Stacker Crane Mast Dust Capture via Segmented Negative Pressure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional stacker cranes with long masts require multiple fan filter units to capture dust, increasing weight and power consumption, making it difficult to minimize dust spread in clean rooms.
Innovation Solution
A stacker crane design featuring a mast with a first and second covering body, exhaust holes, and an exhaust device that creates negative pressure along the mast to capture dust efficiently, allowing for fewer devices and reduced energy use, while maintaining effective dust capture throughout the mast's length.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If multiple fan filter units are installed along the mast to capture dust throughout the entire vertical area, then dust capture efficiency is improved, but the weight of the stacker crane increases
Solution Approach 1:
The internal space of the mast is segmented into multiple regions (first space, second space, third space, fourth space) using first and second barriers with exhaust holes. This segmentation allows a single exhaust device to create negative pressure in specific regions, enabling efficient dust capture throughout the entire mast vertical area without requiring multiple exhaust devices, thus reducing overall weight.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces air as an intermediary medium to transport dust particles. The exhaust device creates negative pressure that draws air (carrying dust) from the first space through exhaust holes in the barriers to the second space, and finally to the exhaust device. This intermediary air flow mechanism enables comprehensive dust capture with a single exhaust device rather than requiring multiple devices positioned throughout the mast.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If multiple fan filter units are installed along the mast to capture dust throughout the entire vertical area, then dust capture efficiency is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The mast internal space is segmented into multiple regions using barriers with exhaust holes, allowing a single exhaust device to create negative pressure that extends throughout the segmented spaces. This segmentation enables one exhaust device to replace multiple fan filter units, significantly reducing power consumption while maintaining comprehensive dust capture efficiency throughout the entire mast vertical area.
Solution Approach 2:
Air acts as an intermediary that transmits the negative pressure effect from the single exhaust device throughout the segmented mast spaces. The exhaust device creates negative pressure in the second space, which draws air (carrying dust) from the first space through exhaust holes, and from the third and fourth spaces through their respective exhaust holes. This intermediary air flow mechanism enables a single exhaust device to achieve dust capture throughout the entire mast, replacing multiple high-power fan filter units with one lower-power device.
3Object-generated harmful factors
If the sliding section area is reduced to minimize dust generation, then dust generation is reduced, but the operational space for the ascending and descending unit is constrained
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful dust generated at the sliding section into a manageable airflow pattern. By creating negative pressure zones through the segmented barrier structure and exhaust device, the system draws dust-laden air through controlled paths (from first space through exhaust holes to second space, and from third/fourth spaces through exhaust holes to second space). This transforms the dust problem into a controlled air flow system that captures dust efficiently while maintaining adequate sliding section area for operational versatility.
4Weight of moving object
If a single exhaust device is used instead of multiple fan filter units, then weight and power consumption are reduced, but dust capture coverage may be insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The internal mast space is segmented into multiple regions (first, second, third, and fourth spaces) separated by barriers with exhaust holes. This segmentation allows a single exhaust device to create negative pressure that extends across all segmented regions, drawing dust-laden air from each region through the exhaust holes in the barriers. This segmentation strategy enables one exhaust device to achieve comprehensive dust capture coverage throughout the entire mast vertical area, replacing multiple fan filter units without sacrificing coverage.
Solution Approach 2:
Air serves as an intermediary that transmits the negative pressure effect from the single exhaust device throughout the segmented mast spaces. The exhaust device creates negative pressure in the second space, which draws air (carrying dust) from the first space through exhaust holes, and from the third and fourth spaces through their respective exhaust holes. This intermediary air flow mechanism enables a single exhaust device to achieve dust capture throughout the entire mast, providing comprehensive coverage equivalent to or better than multiple distributed fan filter units.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The design efficiently captures dust along the entire mast length with fewer devices and reduced energy consumption, minimizing dust contamination in clean rooms and allowing for increased design freedom and travel distance within limited spaces.
Implementation Method 1
negative pressure in the second space generated by the exhaust device is even throughout the vertical direction along the mast, whereby the air in the first space can be drawn in evenly or substantially evenly throughout the vertical direction
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 4
AI summary
A stacker crane includes: a first covering body (105) covering a sliding section (134) of a mast (103) and an ascending and descending unit (104), and forming a first space (191) extending vertically along the mast (103); a second covering body (106) forming a second space (192) extending vertically along the mast (103) and partitioned from the first space (191) by a first barrier (131); a plurality of exhaust holes (136) that are vertically dispersed in the first barrier (131) and place the first space (191) and the second space (192) in communication; and an exhaust device (107) that is attached to the mast (103) and expels air in the second space (192) at a portion in a vertical direction.