling is used in conventional shelving systems, then device complexity is low, but productivity and storage/retrieval time deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The storage modules are designed with self-contained features including integrated container carriers that automatically present containers for retrieval. The system enables automated item movement where containers can be presented to retrieval positions without manual intervention, improving throughput while keeping the automation relatively simple and maintainable
Solution Approach 2:
The storage modules are designed as universal, multi-functional units that can perform both storage and automated retrieval operations. Each module contains container carriers that can hold multiple containers and present them for retrieval, allowing a single modular design to handle various storage and retrieval tasks without requiring complex specialized systems
3Area of stationary object
If conventional shelving arrangements are used, then ease of operation is maintained, but storage density and space utilization deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments inventory into discrete containers organized in rows within container carriers. This segmentation allows automated presentation of specific containers to retrieval positions, maintaining ease of operation while enabling dense vertical stacking that maximizes space utilization
Solution Approach 2:
Container carriers serve as intermediaries between the stacked storage modules and the retrieval system. The carriers hold multiple containers and can be presented to retrieval positions, facilitating easy access to inventory while enabling the modules to be densely stacked in vertical storage configurations
Data Source
AI summary
In one embodiment, an inventory storage module has a first conveyor segment, a second conveyor segments offset from the first segment along a vertical direction, a first vertical lift at a first end of the module, and a second vertical lift at a second end of the module, which together define a movement path that is elongate along a longitudinal direction between the first and second ends. The storage module can translate inventory storage containers around the movement path until a desired one of the inventory storage containers is presented at one of the first end and the second end. In another embodiment, a plurality of instances of the storage module are arranged in a vertical stack of independently controllable storage modules.