Stackable Storage Modules With Vertical Lifts
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional inventory storage systems face challenges in achieving high storage density and efficient item retrieval, leading to increased space requirements and operational costs.
Innovation Solution
The development of stackable storage modules with automated item movement management systems, including conveyor segments and vertical lifts, that enable high-density storage and retrieval of inventory items with minimal human intervention, using item-level data to coordinate the actions of automated material handling equipment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If conventional shelving units are used with manual item handling, then operational simplicity is maintained, but storage density is low and space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The storage system is divided into multiple independent storage modules, each capable of autonomous operation. Each module contains its own conveyor segments and vertical lifts, allowing the system to scale without increasing overall complexity proportionally. This segmentation enables high storage density through vertical stacking while maintaining manageable operational complexity through modular design.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from traditional horizontal shelving to vertical three-dimensional storage architecture. Multiple conveyor segments operate at different vertical levels, with vertical lifts connecting these levels. This dimensional change dramatically increases storage density by utilizing vertical space while the automated coordination of these components manages the resulting system complexity.
2Productivity
If automated material handling equipment is implemented, then item retrieval efficiency is improved, but capital expenses increase
Solution Approach 1:
The conveyor segments and vertical lifts are designed to perform multiple functions: storing items, retrieving items, transferring items between levels, and reconfiguring storage arrangements. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate specialized equipment, thereby improving retrieval efficiency while controlling capital expenses through equipment consolidation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates automated control that enables the storage modules to operate with minimal human intervention. The automated coordination of conveyor segments and vertical lifts allows the system to service itself for routine operations, improving retrieval efficiency while reducing the need for expensive complex manual control systems.
3Quantity of substance
If vertical stacking of storage modules is implemented, then storage capacity is increased, but system coordination complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The vertically stacked storage system is divided into independent modular units, each with its own conveyor segments and vertical lifts. This segmentation allows each module to operate semi-autonomously, increasing overall storage capacity while managing coordination complexity through modular independence rather than centralized control of every component.
Solution Approach 2:
Vertical lifts serve as intermediary components that connect different vertical levels and conveyor segments. These intermediaries facilitate coordinated movement of items between storage levels while isolating the control complexity of vertical coordination from the horizontal conveyor operations, enabling increased storage capacity through vertical stacking without proportionally increasing overall system coordination complexity.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~4
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.